The sport of Horse racing is found to have been enjoyed even before ancient times, and later it was adopted by the highest echelons in British Society, eventually earning the sport its oft repeated name, the 'Sport of Kings'. In today's day and age where automobiles have substituted the four legged animal, horses still retain importance.
While the races are unquestionably the main event, a fair amount of betting on some of these races takes place between the spectators, as long as it is legal to do so, of course. Unless you happen to peer into the future, and know for certain which horse is going to win or achieve a certain position, you will have to compare the odds from different sources in order to place an educated bet like the rest of us mortals. But in order for you, or anybody to do so, you must understand what these odds, and their expressions mean.
First off, let's explain odds. Odds are an expression to show how likely something is likely to occur. So for example, if there are 10 trousers in a dark wardrobe, out of which there are 2 black trousers, what are the odds of you picking out a black trouser? There are 2 total chances of pulling out black trousers out of 10, which is a 1 in 5 chance.
Now the Bookmakers, or the bookies as some call them, will express these odds in a fraction form as a 1-4 or 1/4. The 4 instances in 5 where the person will fail to pull out a black trouser, and the 1 instance in 5 where they will succeed. The right side of the fraction is your stake while the left side represents the Winnings for each unit. These figures can also be represented as percentages.
Odds expressed in decimals are meant to show the total payout the punter receives, which includes the winnings and the stake. So if the person won in the above instance, the decimal would be a 5.0. This is much simpler as the decimal figure is simply the payout per unit staked.
The money line is mostly used by the American bookies, which clearly displays an underdog, and a favorite. The favorite is signified by a negative, while the underdog is signified using a positive. The figures indicate how much a punter would win using a stake of a $100.
Now that you have a basic understanding of how odds work, and the different ways they are represented, you can compare them online and get the best bet possible.
The odds at horse racing is located in the menu to the left. Additionally, you can elevate your winning prospects by harnessing the expertise offered by popular horse racing betting sites. Their valuable insights and recommendations can significantly enhance your chances of success.