Trifecta Bet

Our guide to trifecta betting from super trifecta to the most successful trifecta strategies and systems (wheel, reverse, boxed, etc).

A Trifecta bet gives punters a chance to make a huge amount of money from very small stakes.

Unlike the vast majority of bets, your bet will be determined by the performance and outcome of three horses, as opposed to just one.

What Is a Trifecta Bet

trifecta or triactor is a type of bet where punters must predict the horses who will finish in the top three positions, in that exact order.

Meaning that the only way a trifecta bet will payout is if the horses backed finish in the exact order we have placed a bet on.

Example

The horse race in question involves 15 runners. We decide to bet on Horse C, Horse E, and Horse G to finish in the top 3 positions in that exact order.

Therefore if Horse C finishes in the first place, Horse E finishes in 2nd place and Horse G finishes in 3rd place we will win our bet. Any outcome that differentiates from this exact one will result in a losing bet.

The money will then be added up in the Trifecta Tote pool and be dispersed equally to the people who backed the first three positions in the race correctly.

What Is a Super Trifecta

A super trifecta bet is where punters predict the top 4 horses in a race, in exact order.

In theory, this bet is exactly like the standard Trifecta bet but with one more position to be predicted. This type of bet can rightly be considered as a big outsider bet but if it comes off the payout will be huge.

Trifecta Bet Types

There are some variations of trifecta bets. Predicting the first three positions in a horse race is very difficult and these bets give betters a little more flexibility.

Straight Trifecta Bet

A straight trifecta bet is where you are predicting the top three horses in an individual race in the exact order.

For example, if you were to bet on Horse C finishing in first, Horse B to finish in second, and Horse A to finish in third the only way this bet can payout is if the horses finish in that exact order. If any one of the horses backed does not finish in the selected positions then this bet will not payout.

Trifecta Box Bet

A Trifecta Box bet is where we can select three horses to finish in the top three positions in any order. This means that if you bet on three horses, they do not need to finish in an exact order which is where a trifecta box bet and a straight trifecta box differ.

A Box bet consists of several bets. The more horses you back the more bets you will make and the more money you will be staking. The more runners in the field almost always will result in a higher payout.

Standout Trifecta Bet

This is a bet where you select a runner that you believe will finish first. This represents the 'standout' part of the bet. The bet will involve you betting on other horses to finish second or third in any order.

Therefore, we bet on horse C to win the race, and horse D and F to finish either second or third. Horse C does indeed win the race, and F is in second, and D is in third. We, therefore, have won this bet. We would still win the bet if D was in second and F finished in 3rd.

Flexi Trifecta Bet

A Flexi Trifecta Bet allows punters to take a percentage of the full unit of their bet. This allows punters a chance to bet with a less expansive outlay.

To place a Flexi bet you select the amount you want to bet and this will not increase regardless of how many selections you add to your bet slip.

Best Trifecta Strategies

These strategies below explain how we can possibly use trifecta bets wisely and potentially make some profit.

Trifecta Wheel

A trifecta wheel bet is where you bet on one horse to finish in 1st position and then 'wheel the rest of the field'. This means you can bet on other horses to finish in 2nd position for example.

So, we can bet on horse A to win the race in two bets. On separate bets we back horse E, F, and G to finish in 2nd place. This means that we would be placing three different bets.

Therefore if Horse A wins wins the race and either Horse E, F or G wins comes in 2nd place we would have won one of these bets. If this doesn't happen this would result in 3 losing bets so the more horses added to the bet slip the more risky this type of bet can become.

Discard Ultra Favourite

When making these types of bets the odds for the ultra favorite are likely to be not that appealing.

The payout on these bets will be significantly better if you discard the favorite. Having said this, if a race has a high amount of runners the odds for the favorite will be more appealing and it might even be in our best interest to back the favorite here. Therefore, we advise that you take this strategy on a case by case basis.

Avoid Widest Runners

Looking for consistent runners when placing a Trifecta bet is very important. This is because if one horse lets us down the whole bet collapses.

Therefore you should avoid betting on horses that have an erratic track record and focus only on selecting consistent runners.

FAQ

Here are our answers to very common questions pertaining to trifecta bets.

How does a trifecta bet work?

A trifecta bet is where punters predict which horses will finish in the top three positions, in the exact order.

In order for this bet to payout the horses backed will have to finish in the top three positions in the exact order as they appear on your bet slip.

What is the minimum stake for a Tote Trifecta?

The minimum bet for a tote trifecta is 50p. this includes individual line bets that can be bet on with stakes as low as 1p.

Tote sites have recognized that these bets are very popular with recreational betters therefore they have decreased the minimum bet.

What is the difference between tricast and trifecta?

A Tricast bet is not a tote bet, while a trifecta bet is. This means that a tricast bet can be found on a traditional bookmaker.

Apart from this though the whole process is exactly the same. Although with tote betting your odds will only be determined after all the money has been collected because you are not betting with fixed odds.

How does a trifecta payout work?

The payout from a trifecta bet will depend on the size of the tote pool as well as the particular horses you have bet on.

Due to the nature of the bet, it is extremely unlikely that a huge amount of people will bet on the exact same three horses you have done and in the same exact order. Therefore the chances are that you will receive a huge return on your investment if the bet is successful.

A trifecta bet is particularly appealing as if your bet is successful you can return a lot of money. Predicting the first 3 horses in the race, in exact order is a very difficult thing to predict. This bet is best suited for people who are looking to make a huge return from minimal stakes.