What is the difference between a $5 bet across the board, and a $15 show bet?

Question

What is the difference between a $5 bet across the board, and a $15 show bet?

Answer 1

by "across the board," I'm assuming that you mean a win, place, show bet... that means you have $5 to win, $5 to place, and $5 to show.

it's different than putting $15 to show because...

in a win place show (WPS), you will get the payout for whatever place your horse comes in.  if it wins, you get the win price for $5 of your bet, the place price for $5 of your bet, and the show price for $5 of your bet.  That means you'll make substantially more money than getting the show price back for all $15 of your bet.  However, the WPS bet is riskier than the show bet... if your horse only comes in 3rd, then you only get the show price for your $5 bet... you lost the other $10... but if you had the $15 show bet, then you get all of that back at the show price.

I like to do a WPS bet and then a little extra to show.  That way if I have a $5 WPS bet and the horse only runs 2nd or 3rd, the extra money I put on the horse to show will cover the $5 or $10 that I lost.  I do the same thing when betting exotics... use a show bumper to minimize my losses.  And I think I was in the top 20 of the beat the handicapper contest last year!!