Calder introduces the "head to head showdown" bet on saturdays

[toussaud]

with an 18% takeout


http://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/calder-to-launch-head-to-head-wager/

[jelly]

Is this the best Marshall can come up with?


Calder will institute its newest wager, the Saturday Showdown, beginning with Saturday’s Juvenile Showcase program.

The Saturday Showdown is a head-to-head wager in which a bettor must pick which of two pre-designated horses will finish ahead of the other in the last race on each Saturday card throughout the remainder of the meet. The wager will carry an 18-percent takeout and requires a $1 minimum bet.

“This new wager is easy for fans of all levels to understand and play,” said Calder’s vice president and general manger of racing, John Marshall. “But we expect it to be most appealing to newcomers.”

Marshall said the track’s racing secretary, Mike Anifantis, will determine the two horses involved in the wager each week.

Anifantis has chosen first-time starter Callas and Angel Dreams to go head to head in the inaugural Saturday Showdown in the 13th race on Saturday’s card.



http://www.drf.com/news/calder-starting-head-head-bet

[Some_One]

Yes, this will attract the sports bettors who are used to both sides being 10/11...oh wait, they'll laugh when they see both horses at 1-2, lol

HK has this right, if you want something that can attract the newbie, you need a big score, cheap to play lottery style bet like the Triple Trio

[Canarsie]

This is the first salvo CDI is firing at Betfair imo. Surely they could do better than 18% unless it's mandated by state law.

[Charli125]

This is the first salvo CDI is firing at Betfair imo. Surely they could do better than 18% unless it's mandated by state law.

Why not add it to the menu, I mean it went over great at Delmar. Last I looked the bet had handled, for the whole meet mind you, 112K.

That's not a typo. They've offered it in 5 races and the total bet is 112K.

In my opinion, this is a dumb bet.

[Some_One]

This is the first salvo CDI is firing at Betfair imo. Surely they could do better than 18% unless it's mandated by state law.

I'm pretty sure Betfair ain't worry about this, also CDI tracks are not on Betfair except for Derby as CDI doesn't give their television signal to At The Races or Racing UK.

[jelly]

Why not add it to the menu, I mean it went over great at Delmar. Last I looked the bet had handled, for the whole meet mind you, 112K.

That's not a typo. They've offered it in 5 races and the total bet is 112K.

In my opinion, this is a dumb bet.




Agree,Would have liked to be in the room when they were mulling around this great idea. :lol:

[Charli125]

[/COLOR]
Agree,Would have liked to be in the room when they were mulling around this great idea. :lol:

I think that's what happens when you don't have player representation around when you're looking at bets.

Casino companies put their various slot machine themes in front of focus groups prior to putting them out on the floor. We could learn a little something from them.

[Canarsie]

I'm pretty sure Betfair ain't worry about this, also CDI tracks are not on Betfair except for Derby as CDI doesn't give their television signal to At The Races or Racing UK.


I didn't mean Betfair United Kingdom but Betfair/TVG it's my bad forgot that there are numerous members here from Europe.

NJ might have exchange wagering up and running early in 2012 that was my point. Nobody in their right mind would think any U.S. company can compete with the knowledge they have running such an operation now.

[cj]

Just when you think racing executives are the dumbest creatures on the planet, they prove you right. The gap to second would make Secretariat's Belmont romp look like a photo.

[Robert Fischer]

Why not add it to the menu, I mean it went over great at Delmar. Last I looked the bet had handled, for the whole meet mind you, 112K.

That's not a typo. They've offered it in 5 races and the total bet is 112K.

IMO you have NOT shown a lack of success by posting this particular data.

22k per race, on a wager not available (at least for certain the first couple and highly probable that they haven't fixed this) on my ADW, and as far as I know all the major ADWs.
I looked to make a wager and it was not available. This bet in particular has a lot of growth potential in online activity due to the nature of it.

(as far as I know)There also have not been head to head wagering on any of the Grade I featured races of the meet.

Add to that, that at least the first wager was poorly selected(although IIRC the longer shot surprised) so that there wasn't inherent value in the wager to begin with.

If it is on track 20K a race is pretty damn good.

[cj]

You think jockeys are informed that they have to ride hard for 11th if the other horse in the head to head is in 12th?

[Robert Goren]

Is there no end to the hair-brained schemes that race tracks will try before they do the one thing that will actually increase handle?

[Phantombridgejumpe]

we shall see.

[Charli125]

IMO you have NOT shown a lack of success by posting this particular data.

22k per race, on a wager not available (at least for certain the first couple and highly probable that they haven't fixed this) on my ADW, and as far as I know all the major ADWs.
I looked to make a wager and it was not available. This bet in particular has a lot of growth potential in online activity due to the nature of it.

If you think this bet has a lot of potential for online players then we're just going to have to disagree. I don't think any player looking for value is going to play this bet.

Also, this bet is available on most ADW's as far as I know. I'm not sure which ADW you use, but I'm pretty sure it always was available at most. Maybe it wasn't available at first, but it's certainly available now. The pool totals starting with the first time it was offered are as follows:
31,413
18,816
26,505
18,141
17,947

So basically the handle is getting worse, not better.

If you want to appeal to new players you need something exciting. Winning less than you can win picking a side in a football game is not exciting. If you want to appeal to existing players then you need value. This is not value.

To each their own, but IMO this is just a bad bet.

[Robert Fischer]

If you think this bet has a lot of potential for online players then we're just going to have to disagree. I don't think any player looking for value is going to play this bet.

Also, this bet is available on most ADW's as far as I know. I'm not sure which ADW you use, but I'm pretty sure it always was available at most. Maybe it wasn't available at first, but it's certainly available now. The pool totals starting with the first time it was offered are as follows:
31,413
18,816
26,505
18,141
17,947

So basically the handle is getting worse, not better.

If you want to appeal to new players you need something exciting. Winning less than you can win picking a side in a football game is not exciting. If you want to appeal to existing players then you need value. This is not value.

To each their own, but IMO this is just a bad bet.

After seeing this data, I have to agree with you. :ThmbUp:

Right now I have been using xpressbet... I'll have to check this ADW and see if they have programmed the wager yet.
It may be available at simulcast locations(and probably is, logically following the data you provided), which if in fact available would further strengthen your argument.

personally I haven't seen any value the couple of times that I handicapped the head-to-head race, and thus have not bet into those pools yet regardless of ADW.

[toussaud]

After seeing this data, I have to agree with you. :ThmbUp:

Right now I have been using xpressbet... I'll have to check this ADW and see if they have programmed the wager yet.
It may be available at simulcast locations(and probably is, logically following the data you provided), which if in fact available would further strengthen your argument.

personally I haven't seen any value the couple of times that I handicapped the head-to-head race, and thus have not bet into those pools yet regardless of ADW.
it's there (i use xpressbet), but only on saturdays. it basically has it's own "track"

[Charli125]

it's there (i use xpressbet), but only on saturdays. it basically has it's own "track"

Yeah, I should've mentioned that. I've seen it treated like the Oaks/Derby double and similar bets where i shows up as a different track.

[Robert Fischer]

thanks, will check.

thought i looked for that 'separate track' setup on the first offering, but glad to hear it is up.

with the takeout as high as it is, it takes a strong opposing opinion and this may be a wager I end up passing pretty much every week.