Things I contemplate about this forum

[Billnewman]

I wonder what the registered members of this forum put threw the windows on BC day percentage wise of the total? I wonder if our consensus would be better than the experts in the DRF. I wonder what Capper Als "absolute truth" would be if we could send him back in time to say 1962 with the knowledge he has now. I wonder why Tom doesn't write a book about handicapping I have a feeling he is one of the few on this board that make a living gambling. I wonder why Jeff P isn't like some political consultant or something (he's smart). I wonder if it's wise to share to much knowledge with someone you play against at a smaller circuit. And why hasn't anyone come up with a virtual reality computer program like they do with sports that could run a race 1000 times and come up with an odds line. Also use it for making daily variants, seeing when horses change leads and many other things?

[EMD4ME]

I'll only speak for the last line. Formulator is a fantastic tool to capture poor vs. Good lead changes, gallop outs etc.

[letswastemoney]

My own question is, I wonder why people are mean to each other on this forum sometimes.

To answer one of your thoughts, lots of handicappers are better than the ones on DRF. I stopped believing they're the best a long time ago. That's not to say they aren't good though.

[whodoyoulike]

... I wonder if it's wise to share to much knowledge with someone you play against at a smaller circuit...

We're horseplayers. We are pretty much an opinionated group. You can usually talk someone off of their picks until you lose. I never understood why most people don't like to discuss who they like before a race. After the race and they have selected the winner, you can't shut them up.

[HUSKER55]

that is because I want to brag abut it! :p :D

[Overlay]

I never understood why most people don't like to discuss who they like before a race. After the race and they have selected the winner, you can't shut them up.
As long as the horse that you like is the only horse that you would consider wagering on, I would say it's because sharing your opinion or knowledge about the horse with other people before the race -- with the resulting effect (intended or unintended) of having those people bet on the same horse that you're backing -- could only lower the horse's odds, which will either reduce your volume of play by making those odds too low to compensate for the risk of wagering on the horse, or else hurt your return if you bet on the horse and it wins.

[whodoyoulike]

I know what you're saying but, I don't believe I could talk you off your selection to mine or vice versa. Do you know very many people that would do that? Each race is a unique puzzle.

[whodoyoulike]

Another point, not every bet I make is a serious wager. I can see if you're making a serious bet to not discuss it. Part of the enjoyment of handicapping is to see how others view a race. I consider it feedback. And, it will help your future handicapping skills.

[Overlay]

I know what you're saying but, I don't believe I could talk you off your selection to mine or vice versa. Do you know very many people that would do that? Each race is a unique puzzle.
I agree with you about each race's unique nature. Also, since I know exactly and objectively why I assign a given fair-odds figure to a horse or combination, I can generally explain away or discount information or betting trends that seem to run counter to my logic. But if someone else was backing a horse based more on subjective opinion or intuition, I would think that sharing information (especially of a concrete, statistical nature) either against that horse or in favor of one or more other horses (and particularly with respect to the horse's probability of winning in comparison to its odds, rather than just considering its chance of winning as an isolated factor) with that person might cause them to re-evaluate and possibly change their selection. (Just my personal impression.)

[Billnewman]

Like a first timer that the jock says it's gonna win first out I wouldn't share it with anyone till last minute cause you don't want early money but I'm talking pick 4 where you single that firster hit the all button somewhere else maybe get lucky at smaller tracks where the pool is 9k might be the of real money. Like Richard Dreyfus says in let it ride "this isn't the Olympics"

[JohnGalt1]

When someone asks me who I like in a race, I tell them.

But they never ask the most important question------- Why do I like the horse(s)?

[whodoyoulike]

If they were to ask, would you tell them?

[JohnGalt1]

If they were to ask, would you tell them?


Sure I would.

I would even show them my handwritten worksheet.

Most that ask me mostly play pick threes, which I also may play, but I'm primarily a win better.

A few years ago I told a friend that the the next day he should play a certain horse. It was the only race I would've bet so I stayed home. This was before I had an ADA account. I saw the horse paid $23. I asked him if he had it. He said he singled it in the pick 3 but blew one of the legs and got zip.

So if I did go that day, his bet would not have affected my odds.

Now if someone asked for my pick and I knew they made huge win bets for the track I was playing, I'll keep it to myself.