Trifecta and Tricast Bets Explained
What’s the Difference Between a Tricast and a Trifecta?
A trifecta is a bet that is placed on a set of teams, players, or horses with a bettor having to guess who will finish in the top three of a tournament, match, or race. This is a betting type in which all bets are placed in one pool and there are no categories or subdivisions. Speaking of trifecta bet, the teams or horses you have placed your bet on need to finish exactly in the predicted order for you to win. Even a slight variation will not result in a win. So, if you bet on teams A, B and C to finish first, second and third respectively, then they need to finish in that order for you to win the trifecta bet.
When it comes to tricast and trifecta, there is absolutely no difference between the two. It is known as a trifecta in the USA and Australia, while it is referred to as a tricast in the UK. In fact, the trifecta bet has different names in different countries.
| Name | Countries |
| Trifecta | USA, Australia |
| Tricast | UK |
| Tierce | Hong Kong |
| Triactor | Canada |
| Trio (a variation in which order does not matter) | Hong Kong, France |
Tricasts in Horse Racing and Greyhound Racing
Tricast or trifecta betting is very popular in horse racing and greyhound racing. So, typically, you make three selections that you believe will finish in the top three. All picks of yours need to finish in the predicted positions to turn your bet into a winning one. For example, in horse racing, if you feel horse A, B and C will finish in the top three spots respectively, then those three need to finish in that exact order for you to win and make a profit.
However, the risk against rewards return is very high. The possibility of winning big from a small stake is tiny. Those who are new and inexperienced in the field are advised against a pure tricast bet since predicting three horses or runners to come in a certain order is a pretty difficult task. The probability of a bettor returning with a win if there are six runners or horses is a staggering 1/119 in a pure tricast bet.
There is a small variation that could help and make the tricast bet become more flexible. Placing a combination tricast bet solves quite a few issues. It is the same as the tricast bet in which the bettor needs to have three selections who he or she thinks will finish in the top three. However, when it comes to the combination tricast, the order becomes irrelevant and those three selections can finish in any order, just in the top three. The only con in the combination tricast bet is that the stake involved is a lot higher and it is six times than that of a regular tricast bet. Nevertheless, the probability of a bettor returning with a win is also much higher.
