I have seen every kind of player under the sun. I have started off with win, place and show wagers as we all do and graduated to exotics. But to come back to the basics can be a rewarding experience.

What you want to try before heading to the track is a little something called a place parlay. If you are new, this is where you make a wager on one race, and if you are lucky enough to hit, bet it back on your next selection. Be careful, and use only the races where you LOVE the horses. Don’t just bet to have action. This is about the bottom line, and making money.

Lets start with a $20 bill. If you take $60 to the track, take a look at this little wager to make some extra dough. You are trying to get a horse that can pay $3 to place. That is 1-2 for you bigger players, and that makes it a very short odds play. Here is the plan, and what you could have after “The Rule of Four.”

Race #1 / $20 place and your horse pays $3. You now have $30

Race #2 / $30 place and your horse pays $3. You now have $45

Race #3 / $45 place and your horse pays $3. You now have $67.50

Race #4 / $67 place and your horse pays $3. You now have $100.50

Now, you won’t buy a new boat, but you got 5X your bankroll, and you now have begun to watch races for profit instead of action. Believe it or not, you have just become a horse player, instead of just another face throwing down tickets after the race is over.

Just have patience, don’t be afraid to roll your winnings into the next race, and if you lose in race #3, you have only lost your original $20.