Similarly to the Tote Jackpot, the Tote Placepot is a pool bet where the total pot is fairly split between any eventual winners based on the size of their initial bet.
Everyone’s stake money is collected and then paid out as a dividend, so the eventual payout amount depends massively on how much was bet on the meeting in the first place, and then how many people placed winning bets.
The difference between the jackpot and the placepot, is that instead of picking the first 6 horses to win, you just need to pick the first 6 horses to place at a specific race.
This makes it an ‘easier bet’ to make just because you have more chance of getting it right, but this also means that the eventual payout is likely to be shared between more people, meaning wins are often smaller.
Again though, it’s a fun bet and one that doesn’t have to cost much at all.
Biggest Tote Placepot Wins
Date | Meeting | Dividend | Stake | Payout |
---|---|---|---|---|
19/03/2010 | Cheltenham Festival | £41,288.40 | £1 | £938,889 |
12/03/2019 | Cheltenham Festival | £91,283.90 | £2 | £182,568 |
16/03/2018 | Cheltenham Festival | £32,088.70 | £3.00 | £96,266 |
28/02/2016 | Southwell | £51,326.60 | £1 | £91,404 |
31/10/2022 | Ascot | £3,221 | £20.00 | £64,420 |
03/10/2003 | Newmarket | £7,910.53 | £8 | £63,284 |
08/04/2016 | Aintree | £9,946.90 | £5 | £49,735 |
14/03/2014 | Cheltenham Festival | £44,616.30 | £1 | £44,616 |
How to Make a Placepot Bet
There are a few different bookies with whom you can make tote style bets, but the process will be similar with all of them.
You can usually make a placepot bet at any UK and Irish meeting and on any day, but not usually on international meetings.
Instead of selecting a specific race, you will need to select the ‘Placepot’ option, wherever it is, and then you will be able to make a selection (or more than one if you want to increase your stake) in each of the six races.
You must have at least one selection in each race in order to place the bet.
You then place your stake, and unlike when betting each way, that stake covers the entirety of your bet; i.e it’s not the stake amount per leg.
However, be aware that for every additional horse you add your stake size will go up multiplied by the original amount, so if you bet a fiver it would go like this:
- 6 Horses – £5 stake
- 7 Horses – £10 stake
- 8 Horses – £20 stake
- 9 Horses – £40 stake
…and so on. This assumes the additional horses are all added do separate legs of the bet, not all in the same race.
If they were all added in the same race the bet would just go up for £5 each time.
This is because of all the various permutations adding extra horses creates; selecting 9 horses from 6 races creates 8 different ways in which your bet could win, so you pay 8 times the original stake.
It can really start to add up so don’t go mad trying to cover all angles.
Once you have made your selections and are happy with your stake, hit the ‘Place Bet’ button or similar and you are away.
You need every single horse to at least place (or win) to stay in the running, and if any leg lets you down your bet is lost.