FIELD SIZE 

The 10-cent superfecta usually requires a field of eight or more horses.  Should the size of the field be taken into consideration when playing the 10-cent superfecta?  The answer is yes because the bigger the field the bigger the potential payoff.

 

As field size grows so does the number of possible combinations.  In the table below you can see how the number of possible combinations grows with field size.

 

                Field Size                                     Calculation                          Possible combinations

8 horses

8 x 7x 6 x 5 =

1680

9 horses

9 x 8 x 7x 6 =

3024

10 horses

10 x 9 x 8 x 7 =

5040

11 horses

11 x 10 x 9 x 8 =

7920

12 horses

12 x 11x 10 x 9 =

11880

 

Below I have divided the possible combinations (from the table above) by 10 to get a theoretical expected return on a 10-cent bet.  (This discussion is purely theoretical, other factors that influence payoffs such as horses odds have been disregarded).

 

                Field Size                                     Calculation                                Expected Return

8 horses

1680 / 10 =

$168

9 horses

3024 / 10 =

$302

10 horses

5040 / 10 =

$504

11 horses

7920 / 10 =

$792

12 horses

11880 / 10 =

$1188

 

As you can see, the expected return in an 8-horse field is $168 and the expected return in a 12-horse field is $1188 � quite a difference.  The point here is that if you are looking for bigger payoffs you must look toward the bigger fields.

 

Another factor involving field size is �racing luck�.  As field size grows so does the potential for a horse to get into �trouble�.  In bigger fields horses tend to check more often, get boxed in, be forced to go wide, etc. which can open the door for those unlikely horses to finish better than expected and trigger those larger payoffs.

 

If you want to learn more about playing the 10-cent superfecta be sure and get my book,

The 10-Cent Superfecta Betting Guide.

 

Paul Lambrakis

October 6, 2007