kent
07-30-2002, 03:59 PM
Before I make any comments about software, may I introduce myself as a reader of this
board for the past 6 months. I am retired 63 year old who has been playing the races since
I was 14. My strength lies in ‘pace handicapping’ and my mentors are Brohamer and
Ragozin. (Brohamer for figs and Ragozin for ‘patterns.’ I believe I can handicap with
the best. BUT... the game has change and I had to change, so last December I made that
change, I purchased my first software.
I’m from the old school. Until a few months ago, I would spend 4 hours on a card. A
two hour drive to AP and a two hour drive back. (I live in Milwaukee. 87.3 miles from
the track) Now I stay home. play two or three tracks a day and let a software program
do most of the work for me. I had my second biggest month in my life last May --
second to winning a nice ‘pick-6 a few years back. (If I may add, on a $4.00 ticket!)
As to the software that is out there. One concern I have about the posts is that many
readers are ‘searching’ for the brass-ring -- the perfect software. There is no such animal
for two reasons:
1. The programmer wouldn’t sell it to the public. He would just use it himself.
(I’m sure there are some punters out there that have such a system.)
2. If it did pick winners, and it was sold to the public, everyone would buy it and
the odds on the selections would drop so dramatically that no one would show a profit.
Par-mutual betting is an efficient market and efficient markets won’t let ‘public-info’
show a profit. That’s why favorites lose money. If it is obvious to the public it is
obviously wrong.
(Remember the Beyer figures before they went public? Investors made a lot of money by
making their own figures. Horses that were going off at 10-1, or more, now are bet down
to 2-1 or less because the numbers are in the DRF. One of the secrets to making money is
to have information that the public doesn’t have access to. A good software program
should do this.)
So last December I purchased HSH. I did not know anything about the program
EXCEPT it seem to be an ‘Open Box.’ I wanted a program that I could ‘program’ and
not have the software tell me what horse to bet on. HSH is more than what I bargained
for. HSH is a handicapper’s dream. There must be a 100 programs within the program.
(There are ‘buttons’ that I don’t even know what they are for.)
But the key is that I designed my own input and output and I love it. I can handicap a
race in about 23 seconds and get the same contenders as when I was spending 30-60
minutes on a race! To me that is the benefit of software -- it saves you time -- not its
selections. This program is incredible. There is a module called ‘Ants’ that analysis’s
past results. The program is worth the price just for this feature. (It is the my main
selection program that I use but I back it up with another feature called the
‘Pick-Master.’) But to repeat, this is a program that delivers the information that I want.
No two users are using the program in the same manner. Therefore I don’t have to worry
about the odds being ‘bet-down’ on my selections.
In both of these modules, and there are more in HSH, I feel that the info is not available
to the public even through I am using public information. (We are all using the same 10
lines in the DRF.) A huge advantage. You get a feeling of ‘power’ when you use this
information.
The only complaint that I have is that there is no manual. This can be very frustrating.
Very frustrating! But Dick and Dave are just a phone call away and are ‘client friendly.’
Only on one occasion did I have to call. In two seconds Dick solved my problem. Their
knowledge borders on being a genius. When picking software this should be a high
priority. Also if I may add, Dick and Dave are constantly adding features and
improvements to the program at no cost.
So what am trying to say? Buy a good ‘open-ended’ program. Make sure YOU control
the input to get the output your looking for. That the profit you make is up to you -- not
up to the program. Stop buying cheap junk It is too expensive! (Pro golfers don’t use
cheap clubs ) A software program is a long term investment that should pay dividends,
but there is no software that will make a winner out of a loser. You need to work with
good software to become successful. There are no free lunches. Unfortunately, it costs
money to play the ponies.
Allow me to close with the assurance that I am not a shill for HSH, just a believer in their
program. There are so many complaints on this board about today’s software, I just
wanted to share with you someone who is pleased with what they purchased. But again,
the results you receive are from your ability to interpret the information and NOT from
the software itself.
Enough said!!!!
“Handicapping is a difficult way to make easy money.”
board for the past 6 months. I am retired 63 year old who has been playing the races since
I was 14. My strength lies in ‘pace handicapping’ and my mentors are Brohamer and
Ragozin. (Brohamer for figs and Ragozin for ‘patterns.’ I believe I can handicap with
the best. BUT... the game has change and I had to change, so last December I made that
change, I purchased my first software.
I’m from the old school. Until a few months ago, I would spend 4 hours on a card. A
two hour drive to AP and a two hour drive back. (I live in Milwaukee. 87.3 miles from
the track) Now I stay home. play two or three tracks a day and let a software program
do most of the work for me. I had my second biggest month in my life last May --
second to winning a nice ‘pick-6 a few years back. (If I may add, on a $4.00 ticket!)
As to the software that is out there. One concern I have about the posts is that many
readers are ‘searching’ for the brass-ring -- the perfect software. There is no such animal
for two reasons:
1. The programmer wouldn’t sell it to the public. He would just use it himself.
(I’m sure there are some punters out there that have such a system.)
2. If it did pick winners, and it was sold to the public, everyone would buy it and
the odds on the selections would drop so dramatically that no one would show a profit.
Par-mutual betting is an efficient market and efficient markets won’t let ‘public-info’
show a profit. That’s why favorites lose money. If it is obvious to the public it is
obviously wrong.
(Remember the Beyer figures before they went public? Investors made a lot of money by
making their own figures. Horses that were going off at 10-1, or more, now are bet down
to 2-1 or less because the numbers are in the DRF. One of the secrets to making money is
to have information that the public doesn’t have access to. A good software program
should do this.)
So last December I purchased HSH. I did not know anything about the program
EXCEPT it seem to be an ‘Open Box.’ I wanted a program that I could ‘program’ and
not have the software tell me what horse to bet on. HSH is more than what I bargained
for. HSH is a handicapper’s dream. There must be a 100 programs within the program.
(There are ‘buttons’ that I don’t even know what they are for.)
But the key is that I designed my own input and output and I love it. I can handicap a
race in about 23 seconds and get the same contenders as when I was spending 30-60
minutes on a race! To me that is the benefit of software -- it saves you time -- not its
selections. This program is incredible. There is a module called ‘Ants’ that analysis’s
past results. The program is worth the price just for this feature. (It is the my main
selection program that I use but I back it up with another feature called the
‘Pick-Master.’) But to repeat, this is a program that delivers the information that I want.
No two users are using the program in the same manner. Therefore I don’t have to worry
about the odds being ‘bet-down’ on my selections.
In both of these modules, and there are more in HSH, I feel that the info is not available
to the public even through I am using public information. (We are all using the same 10
lines in the DRF.) A huge advantage. You get a feeling of ‘power’ when you use this
information.
The only complaint that I have is that there is no manual. This can be very frustrating.
Very frustrating! But Dick and Dave are just a phone call away and are ‘client friendly.’
Only on one occasion did I have to call. In two seconds Dick solved my problem. Their
knowledge borders on being a genius. When picking software this should be a high
priority. Also if I may add, Dick and Dave are constantly adding features and
improvements to the program at no cost.
So what am trying to say? Buy a good ‘open-ended’ program. Make sure YOU control
the input to get the output your looking for. That the profit you make is up to you -- not
up to the program. Stop buying cheap junk It is too expensive! (Pro golfers don’t use
cheap clubs ) A software program is a long term investment that should pay dividends,
but there is no software that will make a winner out of a loser. You need to work with
good software to become successful. There are no free lunches. Unfortunately, it costs
money to play the ponies.
Allow me to close with the assurance that I am not a shill for HSH, just a believer in their
program. There are so many complaints on this board about today’s software, I just
wanted to share with you someone who is pleased with what they purchased. But again,
the results you receive are from your ability to interpret the information and NOT from
the software itself.
Enough said!!!!
“Handicapping is a difficult way to make easy money.”