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The daily double was the first so-called "exotic" wager to be offered by American racetracks. The wager was typically offered only for the first two races of each day's program, as an enticement for spectators to arrive early for the entire program (and hopefully wager more). As with all other American racing wagers, the "double" is conducted in Parimutuel fashion, but with the number of betting interests in the daily double pool equal to the Product of the number of entries in each race; for example, if there are ten entries in the first race and eight in the second, there will be eighty betting interests, one for each combination of two potential winners. By sheer mathematics, this results in higher payoffs than those found in straight betting for win, place, or show. For many years, the daily double was the only exotic wager offered. Later on, the Exacta was also offered on select races during each program. The wagers were offered only a few times each day largely because of the limitations of electro-mechanical Totalisator systems. When computer technology took over, many more exotic wagers were introduced, such as the Trifecta , Superfecta and Pick 6 . The higher payouts for these wagers tended to diminish interest in the "old fashioned" daily double, but it is still offered at all tracks, sometimes more than once during a program; a "late double" is frequently offered on the day's final two races. The "Pick 3" and "Pick 4" wagers are derived from the daily double; they require bettors to pick the winners of three or four consecutive races. These are often offered on a "rolling" basis — a rolling pick 3 on races one through three, another on races two through four, and so on throughout the day. Occasional doubles are offered on important races contested on separate days. The most prominent example is the "Oaks-Derby Double" offered by Churchill Downs , where bettors pick the winners of the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby . The Oaks is run the day before the Derby, which is always run on the first Saturday of May. ''JEOPARDY!'' The Daily Double is also a feature of the Game Show '' Jeopardy! '' as a special type of clue hidden on the game board. (One Daily Double is available in the Jeopardy! Round; two are available in the Double Jeopardy! Round.) When a contestant reveals a Daily Double on the game board, only that contestant has the opportunity to respond to the clue, after wagering any (at least $5) or all of his or her current score on the outcome. If all is wagered, it's a "true" Daily Double; a win will double the contestant's score. (If the contestant's score is zero, negative, or a positive amount less than the value of the highest-value question available in that round, the value of that question is the wagering limit instead, and the possibilities transcend mere doubling.) Because of the large amounts that may be wagered, Daily Doubles often permit a badly trailing player to win a game, or, conversely, allow a player leading handily to lose the game. Ken Jennings frequently wagered high on his Daily Doubles, and he finally lost when his wagers didn't work out. A longtime racing fan, ''Jeopardy!'' creator Merv Griffin named the Daily Double for the horse racing bet. MCDONALDS The Daily Double was a regionally available burger at McDonald's during the late 1990s. It consisted of two small all-beef patties, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mayonnaise. |
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