Let's Take a Look at Some New Wagers - Part 2

In our last installment, we discussed North American wagers typically not offered at harness tracks.  Today, we head abroad and see what wagers they offer and if any of them are adaptable to the North American racing scene.

PLACE WAGER (the foreign edition) - If eight or more horses compete in a race, a bettor wins the place wager if a horse comes in second or third. If less than eight horses competing, a bettor wins only if the horse they select comes in second.  With the implementation of the revised place wager, show wagering would be eliminated allowing that money to be redistributed to other wagers.  At the same time it may also offer better payoffs for place gamblers.

DUET WAGER - A Duet wager is similar to a quiniella wager. To win the duet, the two horses you select must finish in the top three positions in any order.  As a result, there will be three combinations of winning tickets. The pool will be divided three ways and paid out proportionally, as the current show wager is paid out.  Admittedly, this is a wager which will have no interest with serious gamblers.  However, for those novice gamblers and those who stick to WPS wagering, it may entice them to try exotic wagering.  Granted, payoffs are likely to be much more modest, but if you are able to get at least one long shot in the top three you can still get a decent payoff.  For this wager to work, you may need to eliminate exacta wagering in the particular race it was offered; perhaps a complimentary race to a Twin Quiniella or Twin Exacta we discussed in my last posting. 

BIG 6 WAGER - Similar to the Pick-6.  To win the Big 6, a gambler must select the winner of six designated races (may involve multiple tracks).  Besides being offered on races at multiple tracks, the main difference is it does not have to be a sequence of six consecutive races.

WIN SCOOP 6 WAGER - The Win Scoop 6 is traditionally offered once a week. To win this wager, you need to pick the winner of three designated races at two different tracks.  If no one hits the wager, there is a carry over to the next week.  The big difference is there is a jackpot pool.  While you are a winner if you select all six winners, you are eligible for a jackpot bonus by picking the winner of one designated race the following week.The bonus jackpot consists of money added by the tracks and gets added to each time the bonus is not hit.

PLACE SCOOP 6 WAGER - Traditionally offered once a week. To win this wager, you need to pick a horse to finish 1st or 2nd (or 3rd if more than eight horses in the race) in three races at two different tracks.  While the payoffs are obviously less than the Win Scoop 6, the wager may appeal to gamblers not willing to go for the big prize.

PLACE POT WAGER - A Pick-6 where the winning bettor must select a horse that finishes in the money (1st, 2nd, or 3rd if more than eight horses competed in the race) in six races.  Obvious, the chances for a carryover is greatly reduced in this wager.

Once again, let me know your opinions of any of these wagers.

In our final installment, we will look at some parlay wagers in addition to wagers offered in Sweden, including the V75.