Did you ever stop betting?

[misscashalot]

Did you ever stop betting for 3 months or more? why and what brought you back?

I was in a bad streak and was burning up my discretionary cash. It was either paying the rent or sleeping in my 85 Buick. But after a few months the call of the wild got to me. I started with the basic $2 bet and things picked up. I'm guessing my story is not unusual.

[andymays]

I was in a coma once. :sleeping:

I think I stopped betting, although I dreamt that I was on a roll at Santa Anita (when it still had a quality dirt surface). :cool:

[magwell]

Only on some Tuesdays........:rolleyes:

[illinoisbred]

I stopped on a saturday in june of 1996.I wasn't losing,I remember having a19-1 winner the day before. I was 40 yrs. old with no real social life and had a serious itch to learn about photography.Well after 5 yrs of fairly heavy dating and burning out of the picture-taking kick something aggravated me regarding my then current girlfriend and decided the active social life wasn't worth the bother and I wanted to return to racing at the next meet that started .That turned out to be the Fair Grounds in nov. 2001. It's been every day again since then-with no regrets.I work 2 jobs-the 1st,7 days a week from 2:30-5:30. The 2nd 5 days a week 6:00-4:00PM. During the week I confine my wagers to win bets ,exacta boxes,and pick-3's when I have a strong single.I call my bets into Twin Spires at noontime.

[Dave Schwartz]

Sure.

A short time after the Beyer number became readily available (1993 I think) I found my approach to the game did not work. As I set about to find a new approach, I did not play. It took me 3.5 years to find a way to win.


Regards,
Dave Schwartz

[LottaKash]

Yes, quit at least 100-200 times.....:confused: ....Glad it didn't take...:cool:

best,

[badcompany]

If you live in New York City, it's easy to lay off playing horses because OTB makes the betting experience so unsavory.

[DeanT]

I stopped for five years. No edge and a whole lotta work for nothing. I switched to the stock market. Then I worked at it for three or four years and started doing better with better play and lower takeout that some of the ADW's offered us. If I had to play at the track with high take I would not have come back.

[BillW]

I've taken the last year off. I got so pissed at the state of racing (ADW situation, illegal drugs, tote security etc.). I just recently started betting at a lower level while prototyping some spot play software.

[Steve 'StatMan']

Several times due to life situations/complications, normally outside of racing. Had a bad stress illness, and needed to get rid of all stressors for about 2 months, whether they were enjoyable, or problem things, 2 weeks off work, no caffiene, alchool, etc. Naturally the work counselor was concerned when I told him I was serious about horse racing. Agreed I could go without betting for 2 months without a problem, and agreed that if couldn't, then it'd be a problem. I didn't bet for 2 months except for buying a $2 souvenier ticket on Cigar at Arlington Park for the Citation Challenge that I never cashed. Did go to the track on a few Saturdays to visit my friends-wasn't going to give up my friendships, but I didn't handicap, read the forms, bet the races, etc. After some of the stress had gone down in a couple weeks, I went back to the charts and resumed typing the data into my database (long time ago.) Back then I'd stressed out so bad at work, marriage & life that even watching Jeopardy on TV gave me headaches and had to turn the TV off. Good thing I didn't care about politics back then (1997; a joke to my O/T friends) I was always able to give up alcohol for several months (now, very rarely have one) while still joining my bowling teammates in the bar after league, and everyone else drinking periodically throughout the evening. I'm glad and perhaps lucky I can do that, as I know there are people who find that a hard challege.

[formula_2002]

I was in a coma once. :sleeping:

I think I stopped betting, although I dreamt that I was on a roll at Santa Anita (when it still had a quality dirt surface). :cool:

Is that what it was. A coma!!! Thanks for helping me figured it out :)

[Horseplayersbet.com]

I ran out of mad money many times in my early life, and was forced to quit. I quit a few times when the horses just didn't run to figures, knowing it would be on for short runs.
Recently though, the only time I quit was when my computer went on the fritz.

[Imriledup]

I stopped betting for 6 months many years ago and went back because i needed the money.

[Mike_412]

Not necessarily completely on topic, but I stop betting every year immediately after the Breeder's Cup. I return with the start of the Santa Anita winter meet the day after Christmas mixing in Gulfstream when it starts right after the New Year. It works tremendous for me. I get a solid 2 month or so break to refresh myself and it allows me to focus on the most important part of my life, family and friends, during the holiday season.

I come back fresh and ready to roll. It may not be for everyone, but I love both the break and return to work. I enjoy the balance it gives me as crazy as that sounds.

Only negative is one big score when I return and I'm ready for a weekend of insane debauchery. No one's perfect. ;)

[46zilzal]

We are creatures of habit, often DESTRUCTIVE habit.

I grew up with an uncle who was the black sheep of the family and was usually under the influence when he went to the track and lost all of his, and many of the other family members LOANED money.

That made a solid impression on me, so after my initial outing was superlative (9 wagers, 7 tickets cashed) I went to Anita to discover a rude awakening: disaster.

The lesson of my uncle forced me to take stock of just what I did and what direction I had forged toward. I took off a year, self educated myself and began again with better, not great results.

It wasn't until I separated the skills of handicapping with the skills needed to wager properly that it all came together. BUT, I often take a hiatus here and there remembering the disaster of my uncle.

[Cratos]

Maybe 10 years ago, I went to “seasonal wagering.” That is, I start my betting for the year with the Kentucky Derby and stop with the Breeders’ Cup.

I started this because I never liked winter racing (even in Florida and California) and this gives me a good break from my so-called “seasonal wagering.”

However I am still enjoying racing by following it over the Internet although I am not betting.

[strapper]

I think it's wise sometimes to step away and regroup. You may come back with a refreshed attitude about it. Three months might be a bit extreme....but a good vacation away from the game is a good thing. Racing isn't going anywhere in your absence. It's like when you go on vacation and you don't read the paper or watch tv. All that stuff awaits you when you return home.

[BUD]

I have the Uncle story too--He owed so much --This was the early to mid 60's in my City--My Family Thought it would be safer & cheaper to give him-Well-They Sent him to Cali--My Fam lost Uncle Joe-Thru owing the wrong souls-

Unbeknowest to me-This transpired--Now I elementary school--I bet Small sh1t on The Sox & Bruins Etc--Jr High-High School--It was small money for weekend Booze-----If I went on a bad run--I had a kicken lunch so my entrepreneur skills
where honed selling Devil Dogs Etc---Then I learned if I won & sold parts to my lunch--I could Booze in style---

When I got the Badge--I bet rarely---Basically found stupid homer's--And beat the with superior Away Teams--A skill I learned early on----

The Horses--I started After The Injury////Sickness------& its the best---It almost makes this terrible disposition worth it----Thru it Ive come in contact with some of the best people--real Salt of the Earth--

[banacek]

Similar to Dave..when the Beyers came into the form, I became a losing handicapper. I took 2 years off. I concentrated on my work and family and also was buying a house. But those two years I spent working on (usually late at night) and testing a new approach..the offshoot of which I use to this day.

[raybo]

I stopped for over a year, while still profitable. My method simply quit working without warning. Paying the bills was diminishing my profits quickly, so I took a regular job and didn't even watch a race for that year+.

After my hiatus I began investigating the reason for my method not working (because over many years of developing it I knew it would work). I found that the problem was "me", not the method. I had become so confident in the method that I had stopped doing my "due diligence" of confirming and verifying what my program was telling me and was simply placing the wagers, black box style.

I reentered the game and immediately started producing similar profits as before the brain fart.

That was several years ago and I'm still working the regular job (stress relief from not having to produce a profit to pay the bills), and still using the same method successfully.