How To Play In Handicapping Contests
How to Play in TwinSpires Handicapping Contests
Step 1 - Choose A Contest
Saturday $10K Guarantee
- Features a $10,000 purse paying down to 12th place with $5,000 going to the winner.
- Top 2 finishers earn entry to our $50,000 - 50 Vegas Seat Handicapping Championship - a $500 value.
- 12 races, scored on mythical $2 Win/Place bets, with payouts capped at $42 to Win (20/1) and $22 to Place (10/1).
- Selections maybe entered up to post time for each race.
- Buy in is $100 per entry, maximum 3 entries per player.
If you have the money and don't have the time to play your way into the Final, then a direct buy in is the best option for you.
Weekday Satellites - Play your way in on the cheap!
The perfect way to get acquainted with TwinSpires tournaments with minimal risk and investment. Held every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, our "Satellite" or "Feeder" contests give players the opportunity to earn their way to the Saturday Tournament Final for a fraction of the $100 entry fee. Each Satellite is scored the same way the Tournament Final is scored, only on 8 races instead of 12. The buy in amounts, total entries and top finishers to advance are listed below. As the buy ins increase, so do your chances of qualifying for the Final.
| Satellite | Buy in | Entry Cap | Top Players Advance to Saturday | Top % Qualify |
| Wednesday | $10 | 200 | Top 16 | 8.00% |
| Thursday | $15 | 160 | Top 22 | 13.75% |
| Friday | $25 | 120 | Top 28 | 23.33% |
If you finish high enough to earn a seat in the Final, your entry will automatically be entered and you may return on Saturday and enter your tournament selections without having to buy in.
Step 2 - Purchase an Entry
1. Clicking the Play Now button above will open the TwinSpires Tournament website in a separate window.
2. On that page, click on the Purchase Entry(s) tab as shown below.
3. Choose the date on which you wish to play.
4. Then click the blue Purchase Tickets button, after which you will be asked to confirm your purchase. Once you confirm your purchase, your contest entry fee will be deducted from your wagering account. You may purchase up to 3 entries per contest.
Step 3 - Make Your Picks
1. The Tournament site will begin accepting selections for the next day's contest about two hours after the current day's contest has ended. Keep this in mind when you go to the tournament site to make your selections.
2. Click the View & Make Picks tab and then select the race in which you wish to make your selection, as shown below. To get a complete listing of contest races and FREE PPs for the week, visit our Contest Updates page.
3. Once you are on the Event (or race) page, choose the horse on which you wish to place your mythical $2 Win/Place bet, and then click the blue Submit Selection button at the bottom of the page. Once your selection is saved, proceed to the next race and so forth until all of your picks are in. Picks may be entered up to post time for each race.
4. To see all of your selections on a single page, click the View All Tickets link.
Step 4 - Track Your Progress
1. Keep track of your progress in each contest by clicking on the Leaderboard and My Results links. The Leaderboard ranks all players from first to last in the contest, while My Results shows where each of your entries rank overall and how your individual selections performed.
Interested in joining a tournament? Click Play Now to get started.