re: Help me understand this horse track bet

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Took a several of my friends to Evangeline Downs last night, and had a pretty nice time. The weather and the company was great. I've only been to the horse races about a dozen times in my life, so I barely know enough to place a bet.

My fav bet has always been a Trifecta Box. Which if I understand correctly, I'm picking which horses will Win, Place, and Show, in no. particular order. Correct?

About Race 4 or so, I bet $12 on the 2-4-7 horses, and they finish in the top 3 places. I don't recall, but there was probably only 6 horses in the race. I'm excited, thinking I'll proabably win $30 or so. Give my gf the ticket to cash (thinking I will impress her with gambling prowess.). She returns with $8 and some odd cents.

Really? Did I actually lose money on that bet? I squeezed her for the rest of the winnings, but she insists that's all she got. Then my friend tells me the same thing happened to him on the same race, although the bet it slightly different.

Is it possible to lose $ on a Trifecta Box bet even when you get it right?

By the way, afterwards, took a tip from Willowick and ran up to Washington to The Steamboat Restaurant for dinner, and it was great! I recommend it.

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Betting trifecta boxes in 6 horse fields will not pay out alot unless the 2 long shots come in first.

I thought they each came out of a certain pool, like the tri pool, exacta pool, etc? Going off the odds in the win pool is a good judge of the value of your horse. If something is even money but runs 3rd I know my exacta that I just hit will be a shite ton more, right?

I’m not a gambler, though, and don’t understand any of the math involved, I just know the animals.

Correct you always try to beat the favorite in the exotic bets and thats when they payouts will be more. And yes the odds are a good judge of the value of a horse but its not how the payouts are calculated.