A duet bet is a tote bet that two runners you pick both finish in the first three, in either order. Three runners fill the first three places, so three different pairs can win, and the tote declares a separate dividend for each one: first and second, first and third, and second and third.
Racing NSW's reference manual, last updated March 2025, describes the duet this way and says it runs only on races with eight or more runners. Horse racing betting sets it beside the other racing bets.
How the three duet dividends are declared
Under the tote rules Racing and Wagering Western Australia adopted, as gazetted on 3 August 2010, the duet pool is divided into three equal parts, one for each winning pair. Each part is shared among the units on that pair (rule 7.1(i)). With an illustrative pool of $36,000 after commission:
| Winning pair | Its third of the pool | $1 units on the pair | Dividend per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First and second | $12,000 | 4,000 | $3.00 |
| First and third | $12,000 | 1,500 | $8.00 |
| Second and third | $12,000 | 800 | $15.00 |
Every pair gets the same share, so the pair with the least money on it pays the most. The field decides whether the bet runs at all: a duet needs 8 or more runners at final scratchings, and if late scratchings then leave fewer than 5, it is refunded (rules 3.7(c), 10.2 and 10.3).
Boxed duets and flexi
A boxed duet takes every pair from your runners, n x (n - 1) / 2 of them: 3 pairs from 3 runners, 6 from 4 and 10 from 5. Because a duet pays any two of the first three, one box can hold more than one winning pair. Take an illustrative box of Runners 1, 4, 7 and 9 for $3, a 50% flexi on 6 pairs, paid at the dividends above:
| Result | Winning pairs you hold | Return at 50% |
|---|---|---|
| 4 first, 9 second, 1 third | 4 and 9, 4 and 1, 9 and 1 | ($3.00 + $8.00 + $15.00) x 0.50 = $13.00 |
| 7 first, 1 third, second from outside the box | 7 and 1 | $8.00 x 0.50 = $4.00 |
| One or none of your runners in the first three | None | $0 |
The flexi calculator has no duet setting, but a quinella box of the same runners has the same number of pairs, so it gives the count and the flexi %.
Risk: Betting involves risk. At most three of a box's pairs can win in any race, and a box that lands only one short-priced pair can return less than its outlay. See responsible gambling for limits and support.
Duet vs two place bets, worked
Spend $10 on Runners 3 and 8: a $10 duet on the pair, or $5 on each to place. With illustrative place dividends of $1.90 for Runner 3 and $3.60 for Runner 8, and the duet dividends above:
| Result | $10 duet on 3 and 8 | $5 place on each |
|---|---|---|
| 3 wins, 8 runs third | $10 x 8.00 = $80.00 | $5 x 1.90 + $5 x 3.60 = $27.50 |
| Only Runner 3 places | $0 | $5 x 1.90 = $9.50 |
| Only Runner 8 places | $0 | $5 x 3.60 = $18.00 |
| Neither places | $0 | $0 |
The duet needs both runners in the first three and returns nothing otherwise; the place bets need only one, and can still return less than the $10 when only the shorter one places. A duet also differs from a quinella, which pays only when your two fill first and second.
Picking a pair with the market in view
Duet dividends are declared after the race, so they cannot be lined up in advance. Each runner's fixed price can: the Terminal puts prices from 40+ bookmakers across racing and sports side by side, with price history for each runner.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A duet loses whenever either runner misses the first three, and a pair the public has backed heavily can pay little when it lands. See responsible gambling for limits and support.