How to Bet the Exotic Double Quiniela at Greyhound Tracks

There are many exotic wagers available at greyhound tracks across the country, with one of them being the double quiniela. This bet is one of those in which one astute gambler is capable of winning the entire pool if he makes the right choices. Even if you are only partly correct in picking a double quiniela, you can still make money on it.

Instructions

1. Know the facts. The double quiniela (DQ) is known by that name, or the quiniela double; at some dog tracks it is called the "Big Q." By whatever the name, the DQ is simple enough in concept. Choose two quinielas correctly in back-to-back races, wagered before the first of the races on the same ticket. A quiniela is a bet in which you must choose the first two dogs over the finish line, but their order does not matter. If you bet the 1-4 quiniela, you win if the race runs 1-4 or if it comes in 4-1. The double quiniela only combines this idea for two races.

2. Win some money. The double quiniela pool does not get carried over, meaning that it gets paid out each performance. At most tracks there is a decent amount bet into it, but not a huge one. This can result in some combinations being left not bet on, or uncovered. Others are bet only once or twice, so if you are one of the lucky players to have correctly handicapped the double quiniela when longshots have come in, you could win the whole pool.

3. Know the rules. State racing commissions have rules in place that cover various scenarios that can occur with the double quiniela. One of these is what to do if there is a scratch in the second half of the DQ after the first half has run. In this case, if you correctly chose the first half but one of your picks in the second half was scratched from the race, you receive a consolation pay-out that is calculated based on money bet into the entire pool.

4. Consider that if the favorites run to form in both races, the payoff will not be lucrative. Play a longshot combo in one of the halves, preferably the first. If that comes in, you have a great chance of hitting what is known as an "all," where there is nobody with the right double quiniela combination. Those that correctly picked the first half will be paid if they have even one of the dogs that run first or second in the second half in this case. A "double all" occurs when nobody with a valid first half ticket picks either dog that runs in the quiniela in the second half. The pool must be paid out, though; it is split between those with a correct first half ticket.

5. Be aware that when you wager on a double quiniela it is possible that no bettors will have the correct first half. If that happens, and it sometimes does, then you will get a refund on what you bet on the DQ. Don't throw your tickets away if that first half is composed of a couple of long odds greyhounds. You will get your money back if not a single gambler played that combo.