What’s better – boxing your bets or keying them? If you’ve ever asked yourself that question, here’s my answer. Keep in mind, that this is what works for me. It may not be best for everyone and it may not be best for you. The only way to find out is by trying it out.

As always, I recommend that you try it “on paper” i.e. old programs first. That way, if it doesn’t work out or needs tweaking, you’ll be able to do it without losing real money.

I box my bets, except in rare cases, because I keep very good track of what I bet and I know that boxing pays off for me. I’ve tried keying and, except for a few times when I’ve bet trifectas, it just doesn’t work for me.

To my way of thinking, four dog quiniela boxes are the most cost-effective bets for the handicapper who is better than average at picking dogs. I have a combination of good systems that help me pick quinielas, so they’ve paid off very well for me over the years.

The trick with box bets is to be able to hit enough of a percentage so that it covers the ones you don’t hit. I do that consistently, especially now that I’ve been using The Graded Greyhound Handicapping System, along with The 2-Key Trifecta System and the Marks Method of picking winners.

With that said, keep in mind that there’s only one way to tell if boxing bets or keying on them is better for you. Handicap old programs where you can get the results, and play them both ways. See which way pays off.

It’s crucial that you’re honest with yourself when you do this though. Don’t look at the results before you make your bets. Make the bets on paper and then look at the race results. After all, if you “cheat”, who are you cheating? Only yourself.

If you find that you can make money with key bets, then that’s the best bet for you, because box bets cost more, of course. But, if you’re like most people, you’ll find that box bets, even though they cost $6 more, hit more quinielas and pay more in the long run.

This also applies to exactas. Because exactas have to be hit straight, it’s even more important that you back them up with a box bet, instead of keying on a dog and playing it to win with another dog second.