Win Place Show betting combines three of horse racing’s most common bets: win, place and show. The following tutorial explains Win Place Show betting or “Across the Board” betting. Also, how to place individual win, place or show bets.
Win Place Show betting gives horse players multiple opportunities to win. Their horse must finish third or higher to collect a payout. Horses that finish first payout the most.
The following video clip explains how to place these bets. Watch the entire video for other horse bets.
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How to Place a Win Place Show Bet
Time needed: 1 minute
How to place a win place show bet
- Create a new horse betting account or login to your existing account
Create a new player account at one of our recommended horse betting sites or login to your existing account.
- Choose a race track and upcoming race
Review the horse betting site’s list of horse tracks and upcoming races. Morning line odds are typically available about 3-5 hours before wagering begins.
- Select a Win-Place-Show bet from the wagering menu
Tap “Win Place Show” bet from the horse racing’s wagering menu. You might need to tap open exotics or “other” wagers to display the Win Place Show bet. It might be written as “WPS”.
- Choose a horse and book the wager.
Select a horse for the Win Place Show wager. Each wager costs $6 total, $2 for each win, place, and show bet.
- Bet on additional horses, or combine multiple horses into one Win Place Show wager.
Continue placing Win Place Show wagers for other horses, or combine multiple horses into one Win Place Show wager.
Win, Place & Show Bets Explained
Payouts: Final amounts depend on each horse’s odds. Longshot horses pay more than heavy favorites. Refer to your horse betting sites’ odds page. Look at the tote board if you’re at a racetrack. Off track betting odds will be posted prominently inside the teletheater.
Win Bet
The Win bet is picking the horse that finishes first. Win bets on longshot horses will pay more than heavy favorites.
Cost: $2
Place Bet
The Place bet is picking the horse that finishes second. The bet also pays if your horse finishes first.
Cost: $2
Show Bet
The Show bet is picking the horse that finishes third. The bet also pays if your horse finishes first or second.
Cost: $2
Next, on to the “Win Place Show” Bet itself.
Win Place Show Betting Explained
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Also called “Across the Board” betting.
Combine a win, place and show bet on the same horse into one bet.
Some horse bettors place Across the Board bets on multiple horses.
The bet pays the most if your horse finishes first. You would collect on all 3 bets. The bet pays the least if your horse finishes third. You would only collect on your show bet and lose your win and place bets.
Cost: $6 (3 bets x $2)
| Horse Finishes | Winning Bets | Losing Bets |
|---|---|---|
| First | Win,Place,Show | None |
| Second | Place,Show | Win |
| Third | Show | Win,Place |
| Fourth or worse | None | All |
How to Place a Win Place Show Bet
- Horses will be listed on the left. The next “ML” column contains the odds.
- Click each checkbox in the bet column that corresponds to your horse. In this example, the bettor has chosen Atiello with 6/1 odds to Win. Make sure to click Atiello’s boxes for Place and Show to complete the wager.
- Follow this procedure for other horses. Click the checkbox corresponding to each horse and wager.
- Notes: You can pick multiple horses for each bet type. These additional wagers cost more money.
Win, Place, Show Payout Example
Next, we’ll take a look at a sample Win, Place, and Show payout chart, based on the 2010 Preakness Stakes.
In this particular race, Lookin at Lucky won, followed by First Dude and Jackson Bend. So, based on our definitions of Win, Place, and Show, we have the following results table:
| Horse | Win | Place | Show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lookin At Lucky | $6.80 | $4.60 | $3.80 |
| First Dude | N/A | $16.60 | $9.20 |
| Jackson Bend | N/A | N/A | $6.60 |
How to Read Win Place Show Payout
Lookin at Lucky
- Pays $6.80 for first (Win)
- $4.60 for second or first (Place)
- $3.80 for third, second, or first (Show)
First Dude
- Pays $16.60 for second or first (Place)
- $9.20 for third, second, or first (Show)
Jackson Bend
- Pays $6.60 for third, second, or first (Show)
Odds Matter
Note the odds on each horse.
Based on the table above, Lookin at Lucky was a favorite, hence the single digit payouts.
First Dude was more of a long shot. That explains the double digit Place payout.
Finally, Jackson Bend. He was considered less likely to win than Lookin At Lucky, but more than First Dude. His show payout is between Lookin at Lucky’s and First Dude’s Show payouts.
The longer the odds, the higher the potential payout!
Picks Stats for All Tracks
- Download link sent every Monday at 10:00 AM EST
- See our performance across 60+ Tracks
- Identify valuable Win, Place, & Show Opportunities
- Fully editable spreadsheet
Get Free Pick Data
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FAQs on Win-Place-Show Betting
The Win bet is picking the horse that finishes first. Win bets on longshot horses will pay more than heavy favorites.
The Place bet is picking the horse that finishes second. The bet also pays if your horse finishes first.
The Show bet is picking the horse that finishes third. The bet also pays if your horse finishes first or second.
Combine a win, place, and show bet on one or more horses into one bet. All 3 bets win if your horse finishes first. You win less if your horse winds up second or third. All 3 bets lose if you horse finishes fourth or worse.
Each Win-Place-Show bet costs $2 for each win, place, and show bet or $6 total per horse.
Win Place Show betting is also called “Across the Board” betting. Taking a horse “Across the Board” means you’re betting that horse Win-Place-Show for $6.
The payout on a Win-Place-Show bet varies with the amount of money in the win, place, and show pools minus the track’s commission, and also depends on your horse’s odds.
A horse’s win odds, place odds, and show odds are determined by the amount of money bet on that horse to win, place, or show. Since the Win-Place-Show bet is a combination of three bets, know your horse’s odds for each individual wager before placing the bet.
Horse Betting Resources
- Horse Racing Betting Tracks – Complete list of today’s thoroughbred horse races and harness races from major United States tracks and raceways, plus a select list of Canadian and Latin American tracks.
- Horse Betting Sites – We’ve reviewed the finest legal US horse racing betting sites, offering our own insights and guidance on where to place a bet. Don’t forget to claim your bonus code.
- How to bet on Horses – We’ve made horse racing betting easy, giving you a basic rundown of the win, place, show, and win-place-show bet. You’ll also learn how place a trifecta, superfecta, exacta, or quinella bet.
Exotic Horse Bets
- Exacta Bet – Bet on two horses to finish first and second in the order you specify. Like other exotic bets, you can box or wheel an exacta bet.
- Quinella Bet – This bet is similar to the exacta, except you’re picking two horses to finish first and second in any order. That means they could finish A-B, or B-A, and your quinella would still win. You can also box or wheel a quinella.
- Trifecta Bet – Bet on three horses to finish first, second, and third in the order you specify, or try a trifecta box or trifecta wheel bet.
- Superfecta Bet – It’s hard to win a superfecta, which is a bet on four horses to finish first, second, third, and fourth in the order you specify. Hitting a superfecta box or superfecta wheel bet might be easier.
- Daily Double Bet – Pick the winners of two consecutive horse races from the horse track’s list of eligible races. For more flexibility, you can try a daily double wheel bet. You can’t box a daily double bet.
- Pick 3, 4, 5, or 6 Bets – Pick the winners of 3, 4, 5, or 6 consecutive horse races. Like the Pick 3, you’ll need to review the horse track’s list of eligible races before placing this longshot wager. You can also wheel a Pick bet.
Kentucky Derby Resources
- Kentucky Derby Betting Odds – Odds to win this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. Learn how to bet on the Kentucky Derby.
- Kentucky Derby Trifecta Picks – See our trifecta picks for this year’s Kentucky Derby, with prerace commentary and updates before the Derby.
- Kentucky Derby Betting Sites – Best legal online horse betting sites that accept Kentucky Derby wagers, plus last minute race picks.
Preakness Stakes Resources
- Preakness Betting Odds – Odds to win this year’s Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan, with a quick guide to how to bet on these two exciting annual horse racing events.
- Preakness Trifecta Picks – We’ve got a trifecta picks for this year’s Preakness Stakes, offering you the chance to improve your odds with an efficient trifecta wheel bet.
- Preakness Superfecta Picks – If you’re feeling lucky, try our Preakness superfecta part wheel bet, where you’ll key in sets of horses and try to nail the right finish. Though it’s notoriously an elusive bet to win, the potential payout is extremely lucrative.
- Preakness Betting Sites – Last minute picks and the best places to place an online wager for the Preakness Stakes this year.
Belmont Stakes Resources
- Belmont Stakes Betting Odds – See odds to win this year’s Belmont Stakes. If a horse has won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, a Triple Crown will be on the line.
- Belmont Stakes Trifecta Picks – Check out our trifecta part wheel picks for the Belmont Stakes. A part wheel is easier to win than a straight trifecta bet.
- Belmont Stakes Superfecta Picks – Picks for a winning Superfecta Part Wheel at this year’s Belmont Stakes.
- Belmont Stakes Betting Sites – Legally bet on this year’s Belmont Stakes from the comfort of your home with our highly regarded online horse betting sites, then have a look at our last minute race picks.
- Belmont Stakes Trends – Review Belmont Stakes trends before placing a bet. Find out which post position is the most likely to produce a winner.
Breeders’ Cup Resources
- Breeders’ Cup Betting Odds – Odds to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and other top-tier events from this seminal horse racing event that serves as the capstone for each racing season, with juvenile race winners likely to be Triple Crown contenders the following year.
- Breeders’ Cup Distaff Betting Odds – See the latest odds to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff race, held on the Saturday afternoon just before the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
- Breeders’ Cup Mile Betting Odds – Enjoy the thrill of the often underrated Breeders’ Cup Mile, a stunning race held early Saturday afternoon before the main event.
- Breeders’ Cup Turf Betting Odds – Another great race on the undercard, the Breeders’ Cup Turf showcases the world’s top horses on grass. Get the latest odds before the race goes off Saturday afternoon.