Quinella Betting An Expert Guide
A quinella bet is the easiest horse racing exotic wager to understand. A common pari-mutuel wager for horse racing, a quinella bet is the best option for beginners who want to go beyond single bets.
This guide outlines how this simple bet can add some fun to your horse racing wagers. Discover how quinella bets work, how to place a wager correctly, and how to calculate payouts, so you can spice up your next horse racing bet.
In This Quinella Betting Guide:
What Is A Quinella Bet In Horse Racing?
A quinella bet requires you to select the first and second-place finishers in a horse race, in either order. It is the most simple of the exotic horse bets available at pari-mutuel wagering sites, such as Bovada and BetOnline.
Quinellas are the natural step up from single bets, because you make just two selections, which combine into bet.
There are no complications around which horse finishes ahead of the other. As long as your two selections pass the post before any other horse, you win.
How To Place A Quinella Bet?
Placing a quinella bet is very straightforward.
Select a race to bet on and then click on the ‘Quinella’ tab at the top of the card.
Select the two horses you want to back, one in the first box and one in the second.
Choose your bet amount, which is automatically set at $1, and hit ‘Add to bet slip’.
Check your bet slip once you’re ready to bet, and hit the ‘bet’ button.
In this example, we’ve chosen Hotte Shotte and A Blazin Royal to finish 1-2 in either order at Aqueduct Racetrack.
How To Calculate Quinella Bet Payouts?
Quinellas are based on pari-mutuel betting, which means it’s a little difficult to know for certain what your payout will be at the end of the race.
Pari-mutuel wagering brings all stakes placed on each bet type into one pot. Bettors with winning bets then get paid a share of the pie, known as a dividend.
In order to estimate your quinella payout you’ll need to know:
A. The amount of money staked in quinella bets on your race
B. The number of bets placed
Example: 100 bettors each wager a $1 quinella on our example race in the image above. The $100 pot reduces to $90 after the house takes its 10% commission. Only you and one other bettor strike the correct combination as Hotte Shotte and A Blazin Royal cross the line first and second. You earn half of the remaining $90, for a total of $45 from a $1 wager.
The dilemma is that sometimes everyone goes big on the same quinella when backing two hot favorites to finish first and second. In this case, you might win your bet, but there may be 40 people taking a share of that $90 pie, which means you earn just $2.25.
Quinella vs. Exacta: What Is The Difference?
Both quinellas and exactas require you to select the first two horses in a race. However, exactas must be in the correct 1-2 order.
Example: You bet on that same race at Aqueduct and want to pick Hotte Shotte and A Blazin Royal. With a quinella, your picks go in both orders, so it doesn’t matter who comes first. An exacta requires you to choose a first- and second-place finisher.
Quinella Bets – The Verdict
Quinella bets offer a really simple route into the world of exotics in horse racing. They allow you to wager on two horses, but still provide a level of security by paying out no matter the order of the first- and second-place finishers.
The best thing about quinellas is that you can experiment with them. You can choose to wager on two dead certs and earn a small profit from a small wager. Or you can get tactical and back a favorite plus an outlier, in order to stand out in the pari-mutuel pot.
We recommend placing your quinella wagers at BetOnline. The site offers a nice selection of horse races and a terrific welcome bonus.
