Meadowlands: Pick 6 bet becoming an instant hit

On February 7, management at the Meadowlands gave their wagering menu a big shakeup, and while the early returns on the new 20-cent-base Pick-5 and additional 50-cent Pick-4 have been solid, the bet that’s provided the biggest jolt of energy has been the 20-cent Pick-6, which looks fresh off a considerable layoff.

“When you go back to the days when the Pick-6 was a staple at many tracks,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “You have to remember that when the bet was flourishing, the multi-race options were the Daily Double and the Pick-3. What happened was, as those racetracks added Pick-4s and Pick-5s to their wagering menus, the Pick-6 got lost in the shuffle.”

The Pick-6 is now back and it’s experiencing a renaissance at the Big M.

When the Meadowlands last offered a Pick-6 in 2012, the Opening Night pool of $3,302 created a one-day carryover of $1,975. The next night saw a pool of $2,610 and a two-day carryover of $3,534. Remarkably, one week later, the four-day carryover had only reached $8,435.

Three weeks ago, the first Pick-6 pool of this era was $17,985, or five times more than the initial 2012 pot. The next night, the pool expanded to $24,474 and one sharp player had the only winning ticket and walked away with $20,797. That’s quite a before ($5,912) and after ($42,549) when comparing the first two pools during the different eras.

On Saturday (Feb. 15), in only the fourth time the Pick-6 was offered, the bet failed to yield a ticket with all six winners, creating a carryover (the first in eight years) of $14,376 that served as the catalyst for a total pool of just over $91,000 after $76,682 in “new money” was wagered the following Friday. Since the carryover money is “rake free”, bettors were actually wagering into a rare “player’s advantage”. Instead of a takeout, the bettor’s edge was 3 percent.

“When the Meadowlands decided to bring back the Pick-6, it had to be a better version that would allow people to participate without waiting weeks for the carryover to build up,” said Settlemoir. “We wanted to go with the traditional no-jackpot format. The 2020 version would lower the minimum to 20 cents and lowered the takeout to 15 percent. It didn’t take very long to realize that the new version of the Meadowlands’ Pick-6 was a hit.”

The popularity of the Pick-6 is continuing to build momentum. The most recent pool was its biggest yet, as $29,150 was pushed through the windows on Feb. 22.

“So far, the revamped version of the Pick-6 has exceeded all expectations,” said Settlemoir. “And the new wagering menu has definitely brought new eyes to the Meadowlands product. The 20-cent Pick-5 ($75,544 on Feb. 22) and Late 50-cent Pick-4 ($75,592 on Feb. 21) also established season highs last weekend.”

-release (Meadowlands)