What’s the difference between official pool and private pool wagering on horse races in the U.S.?

In horse racing, private pools offer bettors the opportunity to pool their funds in order to better compete with the so-called “whales” – as big bettors are known – when making multi-race wagers like the Pick 6.

The advantage is that you can buy into a large ticket when pursuing a carry-over jackpot and have a better chance of cashing.

Private pool wagering can be as simple as a few friends going in on a ticket, but some advance deposit wagering (ADW) providers offer this option. The disadvantage of the latter is that someone else is doing the handicapping and you have no say in which horses are included on the ticket(s).