Playing the Trifectas

[rcknhrse]

I have had so many chances today to hit Trifectas but its just not my play right now.
I would like trifecta players to perhaps share there strategy .Yesterday i hit that big exacta at hollywood but with the horses i played i should have had the tri and the super,but i ask myself at what cost.
I am refering to yesterdays 9th at holly.
i boxed the 1-8-9
then played 1-8-9 over 1-2-5-8-10
the final was 9-8-5-1
I hit that because yesterday i was convinced that the all weather track was favoring closers.
Today i think the track has changed as several front runners have scored

[1st time lasix]

I like to play trifectas when I can eliminate a vunerable favorite from hitting the board due to sound handicapping principals. These are juicy payoffs when you hit. Never under any circumstances will I box {I only key one or two entries}. Never ever put two public chioces in any ticket structure that has them 1st and 2nd {next to each other}. Try hard to use longer shots in two hole not just third hole. In a fast pace scenario strive to find longer shot closers that may come get tiring frontrunners in deep stretch.

[Robert Fischer]

I pretty much do the same as 1st time lasix.

Also, I tend to use a trifecta as a compliment, and a part of several wagers for that race. I don't usually play the tri by itself.

[point given]

I like to play trifectas when I can eliminate a vunerable favorite from hitting the board due to sound handicapping principals. These are juicy payoffs when you hit. Never under any circumstances will I box {I only key one or two entries}. Never ever put two public chioces in any ticket structure that has them 1st and 2nd {next to each other}. Try hard to use longer shots in two hole not just third hole. In a fast pace scenario strive to find longer shot closers that may come get tiring frontrunners in deep stretch.

I agree with "no 2 shorties together" for the tri. I related the same to someone at the track some monthes ago, giving up the short price tri with faves in the 2 hole.Sure you'll lose some , but they're like fishing for sunnys , instead of big bass. Depending on the odds, size of field, and track ; the tri , even with a shorty on top and 3rd,can pay in the 200-500 range, and with 2 longies filling out the tri, 800- 12-1500 range. just ballpark figures . I find its fun putting the combos together , while my exacta play mostly sucks.

[Pace Cap'n]

I require the odds on any one possible combo to add up to at least 13, using no horse under 2/1. That will usually get at least $150 on a $1 tri.

[boomman]

I have had so many chances today to hit Trifectas but its just not my play right now.
I would like trifecta players to perhaps share there strategy .Yesterday i hit that big exacta at hollywood but with the horses i played i should have had the tri and the super,but i ask myself at what cost.
I am refering to yesterdays 9th at holly.
i boxed the 1-8-9
then played 1-8-9 over 1-2-5-8-10
the final was 9-8-5-1
I hit that because yesterday i was convinced that the all weather track was favoring closers.
Today i think the track has changed as several front runners have scored

rcknhrse: Not to be the bearer of bad news, but you could have hit the trifecta and the dime superfecta for small amounts of money based on the final result and your solid handicapping of this particular race. (I demonstrate putting trifectas and superfectas together extensively in my 2nd book B.E.T.S.) The $1 trifecta of 189-1258910-1258910 is only $60, and the dime superfecta of 189-1258910-1258910-1258910 represents 180 combinations or $18 bucks on the dime ticket.........You obviously did a good job of "breaking down the race" and how the track was playing in your handicapping:)

Boomer

[1st time lasix]

Another consideration: Beware of trifecta takeouts at the particular venue before you venture in. Sometimes a five or ten dollar exacta where the take is under 18-19 percent is a much better play than a one or two dollar trifecta where they take 25-30 percent from the pools. Also in exotics....learning to avoid the most used combinations {that most lazy players who box numbers have}will provide the paramutual overlays one needs if your handicapping selection is good enough. There are other threads on ticket structure strategy.

[thespaah]

I have had so many chances today to hit Trifectas but its just not my play right now.
I would like trifecta players to perhaps share there strategy .Yesterday i hit that big exacta at hollywood but with the horses i played i should have had the tri and the super,but i ask myself at what cost.
I am refering to yesterdays 9th at holly.
i boxed the 1-8-9
then played 1-8-9 over 1-2-5-8-10
the final was 9-8-5-1
I hit that because yesterday i was convinced that the all weather track was favoring closers.
Today i think the track has changed as several front runners have scored
Here's how I play them..Now let me just say that I am not a big bettor. Budgetary constraints not lack of interest keeps me from wagering thousands insted of few hundred in a visit.
anyway What I like to do is take my top two choices and play them on top with two or three other horses. It looks like this.
A-B
A-B-C-D
A-B-C-D
Based on $1 this costs $12. Add another horse underneath and it doubles.
I hit these more frequently than my straight exactas..Weird. My all time high is 4 trifectas on one card. I bet 7 races that day. Now granted these don't pay much. I usually use one of the favorites simply because they are going to win 30-35% of the time IF they look like the logical favorite. Seemingly bad favorites I toss. And I will use one my own picks that I really believe in..
Oh, one more thing. I NEVER bet Box trifectas....

[Tom Barrister]

First, I have to find a morning line favorite that's also 2-1 or lower on the tote that I'm throwing out of the top two spots.

Then, I need at least a 10-1 tote horse (and not lower than 6-1 morning line) that I'm going to be putting on top (alone or with others).

After that, I put everybody else who has a logical chance in the ticket in whatever position I decide they belong. If the ticket still looks chalky (mostly lower-priced horses in the top two), I'll play my 10-1 to win. Otherwise, I'm on the exacta, trifecta, and/or (rarely) the superfecta.

[judd]

years ago i was at the meadows harness track and looked at the board and played the 3 longest shots
boxed the 3 and hit for $2500

[bobphilo]

Here's how I play them..Now let me just say that I am not a big bettor. Budgetary constraints not lack of interest keeps me from wagering thousands insted of few hundred in a visit.
anyway What I like to do is take my top two choices and play them on top with two or three other horses. It looks like this.
A-B
A-B-C-D
A-B-C-D
Based on $1 this costs $12. Add another horse underneath and it doubles.
I hit these more frequently than my straight exactas..Weird. My all time high is 4 trifectas on one card. I bet 7 races that day. Now granted these don't pay much. I usually use one of the favorites simply because they are going to win 30-35% of the time IF they look like the logical favorite. Seemingly bad favorites I toss. And I will use one my own picks that I really believe in..
Oh, one more thing. I NEVER bet Box trifectas....

Sounds like a good strategy for 2 reasons. 1) You're not autmatically throwing out solid favorites. 2) You're not wasting money on marginal horses on top but including them in the bottom slots where they ar most likely to finish.

Bob

[skate]

SOUND, you want sound advice?


Don't eliminate Any horse from your tri. if you have two, three or four that you realy like and you want to play the tri, WHY in gods name, would you eliminate Any horse?

if you have the right price and you have eliminated (not from the tri) any and all horses under 6/1 from winning, you must play every other horse in your tri and/orsuper.

oh oh oh ,yes, we do have heroes who "must be exactly" on the number, fine.

[1st time lasix]

"fine line" in reference to your bankroll about "spreading" too much or being "too thin" when it comes to contenders on these tickets. The "all" button is rarely a sound strategy with 3 or 4 horse exotics. Players who use it often tend to put equal weighting on horses with little chance ......and commonly exceed their bankroll limitations. {possible tap out during a losing streak.} I personally believe you must get a minimum 3-1 or better {including all of your combinations wagered $$$} to suceed over long run in this game. The takeout and "chaos of unpredictablity" on percentage of races raises the hurdle one must earn to achieve a positive ROI Best exotic players tend to key their overlay contenders.....eliminate non-contenders successfully ....recognize false favorites.....structure tickets in a way to avoid underlay combinations. They are good fundmental handicappers {pace, breeding, speed, trainer angles, class}....have patience....and are not overly aggresive nor tight with their spending habits at the window. Of course it also helps to have done your homework.

[spicytomato]

Sounds like a good strategy for 2 reasons. 1) You're not autmatically throwing out solid favorites. 2) You're not wasting money on marginal horses on top but including them in the bottom slots where they ar most likely to finish.

Bob

sounds good

i usually if i think i know whats comin

do this two tix
X/yz/yz
yz/X/yz
works for me
could run it on one
xyz/xyz/yz
gonna do that one tonight save me time
the other
way
12
1234
1234
i might do too if i got a hunch it will be too close

yesterday was miserable
i had all the right numbers
in the wrong places race after race

then upon leaving i give the new book to the lady
sitting next to me
and tell her sam hou got some nice pays
she says are the winners circled...yeah right
but when instructing her how to wager the 10c spr

i told her do this
7-213-213-213
213-7-213-213
bingo!! thing hits i see when i get home
$143.00 for 10c wager
and nope i didnt bet it
just the 7 horse
now i hit those couple times a month
just like that, gives you perfect opt
to get a long shot in there

tonight goin with delta downs
penn national if its running?????
sam houston

good luck to you all:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[equicom]

I have found that there is nowhere near the value on trifectas that there used to be. The problem is that there are too many people playing large combinations, too many people who know what they are doing, and too much tax being taken out of tiny pools.

I hit that because yesterday i was convinced that the all weather track was favoring closers. Today i think the track has changed as several front runners have scored

Jockeys! :rolleyes:

[thespaah]

sounds good

i usually if i think i know whats comin

do this two tix
X/yz/yz
yz/X/yz
works for me
could run it on one
xyz/xyz/yz
gonna do that one tonight save me time
the other
way
12
1234
1234
i might do too if i got a hunch it will be too close

yesterday was miserable
i had all the right numbers
in the wrong places race after race

then upon leaving i give the new book to the lady
sitting next to me
and tell her sam hou got some nice pays
she says are the winners circled...yeah right
but when instructing her how to wager the 10c spr

i told her do this
7-213-213-213
213-7-213-213
bingo!! thing hits i see when i get home
$143.00 for 10c wager
and nope i didnt bet it
just the 7 horse
now i hit those couple times a month
just like that, gives you perfect opt
to get a long shot in there

tonight goin with delta downs
penn national if its running?????
sam houston

good luck to you all:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:


gonna do that one tonight save me time
the other
way
12
1234
1234
That's is my method..Essentialy it is an exacta wager with third tied on for show that nets a successful trifecta wager.
Every once in a while I will hit one of these with a double digit horse on top. But usually I am playing what I consider to be good solid picks on the top. I don't try to hit big payoffs. Thye are too far and few between. I'd rather hit 3 or 4 smaller Tri's on one card that wait days for one that pays four figures. Call it A quick nickel is better than a slow dollar.. One Weds I played two races. I played two races at Hol on Weds...Hit both trifectas one for a hair under $150 and the other paid a little over $200...Total investment $24...yes I am a small potatoes player. Total profit about $140...It took me an hour and a half to make that... Budgetary constraints keep me form betting more. But I have fun winning small amounts. That's why I do this. For the entertainment. And of course to win a few bucks.

[rastajenk]

I have found that there is nowhere near the value on trifectas that there used to be. The problem is that there are too many people playing large combinations...

With all due respect, this makes absolutely no sense. Too many people playing large combinations is a good thing. 'Cause only one combination per race is a good one. Where do you suppose all that other losing money goes to, anyway?

[thespaah]

With all due respect, this makes absolutely no sense. Too many people playing large combinations is a good thing. 'Cause only one combination per race is a good one. Where do you suppose all that other losing money goes to, anyway?Your respect is duly noted. If anyone can consistently pick and win cold trifectas, God bless them. They have the Midas touch.
The rest of us in the unwashed masses have to spread it around a bit.
As previously stated, to me, a quick nickel is better than a slow dollar.