Mulerider
01-14-2017, 08:54 PM
C.J., if this is in the wrong section, please move it. Apparently there's not a "Whining" sub-forum.
Since there is no off-track betting in Texas I go to LaD on Saturdays. Today I handicapped selected races from four tracks. Since I capped all the Aqueduct races I decided to enter a $250 winner-take-all lockdown tournament on HorseTourneys for races 2-9. So I got to LaD a little early, used my phone as a hotspot for my laptop (since LaD doesn't provide wifi), checked the scratches, and entered my picks. That done, I settled in for a day of betting. I'd occasionally check in on HorseTourneys to see how I was doing. As it turns out, I took the lead after the second race and never relinquished it, picking four winners and one place horse out the eight races.
That was gratifying, of course, yet my cash betting (aside from the contest) had resulted in a $60 loss as my final race of the day approached. As post time grew closer for the last race -- the 8th at Turf Paradise -- I saw that my second-ranked horse, the 5, was 8/1! My top ranked horse, the 7, was the favorite at 3/2. So I watched the tote until the absolute last second, then raced over to the machine and hurriedly bet $20 to win and $5 to place on the 5. Then I watched as the 7 and 5 battled for about 3 furlongs out of the six, and then the 5 took over convincingly. When the race was official I saw that I'd won $200.50, making my cash betting solidly profitable for the day.
What a feeling! I won a tournament AND made money at the windows! I Am the King! All my buddies except one complimented my skill, and I know he was just jealous. As I walked back to the machine to convert my tickets into one voucher, the cap I was wearing felt tighter as my head swelled. And I vowed to play good old Turf Paradise more often!
I inserted the win ticket. The machine spit it out, and the screen informed me, NOT A WINNER. I tried again. Same result. So I looked carefully at my two tickets, which were indeed a $20 win ticket and a $5 place ticket on the 5 horse, except for TURFWAY PARK, Race 1.
To paraphrase John Wayne: making money playing horses is tough. It's even tougher when you're stupid.
Mule
Since there is no off-track betting in Texas I go to LaD on Saturdays. Today I handicapped selected races from four tracks. Since I capped all the Aqueduct races I decided to enter a $250 winner-take-all lockdown tournament on HorseTourneys for races 2-9. So I got to LaD a little early, used my phone as a hotspot for my laptop (since LaD doesn't provide wifi), checked the scratches, and entered my picks. That done, I settled in for a day of betting. I'd occasionally check in on HorseTourneys to see how I was doing. As it turns out, I took the lead after the second race and never relinquished it, picking four winners and one place horse out the eight races.
That was gratifying, of course, yet my cash betting (aside from the contest) had resulted in a $60 loss as my final race of the day approached. As post time grew closer for the last race -- the 8th at Turf Paradise -- I saw that my second-ranked horse, the 5, was 8/1! My top ranked horse, the 7, was the favorite at 3/2. So I watched the tote until the absolute last second, then raced over to the machine and hurriedly bet $20 to win and $5 to place on the 5. Then I watched as the 7 and 5 battled for about 3 furlongs out of the six, and then the 5 took over convincingly. When the race was official I saw that I'd won $200.50, making my cash betting solidly profitable for the day.
What a feeling! I won a tournament AND made money at the windows! I Am the King! All my buddies except one complimented my skill, and I know he was just jealous. As I walked back to the machine to convert my tickets into one voucher, the cap I was wearing felt tighter as my head swelled. And I vowed to play good old Turf Paradise more often!
I inserted the win ticket. The machine spit it out, and the screen informed me, NOT A WINNER. I tried again. Same result. So I looked carefully at my two tickets, which were indeed a $20 win ticket and a $5 place ticket on the 5 horse, except for TURFWAY PARK, Race 1.
To paraphrase John Wayne: making money playing horses is tough. It's even tougher when you're stupid.
Mule