The basic types of horse racing bets are of course win, place and show. A win bet means your horse must win, a place bet means it must finish first or second and a show bet means it must be first, second or third though of course this means a lower payout.

Winnings on show bets are unlimited and based on the odds when the gates break open, signaling the start of the race. Payoffs are calculated by the total pool less the track's takeout (basically commission), then divided among all the winning tickets.