Superfecta is one of the most popular exotic bet types among horse racing enthusiasts. The primary reason why it’s so popular in the horse betting community is due to the potential rewards you can earn without having to risk a large sum of money.

1. How Are Horse Racing Payouts Calculated
2. How Are Horse Racing Odds Calculated
3. Odds Chart For Horse Racing

The bet calculator allows you to input your stake & odds in American formats to quickly calculate the payout for your bets. Horse Racing; Cycling. Your total payout with the current odds.

• For the total potential payout, you just add your initial stake to the potential profit. Using this Calculation. The two examples below show how this calculation works. Fractional Odds Payout Chart. The following chart shows some of the most frequently used fractional odds, along with their respective profits and total payouts based on a $10 stake.
• Horse racing odds payout chart. Horse racing odds payout chart. Dalton Shanahan V February 19, 2019 Online Chart No Comments. Excel makes it easy to bring a trendline to charted information. Excel will set a chart on your present worksheet you’re on. It essentially creates a chart from the data selected and the chart will be placed on top of.
• Use this handy chart to look up the 1-2-3-4 finishers, their odds and the $1 Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta payouts for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes from 2000-2018. For each race there is also a notation of the field size and a handy link to the full results chart.

A superfecta bet has the potential to reward you with tens of thousands of dollars by merely placing a $1 wager. In some cases, the payouts can even exceed a million dollars, making it easy to understand why it’s so popular.

One of the biggest superfecta payouts occurred at the 2005 Kentucky Derby, when one lucky bettor walked away with an impressive $864,253 on a $1 superfecta bet. Can you imagine winning such a large sum of money from such an insignificant bet amount?

The only downside to a superfecta bet is the fact that it’s nearly impossible to get right. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a serious handicapper to place a superfecta bet. Even a complete beginner has the ability to get lucky and win a large sum of money.

Here, we will take an in-depth look into superfecta bets, how they work and the different types of superfecta bets you will come across either online or next to the track. We also look at the origins of the superfecta bet, include a couple of frequently asked questions, and focus on the calculation and payouts of this popular bet type to significantly boost your confidence and your chances of hitting an enormous payout the next time you bet on a horse racing event. Let’s go…

What is a superfecta in horse racing?

A superfecta bet in horse racing is an exotic bet that requires you to predict which four horses will finish in the top four positions in a single racing event. You will need to select the four horses you believe will finish the race, and you will also need to correctly predict in which order each of the four horses will finish. You will only win your bet when all four horses finish the race in the order you predicted.

You should now have a better understanding as to why this exotic bet type is nearly impossible to get right. Quite often, it is extremely difficult to predict the winner in any given race, never mind the horses that will finish in second, third and fourth place, as well.

Even though it’s nearly impossible to correctly predict a superfecta bet, it’s still an attractive betting option in horse racing as it only costs $1. Where else do you get the opportunity to walk away with a large sum of money, usually a payout into the tens of thousands of dollars?

Now that you have a better understanding of the superfecta bet, it’s time to learn the different variations of this bet and how each one works.

Types of superfecta bets

In this section, we are going to explore the various superfecta bet types you will come across next to the racetrack or when you place a bet online. The superfecta bet types we will discuss in this section include straight superfecta, superfecta key, superfecta full wheel, superfecta part wheel and superfecta box. There’s also an example of each superfecta bet type to make it easier to understand, because we’re nice like that.

Straight superfecta

A straight superfecta bet is regarded as one of the most straightforward and popular superfecta bet types. The reason for this is that you merely need to select four horses from a single race and predict the exact order in which they will finish. In most betting destinations, you will notice that a straight superfecta is usually $2.

Example: Let’s say you select horse No. 3 to win the race, horse No. 4 to place second, horse No. 8 to place third and horse No. 9 to place fourth. Your bet ticket will look like this: $2 superfecta (3-4-8-9)

Superfecta key

A superfecta key bet requires you to select a key horse to win the race, along with any combination of three or more horses to finish in the top four positions. You won’t be required to predict the horses that will finish second, third and fourth, though.

Example: Let’s say you select horse No. 6 as your key horse to finish in first place on top of horse Nos. 1, 3, 8 and 10. A superfecta key bet will only cost $1, and you will win if horse No. 6 wins the race, and any of your other selected horses finish the race in second, third and fourth.

Superfecta full wheel

This superfecta bet type is used when you are confident in a specific horse to win the race but not confident enough to know which of the other horses will place in second, third and fourth. You will use this bet type to cover all possible straight superfecta combinations that involve the horse you believe will win the race.

Example: Let’s say you select horse No. 8 to win the race and use this bet to cover all possible combinations that include horse No. 8 to win. The cost of this bet will depend on the number of horses in the race. Six horses will cost you $60 for the bet, while 12 horses will cost you $990.

Superfecta part wheel

With a superfecta part wheel bet, you will essentially avoid covering all possible positions, which you would cover in a superfecta full wheel bet. Instead, you will only cover the combinations that involve any horses that you believe will likely finish the race in the second, third and fourth position.

Example: Let’s say you believe horse no. 8 will win, and Nos. 1, 3, 6 and 9 will be the only horses to finish in the top four positions. You will then take a superfecta part wheel bet type where you will have No. 8 in first place, along with combinations that only include the four horses you selected in the next three positions. This bet will cost you $24, as you will need to cover 24 combinations.

Superfecta box

This bet type is considered the easiest of all the superfecta bet types, as you merely need to select four horses that will finish the race in the top four spots without having to provide the order in which they will finish. Please be aware, however, that you will need to cover all possible combinations of how the four horses will finish in the top four positions. The more horses you select, the higher the cost will become. For instance, four horses will only cost you $24 for 24 combinations. However, seven selections will cost you $840 for 840 combinations, while 12 selections will cost you $11,880 for 11,880 combinations.

Example: Let’s say you select Nos. 3, 6, 9 and 12 to finish the race in the top four positions. This bet will cost you $24 as there’s a total of 24 combinations with the four horses you selected.

How does superfecta betting work in horse racing?

The best way to describe how a superfecta bet works in horse racing is to look at an example. Let’s say you are interested in a 10-horse race, and you are confident what the outcome will be in terms of the top four finishers. You then decide that the final order of the top four runners will be horse Nos. 4, 7, 9 and 10. You then decide to place a superfecta bet that will look like this: 4-7-9-10. Your selected horses need to finish in that exact order for you to be a winner.

You can also go one step further to increase your chances of winning by altering the top-four combination you initially placed. For instance, you can spend more on a superfecta bet and also include combinations like 10-4-9-7 or 9-10-7-4. This will just give you a far better chance of winning a superfecta bet, especially when you think you know who the top four finishers will be in a 10-horse race.

What is the difference between superfecta and a superfecta box?

The primary difference between a straight superfecta bet and a superfecta box bet is that you will need to select four horses to finish in an exact order with a straight superfecta bet, while a superfecta box bet only requires that you select four horses to finish in the top four positions without having to provide the order in which they will finish.

It’s also worth mentioning that a straight superfecta bet will cost you far less when compared to a superfecta box bet, as you will need to cover all possible positions with a superfecta box bet, while a straight superfecta bet only requires that you cover the cost of the four horses you selected to finish in an exact order. There’s far fewer combinations to deal with in a straight superfecta bet.

How to calculate superfecta bets and payouts

Calculating superfecta bets and payouts is completely different from calculating traditional horse racing bets. Superfecta bets are all based on the popular pari-mutuel betting system. This basically means that the payouts do not rely on odds. Instead, superfecta payouts are based on the number of winning tickets and the overall size of the betting pool. Let’s use a simplified example to help you understand.

Let’s say there are 10,000 bettors who all purchased a $1 straight superfecta ticket for the upcoming race. The cost of each ticket is then placed in a betting pool, which means the betting pool size is $10,000. If only one bettor manages to win, the payout will be $10,000. If two bettors make the right selection, the payout would be $5,000 for each of them. If there are four winners, the payout would be $2,500 for each of them.

Superfecta vs. other exotic bets

Once you understand each and every exotic bet type in horse racing, you will realize that a superfecta bet is one of the most difficult bets to place. But as a result, it’s also one of the most rewarding bet types there is. When you compare the superfecta bet type to other exotic bets, you will notice that you will need to select more horses with a superfecta bet than any other exotic bet in horse racing.

For instance, an exacta bet will only require two selections in a single race event, and a trifecta bet only requires that you select three horses in a single race event. The only other exotic bet that requires a bigger selection is when you make a Pick 6 bet. However, this requires that you select a winner over six consecutive races.

Big superfecta bets in history

One of the biggest superfecta payouts that was ever recorded occurred at the 2013 Kentucky Derby, when one lucky lady placed 120 different $1 superfecta bets on the top four finishers of the race. She went on to win $28,500 at the event, and what makes it even more impressive is that this was her very first time placing bets on horses.

FAQ

What exactly is a superfecta bet in horse racing?

A superfecta is an exotic horse racing bet in which you’ll need to select four horses from a single racing event and predict in which order they will finish to be considered a winner. The four selected horses need to finish in the top four spots in the exact order you predicted to win.

What is the minimum stake on a superfecta bet?

The minimum stake when it comes to a superfecta bet is usually around $1. However, due to the difficulty behind this bet type, some places can go as low as $0.50 or even $0.10.

How much can I win on a superfecta bet?

This will greatly depend on the cost for a superfecta ticket and the amount of bettors who purchase a superfecta ticket for the event. A superfecta bet uses the pari-mutuel betting system, which means the ticket purchases are placed in a betting pool, which is then divided between those who have winning tickets after the race.

Which pays more, the trifecta or superfecta?

Due to the fact that you need to make an additional horse selection when it comes to superfecta bets, there’s no denying that a superfecta bet will pay more than a trifecta bet. A superfecta bet will provide far better odds than a trifecta bet as it’s more difficult to achieve.

What did the superfecta pay at the last Kentucky Derby?

The superfecta bet at the 2019 Kentucky Derby provided an astonishing payout of $51,400.10 on a mere $1 bet.

How many superfecta combinations are there in the Belmont Stakes?

The Belmont Stakes had a total of 26 different combinations when it came to superfecta selections.

In this article, we will take a closer look at what pari-mutuel betting is and how this form of betting works in both horse racing and golfing events.

We will also discuss the legality of this type of betting around the world and in the United States.

We include how pari-mutuel betting in Canada and the UK works, before concluding our article with the history of this popular form of betting.

What is Pari-Mutuel Betting?

Pool betting, or more commonly known as pari-mutuel betting, refers to a popular and unique betting form that can be used on a variety of sporting events.

Instead of placing a bet against a sportsbook, you will place a bet against other people who have placed a bet on the same sporting event.

All bets that have been made will go into a pool, and the amount will be shared equally between everyone that placed bets on the winning selection.

As you might have guessed, a small portion of the total bets will be subtracted by the house.

With pari-mutuel betting, the house will refer to a private company or a state run organization which offers pari-mutuel betting as a service.

Pari-mutuel betting is completely legal in several states across the United States, as well as various other regions across the globe. This form of betting is typically associated with greyhound racing and horse racing, but it can be utilized on other sporting events as well, including golf.

It’s extremely difficult to use a betting strategy with pari-mutuel bets, as you won’t benefit from fixed odds. The payouts with pari-mutuel betting will depend on two factors:

1. How many bettors selected the winner
2. How many bettors placed a bet on the sporting event.

The payouts will only be calculated after betting has closed, which means just before the sporting event gets underway or after the sporting event has started.

As you’ll quickly realize with pari-mutuel betting, its impossible to determine whether a selection provides any value when you initially place your bet.

Regardless of this fact, pari-mutuel betting remains an extremely popular form of betting for both professional gamblers and recreational bettors alike.

For many bettors across the globe, it’s actually the only legal form of sports betting that is available to them.

How Does Pari-Mutuel Betting Work?

The concept behind this form of betting is rather straightforward. You will essentially make selections on a certain sporting event in the same way you would make a bet on a traditional sporting event at a sportsbook.

However, you will not receive fixed odds when you initially place your bet.

Instead, you’ll receive probable odds that will be based on the betting pool. It’s worth mentioning that the probable odds that are offered to you when you place your bet will undoubtedly change as the sporting event unfolds.

Every pari-mutuel bet that is placed on a betting market will go into a specific pool. When the sporting event is completed, the total amount of bets will be added up. As previously mentioned, the house will take a small percentage of the total bets in the pool.

Thereafter, the remaining amount will be divided between the bettors that managed to make the winning selection. Your payout will be based on how much you wagered.

This might sound complicated at first, but once you go through the example we included below, you’ll have a much better understanding on how pari-mutuel betting works.

For the purpose of our example, we’ll focus on a horse race that only features five runners. We’ll place a $10 bet on Horse A and another $10 bet on the Horse C.

Pari-mutuel Betting Example

The house accepted the following bets on the race:

• Horse A – $200
• Horse B – $400
• Horse C – $100
• Horse D – $150
• Horse E – $300

The above bets come to a total of $1,200. It’s worth mentioning that we used smaller bets to ensure this example is easy to understand. You’ll notice that there will be a lot more money involved once you actually start using pari-mutuel betting.

The house will take a 10% cut from the total pool, amounting to $120, leaving $1,080 in the betting pool. Thereafter, the potential payouts for every horse in the race will be calculated. This can be accomplished by dividing the remaining balance by the total bet amount on each horse.

The potential payout for each horse is as follows:

• Horse A – $5.40
• Horse B – $2.70
• Horse C – $10.80
• Horse D – $7.20
• Horse E – $3.60

Due to the fact that the potential payout for Horse B is $2.70, it means that anyone who placed a bet on Horse B can win $2.70 for every $1 that was wagered. This will include the initial bet made as well.

Should Horse A win the race, we will receive a payout of $54 for our $10 bet.

If Horse C won the race, we will receive $108 for our $10 bet.

You’ll notice a huge difference when it comes to the potential payouts on each horse. The total payout amount will always remain the same.

However, the payout amount on every $1 wagered will change based on the total bet amount on each selection. The more bets are placed, the smaller the payout amount will be for every $1.

Just like fixed odds betting, the odds for the favourite to win the race will always be the lowest, while the odds for the underdogs will always be highest. Even though you won’t have fixed odds in pari-mutuel betting, you will usually receive more money on the favourite compared to the underdogs.

Pari-mutuel vs. fixed odds betting

The biggest difference between pari-mutuel betting and fixed odds betting is that we won’t know what the potential payouts will be when we place our bets.

The operators that provide pari-mutuel betting will display probably odds before the sporting event gets underway. Even though it’s labelled probable, there’s still no guarantee that the concluding payout will be anywhere near the probable payout.

At the end of the day, it will all depend on the total amount wagered for each selection when we place a bet.

For instance, let’s say we place a $10 bet on Horse A and another $10 bet on Horse C a day before the horse race starts.

The betting pool at the time looked like this:

• Horse A – $50
• Horse B – $200
• Horse C – $20
• Horse D – $150
• Horse E – $80

A day before the horse race started, the total bet amount in the betting pool was $500, leaving $450 to be divided between the winners due to the house taking a 10% commission.

The probable odds that were displayed at the time for Horse A was $9 for every $1 wagered ($450 divided by $50), while the probable odds for Horse C was $22.50 for every $1 wagered ($450 divided by $20).

Obviously, this was completely different at the end of the race. When we placed our bets a day before the event, we didn’t know how many additional wagers were going to be placed, which is why the payout numbers didn’t add up.

This is why it’s so difficult to make a profit from pari-mutuel betting. A key ingredient to any decent strategy in sports betting is to evaluate the value within each betting market. You achieve this by identifying the probability behind a winning wager, while comparing the probability behind the relevant odds. Once the winning probability is better than the suggested odds, you’ve discovered value.

Its impossible to determine whether there’s any value when it comes to pari-mutuel betting. The probable odds when we place a bet can drastically change over time as we’ve demonstrated above. So even though there is value when we place our bet initially, it can actually transform into a very bad wager without you ever knowing it. The upside to pari-mutuel betting, however, is the vast selection of different wagers that is available to you…

Pari-Mutuel Bet Types

In the horse race example we included above, we used a win wager. This is considered the most popular wager when it comes to pari-mutuel betting. However, there a several other types of bets you can use as well.

Each of them will function in the same way when it comes to calculating the potential payouts. However, they will differ greatly in terms of outcomes.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

Place Wager

The terms behind this bet will greatly depend on where you are situated in the world. For instance, a place wager in North America will be on a selection to either finish first or even second, while in other regions from across the globe it can be a bet on a selection to finish in ‘the places’. The places that will count towards this bet will solely depend on the number of participants.

Show Wager

This is a wager that is primarily used in North America and covers the first, second, and third place selections.

Across the Board

This is considered a combination bet and is primary used in North America. It basically incorporates three different wagers, including a show wager, a place wager, and a win wager. If your selection finishes first, you will win on all three wagers. If your selection finishes second, you will only win on the show wager and place wager. If your selection finishes third, you will only profit from the show wager.

Each Way

This is another popular combination wager which you will find in most regions around the world. It basically combines a place wager and a win wager.

Exacta

This is a wager that is placed on two selections to finish 1^st and 2^nd and needs to be in the correct order as well.

Duet/Any2

This is a bet on two selection to finish in the top 3 places.

Trifecta

This is a bet on three selections to finish 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd and needs to be in the correct order as well.

These are the most popular types of bets you will find in pari-mutuel betting. These bet types are nearly impossible to get right, but they offer very appealing payouts, which makes them so popular around the world.

Is Pari-Mutuel Betting Legal?

How Are Horse Racing Payouts Calculated

You might be surprised to learn that pari-mutuel betting is legal in most regions across the globe. What’s even more surprising is that the same applies to the United States, as well as areas around the world where the legalization of sports betting is still unclear.

With that in mind, let’s take a more in-depth look at several regions from around the world where pari-mutuel betting is the most popular.

Pari-Mutuel Betting Laws in the United States

There are currently 43 states in America where pari-mutuel betting is legalized. It’s legal to bet on horse racing in the states listed below, but not of all them offer greyhound bets or wagers on Jai Alai. The 43 states that allow pari-mutuel betting include:

• Alabama
• Wyoming
• Arizona
• Wisconsin
• Arkansas
• California
• Washington
• Colorado
• Virginia
• Connecticut
• Vermont
• Delaware
• Texas
• Florida
• Tennessee
• Idaho
• South Dakota
• Illinois
• Rhoda Island
• Oregon
• Kansas
• Oklahoma
• Kentucky
• Ohio
• Louisiana
• North Dakota
• Maine
• New York
• Maryland
• New Mexico
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• Montana
• Missouri

This means that there are only 7 states in America that do not provide pari-mutuel betting to its citizens. The 7 states include:

• Utah
• Alaska
• South Carolina
• Georgia
• North Carolina
• Mississippi
• Hawaii

Interstate pari-mutuel betting is regulated by the federal government. This occurs when a bettor from one state places a bet in another state through electronic communication, also referred to as remote betting, as opposed to placing a bet in person. Interstate pari-mutuel betting, by US law, is perfectly legal but only when pari-mutuel betting is legal in both states. Most interstate gambling forms are illegal. However, this does not apply to horse racing along with pari-mutuel betting thanks to the 1978 Horse Racing Act.

Pari-Mutuel Betting Laws in Canada

You will be pleased to know that pari-mutuel betting is available at all horse racing tracks across Canada.

Bettors are also more than welcome to place a bet on theatre betting websites that are licensed, or through betting services via telephone.

All pari-mutuel betting activities are regulated and governed by the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Betting Agency that falls under the supervision of the Agriculture and Agri-Food government department.

Pari-Mutuel Betting Laws in the United Kingdom

How Are Horse Racing Odds Calculated

The United Kingdom’s leading pari-mutuel betting organization is the Tote. It was initially established back in 1928 by the British Government, known as the Horserace Totalisator Board. In fact, it’s the only organization within the United Kingdom that is allowed to provide pari-mutuel betting when it comes to horse racing in the country.

History of Pari-Mutuel Betting

In 1867, Joseph Oller invented pari-mutuel betting. He was an entrepreneur from Spain but spent most of his life in France. The word ‘pari-mutuel’ originated from ‘pari mutual’, a French phrase that means ‘mutual betting’. After Oller grew frustrated with bookmakers and the way in which they made significant profits from innocent bettors, he created a brilliant way to solve the problem thanks to pari-mutuel betting.

Oller successfully managed to implement this form of betting at several horse racing tracks within France. However, in 1874 Oller was accused of running an illegal gambling operation and was sent to prison for a couple of years. In 1891, despite the setback, pari-mutuel betting was legalized in the country of France, while fixed odds betting was eventually banned in the country.

After the betting form was legalized in France, it began spreading into other regions across the globe. The United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, and Australia embraced pari-mutuel betting, stating that this form of betting is fairer. After it became a huge success around the world, Oller decided to take a brand-new path and went on to establish the now popular Moulin Rouge.

The biggest drawback to pari-mutuel betting were the calculations that were required to determine the payouts. This was originally accomplished manually which took a great deal of time to achieve. However, George Julius, an engineer from Australia, managed to solve the problem when he invented the automatic totalizer. This was initially developed as a mechanical machine that would count votes. However, it was rejected by the government when the prototype was originally presented to them. After a few changes to the machine, it served as an automatic totalizer for pari-mutuel betting.

Odds Chart For Horse Racing

Historically, nearly all operators that provided pari-mutuel betting across the globe were either not-for-profit or state owned. Any profits that came from pari-mutuel betting were either given to the government or it was spent on horse racing to improve the sport. In recent times, most operators are now run commercially and are owned privately.