Greyhound races are thrilling displays of speed. For a couple of minutes, greyhound athletes in their fine form display their agility, power and quite simply, their love for running. And the races get even more exciting when a wager, or two, is involved.

Greyhound wagers, like horse racing wagers, are called Pari-Mutuel, a French term meaning "to wager amongst ourselves." Greyhound racing fans wagering at the track are betting against and amongst one another, not against the race track.

The greyhound racing track has no financial interest in the outcome of the race, they simply hold the money, returning the winner's shares in accordance with applicable laws.

Greyhounds have form like race horses. They peak at certain periods, have good seasons and bad, or if young, may not yet have reached their peak and may perform better as they mature.

The challenge of greyhound wagering is to collect and analyze information and then make a sound judgment on which greyhound to wager on, what type of bet to place and how much. To create an opportunity to be a winner, bettors must take into account three main factors, analyze them and act on your findings accordingly. These are:

• The odds offer (Price)
• The value of the odds (overpriced or under-priced?)
• The type of bet (single, multiple, combination, etc.)

The odds offer has to be at least 2:1 to make it worthwhile. If necessary, choose a selection with a slightly higher risk to prop up the price.

Three types of bets seem to stand out as a sensible combination to use because they are simple, not too difficult to win and have good winning potential: the Straight bet, the Doubles and the Futures.

• Win-Place-Show All Races
• Daily Doubles, Quiniela's, Trifecta's, Superfecta's
• Big Q, Pick-3, Pick-4, *Twin Trifecta, Tri-Super

How Greyhound Wagering Works

Greyhound wagers made at the track are placed into individual betting pools: i.e. Win Place, Show, Quiniela, etc. Each wager offered has its own betting pool. The greyhound race track serves as an agent, or broker, withholding the established "take-out." This take-out is divided among the local government (state), purses for greyhound owners and the race track. The monies remaining in each betting pool is returned to the winning ticket holders.

Greyhound racing is considered by many to be the most consistent and predictable form of racing. Purchasing a ticket on your greyhound selections and cheering them on to victory is fun and exciting.

How to Wager on Greyhounds

Wagering on greyhound races is very simple. Just state your wager in this order:

1. Amount of your bet.
2. Type of bet (Win - Place - Show - Quiniela - Trifecta, etc.)
3. Post Position Number of the greyhound(s).

Example, if you would like to place a $2 win wager on greyhound #5, you simply tell the teller that you would like $2 to win on # 5. Or if you would like to place a $2 Quiniela wager on greyhounds #1, #4 and #8, you simply tell the teller that you would like a $2 Quiniela box on #1, #4 and #8.

Just remember to check your tickets and count your money before leaving the teller's window. Claims that a wrong ticket has been punched must be made prior to your leaving the window. Tickets cannot be changed or cancelled after leaving the teller's window. Wagering on the greyhounds is that easy!