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How much does it cost to box 4 horses in a first 4?

$24 If you box four horses, the cost for 100% of the dividend is $24 (4 x 3 x 2). The boxed first four costs more if you wish to include more horses. For example, if you boxed 7 horses, the cost would be $210 (7 x 6 x 5) for 100% of the dividend.

racenet.com.au - What is a First Four Bet? [How To Place a Bet & Win] | Racenet

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Make Your Bookie Cry And Pull The Hair By Generating $23,187

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What is a First Four Bet?

A first four bet is exactly as the name implies: it requires the punter to select the first four horses across the line in the correct order to win. The first four is one of the toughest bet types in racing but can result in healthy dividends for punters. In the 2012 Melbourne Cup, the first four dividend paid $1,467,09 for $1 so the first four is very much the lotto of racing. Other Betting Types To Explore: All Up Bet | Double Bet | Duet Bet | Each Way Bet | Exacta Bet | Lay Bet | Place Bet | Quadrella Bet | Quinella Bet | Same Race Multi Bet | Treble Bet | Trifecta Bet | Win Bet

How Does First Four Betting Work?

First four betting is a form of pool betting with punters entering their combinations and all stakes combined in the pool. You select a minimum four runners and they must finish first, second, third and fourth in the correct order for you to win. The operator (TAB in Australia) takes out their commission (called the takeout), and the remainder of the pool is split between all the winning tickets.

First Four Bet Types

There are four main first four bet types: straight first four, boxed first four, standout first four and multiple first four.

Straight First Four Bet

A straight first four bet is the most simple type of first four bet. The punter simply selects four horses: one each to finish first, second, third and fourth.

The horses must finish in that order for the punter to win.

Boxed First Four Bet

A boxed first four allows the punter to select four (or more) horses for their first four bet, however they may finish in any order – as long as the first four placegetters are selected, the bet wins. A boxed first four costs more than a straight first four, as the punter has a greater chance of winning. Using four runners – say, 1, 2, 3 and 4 – as your first four box bet, by placing a box first four the four runners are grouped in every finishing order for you to win.

Your combinations would be:

The above table outlines the boxed first four has 24 possible winning combinations so if your four runners can finish in any order in the first four placings, you have selected your first winning first four. Your cost for the boxed first four, to collect 100% of the winning TAB dividend, is $24 – 24 individual $1 bets as shown in the above table.

Stand Out First Four Bet

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A stand-out first four allows the punter to select the horse they regard as their "sure thing" to win the race, with the remainder of the horses to finish in 2nd to 4th position in any order.

Multiple First Four Bet

Many punters opt for the multiple first four when seeking a healthy dividend. A multiple first four is where you individually select runners in a specific finishing position among the first four placings. Here is an example: You select two horses for first (No.1 and 2), four horses for second and third (No. 1, 2, 3 and 4), and six horses for fourth (No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

Your multiple first four would consist of these combinations:

To have 100% of the TAB dividend, there are 90 individual bet combinations. You can reduce your outlay of $90 for the above bet. For example, if you outlaid $9 you would receive 10% of the final dividend if you first four box won by taking the flexi bet option.

How Much Does a First Four Bet Cost?

For 100% of the dividend, a first four bet costs $1.

A boxed first four costs more, depending on how many combinations your bet represents. If you box four horses, the cost for 100% of the dividend is $24 (4 x 3 x 2). The boxed first four costs more if you wish to include more horses. For example, if you boxed 7 horses, the cost would be $210 (7 x 6 x 5) for 100% of the dividend.

How To Place a First Four Bet

First Four pools are hosted by TAB, but you can place a first four bet with any online bookmaker and they'll pay you out with the same dividends. Just head to your race and the first four option won't be hard to find. Then it's as easy as selecting your runners and entering your stake.

What's the Best Way to Place a First Four Bet?

That's up to you to decide!

While a straight first four is much cheaper, it is extremely difficult to pick the exact four horses in the correct order. A boxed first four allows you to include more chances, and most punters prefer that.

How Place a First Four Flexi Bet

Flexi betting is great, as it allows you to place more expensive bet types at a lower stake. Your bookmaker will give you the option to enter your total stake, and you'll be given a flexi percentage. Your percentage is based on how much of the required cost you stake. The four-horse boxed first four example above costs $24 for 100%. For example, if you were to stake $48 on this bet, your flexi percentage would be 200%.

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If the bet wins, you'd receive 200% of the official dividend as your payout.

First Four Betting Systems

As a punter, you'll have to work out your own first four betting system! The racing results section at Racenet includes all final positions and first four dividends, so you can test what your system would've paid.

What's the Most You Can Bet On a First Four in the Melbourne Cup?

There's no limit on a first four stake! You can bet as much as you like, it'll just result in a large flexi percentage.

Melbourne Cup First Four Dividend

The 2020 Melbourne Cup First Four of Twilight Payment, Tiger Moth, Prince Of Arran and The Chosen One paid very well.

The dividends on the three Australian totes were:

SuperTAB $38,939.50

NSWTAB $64,418.50

UBET $46,849.70

Melbourne Cup First Four Tips

At Racenet, our experts can help guide you through which horses to include in your first four for the Melbourne Cup. For the best first four tips, stay tuned to our horse racing tips page which is updated daily. Check out the selections section for each horse race. This can be a helpful guide for what horses to add into your first four.

First Four FAQs

First Four vs Trifecta Returns?

While the question of which return will be higher can't be answered absolutely – both are at the mercy of the pools. However, generally the first four will return more due to the higher difficulty of hitting the winning combination!

What Has a Better Payout: Quaddie vs First Four?

Again it's a question that really cannot be answered – the quaddie and first four are very different bet types! The payouts are unrelated and can vary greatly in both cases.

What's the Difference Between a Quinella and First Four?

A first four requires the punter to select the first four horses across the line, in order, to win. A quinella requires the punter to select the first two horses across the line, in either order.

racenet.com.au - What is a First Four Bet? [How To Place a Bet & Win] | Racenet

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