What is the minimum pool size that you will consider?

[stu]

How much money do you need to see in the win pool before you would even consider a wager in that pool?

[Dan Montilion]

Pool Size...

Can't swim, no more than 3 feet.

Dan (Swims like a rock) Montilion

[Jeff P]

I HATE vacuuming pools. I'd much rather swim...

Learned a valuable lesson about pool size several years ago. Back in the days before Turf Paradise comingled with the host track on simulcast races they created their own separate pools.

It was a midweek afternoon and I liked a first time starter at Hollywood. The board at Hollywood had the horse at 70-1. The board at Turf Paradise had the horse at 99-1. Thinking I had spotted a bargain I bet $30.00 to win. The horse won. I was ecstatic when I saw something like $153.00 on TV for the win spot on the Hollywood toteboard. But at Turf Paradise, my $30.00 drove the win price down to something like $58.00. There was less than $1200.00 total in the local win pool for that race - and $30.00 of it was mine.

[takeout]

What is the rule of thumb for the amount to bet without stepping on your own toes?

[Blind Pursuit]

I dunno, sometimes I think a small pool in an exotic can be a good thing -- assuming you win it, that is. I play the pick 4s at the Maryland tracks regularly, and they often pay much better than you'd think. I'm guessing that's because there are only a handful of winning tickets. You'll see smaller tracks paying 3-of-4 (even 2-of-3 in a pick 3), but at a big track you'll never see 3-of-4 even if it's a string of huge longshots, because with so many players someone's bound to hit it.

Case in point - Friday, 2/27, Tampa Bay Downs. I played the pick 4, lost the second leg, stuck the ticket in my pocket. When post time for leg 4 rolls around, I notice there's a few 3-of-4s on the will pays. One of them wins and I get $175 for my 3-of-4. If I'd hit the second leg I would have had the entire pool.

You just don't see that at the major tracks.

[Zman179]

I absolutely love small pools in exotic wagering (except with superfectas). I prefer to have at least $1500 in a multiple leg pool and $3000 in a superfecta pool in order to wager accordingly.

Like "pursuit" said, you can get some payoffs in your favor with a small track pool even with one felony against you. Like 2 out of 3 in a pick 3 pool at Beulah, or an occasional 3 out of 4 in the pick 4.

Face it, when was the last time you found an "all" or a __ out of at Aqueduct or Santa Anita?

Zman (bankroll: $0 out of $100)

[so.cal.fan]

I'm more concerned with the TAKEOUT in that pool than the amount wagered.

[mikekk]

The company I was working for at the time shifted me to Halifax back in the early 80's. The only action available back there was Sackville Downs, a harness track about 15 miles away.

So I bought a couple of books about handicapping the speed-challenged types, took a few simple (and probably wrong) things to heart; and 1 Saturday I drove out.

First race, my main contender is 30-1 with less than 5 minutes left. I go to the windows and slap $20 down on its nose.

There was less than $100 in the win pool. I went back to my seat, clutching my win ticket on the (now) 2-5 favorite and watched it finish near the back of the pack.

Got in my car, went home, and never went back. When I requested (and got) a transfer to Toronto 2 years later, one of the reasons in my request letter was that the money to fly to Boston once a month to go to Suffolk was breaking me.

To answer your question, somewhere north of $100.

Mikekk

[BIG RED]

I learned the same way. I was at a dog track with my dad. I put $50 to win on my pick, went from 8-1 down to 9/5, ouch! My old man said "Don't you know son, you never bet a dog to win, you play Q's and T's!" Well, he was right. Then I noticed at Sufferin Downs, don't put over $100 to win or your odds will drop considerably, small pool. You will stomp on yourself, to win that is.