Greyhound Dog Racing Tips.
US and Non-US greyhound tracks have something in common. In every race, several greyhounds race around a track, chasing an artificial lure. Bettors wager on the dogs that they think have a chance at being First, Second or Third - and sometimes Fourth. Other wagers include picking the winners of two or more races in a row.
So, why is it that Europeans, Australians and Asians are so hesitant to bet on US greyhound races? Why, when some of the biggest and most trusted bookmaking firms like Ladbrokes host US greyhound betting for Non-US players, do so few bettors take advantage of it?
One of the reasons is the two extra dogs that US dog races have. My friend, Tim, who was taking in a US track on a visit from his home in Ireland told me that "it's hard enough to pick a winner out of 6 dogs, never mind 8." Of course, I did notice that he was holding a ticket on the next race when he said this, and he continued to bet throughout the night.
From talking to him and other European track-goers, I've begun to figure out some of the differences between "our" racing and "theirs" and I thought it might make for an informative post. Here, as I see it, are the major differences between US greyhound racing and Non-US racing.
First of all, many of the terms are different. They say "traps"; we say "boxes." They say "bends"; we say "turns." We say "route race"; they say "stayers class." They say "hare"'; we say "rabbit."
Their class is defined by the type of race. Sprints are usually A and routes are usually S with a number from 1 to 9 for the class of the race. So a sprint with the best dogs at an English track would be an A1 race. In the US, the type of race isn't given, only the grade, with A or AA at some tracks, being the top grade. So a sprint at Derby Lane in Florida, USA, would be an A race. However, at the top of the racing program page, you can find the length of the race at US tracks.
Another big difference between US and Non-US greyhound racing is the betting system. At most Non-US tracks, you can either bet with totes in a pari-mutuel pool - like US tracks have - or you can bet with bookies. US tracks don't have bookies and it's illegal to bet with anyone other than the track's totes.
In Europe, bookies are often willing to take bigger bets than the track will. Also, when you bet with a bookie, the odds you choose are fixed. No matter what happens with the odds on the dog as betting progresses, your odds that you chose when you bought your ticket from the bookie, don't change.
Of course, if you bet into the pari-mutuel pool with the tote, the odds change up until the time the bell is rung and the odds are closed just before the race goes off. So, for instance, you can bet with a tote on a dog whose odds are 5-2 and find that they've gone up to 10-1 when it wins the race and you cash your ticket. This can work in your favor at times, but it can also work against you.
These are the main differences between US and Non-US tracks, although there are more, mostly minor differences. Non-US bettors might like to take a flutter on the US greyhound tracks, just to perk things up. As we say on both sides of the Atlantic: "A change is as good as a rest."
Greyhound Dog Racing.