Superfecta
Encyclopedia
The superfecta is a type of wager in parimutuel betting
in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct sequence. This is even more unlikely than a successful wager in the trifecta
, which requires correctly picking the first three finishers in order, and as such will have a correspondingly higher payoff.
Most exotic wagers in horseracing are a 1 dollar minimum. Due to the difficulty of the superfecta, some racetracks have lowered the minimum on the superfecta to 10 cents. This 10 cent bet is very popular with the fans as it permits a bettor with a small bankroll to cover many combinations and still have a chance for a nice payoff.
Due to the imprecise nature of the name (as opposed to other bets such as the trifecta), superfecta bets can sometimes require selecting more than four horses. For instance, the New South Wales
TAB
in Australia
previously offered a superfecta bet on selected races requiring bettors to pick the first six finishers in the correct order, rather than four. The bet requiring the selection of four finishers in order is instead referred to by most Australian totalisators as a First Four bet (or in Western Australia
as a Quartet). Although the first-six superfecta bet is still theoretically allowed by New South Wales regulations, the First Four bet has all but replaced it there.
In The Jockey Club Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this type of wager is called quadrifecta.
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct sequence. This is even more unlikely than a successful wager in the trifecta
Trifecta
In horse racing terminology, a trifecta is a parimutuel bet in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order. The word comes from the related betting term, "perfecta". A trifecta is known as a tiercé in France and Hong Kong and as a tris in Italy.It...
, which requires correctly picking the first three finishers in order, and as such will have a correspondingly higher payoff.
Most exotic wagers in horseracing are a 1 dollar minimum. Due to the difficulty of the superfecta, some racetracks have lowered the minimum on the superfecta to 10 cents. This 10 cent bet is very popular with the fans as it permits a bettor with a small bankroll to cover many combinations and still have a chance for a nice payoff.
Due to the imprecise nature of the name (as opposed to other bets such as the trifecta), superfecta bets can sometimes require selecting more than four horses. For instance, the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
TAB
Totalizator Agency Board
Totalisator Agency Board in Australia and New Zealand, universally shortened to TAB, is the name given to monopoly totalisator organisations. All were originally government owned...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
previously offered a superfecta bet on selected races requiring bettors to pick the first six finishers in the correct order, rather than four. The bet requiring the selection of four finishers in order is instead referred to by most Australian totalisators as a First Four bet (or in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
as a Quartet). Although the first-six superfecta bet is still theoretically allowed by New South Wales regulations, the First Four bet has all but replaced it there.
In The Jockey Club Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this type of wager is called quadrifecta.