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Please note that this section requires some familiarity with race betting terms.
When placing Trifecta, First 4 or Quaddie bets, a popular strategy is to select more than one combination for the wager. For example, a Trifecta is a bet on which runners will finish first, second and third, in the correct order. Suppose you believe three out of horses A, B C and D will finish in the top three, but you are not sure of the order. There are 24 combinations in which four horses can finish in the top three, so if you wanted to bet $1.00 per combo, the stake for this bet must be at lease $24. For many small time punters this is more than they would like to bet. To assist punters in creating bets with a large number of combinations, some bookmakers offer flexi betting.
Flexi betting is a feature that is most commonly applied to race betting (TAB Sportsbet supports flexi betting on sports multis as well). It enables you to increase your selections on an exotic bet without increasing your outlay. Flexi betting allows you to take a Trifecta, First 4 or Quaddie with multiple combinations for a modest, fixed spend amount. It works as follows:
- Choose the amount you wish to bet. The number of selections you include in your bet will not impact your total. For this example we will bet $15.
- Select the correct placings for a Trifecta, First 4 or Quaddie. For example, suppose you wish to box 5 horses in a Trifecta. Due to the 60 combinations entailed, this would normally cost at least $60.
- The bookmaker will calculate the bet percentage. This percentage equals your chosen bet amount ($15) divided by how much the bet would normally cost had you placed the bet for $1. Using the previous example, your percentage would be: $15 / $60 = 0.25 = 25%.
- If your bet wins, you will collect the percentage of the dividend that you have wagered. Using the previous example, suppose the winning Trifecta dividend is $200.00. Your collect will be: $200 * 0.25 = $50.
In addition to Trifecta, First 4 and Quaddie bets, Sportsbet offers flexi betting on Quinella, Exacta, Doubles and Treble wagers.
Flexi betting isn’t just useful for punters with small account balances. Some bookmakers only accept wagers in $1.00 increments. Without flexi betting, boxing 5 horses in a Trifecta would only enable you to bet in multiples of $60. A $1 stake per combo would equate to a $60 bet, a $2 stake would equate to a $120 bet, and so on. The use of flexi betting enables you to wager any dollar amount in-between. If you wish to wager $90, you can easily do so with a flexi bet.
To create a flexi bet, the procedure varies from bookmaker to bookmaker, but a common procedure is to add the exotic wager to your betting slip and then select the Flexi option next to it. If you don’t select Flexi betting you will be asked to input your "stake per combo." If you select flexi betting you will be asked to input your "total stake."
Notes and Sources
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