Do your handicapping friends make you nuts sometimes?

[penguinfan]

No secret I am in a downward spiral as far as handicapping goes and maybe it has me a bit on edge while at the OTB, but when you spend an hour or so before heading to the OTB and you go over the races again between races while you are there and continue to have horses jump straight up out of the gate or get your nuts busted at the wire race after race etc.... and your buddy next to you says "oh theres a 12 horse at Penn National, always bet the 12 at Penn National" so I casually look over at the form on the horse and am pretty sure he was a direct decendant of Eeyore and somehow manages to walk in at 22-1, or your other buddy shows you his $4000+ tri ticket he just hit by playing his birthday, you kinda wanna go nuts. Don't get me wrong, I love these guys, but WTF, WHERE IS THE FVCKING JUSTICE!!!!!! I am not rooting against them, but my head is gonna explode soon if this keeps up.

Penguinfan

[dav4463]

I know what you mean. Sometimes it seems like we are trying too hard. If you have your records though, you know you will win out over the long haul, but on those nights...it sure does piss you off !!!

[BillW]

That's why I never hang around with handicappers :).

[kenwoodallpromos]

If this happens a lot the answer is obvious- you have the wrong birthdate and lucky number.
If this happened rarely but just when you are on a downward spiral I say you are very lucky, but when your good luck rubs off on them you lose it all for yourself, ditch them.
Sounds more like you do nt have your picks in order prior to going to the OTB and cannot handicap there because of distractions. You have to handicap at home or not go. Then you can party at the OTB instead of doing your job there.

[ranchwest]

Always be happy when your friends win, no matter how they do it. You'll be looking for equal treatment someday -- they probably aren't too crazy about your knowledge of the sport, just like you're perplexed by their luck.

[Suff]

Originally posted by penguinfan
No secret I am in a downward spiral as far as handicapping goes and maybe it has me a bit on edge while at the OTB, but when you spend an hour or so before heading to the OTB and you go over the races if this keeps up.

Penguinfan

I went to the Masscap with two guys I have known for years.. and BOTH of then irratate the shit of me with the way they play.

#1 I rarely see.. I tell him that going to the track with him is like going by myself. He bets everything that Moves... He's rarely in his seat.. he is running around like he's going to the electric chair in the Morning. he bets only win and bets 40 to 100 a horse, 1 horse a race,,and he miss's very few of the 20 tracks that are going. He looks at the form for 1.5 minutes,,, reacts and runs off.
Today I'm looking at his tickets and he bets 73 to win, 49 to win, 87 to win.. a real wierdo. He's up 600 one minute,,, then he's bumming 50 bucks the next minute,,, he shows up 20 minutes later with $800 and 3 beers and 6 hot dogs and my 50. hE plays the horses like most people play Craps.

#2 plays only pik 3's, plays nothing but favorites, plays 90% of them for a dollar and brings 30 dollars to the track and is very happy to leave with 49. He sneaks in his own soda. Today he had a six pack of wieght watchers lemon and Lime. .19 cents a can type stuff.
He loves showing me his tickets when he catchs the the First two legs and a 7/5 he has on the baclk leg gets beat. He moans,, Look at this! I had that PIK 3 but I could'nt get that 7 to 5 to run for,,, I feel like saying.. JIMMY... The Eff'n thing is paying $17.00 ef'nn dollars, wtf! Who cares.. But instead I say.,. Yea Tough Beat,,, Keep at it,.,, You'll pop one.

Then I bum one of his soda's and hope my other buddy hurries back so I can borrow 50!

Somehow I like this?

[Dick Schmidt]

After playing for a living for several years, I have only one piece of advice for all of you. Treat the races with respect, like you would a job. Do you take your friends to work with you? Do you let the annoying guy at the next desk to get you fired? Do you show up at work and then decide that everything you did yesterday is wrong and you'll do it another way? (your boss may do this, but you shouldn't).

As long as you are "playing" the races, having a good time and chatting with your friends, you aren't a serious player. You have a hobby, and you can't really expect to make any money at a hobby. I got my (perhaps well deserved) reputation for being a touch on the surly side by not allowing people to bother me at work. When I was at the track, I was at work.

Right now, I would say that anyone who actually goes to a racetrack or OTB is just playing. The serious players are at home, betting online. Unless body language is a huge part of your handicapping, I can see no reason to attend the races. If you can't imagine giving up the fun of racing, fine. Keep your hobby, but don't expect to make money. Making money at the races is a 16 hour a day grind, one where you may not leave your house for days at a time. Accept that, or accept that you are a hobbyist who finds the social aspect of racing to be more important than the financial aspects. Stop bitching about the problem and solve it. After you make a lot of money, you can always buy new friends.


Dick


"Life is tough, but its tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne

[dav4463]

I've always been one who doesn't mind having some fun at work. You know the saying, "all work and no play" If you can't have fun at your job, it isn't worth it to me. That's why I can go to the track, and just ignore my friend's betting style. I can still pass races that they may play and still make my bets as I normally would. Sometimes they get lucky, but I know mine is not based on luck. I can still enjoy the time out with friends and work at the same time. .............just don't drink beer early and bet stupid !

[hurrikane]

my 2 cents.

1 cent - I agree 100% with what Dick wrote. May be the first time ever.

2 cent - Bring the friends. Bring every single one of them. Bring their paychecks, homes, cars, boats, anything of value. In the end the good players will have it all.

[JimG]

Originally posted by Suff

Then I bum one of his soda's and hope my other buddy hurries back so I can borrow 50!

Somehow I like this?


I almost fell out of my seat laughing at that one! I used to go to the OTB about 4 times a week and hang out with the same group of guys. Did it for 7 years and it was fun. They were good handicappers and I learned alot. Only problem, the "fun" I was having was at the expense of my bottom line.

I got into online betting about 2 years ago and it is great. When I want to be social, I drop by PA's war room for a while and hang out. I have done much better since converting to online betting and having a cable modem connection and TVG to watch the races. I spend more time at home as well and that has been better for my marriage and allowed me to relax more.

The only exception is a day like today...mid 70's...I am going to the track...will take a small amount of money and bet a little every race and just enjoy the day. I doubt that I'll win, but I won't erode my bankroll. My serious playing is only done online when I find races that I belong in. I suggest anybody that is not winning at OTB"s or the track and hang out with "friends" reconsider if their track "bottom line" is important to them.

Jim

[penguinfan]

Thanks guys for the replies, kinda a rant on my part there more than anything. Funny stuff Suff, LOL.

Though Dick did kinda put a serious spin on the thread so I do want to reply to that. The current bloodletting that has me in this spot is more the problem than anything, I am happy when my friends win, hell, they buy the beer then. I do not play for a living, probably never will, I am just not that good at this, but I do think it can be profitable for me as for the past 2 years I did manage, for the first time, to turn a profit at the track playing win tickets and pick-3's, but when you hit the skids like I have recently and you see people who won't spend 5 bucks on a form walking ass backwards into money it plays on your mind to the point you wonder if maybe you yourself just got lucky for an extended period of time and really do stink at this, or maybe luck plays too much of a factor in this game to ever take it too seriously.

I do prefer to play at home and most of the time do, just on Fridays or Saturday I will meet the guys at the OTB. I handicap the races before I go and just look over them again between races mostly to see why what just happened happened that way and if it will affect the next race in any way, no real handicapping at the track, I will live and die with the decisions I made before hand. I will never hit some monster trifecta by playing my birthday because I don't play that way and I am fine with that, honestly.

Still the intention of this thread is valid, when you work at something and lose only to see someone who doesn't know lasix from lipstick hit a big one, it plays on your mind more than a few beers can wash away.
I am sure on the other side of this slump is something big, I hope I am around when I get there:D and if I am I will look you up for some advice.
Thanks Dave
Penguinfan

[JohnGalt1]

Dick and Hurrikane.

Well said.

I used to sit with a guy who marked every horse in the form as he handicapped, then after the race announced. "I knew that horse would win. I had a mark by it."

[ponyplayer]

Penguin my man, to quote an infamous man, "I feel your pain."

A few years back I was going through a cold streak. On Thanksgiving Day, my brother-in-law goes to the OTB early, makes a few bets and goes home to enjoy Thanksgiving. He hits a Pick 5 of 6 full of long shots, collects $15K+ (no 6of6).

When I asked him how he did it, he said, "I just went with jockey names."

Yep, sometimes it feels like there's no justice....:p

[The Skeptic]

I have no friends at the racetrack. None.

I heard a quote that supported my position from the late Eric Langjar "Handicapping is not a group activity".

When I do go to the track (which is rare - online now) ... I'll often have a set of headphones (just in case) as to detract other people from attempting to associate with me thus subliminally influencing me. Somehow we all end up sitting next to a loud mouth.

[kingfin66]

I have a friend that I usually take with me on my infrequent outings to Emerald Downs. He sits and smokes and drink beer while I handicap. We then go to the windows to bet. I make my bets, then turn around and hand him my paper with the bets written on it. He then proceeds to bet the EXACT SAME THING! If we win, he pumps his fist. If we lose, he doesn't complain at all because he's still having a great time.

[kenwoodallpromos]

My time between races is what I lose going live, so I have to have to have my bets set ahead. I often bet several races ahead also.
I had a track buddy I went with a few times who only bet longshots, so I did not have to mess with his stuff much.
Before I stopped handicapping with my brother, he would have us up half the night going over every detail of every horse in every race like forensics, demand total quiet and concentration at the OTB, then get very upset when his chalk loses (always on a stiff). He follows who he considers the trickiest trainers, thinking he can read their minds. Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees!
I have never seen a more serious Hobby player (read=loser).