| If you're playing trifectas, also known as triactors | | | | tri key bets. The runner must be at good odds, |
| or triples, you probably don't need to be told how | | | | however. Big favorites rarely produce big trifecta |
| difficult they can be to hit. On the other hand, you | | | | payoffs. |
| are playing them because you know that you can | | | | So learn to pick horses at reasonable odds, say |
| make money with that bet. The trifecta pool is | | | | 3-1 to 5-1, as winners and you will be able to |
| often the biggest or one of the biggest in the | | | | make money playing trifecta key bets. A bet that |
| race. Therefore, it really pays to become a good | | | | produces a lot of hits and also pays well is a bet |
| trifecta player. | | | | using one of the top three contenders as your |
| While superfectas and exactas offer nice | | | | first horse, with the favorite for second along |
| opportunities as well, the trifecta has just the | | | | with one other contender, and then several |
| right number of runners to make it difficult, and | | | | longshots for the third leg of the tri. |
| therefore profitable, without being too difficult or | | | | The reason I don't recommend using the |
| too easy. The main thing to remember is that | | | | longshots on top or in the middle is because they |
| your goal is the most number of scores, winning | | | | usually don't hit those spots. On the other hand, |
| trifectas, with the fewest combinations played. In | | | | with the favorite in the second spot and a top |
| a perfect world, or if any one of us could be a | | | | tier contender in the win spot, the trifecta will |
| perfect trifecta player, just playing one straight | | | | usually pay well. It is all about percentages and the |
| combination would be great. | | | | winner of the race is o0ne of the top three |
| But very few people have the patience to play | | | | betting choices about 70% of the time. The |
| only one combination per race and to hold on until | | | | favorite is in the first or second spot about 50% |
| he or she eventually connects with a winning "tri" | | | | of the time so playing it on top or in the middle |
| combination. On the other hand, being too | | | | makes a lot of sense, as long as it isn't below 2-1. |
| ambitious and wanting to hit a triple so badly that | | | | On the other hand, if you play all the logical |
| you play many more combinations than you need | | | | contenders for the third position your trifecta |
| and actually spend more than the trifecta is | | | | won't pay enough to cover your costs over the |
| worth, is very wasteful and will eat up your | | | | long run so you have to have some long shots in |
| bankroll. | | | | the third leg and that is where the actual profit is. |
| Here are some suggestions to hit good paying | | | | So learning to spot long shots that may get into |
| trifectas and to limit the number of combinations | | | | the tri is a key to making money playing trifectas. |
| you have to play to hit them. I always maintain | | | | Another way to play tris is to develop the skill of |
| that if you can't pick winners you can't make | | | | consistently picking two horses that make the |
| money playing the tri's because the basic bet is | | | | exacta. You may, of course, box them. But if you |
| the same. In playing triples you need to key on | | | | can often pick an exacta then you can wheel |
| one or more horses that will pay well and | | | | those two horses in the top two spots over the |
| consistently hit the board. So I always teach that | | | | field and hit many trifectas. |
| you start practicing hitting winners or exactas. | | | | None of the things I have spoken of are easy, |
| There are several tri bets you can make that are | | | | but they can be accomplished. You must practice |
| based on winners or exactas. First of al, if you | | | | and know the basics of handicapping, however, or |
| can pick a winner, the same horse can be used | | | | you will waste a lot of time and money chasing |
| for the key horse in a trifecta key bet. If you | | | | combinations that have little if any chance of |
| learn to hit one kind of runner, no matter what it | | | | winning. |
| may be, you can probably make money playing | | | | |