1. What Is A Superfecta Bet
2. What Is A Superfecta Bet In Horse Racing

Superfecta is largely considered the most lucrative of all horse racing betting opportunities, and at the same time, the hardest wager to collect on. You’ll have to correctly predict the first four horses to finish the race, in exact order, to release this massive purse. It is generally the type of wager only veteran handicappers place with any degree of confidence, but if you are looking for a very large payout and are feeling lucky why not give it a try at an online betting site such as Bovada.lv.

Direct from the WagerTalk TV Studios in Las Vegas, WagerTalk.com’s Kelly Stewart talks with sports betting expert Marco D’Angelo and look at what is a Superf. This reduces the $1 Superfecta wager from $81 to only $36 and we have added Horse “F” into the wager, now covering a total of six horses in the race.

In some countries, the name Superfecta refers to a wager on more than four horses, as high as five or six. Since the name doesn’t exactly relate to a number, as in the case of a “Trifecta” (first 3 horses), some horse racing tracks have begun using terms like “First Four” or “Quartet” in place of, or in combination with, Superfecta.

What is Superfecta Horse Racing Betting?

A Superfecta is a complex horse racing bet where the bettor is required to pick not just the win, Place and Show horses, but the fourth place finisher as well. Picking the first four animals to finish a horse race, in exact order, is no easy task.

Above is an example of the “superfecta” menu at Bovada.lv where you can bet on any horse to either win, place or show. You will also get $250 free at Bovada for the Kentucky Derby.

In order to collect on the bet, every horse chosen must finish in the chosen order. If you select them to finish in order as 5-4-6-2, and instead they finish 5-4-2-6, your wager is lost. But should they come in 5-4-6-2 as predicted, the payout can be astronomical!

You are also given the option to “box” your selections, which will put in a series of bets for every possible order of the 4 horses you’ve selected. With a superfecta this will cost $24 if you choose $1 bets (as their are 24 possible outcomes). More on this can be found below.

Types of Superfecta Horse Racing Betting

There are three ways to place a Superfecta bet in horse racing betting:

Straight Superfecta
Superfecta Box
Superfecta Wheel

The minimum bet size in horse racing is generally $2, though most Superfecta bets are reduced to a $1 minimum. For this reason, we’ll be using a $1 wager in the following examples.

Straight Superfecta Horse Racing Betting

The Straight Superfecta is the most simplistic of all Superfecta bets. The bettor chooses four horses, selecting the exact order they will finish – first, second, third and fourth. The bet slip would read something like this: $1 Superfecta 5-4-6-2.

It would be a $1 bet that the #5 horse would Win, the #4 horse Place (second), the #6 horse Show (third) and the #2 horse finish fourth.

Superfecta Box Horse Racing Betting

The Superfecta Box is a similar bet, but includes all possible combinations of the chosen horses to finish in any given order. A $1 Superfecta Box would cost the bettor $24, as there are 24 possible ways to combine the finishing order of four horses.

For example, $1 Superfecta Box (5-4-6-2) is a $24 bet ($1 each) on the following 24 possible outcomes:

5-4-6-2; 5-4-2-6; 5-2-4-6; 5-2-6-4; 5-6-4-2; 5-6-2-4
4-2-5-6; 4-2-6-5; 4-5-2-6; 4-5-6-2; 4-6-5-2; 4-6-2-5
2-4-5-6; 2-4-6-5; 2-5-4-6; 2-5-6-4; 2-6-4-5; 2-6-5-4
6-2-4-5; 6-2-5-4; 6-4-2-5; 6-4-5-2; 6-5-2-4; 6-5-4-2

Bettors can also choose to add more than 4 horses to a Superfecta Box, but the price rises with each possible combination.

5 horses = $60
6 horses = $120
7 horses = $210
8 horses = $336

Superfecta Wheel Horse Racing Betting

The Superfecta Wheel is used when you are certain which horse will win, but aren’t so convinced on the exact order of the next three horses. Instead of paying full price for the Superfecta Box, you would choose the winning horse, followed by three more horses to finish in the next three positions. (See our Horse Racing Wheel Betting Article)

Let’s say you want the #5 horse to win, with 4-6-2 finishing in second, third and fourth. The bet slip would read“$1 Superfecta Wheel 5 with 4-6-2 with 4-6-2 with 4-6-2 = $6”. There are six possible combinations, therefore 6-$1 bets made.

Superfecta Horse Racing Betting Payouts

There is no set payout in pari-mutuel horse racing betting. The payoff for a Superfecta will always be determined by the overall purse, and how much of that money was placed on the winning Superfecta, as opposed to any other bets placed. The tote board at the horse racing track won’t display the probably payout either since there are simply too many combinations in Superfecta horse racing betting to display them all.

Ready to test your luck with a Superfecta bet? Click here for $250 free at Bovada for the Kentucky Derby

The Superfecta wager has gained in popularity among horseplayers in the last decade, thanks to the opportunity to make a large windfall with a moderate investment.

In the past several years, the Superfecta betting pools have also grown with the introduction of the 10-cent Superfecta which are available at most racetracks.

The 10-cent Superfecta makes it possible for horseplayers with small bankrolls to play the wager, and the smaller increment also means a horseplayer can avoid paying Uncle Sam a portion.

When a horseplayer hits a $1 Superfecta that returns over $5,000.00, the Internal Revenue Service takes their 26% right off the top.

Smaller payoffs are affected as well. If a horseplayer hits a $1 Superfecta that pays $675.00, cashing the ticket also means picking up a W-2G for gambling winnings.

If a horseplayer hits that same Superfecta on a 10-cent increment, the payoff is $67.50, and there are no IRS ramifications.

If you punch out two 50-cent tickets with the winning combination, each pays $327.50, and again Uncle Sam does not have his hand out.

It is great to hit a big score, whether you are at the track or doing your online horse Superfecta betting from home, but it is harder than it looks.

Horse Racing Superfecta Betting Tips

Horse race Superfecta betting requires a horseplayer to pick the top four finishers in a race in the exact order, not exactly an easy task.

With exacta wagering, it usually is fairly easy to eliminate several horses in the field that have little chance to finish in the top two positions. In trifecta wagering, it gets more difficult, and in Superfecta wagering it is tough to eliminate any horses, because just about anyone in the field can plop home in the third or fourth position at big odds while being no threat to the winner.

Therefore, the key element to being successful at horse race Superfecta betting is structuring your tickets in the proper manner.

One mistake many horseplayers make is to simply box their top four contenders, which on a $1 ticket would be a $24 investment.

A five-horse Superfecta wager would cost a horseplayer $120.00 on a $1 increment.

When boxing four or five horses in this manner, the horseplayer is saying each of the contenders have an equal chance of winning the race.

Sure, you could play a five-horse Superfecta box for a 10-cent increment for $12.00, but the better way to structure the ticket would be to find one or two key horses to use in the win spot, which would give you more of your bankroll to concentrate on the third and fourth spots.

For most players, it is easier to find a winner than it is to figure out which horse is going to complete a Superfecta ticket.

If you could find one horse to key on top of your ticket, that same $24 could be laid out like this:

1 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,4,5,6,7 = $24

You would need your key horse to win, two of your next three contenders to finish second and third, then you would be spread deeper in the fourth spot.

Another way to spend the same $24 would be keying two horses to complete the exacta:

What Is A Superfecta Bet

1,2 with 1,2 with 3,4,5,6 with 3,4,5,6 = $24

That would give you four horses to fill out the third and fourth spots.

With the advent of the 10-cent increment, horseplayers can go even deeper, and use of the “All” button comes into play, even for horseplayers with a limited bankroll.

Keep in mind, playing a 10-cent ticket means your payoff is going to be greatly reduced.

In a 12-horse field you could key your top two contenders with the field in the third and fourth spot and the cost of the ticket would be $180.00 for a $1 ticket or $18.00 for a 10-cent ticket.

In a race where you have trouble coming up with one key horse, you could lay out your ticket like this:

1,2,3 with 1,2,3,4 with 1,2,3,4,5 with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

This ticket for $1 would be $189, but just $18.90 for a 10-cent ticket.

What Is A Superfecta Bet In Horse Racing

The key to making a profit in horse race Superfecta betting is to know when a good opportunity exists.