NAP is a tipster’s best bet of the day — their single most confident selection. The term comes from the card game Napoleon, where “going nap” means staking everything on one hand. Understanding tipster terminology helps you interpret any form guide or racing column you read.
NAP: The Banker Selection
A tipster’s NAP is their highest-confidence pick for the day — not necessarily an odds-on favourite, just the selection they are most confident about. In a column listing four or five selections, the NAP is the one they consider most likely to win at fair value.
NB: Next Best
NB stands for Next Best — the tipster’s second most confident selection. If you are following a tipster, the NB is the first choice after the NAP. Some tipsters provide NAP + NB daily; others provide more context in their write-up.
E/W: Each-Way
When a tipster marks a selection as E/W (each-way), they are recommending the selection specifically as an each-way bet rather than a straight win bet. This typically applies to longer-priced horses in big-field handicaps where a place finish is a realistic target. The tipster believes the horse has each-way value: a decent chance of placing at odds that make the place portion worthwhile.
How to Use Tipster Columns
Reading Irish racing columns (Racing Post, Irish Racing, national newspapers): the NAP and NB are the most reliable signals of the tipster’s confidence. E/W marks suggest the horse is worth the each-way bet but should not be backed to win at the stated odds. Following any tipster blindly is not recommended — use their selections as one input alongside your own form analysis.
NAP Competition Tables
Some publications run NAP competition tables throughout the season, tracking which tipster’s NAPs have the best win record and profit/loss. These tables are a useful guide to consistent performance — though past form does not guarantee future results.
Frequently Asked Questions
NAP vs NB: What Each Means
| Term | Meaning | Confidence level | Typical stake guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAP | Tipster's single best selection of the day | Highest | Largest unit stake |
| NB (Next Best) | Second strongest selection | High | Standard unit stake |
| Reserve | Backup if NAP scratched or non-runner | Medium | Half unit stake |
| EW NAP | Each-way NAP — expects horse to place if not win | Medium-high | Full EW stake |
| Banker | Selection used in multiples as a "certainty" | High confidence for combo | Core of a Yankee/Lucky 15 |
How to Use NAPs from Tipsters
- Track a tipster's NAP record over 100+ selections before following with real money. A tipster with 65 NAP winners from 100 at an average price of 3/1 is profitable; one with 55 winners at 1/1 is not.
- Strike rate vs return on investment (ROI): Strike rate alone is misleading. A NAP at 10/1 that hits 15% of the time is profit-making; a NAP at 1/5 that hits 85% of the time loses money long-term.
- NAPS competition: The Racing Post runs an annual NAPs competition — a useful way to find tipsters to follow, with public records of their selections and results.
- Staking: Never stake more than you would on a normal selection just because it's a NAP. NAPs fail regularly even from the best tipsters.
NAP is a tipster's best bet of the day — their most confident selection. The term comes from the card game Napoleon. It indicates the tipster's highest-confidence pick, not necessarily the shortest-priced horse.
NAP is the tipster's top selection (best bet). NB (Next Best) is their second-strongest pick. Both are worth noting if you follow a specific tipster's column.
Each-way — the tipster recommends backing this horse each-way (win and place) rather than on the win only. Usually signals a longer-priced horse with realistic place chances in a big-field race.
Not blindly — use NAP selections as one input alongside your own form reading. Even the best tipsters have win rates of 30–40% on their NAPs. Always check the horse's form, ground, and trainer/jockey record yourself.
A competition where multiple tipsters submit their daily NAP, and performance is tracked over a season. Tables show win rates, strike rates, and profit/loss to level stakes. Useful for identifying consistently accurate tipsters.