Winning Horse Betting Strategies

Horse betting is a traditional and widely popular sport that has been around since the early 1600s. In this article, we dive into the world of horse betting to find out which are some of the best strategies that will increase your chances of winning. 

There are quite a few strategies and systems in horse racing and this short guide will help you navigate them to maximize your enjoyment as well as your understanding of the sport.

The History of Horse Betting

The history of horse betting, or at least some form of it, can be traced back to the Greeks and Romans, who led chariot races and tried to guess their outcomes. But it was in 17th-century England that this sport really developed into an organized activity. 

From that moment on, horse betting spread throughout the rest of the world, including the United States. In the 18th century, horse racing was extremely popular among the British aristocracy, a fact that led to the establishment of actual racecourses and rules. The first race in America dates back to 1665 in New York. 

Today, horse betting is a major industry, full of various betting formats that include traditional institutions and events such as the Kentucky Derby, which started existing in 1875. Now that we know more about the history of horse betting let’s dive into some winning strategies. 

Backing Longshots and the 80/20

The first thing to consider when approaching the world of horse betting is the concept of value, which can be featured in many other games as well. The concept of value, related to horse betting, defines any horse as having a higher price than you believe it should be. This is an important concept to keep in mind when betting on horses.

Backing longshots is a quite popular horse strategy. The most important component of this strategy is to find significant changes for the horse. This strategy requires some previous knowledge on the matter, but in simple terms, this strategy makes you place bets on horses that have relatively low odds of winning; these horses are often defined as “underdogs.”  

The 80/20, on the other hand, is a strategy that aims to capitalize on horses in the place market. In this strategy, you identify the favorites as well as the ones with the shortest odds, which are typically considered the ones who are most likely to win by bookmakers. The idea behind this strategy is to prioritize these horses for your bets, as they have a higher probability of success. 

Exacta and Arbing

Exacta is another extremely popular strategy, where you select horses to finish first and second in a specific order. This strategy gives you some flexibility and offers higher payouts, but it is more challenging to win when compared to other simpler bets. 

The last strategy we are proposing for this short guide is arcing. Arbing is a strategy that takes differences in odds into consideration as they are offered by different bookmakers to guarantee a profit. 

To use this strategy, you have to identify different opportunities with very different odds and then place bets on all outcomes. This strategy requires careful monitoring of the odds as well as quick execution. It comes with a set of challenges and risks, but it can be extremely rewarding if you are willing to put in the work. 

These are just some of the most popular horse betting strategies, but there are many more interesting sources out there to consult if you are passionate about this topic and want to know more about it.