Greyhound Bet Types
Greyhound racing runs on six markets, and they split cleanly into two groups: the singles you back to keep losses honest while you learn the cards, and the exotics that pay big for naming the finishing order. Knowing which is which — and what each one really costs against what it pays — is the difference between a thought-out bet and a hopeful punt. Here’s each market with a worked rand example.
The singles: win, place and each-way
These are the bets you’ll place most. One dog, one outcome, easy to read.
- Win — your dog finishes first, or you lose. The simplest bet on the card. A R100 win on trap 3 at 4.00 returns R400 if it leads home, nothing if it doesn’t.
- Place — your dog finishes in the places (usually the top two in a six-dog field). Shorter odds, but a higher strike rate because second still pays. A R100 place at 1.80 returns R180.
- Each-Way — a win and a place bet rolled into one, so it’s two stakes. A R100 each-way is R200 off your balance: R100 on the win, R100 on the place. If the dog wins, both halves pay; if it only places, the place half pays and the win half is lost.
A worked each-way: you back trap 5 each-way for R100 (R200 total) at 6.00 to win, with place terms paying a fraction of those odds. Win, and you collect R600 from the win half plus the place return — a strong result on a longer-priced dog. Place only, and the win half is gone but the place half softens the loss. Each-way earns its keep on dogs at a fair-to-long price with a strong draw, not on short favourites where the place return barely covers the second stake.
The exotics: forecast, reverse forecast and tricast
This is where greyhound racing gets its big payouts — and where the maths turns against you. Instead of one dog, you’re naming the finishing order, and a six-dog field has a lot of possible orders.
| Bet | You name | Combinations to beat | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forecast | 1st and 2nd in correct order | 30 possible | Big |
| Reverse Forecast | 1st and 2nd in either order | covers 2 forecasts | Big, costs double |
| Tricast / Trifecta | 1st, 2nd and 3rd in correct order | 120 possible | Biggest |
Forecast. You pick the first two in exact order. Say you take a R50 forecast on trap 1 to beat trap 4 at a forecast price of 9.00. Land that exact one-two and your R50 returns R450 — far more than backing either dog to win alone. Get the order reversed, or a third dog spoils it, and you get nothing.
Reverse forecast. Same two dogs, but you’re covered whichever of them comes first. It’s two forecasts, so a R50 reverse forecast costs R100. On the same pair, if trap 1 and trap 4 fill the first two places in either order, the winning forecast pays out; the losing direction is the cost of the insurance. Worth it when you’re sure of the two dogs but not the order.
Tricast (trifecta). The first three in exact order. A R20 tricast on trap 1, then trap 4, then trap 2 might return R600 or more on a tidy price — but a six-dog race has a hundred-and-twenty possible three-dog orders, so it lands rarely. It’s the lottery ticket of the card: small stake, long odds, occasional big collect.
Where the value and the margin really sit
The exotics are seductive because the returns look huge next to a single win bet. But the bookmaker’s margin is heaviest exactly there — the number of combinations lets the book pad each price, so you’re paying a premium for the chance at the big number. The singles carry margin too, but far less, and they let you actually read a race and bank a result.
The sensible play: build your bankroll on win, place and each-way bets where your read on the trap and the early pace gives you an edge, and treat forecasts and tricasts as occasional, small-stake shots when you’re genuinely confident of the order. Fire exotics at every race and the margin grinds you down fast — the dogs run constantly, so there’s always another temptation three minutes away.
When you’ve settled on a market and a runner, the next races are live at Scorebet — place your bet in the app.
Pick the bet that fits the race
The market should fit your confidence, not the size of the payout you’re dreaming of. Sure of one dog? Take the win or each-way. Sure of two and their order? The forecast pays for it. Chasing a big return on a small stake with the order nailed? That’s the tricast. If you’re still finding your feet, start with how to bet on the dogs, then return to the greyhound racing overview. The same forecast-and-tricast thinking carries straight across to horse racing bet types, so the work compounds.
Frequently asked
What is a forecast bet in greyhound racing?
A forecast asks you to name the first two dogs in the correct finishing order. It pays far more than a win because it's harder to land — in a six-dog race there are thirty possible forecast combinations, so the price reflects long odds. A reverse forecast covers both orders for double the stake.
What is the difference between a forecast and a tricast?
A forecast is the first two in order; a tricast (also called a trifecta) is the first three in order. The tricast pays the most of any standard greyhound bet because a six-dog field has a hundred-and-twenty possible three-dog orders, so it's the hardest single result to hit.
Should I bet each-way on greyhounds?
Each-way suits a dog you fancy but aren't sure will win outright — it splits your stake across a win and a place, so a second or third still returns something. It costs double a straight win because it's two bets in one, so it's best on runners at a fair price rather than short favourites.
Why does a reverse forecast cost more than picking a forecast direction yourself?
A reverse forecast is simply two straight forecasts placed at once — your pair to finish first-second and the same pair second-first — so you pay both stakes to be covered either way. Only one direction can ever land, so the losing forecast is the price of the insurance. If you genuinely read which dog leads off the traps, backing a single forecast keeps that second stake in your pocket; the reverse only earns its cost when you're sure of the two dogs but truly can't split the order.
Why is the bookmaker's margin heavier on a tricast than on a win bet?
A six-dog race has a hundred-and-twenty possible three-dog orders, and the more combinations a market contains, the more room the book has to shade each price below its true chance. That hidden over-round stacks across every order, so the tricast's tempting payout is quietly cut more than a simple win price ever is. It's why firing exotics every race bleeds a bankroll faster than the singles — you're paying a fatter margin for the dream number.