This is the bet the Pro’s use, and consists of your stake placed on one horse only to pass the post first. You can place this bet with a bookmaker, and take the odds he offers, or you can place it on the TOTE where you do not know the odds, and get a share of the pool if the bet wins. (See www.tote.co.uk for further details on pool betting). Around 90% of all bets paid out by the bookmaker are on WIN singles.

On all bets you get your stake back if the bet wins as per your instructions.

(STAKE XWINNING ODDS) + STAKE
£5 to win on a 2/1 chance would win you £10 + your £5 stake back

EACH WAY (E/W) SINGLE

This actually consists of two bets, the 50% on the WIN SINGLE, and 50% on the PLACE, which covers you for a horse placed 2nd or 3rd (4th in 16+ runner handicaps). The PLACE part is usually paid as 1/4 the odds, although each bookmaker does change this slightly due to runners, race type, etc. Check the details on there web site.

You can bet this on the TOTE as well, but you have to put 50% in the WIN, and 50% in the PLACE pool, although they will accept it written E/W on a slip. Again payout depends on how much is in the pool.

As this bet consists of 2 bets, if only the PLACE part comes in, you will only get 1/2 your stake back.

Unless you are using the TOTE, you must always place equal, or more on the WIN portion of the bet. You can place 60%-40% on with bookmakers, but 40%-60% with the TOTE, or any other splits. This way of betting can come in handy, most people don’t know you can do this.

So if you horse comes 2nd at 16/1 in a 18 runner handicap it would pay;
£5 e/w = £10 total stake
16/1 divided by 1/4 the odds = 4/1
4/1 X £5 (place part only) = £20 + your £5 stake back.
If it won you do the same, and also add the win portion of the bet + stake to your total return.

WIN DOUBLE

This is betting two horses to win their respective races, if one does not win, your bet is lost, and you receive nothing.

Returns on multiples are worked out by the first horse odds + stake, multiplied by the odds of the second winner.

£5 WIN DOUBLE
WON 2/1 WON 3/1
1st WIN – £5 X 2/1 = £10 + £5 stake = £15
2nd WIN – £15 X 3/1 = £45 + £15 stake = £60 total return.
You continue with this format for all other multiples.

E/W DOUBLE

This is another bet the bookmaker do not like you doing, especially when you include 2 fancied horses, as it usually means that at worse you get your stake back.

You work it out as above, but treat the WIN & PLACE parts as two totally different bets. Only add them together when you have worked out the return for each of them.

ACCUMULATORS

These are bets of more than 3 horses, bet to WIN or E/W, and form the basis of both the punters & the bookmakers favourite bets (as they produce the most profit). Calculate them as per the doubles but keep going. Accumulators can be placed in specially worded bets, explained below, and these are designed by the bookmakers to increase there profit even more. You may stand the chance of winning more, but it doesn’t happen often, if it did the bookmakers wouldn’t accept them would they?

I occasionally put up one of these bets, but never go any higher than this, as you lose control over the bet when you have a loser. Three selections in doubles, and trebles.

PATENT

As the TRIXIE but includes the singles as well. Total 7 bets.

YANKEE

Four selections in doubles, trebles, and a 4 fold accumulator.

LUCKY 15

Same as the YANKEE but includes the 4 singles, giving you 15 bets, hence the name. Not very lucky though. If you get 1 loser, as you lose 8 bets straight away, and all multiples get worse for each loser.

SUPER YANKEE or CANADIAN

Five selections with full cover accumulators making it 26 bets. No singles, and with 1 loser you lose 15 bets straight away, see how the bookies make there money?

HEINZ

This is 6 selections with full cover accumulators. No singles, and a massive 31 bets lost with just 1 loser!!

COMPUTER FORECAST

Select the 1st and 2nd home in a race to finish in the correct order you have selected. By using the words REVERSE COMPUTER FORECAST they can finish in any order, but remember this is 2 bets.

You can back similar on the TOTE, as the EXACTA. Usually pays more than the bookmakers version.

TRICAST

Select the 1st, 2nd and 3rd home in the correct order. By using the words FULL COVER TRICAST the 3 you select can finish in any order but this is 6 bets.

This also has a similar bet on the TOTE, the TRIFECTA

TOTE JACKPOT

Select the winners of the first six racing at the meeting nominated by the TOTE during the week.

TOTE PLACEPOT

Select a placed horse (as defined by the TOTE terms), in each of the six races at any nominated meeting.

TOTE QUADPOT

Select a placed horse (as defined by the TOTE terms), in each of the last four races, that would be in the PLACEPOT. Handy if your early selections are unplaced.

TOTE SCOOP 6

Select the winners or placed horses in the six nominated races, as defined by the TOTE. Saturday & big meetings only. Worth an interest, especially when there is a roll-over, as there are 2 possible wins. All 6 winners, a place in each race, and a chance in the bonus race the following week, if you do get all 6 winners.