A pick 6 bet requires you to find the winner (or a horse that finishes in a place) of six consecutive races. These are all from the same racetrack on the same day.
So you cannot put a pick 6 horse racing bet on across multiple venues. There is a bumper jackpot up for grabs because of the difficulty of getting all 6 legs of the bet to come off. Pick 6 bets give you extra interest in the minor races on the card when you are watching. Now, read on.
How does Pick 6 work in horse racing?
Through the tote
Traditionally, this wager isn’t made with a fixed-odds sportsbook but through the tote.
Short for totalizer, a separate pool of money is created out of which you get paid if you come up with all the winners (or placed horses) in each race.
- Like a normal multiple bet, the pick 6 odds accumulate from leg to leg.
- You cannot take a price, however, and tote returned dividends are often different to fixed odds bets starting prices on the same horse.
- The tote prices are determined by the amount of betting interest in the pool a particular horse has generated.
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Placepot or pick 6 in horse racing
The table below shows the clear differences between a Placepot or pick 6
| Aspect | Pick 6 | Placepot |
| Betting Outcome | You must pick the selected horse in a race to win |
You can still win if you find horses that run into a place. |
| Number of selections | You need to select a winning horse in each of the race per time | You need to select a horse in 6-8 races to win |
| Difficulty | Picking 6 horses to win is a challenge even for regular bettors in the space of a week! | Placepot is much easier as you can if you find horses that run into a place. |
| Payout structure | Dividends for a place is based on choosing the winning horse for that race. | You can still get a return on the bet as long as all your selections run into a place. |
| Odds | The odds accumulate from leg to leg. Some totes will even allow you to bet on more than one horse per race, but this will increase the unit stake. | The odds accumulate from leg to leg. Some totes will even allow you to bet on more than one horse per race, but this will increase the unit stake. |
Key elements of a pick 6 horse racing strategy
Now you know the answer to the question “how does pick 6 work in horse racing”, it’s time to think about approaches to try and win this extremely difficult bet.
Look at the type of races specified as part of the pick 6 wager
These are usually the first 6 races on the card that day. It is highly likely to contain a variety of events. A combination of stakes races, claimers, and handicaps is what you are probably looking at.
These all have different conditions and terms. Weight-for-age is a key factor in stakes races if such events are open to horses of different ages, while a horse’s official rating determines what weight they carry in handicaps. Claimers are races where only certain types of jockeys - those who claim an allowance - can ride in the race. You need to know what events you are dealing with.
Studying the form before placing your pick 6 horse racing bet
In order to arrive at selections in all the races, you need to know who the main contenders are and what they have done last time out or in previous runs at the track. Try to come up with a shortlist of runners, factoring in the quality of opposition beaten, what conditions and distance a horse acts best on and over, and how much potential for further improvement they have.
Get as much information as you can
You have to arm yourself with all this information and more. Trainer and jockey form is just as important as the horses they are involved with. A rider that you don’t rate very highly can be enough to put you off backing a horse. The principle is magnified even further here because you’re having to pick 6 in a row!
Tying all the elements together
Once you have all that information to hand, it should guide your pick 6 horse racing strategy and help you arrive at your selections. Some races that feature will be more competitive than others. It is the most open race, as dictated by the betting odds on offer either through regular fixed odds, betting exchanges, or tote channels, that will give you the biggest headache.
Do you side with a previous beaten favorite? Were they unlucky in their last run? Could horses that have met before confirm or reverse past form? It’s all well and good having how does a pick 6 work in horse racing explained to you, but the complexity of the bet really is high. There are so many different factors to consider.
Horse Race Betting
Pick 6 Horse Racing
Difficult to win even with the stats
It can be worth your while forgiving a horse a bad run, but there is the issue with older horses of it becoming more difficult for them to maintain and replicate their peak form. Even with as much data for you to process as possible and support your strategy, the fact is a pick 6 bet takes a lot of luck to pull off.
No system is foolproof. Equipping yourself with all the stats to make an informed choice is what you are doing here. Do not expect to win a pick 6 bet the first time you put one on. It will be more down to beginners’ luck and good fortune than judgment. Even seasoned pros still find success with this type of wager elusive.
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A word on other horse racing betting strategies
If a pick 6 is proving too much of a challenge, then there are easier strategies and the
best horse racing system
will be available for you to find individual winners. We cater to these too and in many ways, some of the other approaches recommended here on the site are simpler.
Try to seek an each-way bet
Here, you stake your horse for both win and the place. For instance, you can discover the wisdom behind always trying to seek an each-way bet, you at least get your money back if a horse runs into a place but doesn’t manage to win. If the horse wins, you still get your win dividend coupled with your place dividend.
In this case, you can spread your bets across all horses in the race to ensure you get a win. Whike there are times when narrowing your option count, there are also times when it is appropriate for you to know how to hedge bets and be on more than one horse in a big field handicap.
If you want to be at the cutting edge of horse racing - trying some in play betting on the sport through bets in running on the exchanges could provide extra thrills. You need a dedicated strategy for that type of gambling, though, because
in play betting horse racing
isn’t available through fixed odds sportsbooks.
Final findings
You can be the envy of all your friends who like to wager by answering the question, how does pick 6 work in horse racing when they ask. It is fair to say that this type of wager is both complicated to research and difficult to pull off at horse race betting sites. Yes, skill can play its part but there will always be an element of fortune with lady luck smiling upon you if you can land a pick 6 horse racing bet.
There are no real shortcuts here. You have to have a clear pick 6 horse racing strategy in mind and execute it well. That is going to take experience and patience. Our best advice is to start out with Placepots where the margin for error is smaller and the terms more forgiving as your bet won’t wipe out if a horse finishes second in race three or four. Pick 6 bets are designed to be a bit of fun, so always keep that in mind when gambling.
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1. 💪🏾What is a Pick 6 in horse racing?
A Pick 6 bet involves selecting the winners of six consecutive horse races. It is known for its high difficulty but also high potential payout, making it a popular choice among seasoned bettors.
2.🤷🏾 How can I improve my chances of winning a Pick 6 bet?
To improve your chances, it's crucial to conduct thorough research on each race, including analyzing past performances, track conditions, jockeys, trainers, and betting odds. Additionally, diversifying your selections with a mix of favorites and long shots can increase your winning potential.
3. 🏇🏾What strategies do successful bettors use for Pick 6 betting?
Successful bettors often use a combination of key strategies, such as creating multiple ticket combinations, leveraging expert picks and insights, focusing on value bets rather than favorites, and using advanced handicapping techniques. Collaboration with other bettors to pool resources and knowledge can also be beneficial.
4.🤷🏾♂️ Can I bet on multiple horses in a single race in a Pick 6 bet?
Yes, you can bet on multiple horses in a single race in a Pick 6 bet, which is known as "boxing" or "covering" and increases your chances of winning but also increases the cost of your bet.
