1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Horse Racing
How to bet the Pick 3

The Pick 3 requires you to select the winner of 3 consecutive races. This wager generally offers much a much higher pay-off than just betting the 3 horses to win in each race.

Difficulty Level: Hard      Time Required: 30 minutes


Here's How:
  1. Select the horse you think will win each race. You can select more than one in each race but this will increase the amount of your wager.
  2. Go to the betting window and tell the clerk which track and race you wish to bet on
  3. If you only selected one horse per race, tell the clerk "$1.00 Pick 3: 1 with 2 with 3" (or whichever horses you selected). The minimum Pick 3 wager may be $2 at some tracks.
  4. If you selected more than one horse per race, tell the clerk "$1.00 Pick 3 wheel: 1, 2 with 1, 2 with 1, 2" (or whichever horses you selected).
  5. Make sure your ticket is correct before you leave the window.
  6. Take your ticket and watch and cheer for your selections.
Tips:
  1. The more horses you pick in each race, the better chance you have of cashing your ticket, but your ticket will also be more expensive.
  2. You determine the cost of your wager by multiplying the number of horses in each race together then by the amount wagered. For example: 1 x 2 x 2 x $1 = $4
  3. The minimum wager on a Pick 3 is usually $1 or $2. Ask the clerk for the minimum amount at your track. You can wager a larger amount if you like.

Related Features:

  • Wagering Tool from Del Mar will tell you how much your wager will cost.

Explore Horse Racing

About.com Special Features

Holiday Central

What to eat, where to go, fun things to do and how to save money on the perfect gifts. More >

Introduction to Pilates

Learning Pilates fundamentals can help you get the most out of your exercise regime. More >

  1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Horse Racing

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.