Want to bet on horse races

[blmer]

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I are going to LV in November and she would like to bet on a race (or maybe races). Neither of us have ever bet on a horse race in LV or anywhere else, so we don't have the faintest idea what to do. I have a lot of questions that I hope someone can help with.

I presume there is someone in the sports books who takes the bets and all that. Do they have information on the races?

Are there races every day or just certain days?

How do you find out what races are coming up?

Is there a website or something we can check to see what races will be run while we are there? How about learning something about the horses and racing in general?

What kinds of bets can be made? Is there a minimum?

Do they show all the races on the screens, I'm sure she'd want to see the one she bet on? If not, how do you find out which races will be shown? Are they shown in real time or delayed?

Are all sports books basically the same? We stayed at the LV Hilton last time and liked the sports book there, it was nice and quiet plus had some full pay video poker machines to pass the time. So we'd probably go back there unless others are better (we're not staying at the Hilton this time).

Anyway, that's probably enough to get started. I appreciate any advice anyone might have.

Thank you in advance for your replies.

[CeeJayRocker]

1. Nearly every track holds from 10 to 13 races every day, called a card, and some tracks race a couple cards on the weekends. Most tracks take the day off at some point during the week, but in Las Vegas, you'll be able to bet on any race in the country, so it won't matter to you if Santa Anita isn't running, because you'll be able to turn to Bay Meadows or Turf Paradise. Betting on races is kind of like sitting down at a slot machine. You don't just put one dollar in a slot machine and leave, and you don't just bet one race. You have about twenty minutes or so between each race, so it's slower, unless you do what most people do and bet two or three tracks. That way you have a race going off every five minutes or so, and it's easier than playing two slot machines.

2. There are a whole line of people to take your bets. In some sports books, the same two or three people take race and all other sports action. In the Hilton and others, the people under the racing screens take racing action, and the people under the sports screens take sports action, although when its slow, they'll take all action. Trust me, you'll find someone to take your money, and the people behind the cages are very helpful. Much like blackjack, you can tip a helpful one by placing a bet for him. . . .throw a couple bucks down and tell the dealer (for lack of a better term) to make a bet for himself, and they are greatly appreciative. You'll feel less stressed if you go when it's not busy at first, because serious bettors have races and jockeys and bets laid out on spreadsheets like Newton proving the law of gravity, and they get cranky as the time for their first race grows short. After a while, you'll get the hang of it.

3. All of the books sell the daily racing guide for a $1. The guide usually lists the races at three tracks, shows the horses and the jockey's history, and has about four or five guys giving predictions about the finish in each race. If you buy about three or four of the different guides, you'll have all the tracks covered. The minimum bet is generally $2, although occasionally there'll be a $1 bet for some kind of prop. I don't want to get too technical, but you can bet on a single horse to place first, or higher than second or higher than third (your return goes down as your risk goes down, so if the horse you bet to finish third wins, you don't win any more more money than you would have if he'd finished third). You can also bet on the first two horses to finish, and either pick the order you want them to finish, or choose "any order" (I'm REALLLY simplifying this), or you can pick the first three to finish in order. You can bet on the winner of successive races, either all of the races or just a couple. . . ..You get the idea.

4. Depending on the book, you may or may not be able to see the race, but of course that's not necessary to bet. At the Hilton, Caesar's, MGM, Mirage, Stardust, and some others, you definitely will see the race. I know that at the Hilton, each booth in the race book has been fitted with a small flat screen television, so even if they're not showing your race on one of the 20 10 foot screens (which is highly unlikely) you'll be able to watch your horse lose. Caesar's and Stardust are probably the same, but I've not been to those in a while. I'm planning to hit Stardust next week.

5. The Hilton and Caesar's have the most video screens of any book, followed by the Mirage and Stardust, and in my humble opinion the Hilton is the best sports book in Las Vegas, and the Stardust is second. New York New York is the worst. The book is ten feet wide, and the screens are on a wall 100 feet tall. You feel like you're watching a balloon race. If you've already been to the Hilton, you'll be disapponted at other books. Sports books in Vegas range from one big screen TV like the one at your home and four or five 25 inchers with the staff writing line changes on dry erase boards to the video extravaganza rivaling the Houston Space Center that is the more elaborate books.

5. Have a corned beef sandwich at the Vegas Subs shop in the back of the book. Outstanding! As for drink service, my experience has been that it's better and faster than at the tables. Book waitresses generally only cover the book, so they make more rounds more often. Keep your waitress happy, and you'll see her on a regular basis

6. Hope this helps.

[blmer]

Thanks for the great info. That's a big help.

Do you (or anyone) know of any racing websites, or something like that where we can look into what racing's all about before we go down?

Yep, the sub shop and the drink service were two of the other things we liked about the Hilton sports book, even though we were only there playing VP.

Thanks again.

[Steve]

What a GREAT reply Cee Jay! :o

I just want to add that most racebook personel will be happy to help the "first time bettor."

If you go to Wynn's racebook, ask for Martha she will be your guiding light.
If you go to the Hilton, ask for Ruth for assistance.
If you go to Harrah's, ask for Don or Gary.
If you want handicapping advice, just ask Eileen! She never needs a Racing Form, she just picks them if she likes the name and usually does better than me.

Steve

Just mention my newsletter.

[blmer]

Hey, thanks Steve

I'm going to print this and take it along.

We've been getting the newsletter for some time now. It's great. This is even better.

Any other advice would be appreciated.

Thanks again.

[CeeJayRocker]

Thanks for the great info. That's a big help.

Do you (or anyone) know of any racing websites, or something like that where we can look into what racing's all about before we go down?

I don't know of any specific websites, but I don't patronize them. Race betting is big business to many, and most of the websites you'll see want to charge a fee for giving you the "sure lock, can't miss, bet the house" picks, and the popups you get when you visit those sites will clog your screen for days. As for general information, most of the better Vegas travel websites (I'm not real sure about Steve's policy, so I won't name them) will have a section on gambling which includes a smaller section on race betting, as will most of the travel books.

Hope this helps.

[blmer]

Thanks CeeJay

Thanks for the warning about the websites. I wouldn't want to go pick up a batch of spyware.

[Steve]

I do belong to an online horseracing service. The charge is $7.95 per month for "limited viewing" and about $15 a month for unlimited viewing. I am very happy with the service and have never picked up any Spyware from it when I run my scans which I do on a daily basis.

Steve

[frienddelilah]

Here are couple of informational sites with some free info. Dont know if any of this will be helpful to you if have never bet before.


http://www.equibase.com/
http://www.drf.com/


The following is for betting on dogs but horse racing is the same.
West Virginia Dog Tracks & Off Track Betting

Your Wagering Guide to Greyhound Racing

$2 Win
Your dog must finish first. You collect the WIN price for your dog.

$2 Place
Your dog must finish first or second. You collect the PLACE price for your dog.

$2 Show
Your dog must finish first, second or third. You collect the SHOW price for your dog.

$2 Quiniela
You play two dogs. They must come in first and second in either order.

$2 Perfecta
You play two dogs. They must finish in exact order.

$2 Trifecta
You play three dogs. They must come in first, second and third in EXACT order. This is a straight bet and costs $2 to play.

$1 Key Trifecta
You play three dogs. If your key a dog to win, that dog must come in first followed by the other two dogs bet in either order at second and third. This bet costs $2 to play because it consists of two different combinations of $1 bets. The payoff is one-half of the $2 Trifecta price.

$1 Trifecta Box
You play three dogs. They must finish first, second and third in any order. This bet costs $6 because it consists of six combinations of $1 bets. The payoff is one-half of the $2 Trifecta price.

$2 Superfecta
You play four dogs. You must pick the first four finishers in EXACT order. This is a straight bet and costs $2 to play.

$1 Superfecta Box
You play four dogs. They must finish first, second, third and fourth in ANY order. This bet costs $24 to play because it consists of 24 combinations of $1 bets. The payoff is one-half of the $2 Superfecta price.

$2 Twin Trifecta
Available in the sixth and eighth race every card. Ask at the Information Window for details.

[sawsman]

It will be helpful if you use the term Race Books to refer to horse, dog, and harness racing. Sports books (also fun) allow you to book on baseball and college/pro football games, for example.
Have fun, and good luck. Be sure to cheer your winning horse home! :cool:

[blmer]

Thanks Everyone,

I haven't been able to check here since last weekend, so this is a bit belated.