What is a tricast bet?

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What is a tricast bet?

·       A challenging bet type, the 'Tricast' bet is where you attempt to pick out the first, second and third in a specified race, with the three selections finishing exactly int he order that you state when placing the bet.

Bettors looking to cover a number of different options in one overarching bet would do well to consider the tricast bet (which can sometimes be referred to as a straight tricast bet or a trifecta). As the name suggests, a tricast bet is a form of forecast, and bears a very close resemblance to a straight forecast bet in that both require the bettor to select runners and the correct order in which they'll finish. 

However, there is one major difference. While a straight forecast bet is made on only two horses, with the bettor predicting that one of those selections will finish in first place and the other will finish in second place, the tricast bet includes three horses and asks the bettor to predict which will finish in first place, which will finish in second place and which will finish in third place.

Tricast bets can result in quite large returns for somewhat small stakes. However, for this to happen, the bettor needs to have a strong knowledge of the field that is being bet upon: with more selections to make, a greater level of insight is required. Bettors who are new or inexperienced may not find much luck with a tricast bet. 

Tricast bets

Tricast bets are common in horse racing and greyhound racing. Let's take the latter as an example. Imagine that there are ten runners in a race. Someone placing a tricast would be able to select three of those ten runners as part of their bet. Perhaps those selections are Runner 2, Runner 3 and Runner 9. The bettor has to select the order in which those runners will finish, and could make a prediction like the one below:

• Runner 3 will finish in first place
• Runner 9 will finish in second place
• Runner 2 will finish in third place

The only way that this bet will pay off is if those dogs finish in that exact order and no other. If, for example, Runner 3 and Runner 9 finish in first and second as predicted, but Runner 2 finishes in fifth or any position that is not third, the bet is lost. The same can be said for any other variation of finishing places beyond the one that the bettor has laid down. 

This is the reason for a tricast bet being so difficult to win. In that 10-dog greyhound race, there are many hundreds of different permutations for the dogs finishing, and the bettor has to hope that those three dogs in that one specific order come through. It is certainly not a bet for anyone who does not feel they have a good understanding of the sport or the dogs participating in it.

Another important thing to take into account with a tricast bet is the number of participants in the race. The 10-dog race previously mentioned would likely have very high odds, and be very good for any bettors bold enough to place the tricast bet. This is because the more runners in a race, the more difficult it is to predict the finishing order. However, a race with, for example, just six dogs competing would likely have a much lower number of potential outcomes and therefore the odds and the payout for a winner would be much less. 

Another important thing to remember when placing a tricast bet is that in certain scenarios the bettor will not know what they stand to win before they place the bet. In many cases, tricast payouts are determined by a computer algorithm that is formulated after the race has been run, and it is only then that the bettor will know exactly how much they have won. 

Different kinds of tricasts

The term tricast bet is often mentioned alongside another kind of tricast bet: the combined tricast bet. In much the same way a combined forecast bet is only a minor variation on the straight forecast bet, the combined tricast bet is only a slight variation on the tricast bet and it allows the runners to finish in any kind of order in the top three. 

For example, in the greyhound race example that has previously been mentioned, Runner 2, Runner 3 and Runner 9 could finish in any order in the top three, it does not have to be one specific order. To cover these varieties, a combined tricast bet is not just one bet, but rather a six of them. This covers the different options:

• The first bet predicts that Runner 3 will finish in first place, Runner 9 will finish in second place and Runner 2 will finish in third place
• The second bet predicts that Runner 3 will finish in first place, Runner 2 will finish in second place and Runner 9 will finish in third place
• The third bet predicts that Runner 9 will finish in first place, Runner 3 will finish in second place and Runner 2 will finish in third place
• The fourth bet predicts that Runner 9 will finish in first place, Runner 2 will finish in second place and Runner 3 will finish in third place
• The fifth bet predicts that Runner 2 will finish in first place, Runner 9 will finish in second place and Runner 3 will finish in third place
• The sixth and final bet predicts that Runner 2 will finish in first place, Runner 3 will finish in second place and Runner 9 will finish in third place

As a result of these multiple bets, the stake will increase by six times, as there are six bets. This means that a stake of £5 being made on a regular tricast bet would be £30 on a combined tricast bet. 

Other terms and conditions apply for other scenarios like this, so it is very important that anyone considering placing a combined tricast bet check with their bookmaker to understand the ramifications of all possible outcomes before betting.

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