Horse Racing Contest Terminology
Berth – a qualifying entry to the NHC (also known as a seat)
Breakage – credit awarded when entries are sold to a contest but do not amount to award an additional NHC prize package
Feeder – lower entry contests that feed into the featured qualifiers that offer entries (or sometimes referred to as seats or berths) to the NHC
Final Table – the top ten NHC players on the third contest day of the Championship
Live – a mythical contest format where selections may be changed race-by-race up until post
Mandatory Race – a race which is required to be played in a contest
Mythical – a contest format that is the accumulation of a mythical bankroll aggregated from mythical $2 Win & $2 Place wagers
National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) – the richest, most important and most prestigious tournament for horseplayers in the world and is the culmination of a yearlong series of sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities and horse racing and handicapping websites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national finals in Las Vegas.
National Horseplayer of the Year – title awarded to the NHC Champion and awarded an Eclipse Award trophy at the Eclipse Awards ceremony
NHC Format – a contest with a $2 Win/Place mythical wager on the same horse. The maximum score on a $2 Win bet is $42 (20-1 odds) and the maximum score on a $2 Place bet is $22 (10-1 odds)
NHC Tour – yearlong bonus series offering additional prize money and qualifying berths to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Membership in the NHC Tour is mandatory in order for top finishers of sanctioned NHC qualifying events to be eligible to compete in the NHC Finals in Las Vegas. Membership in the NHC Tour is open to adults 21 years of age or older and requires a one-time, annual membership fee of $50. The NHC Tour membership must be in place prior to the start of any given qualifying tournament in order for one to qualify for the NHC Finals at that qualifying tournament.
Optional Race – a race that may be selected to be played in a contest by the player
Pick & Pray – a mythical contest format where all contest selections must be made prior to the first contest race closing and selections may not be edited throughout the contest
Qualifier – a contest that offers a NHC entry and prize package
Real Money Format (Live Bankroll) – a contest which requires cash to be used for pari-mutuel wagering as part of the contest entry fee or all of the entry fee; all winnings are retained by the player
Seat – a qualifying entry to the NHC (also known as a berth)