Playing To Win

Types of Trifecta Bets

The trifecta wager offers you three ways to play the bet: boxes, wheels and part-wheels. In general, boxes give you more flexibility than wheels (keys) or part-wheels, as your picks in a box can finish in any of the top four spots, while with the other two types you are choosing a position(s) you think your horse will finish.

Each of the trifecta betting strategies has their pros and cons. The three horse box, though inexpensive, is still a tough bet to hit. Logically, you have a better chance to hit if you can box more than three horses. Boxing four or five horses can make sense, particularly if the race is wide-open, and the cost is still not too prohibitive when you are playing the $0.50 or $1 ticket.

Keying a horse gives you a lot more flexibility with your money than a box. Remember, you can key a horse in any of the three positions, not just the top spot. The big drawback of the key bet is that if your horse does not finish in the exact spot you select, you don't cash your ticket. The majority of keyed horses are on the top of the ticket because it is easier to be of the opinion that a horse can beat all horses, versus to have an opinion that a horse will beat all but one horse or all but two horses. Predictions can get pretty vague beyond predicting a horse to win.

$1.00 Trifecta Box: You must select three (or more) runners you think have the best chance of finishing first, second, and third. Like the $1.00 Exacta Box, the $1.00 Trifecta Box pays one-half the $2.00 trifecta price. Minimum 3 runner box for 24 bets costs $24.00.

Number of Runners	Number of Bets	Total $1Cost	Total $0.50 Cost
3	6	$6.00	$3.00
4	24	24.00	12.00
5	60	60.00	30.00
6	120	120.00	60.00
7	210	210.00	105.00

$1.00 Trifecta Key/Wheel: With the Trifecta Key/Wheel you must state which position you think your runner will finish: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th (Remember, this is usually only advantageous to key a horse in the top spot). Your runner must finish in the position you select.

Number of Runners	Number of Bets	Total $1Cost	Total $0.50 Cost
Key 1 runner in any position with 2 others	2	$2.00	$1.00
Key 1 runner in any position with 3 others	6	6.00	3.00
Key 1 runner in any position with 4 others	12	12.00	6.00
Key 1 runner in any position with 5 others	20	20.00	10.00
Key 1 runner in any position with 6 others	30	30.00	15.00

How much does a winning Trifecta pay?

The trifecta prices are determined by the betting pools, but here are some guidelines:

• The more horses in the race, the more difficult the trifecta is to predict and the greater the chance of a big payoff.
• As stated earlier, the relative odds of the top three horses will correlate to the probability and payoff of that trifecta combination. If they are favorites or low-priced contenders, the trifecta will be more logical and there will be more winners - thus reducing the winning payoff.

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Trifecta Topics

• Trifectas Intro
• Typical Strategies
• Types of Trifecta Bets