What are your strengths and weaknesses?

[how cliche]

I pose this question. I suppose a player might look at handicapping like a geographer draws a map of the world. There are certain areas of the world they know like the back of their hand and others where their accuracy is minimal. If they keep practicing at drawing the areas that are fuzzy, perhaps over time they will get just as good at those as they are in the already conquered regions of the globe and will achieve a full world view.

My strengths: I'm disciplined about betting. I can wait.
I can figure out some connections so well I might as well own their horse.
My generic approach of favoring fitness over speed is largely underused, therefore prices are fair & sometimes generous.
At times I know my horse will win at a price & bet like it.

My weaknesses: I'm a bad every race player.
Gimmicks are a mystery to me & I'm jealous of the payoffs.
My assessment of speed figures, pace figures, and literal form in general is below par.
I don't know how to hedge a bet on a marginal opinion.
Handicapping a field is often an exercise in futility to the point where people ask me, "Who's gonna win?" and I reply, "I have no idea."

So there you are. My handicapping strengths and weaknesses. What are yours?

[Speed Figure]

My strengths: Pick bets. I would say 80% of my plays are pick 3 and pick 4 bets. I make far more on these bets than any other bet. I'm now betting more on my pick 4's because of some great profits. I make on avg about 12 pick 4 bets per month.

My weaknesses: Win betting. I hate making win bets.

[kingfin66]

Strengths:

I ignore a rather large part of common handicapping factors - namely trainer patterns/stats and speed figures.

I take the time to learn the nuances of my handicapping methodology and associated software. I'm a Handicapping Magic/TMM guy. Many people hate the program. Lots of people love it. It takes effort to learn it, but the same goes for virtually any method.

I have vastly improved my discipline and am learning not to force bets (almost there...).

I recognize the reality of trying to be a consistent winner at horse betting and understand that to be a winner I have to be smarter and more disciplined than other people.

I employ a simple money management system and bet only an amount that I am comfortable risking.

Weaknesses:

I ignore a rather large part of common handicapping factors - namely trainer patterns/stats and speed figures.

Sometimes, I will take too short a price on a horse.

I can get too focused on a particular type of bet. This usually happens when I hit a nice score with a particular bet structure, then fall in love with it. Example: August 29, 2004 - netted $1100 on track at Emerald Downs on a couple of nice Pick 3 hits. Just over a week later, September 7/8 (last day of Del Mar), 2005 - took my laptop out at lunch time, downloaded a form, handicapped, nailed the Pick 3 for a $1500 profit on a $19 bet. Decided the P3 was my new favorite bet. Started forcing P3 bets. Lost some good cash playing dumb P3s before realizing the error of my ways.

I have a tendency to want to get mechanical and waste time trying to search for spot play methods. Sometimes I will also try to get mechanical with my bet structure and make it more science than art.

[pmd62ndst]

Strengths:

- My programming & database skills have allowed me to query and validate various theories.

- Maiden favorites to place at big tracks. Claiming longshots to win at small tracks.

- Money Management. This is something that used to be a weakness but after keeping immaculate records, it has become a strength. This is usually the last thing a handicapper considers in his education to become a successful horseplayer when it should be one of the first.

Weaknesses:

- Any type of exotic betting. The difference in time to research exotic bets versus straight bets is exponential and I just haven't had the time.

- Being a statistical geek, I don't take into account things that are intangible and unquantifiable such as trainer intent or post parade observations.

PMD

[kenwoodallpromos]

Strength- being in a game where good information wins out and not random bets.
Weakness- races where there is not enough or too closely matched information.

[JustRalph]

Predicting pace..........I suck !

Catching a nice young horse about to top out in the form cycle.......at a nice price..........just about my only strength........but can be very lucrative

[andicap]

Strengths:

-- Pretty good ability to sniff out decent longshots.
-- If I take the time to really study a race I can usually handicap it pretty well and isolate a good key horse. But I mean "time," like 20-30 minutes. Rarely have that much time and it's tiring.
-- Willing to learn, have an open mind about new ideas, and am somewhat creative in my approach to the game.

Weaknesses:
(among them...too many to list)
-- lousy bettor.
-- No confidence in bombs I sniff out to really kill the race.
-- Kind of lazy. Should keep better records of everything, from my own handicapping to what's going on at my track.
-- Lack of mental toughness needed to turn my above average handicapping skills into a decent income.
-- Spend too much damn time on this board

[hurrikane]

strength,

I don't take anything anyone tells me at face value anymore.

weakness

I don't take anything anyone tells me at face value anymore.

[Tom]

Strength-I listen to Hurrikane

Weakness - I listen to Hurrikane :D

[hurrikane]

me too tom :D