When it comes to the world of horse racing and betting on horses placing in races, there is certainly a great deal to learn about and take in! There are hundreds of different bet types to get your head around, the different track surfaces and their conditions to consider and also all of the new and confusing racing and betting terms that are used to understand. It really can seem like bettors and bookies are speaking a different language when you first enter the sport. This can be very intimidating to say the least. In this guide we look at the term NAP as we ask: what does a NAP mean in horse racing?
NAP is actually short for Napoleon and comes from a card game iof the same name. The game, which originated in France, sees a player call ‘Napoleon’ when they believe that they have won the game.
In horse racing, it is used by tipsters to refer to the best tip of the day. It indicates to bettors that the horse is a good bet for a payout and that the tipster thinks it is the best avenue to pursue.
Each publication has its own tipster, and the NAP chosen by each will differ. The NAP is based on the tipster’s knowledge and understanding. For this reason, the NAP is not always the favorite in a race, and the odds will reflect this, it is simply the bet the tipster sees as being a good one to place. Of course, each bettor needs to make their own mind up about each bet that they place, but considering the NAP is always a good starting point.
In order to assess the level of confidence that you should put in a NAP bet, it is important to look at the tipster that suggested it. You should look at their experience, what they know about racing and who they are working for as this will help you to decide how much you trust the tip and whether you wish to place a bet on the NAP. You could also look at the previous NAPs declared by the tipster and pundit and whether they were successful and accurate as this will help you to think about how likely they are to get it right this time around too. Many bettors find that they have their favorite tipsters, publications and pundits once they have been around the sport for a while, and whilst they know that they will not always win when they follow the guidance of their favoured tipster, they can trust that they have had wins before and that the tips and information they are taking on will work for their betting strategy.
As with all betting, it is important to remain in control of your own betting decision and to use the NAP as a piece of information to add to your own strategy, and not expect that following the NAP will automatically result in a win.
