Horse racing has remained one of the most popular sports for human beings for a long time now. It is about speed, adrenalin, skill, and also analysis, math, and much more. If you are new to the world of horse racing and betting, you may find yourself getting overawed the first time you land up at a race track. However, there is a simple way of avoiding that situation: by reading up about it all and equipping yourself mentally with at least the basic knowledge about the sport and all its intricacies.
A Beginner’s Guide to Horse Racing and Betting – First Steps
As a beginner to horse racing, there is a lot you will need to know – definitions, types of bets, the process itself, and much more. The first thing you will need is the program schedule. The schedule is important because it provides you with all the necessary information about the different players in a race. You can collect it at the venue, or you can also get it online if you are looking to bet online. You would also need a racing form.
Next you need to find a good seat. Reserved seating or entry to the clubhouse usually costs a bit, as do the box seats. Once you have settled in, you can check out the horses near the paddock. The horses are saddled in the paddock and then brought out for a walk – for observers to see – in a ring. At this point, if you observe your horses carefully, you will have an idea of which of them seems the most at ease and ready to race.
Placing Your Bets and More
You are now ready to place your bets. Before going to the race track, you must familiarize yourself with the different types of bets. It is very important to do this because otherwise you may get mixed up at the time of placing your bet and end up making the wrong choice accidentally.
When you place bets on horse racing, you are not competing against the house, but against the other people who come to the track. All the money that is collected in the form of wagers is pooled, and there are different pools within it for different bets. This is called pari-mutuel wagering. Therefore, the amount of money you win on a particular wager depends on how many other people have placed the same bet as you have.
Once you are at the betting window, you need to mention to the clerk the track you are wagering on, the amount you are wagering, the type of wager, and the number of the horse you are betting on. It is very important to be able to provide this information accurately because your returns will depend on the accuracy of this information. Nowadays, you can also place your bets at Self-Automated Mutuels (SAMs). These are touch screen devices that efficiently allow you to place your bets.
One thing you cannot miss out on at the race track is the tote board, also called the Totalisator. This is a big board in the infield that provides all the information about each horse, including current odds, total money bet on it, place and show, and more. Other data the tote board provides include the race number, minutes to post, time of day, track condition, pool totals, results, and more.
