Derby Day

Introduction

Derby Day is an easy-to-understand horse racing game developed by Playtech In each race, you will find six horses with different 'point' values. As in real horse racing, participants can place bets on various outcomes such as winning, placing in the top two, showing in the top three, or on specific combinations like exacta or pick-4 and pick-5 bets. While the graphics might not be cutting-edge for a horse racing simulator, the straightforwardness might resonate with those who have experienced classic games from the past. *ahem*

Rules

1. Each race consists of six horses, and they all have distinct 'point' values. I can't quite explain how those points are calculated or assigned.
2. Here are the betting options available for each race:
   • Win — Winner of the race.
   • Place — A wager that your chosen horse will secure one of the top two finishing spots.
   • Show — A bet that your selected horse will land in the top three.
   • Exacta — A bet predicting which two horses will finish first and second, in exact order.
   • Pick IV — This use of Roman numerals feels a bit off to me, but here it is. This bet covers the top four horses, in the correct finishing order.
   • Pick V — This allows you to bet on the top five horses, again requiring the correct order.




3. It might not be very helpful, but players have the option to click on any horse's name to view some background details and supposed results from the last six races. However, it appears the race history might be fabricated. I've noticed the same horse racing in back-to-back events, and the placements in their records often do not accurately reflect their actual finishes in previous races.
4. The odds for each bet are presented on a one-for-one basis, which differs from traditional horse racing, meaning the player does not receive their original stake back if they win.
5. After deciding on a bet and entering the amount, the player must press 'confirm' to finalize their wager.
6. Once all bets are placed, the player should hit 'race' to experience the thrill of the event. Afterward, a card will display how well their bets performed.

Analysis

I reviewed the payout rates for each bet across several races to ascertain a total return for each type of wager. Assuming the return percentages are consistent across all horses, or combinations of horses for any specific bet, I've found that the return rates remain quite stable from one race to another for each betting type, with a typical return around 95.0%.

External Links

Join the conversation about Derby Day in my forum at Wizard of Vegas .

Written by: Michael Shackleford