You may need a combination bet calculator to help you
Placing a combination bet on horse racing is a bold strategy but one designed to minimise the risk that is attached to straight or reverse forecast wagers and even corresponding tricast bets. This type of wager is where you make three or more selections in a particular race and two or three of your choices must finish first and second (or and third) in any order. Multiple stakes are required and the more complex the wager, the more likely you are to need a combination bet calculator to figure things on.
An important distinction to make straight away with a combination horse racing bet is that it’s separate from a trifecta meaning you aren’t betting on the exact finishing order. You are gambling on three of however many selections you’ve made in this case passing the post first, second and third in any order. Nor is a combination bet strictly speaking a reverse tricast either, as you’re only making three selections with that type of wager to finish in any order. Using a combination tricast bet calculator is strongly advised so you can get your head around what stakes to place and how to develop your odds strategy on this betting type.
A combination tricast is essential a series of straight trifecta bets combined together. The wager is complex – even more so than using a combination bet on a forecast because there’s an extra place to consider. The more selections you make, the greater the number of combinations, but all done with the aim of having as much of the field in a horse race covered as possible.
Maybe use a calculator?
If algebra isn’t your thing, then the simplest way of working out how much your total stake will be is to use a combination bet calculator. There are formulae you can use to see how many bets you’re putting on which we’ve included below.
Should you place a combination forecast and n is the number of selections you have made in this wager, then n(n – 1) is the formula you use. If there are three in your forecast combination horse racing bet, then the total permutations covered are six bets. If it’s four selections, then there are 12 wagers to be placed and so on.
Meanwhile, if you’re going in for tricast combination bets, remember this, The trifecta meaning is a wager where you are calling the horses that finish first, second and third. Your formula now including n again standing for the number of selections is as follows: n(n – 1) (n – 2). In this type of gamble, three selections remains six different bets, but four selections is 24 wagers and so on.
The combinations get massively high if you’re making six or more selections, so a combination tricast bet calculator is strongly advised for simplicity’s sake even if you’re into your equations. As a betting strategy, then, it can make sense to have more bases covered, yet all but one of the permutations you’re betting on will at best be wrong?
What if a horse you didn’t consider for selection makes it into the first two or three? Your forecast and tricast wagers are then ruined. A combination bet may be placed with the aim of minimising risks, but you are still leaving the possibility of another horse you don’t select to feature in them spoiling it.
You could of course place a combination horse racing bet that covered the entire field, but you would need to use a combination bet calculator to work out if there is any profit in doing this. It makes no sense in gambling with all possibilities accounted for if you can’t make any winnings from doing it! Bookmakers may not allow you to do this if they are guaranteed to be giving you a payout, so always check if they will accept your bet beforehand.
This type of wagering is only for serious professional gamblers and our advice would be keep your betting simple and straightforward. However, there are tools out there to help you if you want to give combination forecasts (exactas) and tricasts (trifectas) a try. A combination tricast bet calculator is a must if you’re going to make a lot of selections and have more runners covered. Understanding the trifecta meaning too is essential before tackling the complex permutations.
