What Is A Superfecta In Horse Racing
A Superfecta is a complex horse racing bet where the bettor is required to pick not just the win, Place and Show horses, but the fourth place finisher as well. Picking the first four animals to finish a horse race, in exact order, is no easy task. Superfectas are exotic bets that originated in pari-mutuel betting pools like the Tote, where you have to find the first four horses in a race in the right order all in one wager. Similar in concept to, but more challenging than exactas and trifectas to pull off, you are betting on.
The Superfecta wager has gained in popularity among horseplayers in the last decade, thanks to the opportunity to make a large windfall with a moderate investment.
In the past several years, the Superfecta betting pools have also grown with the introduction of the 10-cent Superfecta which are available at most racetracks.
The 10-cent Superfecta makes it possible for horseplayers with small bankrolls to play the wager, and the smaller increment also means a horseplayer can avoid paying Uncle Sam a portion.
When a horseplayer hits a $1 Superfecta that returns over $5,000.00, the Internal Revenue Service takes their 26% right off the top.
Smaller payoffs are affected as well. If a horseplayer hits a $1 Superfecta that pays $675.00, cashing the ticket also means picking up a W-2G for gambling winnings.
If a horseplayer hits that same Superfecta on a 10-cent increment, the payoff is $67.50, and there are no IRS ramifications.
If you punch out two 50-cent tickets with the winning combination, each pays $327.50, and again Uncle Sam does not have his hand out.
It is great to hit a big score, whether you are at the track or doing your online horse Superfecta betting from home, but it is harder than it looks.
What Is A Superfecta In Horse Racing
Horse Racing Superfecta Betting Tips
Horse race Superfecta betting requires a horseplayer to pick the top four finishers in a race in the exact order, not exactly an easy task.
With exacta wagering, it usually is fairly easy to eliminate several horses in the field that have little chance to finish in the top two positions. In trifecta wagering, it gets more difficult, and in Superfecta wagering it is tough to eliminate any horses, because just about anyone in the field can plop home in the third or fourth position at big odds while being no threat to the winner.
Therefore, the key element to being successful at horse race Superfecta betting is structuring your tickets in the proper manner.
One mistake many horseplayers make is to simply box their top four contenders, which on a $1 ticket would be a $24 investment.
A five-horse Superfecta wager would cost a horseplayer $120.00 on a $1 increment.
When boxing four or five horses in this manner, the horseplayer is saying each of the contenders have an equal chance of winning the race.
Sure, you could play a five-horse Superfecta box for a 10-cent increment for $12.00, but the better way to structure the ticket would be to find one or two key horses to use in the win spot, which would give you more of your bankroll to concentrate on the third and fourth spots.
For most players, it is easier to find a winner than it is to figure out which horse is going to complete a Superfecta ticket.
If you could find one horse to key on top of your ticket, that same $24 could be laid out like this:
Superfecta Bet Figure
1 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,4,5,6,7 = $24
You would need your key horse to win, two of your next three contenders to finish second and third, then you would be spread deeper in the fourth spot.
Another way to spend the same $24 would be keying two horses to complete the exacta:
1,2 with 1,2 with 3,4,5,6 with 3,4,5,6 = $24
That would give you four horses to fill out the third and fourth spots.
With the advent of the 10-cent increment, horseplayers can go even deeper, and use of the “All” button comes into play, even for horseplayers with a limited bankroll.
Keep in mind, playing a 10-cent ticket means your payoff is going to be greatly reduced.
In a 12-horse field you could key your top two contenders with the field in the third and fourth spot and the cost of the ticket would be $180.00 for a $1 ticket or $18.00 for a 10-cent ticket.
In a race where you have trouble coming up with one key horse, you could lay out your ticket like this:
1,2,3 with 1,2,3,4 with 1,2,3,4,5 with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
This ticket for $1 would be $189, but just $18.90 for a 10-cent ticket.
The key to making a profit in horse race Superfecta betting is to know when a good opportunity exists.