Yap
Whether you prefer the tote or the bookmaker, the world of horse race betting is one of the world's oldest forms of gambling. From the Trifecta to the Yap, there is just the bet for you.

Yap, inside rail Before you get to bets like the Trifecta or the Yap, or even a Double, there are quite a few things to consider. These bets by nature have quite a high difficulty rating, especially the Yap which has the added complication of the bet being taken over different races and which includes a four-fold accumulator into the bargain of 15 bets in total. It is similar to the Lucky 15 in most respects; expect that it doesn’t come with a bonus or consolation.

These bets are a wonderful way to add a whole new level of excitement and, potentially, winnings to an experience of 'The Sport of Kings'. But they need a certain level of experience and skill before they can even begin to be considered as viable. Perhaps the complications of the Yap will become a little clearer if the Trifecta is explained first.

On the surface, the Trifecta seems a fairly ordinary bet, it requires than the punter select, from a single race, the order of the first, second and third horses across the finishing line. This is fairly self-explanatory and requires little stretch of the analytic brain to grasp the mechanism of the bet. However, even the ostensibly innocuous Trifecta is a bet which requires the punter to consider all sorts of information to have any real chance of making the bet a valid one.

Many novice bettors take a look at the odds and guess at the possible outcome based on the favourites. This is fairly safe method if you're betting only nominal sums, but the odds are intrinsically the worst for the favourite horse. So, in order to make a bet something which has a high margin of profit, it requires that the odds are in the bettor's favour.

A Trifecta will automatically offer a greater margin of profit simply because it is a tricky bet, but the chance of winning can be further increased if the punter has a knowledge of the track, the horses and the peculiarities of the event, perhaps which jockey is riding and whether or not they trust the trainer. 		Yap, winner

The art of trying to forecast the outcome of a race based on scrutinizing the available information is called handicapping. Handicapping is vital for also all but the basic bets. So many factors can influence the outcome of a race. This is also, in part, why so many punters are dedicated racegoers.

Yap, photo finish The internet, tote, bookmakers and betting shops may allow people to bet on races worldwide from wherever they are, but those who take pride in parting with their money only when they have given themselves the best chance at making an educated guess, often head to the pre-parade and parade ring to get a close look at the horses; to see whether or not they're looking tired, whether their personal favourite seems in the condition to go the distance, and whether the bookmakers' favourite seem likely candidates.

Here again, is a clue as to why placing a more serious bet can be a complex thing. There is sometimes a difference between the bookmakers' favourites and those which the punters select themselves. The attuned punter can potentially turn this into a considerable advantage, increasing the odds by betting on a 'true' favourite.

When you consider that the Yap consists of 4 different selections, each for a separate event which amount to a total of 15 bets, then it's plain to see how the bettor really has to know their stuff to even bother with such a minefield. The 15 bets comprise of a four-fold accumulator, four trebles, six doubles and single for each each of the selections.

One you have arrived at the point where you can make an informed decision about such bets, then you'll probably already be familiar with the various options provided by different bookmakers, the tote and the increasingly popular Betting Exchanges which allow punters to cut out the bookmakers and bet against each other. Novice bettors will soon discover the differences between the tote and bookmakers. The main one being that the tote offers a pooling system of betting, which means that the bets all go into a pot which is then divided amongst the winner, minus the tote percentage.

In effect, this means that bettors are betting against each other. By nature of the pooled betting systems, the bet is placed before the odds are fixed, so they change right up until the start of the race. This is different to the bookmakers' system. With bookmakers, the punter is betting directly against the bookmaker and must accept the odds they are given, which can vary from one bookmaker to another; the odds are fixed at whatever they are when the wager is taken.

Many punters prefer bookmakers, and they have certainly been around longer and are far greater number than other options. Bookmakers are also widely used because the serious punter will often like to shop around for different odds. With the advent of the digital revolution, bookmakers are available online as is the tote and betting exchanges. You don't have to be at a racecourse to get all the action and excitement, to place a successful bet, but many would argue that the winnings are sweeter if you've been to parade ring and had a careful look.