Trifecta A trifecta is a parimutuel bet placed on a

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third, in the exact order. Known as a trifecta in the US and Australia, this is known as a tricast in the UK, a tierce in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, a triactor in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and a tiercé in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. A trio, offered in Hong Kong and France, is a variation in which the order of the horses is not relevant.

Variations

Boxed

A "boxed" trifecta is where three horses are selected, and the player wins if these three horses finish first in any order. Boxed bets are effectively equivalent to placing standard trifecta bets on all six possible outcomes of the selected horses. For example, a boxed trifecta of horses numbered 6, 7 and 9, wins if horses finish in any of these combinations of outcomes: * 6, 7, 9 * 6, 9, 7 * 7, 6, 9 * 7, 9, 6 * 9, 6, 7 * 9, 7, 6.

Banker

One horse (the "banker") is chosen to win the race, and two or more selections are boxed to come second and third. The "banker" must win in all possible combinations. For example, if horse number 2 is the banker, and the other three choices are numbered 6, 7 and 8, then there are a total six possible combinations for a winning bet: * 2, 6, 7 * 2, 6, 8 * 2, 7, 6 * 2, 7, 8 * 2, 8, 6 * 2, 8, 7.

Roving banker or banker multiple

One horse (the "banker") is chosen to finish in the first three, and three or more selections are boxed for the other two places – the banker must finish either 1st, 2nd or 3rd in each possible combination. For example, if horse number 6 is the banker, and horses number 7, 8 and 9 are the selections, then there are total of eighteen combinations for a winning bet, each with horse number 6 in them, for example: * 6, 7, 8 * 7, 6, 8 * 7, 8, 6 * 6, 8, 9 * 8, 9, 6, and so on.

History

The term was first used in the 1970s, and was derived from '' perfecta'' (a bet on which horses will finish first and second) and ''

tri- Numeral or number prefixes are prefixes derived from numerals or occasionally other numbers. In English and many other languages, they are used to coin numerous series of words. For example: *triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, octagon ...

'' (three). In the United States, the trifecta was introduced at

Arlington Park Arlington Park (formerly known as Arlington International Racecourse) is a former horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Once called the ''Arlington Park Jockey Club'', it was located adjacent to the Illinois Rou ...

in 1971. It was first used in Australia in April 1977 by TAB New South Wales, and was introduced in New Zealand in December 1983.

References

External links

{{wikt Sports betting Horse racing terminology Gambling terminology