Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz
I've wracked my brain over the past months trying to figure out what racing could do to turn the tide but I just can't see a way out of this mess.
Can anyone else?
Sure, we know the two obvious things...
1. Substantial reduction in takeout.
2. Improve the tote system.
Unfortunately, these two items are both viewed as "cost-without-return" by the race tracks.
Does anyone have any ideas for how those two items could be turned into a positive for the tracks?
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I have an idea:
A short while ago...I opened a modest account with HorseTourneys.com...a tournament site where handicappers are pitted against one-another for a predetermined prize pool. There are heads-up tournaments...as well as tournaments where any number of contestants can participate. I learned about that site from several posters here with whom I have developed a friendship of sorts, and they were encouraging me to try out the site for many months now...but, true to my nature, I procrastinated needlessly until recently.
And...you know what? I am having a freaking BALL! I am playing strictly heads-up...I am winning WAY more often than I thought I would...and I couldn't care less about the plunging odds, or any other disturbing part of this game...because my opponent is as clueless about these esoteric developments as I am. It's strictly a handicapping contest between him and me...and the other disturbing factors don't have a long-term effect on our betting results. And I ask:
Why are Horsetourneys and DerbyWars able to offer such a fascinating wagering alternative to their customers...and the other mighty AWDs can't? Why don't the racetracks take their heads out of their asses...and realize that widespread tournament-play might be exactly the shot-in-the-arm that this game so sorely needs? Haven't they seen what tournament-play has done for the popularity of POKER?
The Whales are taking the play away from the average horseplayer...and the average horseplayer is disenchanted to the point where he has one foot out of the racetrack's door. Why doesn't the track offer him an alternative wagering option like a widespread tournament format...so he could get excited about the game again...as I have been for the last few weeks?
PS...
I keep only a modest amount in my HorseTourneys account, because I don't know how trustworthy the site is...since it exists only on the internet. But if I knew that the site was supported by a racetrack, then my action there would multiply by a factor of
10...and I am willing to wager that the same could be said about all the other players who bet those tournaments. Give people a freaking CHOICE! Those who want to play the "cash game" can bet into the mutuel pools...and those who want tournament-play can focus their attention on the tournaments. And the players' interest in the game remains intact.
Is there something fundamentally WRONG with this way of thinking?
