Losing Streaks -- How to deal with?

[SignUpKing]

Sometimes, the game gets us down. In May, I was up over $49,000 for the year; now, only $26,000. A bad streak has made me nasty and doubtful, is all.

That said, any advice for getting out of a tailspin? I mean, we're talking, literally, 27 losing days in a row !!!

[DanG]

Sometimes, the game gets us down. In May, I was up over $49,000 for the year; now, only $26,000. A bad streak has made me nasty and doubtful, is all.

That said, any advice for getting out of a tailspin? I mean, we're talking, literally, 27 losing days in a row !!!
How long have you been playing / and have you kept records?

I ask because if you’ve been playing any length of time, you’ve been through down periods before. If you’ve kept records you know there as inevitable as hot streaks.

Stay with it as losing often teaches us much more than winning.

[Tee]

If at all possible try emotionally to look at losing days the same way as you would winning days. In other words try to stay even-keeled.

Stay in the present - no looking back or forward.

You must have been doing something right to be up so much - no?

[SignUpKing]

Been playing for 30 years. Yes, I keep records. Yes, streaks, good and bad, happen. Is there a way to send the tide the other way? Right now, I am going against my intuition, if you know what I mean.

Good players, in addition to all of the number's stuff, I believe, have a kind of 6th sense, so to speak. Right now, that is blocked. Time for a break?

[DeanT]

Imo...... walk away.

All the books say that and I thought it was hooey. I tried place betting my top picks (they come 3rd), then show betting them (they win and I would get annoyed), tried placing some bankroll in a different adw, just to change things up.

Nothing works for me. I just walk away now for a few weeks.

Ps: I am pretty much in one now. I am not doing much at all, other than playing ELP for the pick 4's and ALB for the protest day. Other than that $200 here and there on a full card for entertainment. Ill do that for at least another month I think. No serious playing for me.

[DanG]

Been playing for 30 years. Yes, I keep records. Yes, streaks, good and bad, happen. Is there a way to send the tide the other way? Right now, I am going against my intuition, if you know what I mean.

Good players, in addition to all of the number's stuff, I believe, have a kind of 6th sense, so to speak. Right now, that is blocked. Time for a break?
It’s different for everyone. After 30 years I’m sure you have a good handle on when its time to step away.

I have what I guess is an unusual approach. I never back off after losing periods because my records show they are eventually followed by win falls. Oddly enough I take a break after scores as a reward in a way. Losing makes me work harder as I really dislike losing though I’ve learned to deal with it far better then 10+ years ago.

There are no easy answers.

It’s the “hang with ‘em” the baseball player gets after 0 – 9 in a double header. His subconscious says it’s inevitable, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I tell everyone who knows my step-son that gambling is NOT in his future. A .360+ hitter in high school and he DIES with every out.

The fact that you can talk about it in the open actually says you have a good handle on it. The guys I worry about are the quiet ones who internalize every defeat until it manifests itself with a sling-shot in the bell tower.

All the best…It is Labor Day weekend, so a break might be appropriate. Grab some old college friend & a taxi and go on a pub crawl and forget this ever happened. :ThmbUp:

[Greyfox]

have you kept records?...
Stay with it as losing often teaches us much more than winning.

Excellent advice by Dan G.
What have you learned from your losses?
Betting? Record review?
I won't even pretend to be ahead as much as you are.
I am not that kind of bettor.

The bottom line though is:
1. Records. What worked when it worked? What didn't? On what surfaces?
2. In a slump keep your hands or wallet in your pocket. There's no law saying that you have to gamble. When the tide is out is not a time to float a boat.
Bet more when you're winning, bet less when you're not. Unfortunately most patrons have a tendency to "chase" their losing bets. Not a wise idea.

[DeanT]

I tell everyone who knows my step-son that gambling is NOT in his future. A .360+ hitter in high school and he DIES with every out.


I take it he'd be a guy who yells a lot when an inquiry goes against him? :)

It is a tough game. Very tough.

I learned a good lesson not long ago. Common sense tells you that you will make a mistake on a ticket, correct? Well I made a mistake on one a few years ago and you guessed it - decent cash missed. My gambling buddy says "luck goes around and comes around.... one day you will make a mistake and you will win, or will get that back anther way"

So sure enuff, about six months ago I take a 14-14-35 tri for $10 (3 and 5 were a little long)........ It comes 5-1-3 and my 4 stinks.

A little bit later I look in my account and BOOM, the balance is thru the roof. I punched in 15-14-35. The 5 was 20-1.

I learned long ago to not sweat the inquiries bad rides/drives and all the rest.... as it should even out, but that was a nice reminder :)

[InFront]

Sometimes, the game gets us down. In May, I was up over $49,000 for the year; now, only $26,000. A bad streak has made me nasty and doubtful, is all.

That said, any advice for getting out of a tailspin? I mean, we're talking, literally, 27 losing days in a row !!!

It may all depend on how you got up $49K. Was it making large win bets, high paying exotics such as superfectas, pick-4's, etc. Have you been doing this for many years and win like that normally to get up this much?

The bottom line was it steady consistent wins, luck on some very big payoffs, betting large on low payoffs, betting small on high payoffs, etc. There can be so many variables why we win and just as many why we lose.

[betovernetcapper]

A lot of my slumps had coincided with a change of some kind-like a bias shift from early to closing-some factor I'm relying on stops working-anyway the earlier I can spot this the less damaging the slump. It's tricky.

[cj]

I was joking in the other thread obviously. Horse racing is a streaky game. It took a while for me to get a handle on that. However, just because you may have a 10% edge on the game does not mean you will have that each day, or week, or even month.

Isn't it at least possible that some of the $49,000 was due to good fortune? It never hurts to evaluate the horses you have been betting after the races. Did you start to get sloppy when you got up 49k with the "King of the World" syndrome and bet marginal horses? Or maybe you just hit a fluky streak but started to press and took shorter and shorter odds on horses you were betting. Did you start upping your bet size to try to recapture some of your previous winnings?

If not, it is probably just a normal fluctuation. I have strived to increase the number of horses I bet per day to try to even out the streaks in the game. What I have found is that it doesn't work. The only thing betting more horses does is make the daily swings even BIGGER, even if the end result is more profit.

[Greyfox]

Did you start to get sloppy when you got up 49k with the "King of the World" syndrome and bet marginal horses?
.

The core. A point not to be overlooked or taken lightly.

[bigmack]

we're talking, literally, 27 losing days in a row !!!
Try not to chase, SUK. 10 rough days can have an adverse effect on your psyche let alone 14+. Have a threshold whereby you step away from play and scrutinize your down streak.

For me, it's 5 days. If I've had 5 losers in a row I need to towel off and gingerly enter back. Protect the gains.

[JustRalph]

take a vacation..........a long one...........they will still be there when you come back.

[Capper Al]

With a toss of a coin one could get heads or tails 6 times in a row or more. This we now for certain is a 50/50 bet. If we play to win only our expectations drop to between 25% to 35% for a win and, of course, exotics are worse. Favorites, who traditionally hit 1 out of 3, have had losing streaks for 20 plus races.

I feel your pain. When I'm in a losing streaking, I step back and get back to basics. This usually gets my focus back on where it should be. Good luck to you.

[Zman179]

...now, only $26,000. A bad streak has made me nasty and doubtful, is all.

Being up $26,000 wouldn't make me nasty and doubtful. It would make me giddy with joy. :jump:

[dutchboy]

On jan 1 if you knew you would be up 26k on sept 1 would you still be unhappy?
What type of bets created the 49k? A lot of people change the way they bet after they lose 3 races in a row.


Sometimes, the game gets us down. In May, I was up over $49,000 for the year; now, only $26,000. A bad streak has made me nasty and doubtful, is all.

That said, any advice for getting out of a tailspin? I mean, we're talking, literally, 27 losing days in a row !!!

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

This is a very tough game as you all know. The goal as every day participants should be ideally to start each day "fresh". I knew a very successful wall street investor whose mantra was...After each daily battle on the job he would review his activity then press his mental erase button and come back fresh the next day with a positive out look.

This is something that I have worked on for the last few years and though I am more of a conservative bettor (win/place with a few exotic bets in situations of great reward) I have had my share of dry spells. By constantly working on ACCEPTING A LOSING BET, DAY, WEEK etc Now I am able to realize that one bet or a weeks play really has very little impact when looking for a yearly profit.

Some players keep accurate records of all wagers but only review the total after a month's play.They feel that the daily won/loss figure is a distraction in their methodical play.

Bottom line "it's all you", you're ability to control your emotions is a great part of winning and losing in this game and is an important part of this game to learn how to lose. We all do not want to lose, as a matter of fact we hate to lose but when we can accept losing and continue with our plan then we have a chance to succeed.

Best of luck to all

Zappi

[Robert Fischer]

You are inclined to have losing streaks. If you have a ballpark figure of what your hit percentage should be, then you are entitled to estimate things like max consecutive losses.
One approach to "unnatural" losing streaks is to put your money away and bet with paper and pencil for a while, and remember the KISS rule. (Keep It Simple Stupid) :liar:

Simplify.
The game can start to get very complicated if you think you know how to handicap.

Players want to spot a great Underlay,select a key horse, isolate the win candidates,
toss several horses, and include an Overlay- all in the same race! :D

At the basic level - you really only need to be right about 1 thing to be profitable on a race. If you know the The Underlay is going to be overbet and lose- then you don't have to be right about anything else(you use maximum coverage without the Underlay in the win spot). If you know The Overlay is a win-candidate and is going to be ignored by the public- you don't have to be right about anything else(you make some smaller wagers using the Overlay with the other win candidates).


Reversal:
A Complex Approach can be useful as well (although not as a remedy for losing streaks), utilized with small precise wagers, and tend to offer a lower relative hit percentage w/higher payouts.

[DanG]

Some players keep accurate records of all wagers but only review the total after a month's play.They feel that the daily won/loss figure is a distraction in their methodical play.

This is a very good point Zappi IMO;

Something I had to break my girlfriend (later wife) of was asking “how did you do today”. I’m sure she thought I was just being a pain, but I cracked up one day when she asked me…”how has the last 30 days been?” :)

Daily net is genuinely meaningless and points out why (in my opinion) daily goals can be detrimental to long term goals.

Side note; I have a bulletin board next to my desk. It’s filled with a bunch of crap (schedules, reminders etc…) one thing on there is “3 for 139”. I had / have a spot play where the average mutual is around $9 and change. This play went 3 for 139 about 18 months ago and during this run I pulled it from rotation. Naturally…it went on a tear shortly after more than making up for the drought. I keep it as a reminder of the rollercoaster we sometimes ride and our attempt to keep an even keel.

[DeanT]

Since it is monthly I still have the psychological thing about being "up for the month". I press sometimes at the end of the month if I know I am down. I think that makes me kinda stupid, but human I guess. I find it difficult sometimes.

[DanG]

Since it is monthly I still have the psychological thing about being "up for the month". I press sometimes at the end of the month if I know I am down. I think that makes me kinda stupid, but human I guess. I find it difficult sometimes.
Dean,

The real key is how you track your Maple Leafs! :)

http://f.screensavers.com/migration/wp/torontomapleleafs_215.gif

[banacek]

Dean,

The real key is how you track your Maple Leafs! :)

http://f.screensavers.com/migration/wp/torontomapleleafs_215.gif

How did the Maple Leafs come up in a thread about losing streaks.;)

Now, if I had one book to recommend about this topic, it would be "Trading in the Zone" by Mark Douglas. It is a stock market psychology book, but helped me immensely with dealing with losing streaks and other psychological factors at the races.

[The Hawk]

I agree with the idea that taking time off is probably the best approach. For me, though, taking a week off only means I'm a week behind now in keeping up with trips and charts and the like. So there's time off from betting, but not really any time off from handicapping, which sometimes is what's really needed.

[DanG]

How did the Maple Leafs come up in a thread about losing streaks.;)

Now, if I had one book to recommend about this topic, it would be "Trading in the Zone" by Mark Douglas. It is a stock market psychology book, but helped me immensely with dealing with losing streaks and other psychological factors at the races.
Outstanding book Banacek, good call!!! :ThmbUp:

Yikes,…In trying to get Dean to laugh I hope I didn’t offend. Leaf fans are a very intense bunch as I find out every year at Lightning games when they come down.

Go Leafs! :jump: (Except when they play Tampa) ;)

Sorry about the thread hijack Signup. :blush:

[classhandicapper]

When I'm going bad I put more energy into poker and looking for a new stock market investment. That way I am still doing something productive that I enjoy a great deal, making some money (or positioning myself to do so), and freshening up from horseracing burn out. Something inside tells me when it's time to get back to the horses. If you have other hobbies or sources of income, I would give them a little extra energy for awhile.

[bigchump]

Avoid any "Martingale" nonsense during bad streaks.
When your bankroll is 2.5 times your original, bank the profits and go back to your original stake.

This July, I lost 27 consecutive races, won one, then lost another 16.
Because I flat bet the same amount on each race, I was able to survive, losing less than 1/4 of my horse stake during that "exprience". Had I tried to get it all back quickly, I'd be carrying a lunchpail by now, if you know what I mean....

good luck
bigchump

[DeanT]

Dean,

The real key is how you track your Maple Leafs! :)


:D

Why do you think I am a Bruins fan....... oh hold it, they are not much better!

So, what is the deal anyway? Each race is a unique event. There is no correlation in results from race to race. I do not subscribe to the "mysticism" of being hot, or cold.......... but I 100% fully believe that streaks that seem inexplicable are part of this game. When you are rolling you get that perfect trip with the 9-1 shot while the chalk falters, you get the inquiry to go your way, you win the photo for a score - the list is endless.

I never, ever believed it before, but there is something to these streaks, and I think it is more than random. What it is I dont know, but I would love to hear some theories. I just chalk it up to the horse racing gods now.

[nobeyerspls]

Sometimes, the game gets us down. In May, I was up over $49,000 for the year; now, only $26,000. A bad streak has made me nasty and doubtful, is all.

That said, any advice for getting out of a tailspin? I mean, we're talking, literally, 27 losing days in a row !!!

It is probably the nature of horseplayers to believe that a losing streak is unusual and a winning streak is not. After all, we know how to pick these things, right? If you're playing the same tracks the same way, then streaks of any kind should not happen. If you quit for a while to get rid of a losing streak do you play more to take advantage of a winning streak? The answer is no.

If you have a long term history of success, my advice is to handicap and wager the same way and let the good and bad show up in whatever pattern happens. I use an Excel spreadsheet to track daily results and the losing days are displayed in red. May was very good but when you look at June you might want to wear sunglasses because of so much red. I made twenty-one trips to the track that month and only three were positive. July and August were back in the black.
If it makes you feel any better, keep a twelve month moving average of results. The longer tracking period should flatten things out and any twenty-seven day down period will be a small percentage of the total.
In brief, keep on keeping on.

[Dave Schwartz]

If you're playing the same tracks the same way, then streaks of any kind should not happen.


Really...

Perhaps it depends upon your definition of "streak."


Regards,
Dave Schwartz

[DanG]

:D

Why do you think I am a Bruins fan....... oh hold it, they are not much better!

My apologies Dean!

Sorry everyone, I’m ready for hockey season.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup2006/images/cherry_bruins.jpg

[SignUpKing]

This is a great site. Thanks to everyone for the caring insight.

[spilparc]

Sometimes, the game gets us down. In May, I was up over $49,000 for the year; now, only $26,000. A bad streak has made me nasty and doubtful, is all.

That said, any advice for getting out of a tailspin? I mean, we're talking, literally, 27 losing days in a row !!!

I can give you a piece of advice. Step down.

As an example let's say you have a $200 bankroll and are able to grind that to $400--betting $2 a race. You now start betting $4 a race and over time you are able to double that to $800. You then increase your bet to $8 a race (still 1% of bank), but you hit that inevitable losing streak and at $8 a race your BR can start to erode very quickly. You now find yourself down to $600. Don't wait for your BR to fall all the way back down to $400 before you lower your bet back to the $4 level--lower it now.

Two things can happen. You can keep falling down--but at a slower rate. At which point if you reach $400 you would lower your bet to $2. But if instead you should climb back up to $800, you can raise your bet back to $8 and try again. (You can even be more conservative than this; it is only an example.)

What do most gamblers do during a losing streak? They raise their bet.

The main point is that you will be betting more when you're winning and less when your losing.

Bankroll preservation is of the utmost concern.

"If luck closes the door, you've got to climb in through the window."

[BlueShoe]

For this player the worst type of losing streak,by far,is one in which just about everthing I bet runs second,or in a multiple race exotic such a pick 3 will win the first two legs and get beat a nose is the final leg,etc.This is devastating to me both financially and psycologically.After decades of horseplaying,still have trouble handling a long streak of seconditis.Now seconds are a part of racing,as we all know,but this old player gets an unusually large number of seconds.It oftens is so bad that my pals will often backwheel my selections in exactas.Once saw a chart that stated that above a certain odds level a horse was more likely to run second than to win,but my results far exceed those probabilities.While I do not have the math background to compute probabilities,do understand the concept of deviation and losing streaks.Would be interested in hearing from others about they handle this problem since,it happens to all of us all too frequently.

[Hajck Hillstrom]

This is a great site. Thanks to everyone for the caring insight. I was having a tremendous year! I hit a 5 fig super on opening day at The Spa, and ever since it has been one of the most painful months EVER! I can't tell you how many Pik4's I've been live to with over 50% of the field in the final leg and lost! (Usually in a painfully close photo) One day I was live to a single in the final leg that would pay 18k (second fav) and the jock falls off out of the gate.

I find September the best month of the year to take off. October brings about some of the better meetings (Oaktree & Keeneland), and the time off will bring you back fresh, and then well honed for the Breeder's Cup.

Here is the key. Take the time off! Don't do any handicapping whatsoever! Go ahead and watch the racing. Read the charts, but don't do any analysis. Not a bad time to catch up on the reading you've been meaning to do.

The respite might be one of the major keys to keeping the bankroll intact.

Check your records. Focus on your strengths when you return.

Now, write back when that bankroll climbs back over 5 stacks of high society!

[RaceBookJoe]

I am fairly conservative, mainly win/place/exactas. I dont usually have much of a losing streak ( that doesnt mean i am making a killing either though ), but when I feel like i have lost touch with handicapping...i will take a couple of days off. When I go back I usually start back on a reduced level until I feel I am back in cycle. Just like horses seem to go through a form cycle, i seem to go through a betting cycle. So when I am in a downturn, i am cautious and when I feel I am in an uptrend I might push things a little harder. I consider myself in a downcycle when my picks are racing/finishing poorly. To me losing a photo or finishing 4th by a length is part of the game. Finishing 7th while being no closer than 8 lengths is telling me I have turned to "handicrapping". Thats just what i do.

[Vigors]

.....are we REALLY past the "good 'ole" day's when after a losing day, I
would simply take a few Valium's with some rum or vodka, and get soooo
messed up that I wouldn't know wether to "shit or wind my wristwatch",
and when I woke up with only a few dollar's left....I figured that a hooker
must have took it after a rather great performance ( on my part, thank you )
and I would have a great story to tell next time I went to the track !!

And from what I'm reading here, those day's just MIGHT be over...
"SAY IT AIN'T SO, BABE"

[betovernetcapper]

Vigors-don't get it-- what has finishing the day with a few Valium and some rum or vodka have to do with a losing streak? Isn't that the way one is supposed to finish the day?

[Vigors]

.......the same way I looked over the correct spelling of your monicer as it
were,.....You looked over my 1st sentence !!!!



are we REALLY past the "good 'ole" day's when after a losing day, I
would

That "after" is a sneaky way of meaning the closing, the endding, yada
yada,yada........

If that's not what you were referring to, I'll aploigize by burning my pompas
award's from the "MENZA" group ( see there, I used the word "group"
instead of the haughtier :"organization"....and what a "group" to err with.

I'd finish the bad day and sumcumb to the evil's......except that I don't drink.
that's what was meant.........sorry

[DeanT]

I was having a tremendous year! I hit a 5 fig super on opening day at The Spa, and ever since it has been one of the most painful months EVER! I can't tell you how many Pik4's I've been live to with over 50% of the field in the final leg and lost! (Usually in a painfully close photo) One day I was live to a single in the final leg that would pay 18k (second fav) and the jock falls off out of the gate.


That kinda stuff always freaks me out.

Luck is supposed to be random, but go figure. It never seems to be.

This is the hardest game in the world, not only to win at, but on your mind, imo. I have never found one harder, and I have tried several.

[coolbreeze3332000]

1 First thing don't start playing low odd horses. If you can hit a couple long shots it will build your confidence up quick.

2 Find a good 8f or longer, With only one good closer, Or a 6f with only one speed horse. Everyday they are there.

[spilparc]

There is something else that needs to be taken into consideration. That is, losing 27 races in a row could be perfectly normal. In other words, you might not be doing anything wrong.

If you usually hit around 18% winners, then losing 27 in a row is a normal occurence.

Log.005/Log.82 =26.69

[northerndancer]

In all forms of gaming you will have winning and losing streaks.......I have developed a system for each of those streaks:

1. When I have a losing streak where every selection I make runs up the track I will stop wagering real dollars all together...... instead I start to simulate my wagers until I have the confidence that the losing streak is broken. I have found that there is no set time limit to a losing streak (or winning streak) but the losing streak seems to last much longer than the winning streak. I found that I would press during my losing streak if I was betting real dollars (reach to catch a nice payoff) and this would only dig the hole deeper. Therefore I realized take the pressure of losing actual dollars away and allow the smoke to clear before starting up with real dollars. It also allows me the ability to look at my wagering patterns to see what I should do differently without any added pressure;

2. During the winning streak I will be more aggressive in the amount wagered and types of wagers. I will normally stick to Win & Exacta markets but during a winning streak I will add in the Trifecta, Super and Pic markets;

3. Both streaks have one thing in common and that is at the end of the day major food and drink consumption because you have to eat and drink;

[Bill Olmsted]

The best way to deal with losing streaks...

...is not to have them in the first place.


B :)

"Betting short priced favorites for the better good of the nation."

[Jeff P]

If you are a serious player you need to accept that losing streaks are part of the game. I did a search for "+losing +streaks" and came up with some old threads that I thought might be useful...

How To Handle A Losing Streak
http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12661&highlight=losing+streak

What things helped advance your success at the races?
http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10292&page=1&pp=15&highlight=losing+streak

Any Professionals out here??
http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7001&page=1&pp=15&highlight=losing+streak



-jp

.

[thespaah]

Avoid any "Martingale" nonsense during bad streaks.
When your bankroll is 2.5 times your original, bank the profits and go back to your original stake.

This July, I lost 27 consecutive races, won one, then lost another 16.
Because I flat bet the same amount on each race, I was able to survive, losing less than 1/4 of my horse stake during that "exprience". Had I tried to get it all back quickly, I'd be carrying a lunchpail by now, if you know what I mean....

good luck
bigchumpI have had long losers too. One thing I NEVER do is go outside the budget. This way if there's an extended losing streak , am not geting hammered financially I keep going with what works even though I am not hitting bets, the evetuality of hitting them is there..I stick with my handicapping methods through the hi' sand low's.
Succesful gambling is all about money management.

[thespaah]

1 First thing don't start playing low odd horses. If you can hit a couple long shots it will build your confidence up quick.

2 Find a good 8f or longer, With only one good closer, Or a 6f with only one speed horse. Everyday they are there.Hmm I look for the lone speed in a route race..I loaded up on Commentator in the 2006 Whitney at SAR and cleaned up...Before that I was getting my rear beaten to a pulp..I couldn't hit anything..Then this silly race comes up and that started a very successful 2006 SAR meet..The point is whatever the case, something weil literally jump off the page and that helps me turn the corner.. I just keep an even keel and don't get upset about losing streaks.

[maxwell]

I had one losing streak earlier in the year ( 13 in a row ) which I was able to overcome and post a good six-month score. July, however, was the start of the "Perfect Storm" of handicapping. I managed to lose 25 races in a row! I'm an utra-conservative player so that's a pretty good whuppin'. I've hit a couple of winners since ( 19/1 total ) so I'm back from the dead and "sitting pretty" at minus 6 for the second half of the year.

I think extended losing streaks can be a good thing. They force you to review and rethink your factors. If I can find a way of turning those 25 losers into 15 losers, I'm improving my play. I make notes as the year rolls along but I don't make changes until the New Year - skewing your results is a no-no.


The triple Crown of handicapping is to stay cool, calm, and collected. I still get rattled but I'm working on it. :)

[SignUpKing]

I had one losing streak earlier in the year ( 13 in a row ) which I was able to overcome and post a good six-month score. July, however, was the start of the "Perfect Storm" of handicapping. I managed to lose 25 races in a row! I'm an utra-conservative player so that's a pretty good whuppin'. I've hit a couple of winners since ( 19/1 total ) so I'm back from the dead and "sitting pretty" at minus 6 for the second half of the year.

I think extended losing streaks can be a good thing. They force you to review and rethink your factors. If I can find a way of turning those 25 losers into 15 losers, I'm improving my play. I make notes as the year rolls along but I don't make changes until the New Year - skewing your results is a no-no.


The triple Crown of handicapping is to stay cool, calm, and collected. I still get rattled but I'm working on it. :)

Agreed. I have headed back to the basics, and am taking a short respite during Fairplex.

[john del riccio]

STOP doing the race of the week.....GEEZ has it been rough.:blush:

John

[Semipro]

When I get on a losing streak I reduce my wagers until I start hitting again and I always do then I increase them. You probably got too smart go back to basics.What doesn't work is pulling your hair out it only makes you bald.