How much do you bet?

[superfecta]

What is the rule of thumb for the size of your wager?
Do you bet a specific amount each race,or do you dutch to the odds?
And how much return per bet do you expect?With straight bets ?On exotics?
I think this is different than ROI,it is not an average,it is based on your own comfort level.

My basic wagering plan is based on a $6 key or partial wheel,on tris and supers.
I don't bet anymore than $10 a race, usually 4-6 bucks is my limit.I try to get a minimum return of 20 -1 for every dollar I bet,but since prob payoffs for tris and supers are not available, I use the old payoff method the Vegas books used before they went pari mutuel(winners price payoff x place horse payoff x show horse payoff = probable tri payoff) Not exact,but usually is the lowest the tri will pay.Supers are so squirrely,I usually fig what the tri will pay prob and bet the super.

[PaceGuy]

Almost all of my bets are WIN only. The size of the bet is a percentage of the bankroll. I use three or four different play types (angles) and keep a separate bankroll for each play type. I like to start off a play type with a small bankroll and see if I can grow it to something significant over the course of time. At times in the past I've actually had to remove money from bankrolls using this approach because the size of the next required bet had grown beyond my own personal 'comfort level.' Managing money this way seems easy and natural for me when I'm making $25.00 to $50.00 win bets. But after a hot streak I can tell you that the 'butterfly factor' (at least for me) somehow changes things when I realize that I'm about to make a $250.00 win bet on a horse (which might be larger than the size of the bankroll that I started with in the first place) and I stop and think how much I'll be out if now I suddenly run into a losing streak of say 12-15 straight losses.

I generally shy away from exotics. The game seems much simpler and easier if I can find a genuine overlay and somehow manage to get the horse home on top.

[anotherdave]

I bet $100 flat to win. That is the top of my comfort level and with a bank of $10000 is relatively safe. On occasion (once or twice a week) I double a bet on an outstanding oppotunity. On occasion when I have a good horse at 10-1 or more with a very good hot favourite in the race I buy $50 to win on the long shot and a $50 one way exactor from the favourite to my long shot. That works for me. I don't like to have to decide how much and how to bet a race. It is enough work finding the correct horse!