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Originally Posted by Helles
Compared to most of you, I am a relative newcomer to thoroughbred racing. I've been studying for about eight years. I spent the 25 years prior to that studying greyhounds.
I had the good fortune to hook up with two very good dog players back then and exchange ideas and plays. We used to get together on Yahoo chat and enable the voice function and then sit there and play the races together. This was not only very informative, but also a lot of fun. One of them had played professionally for several years and I found his insight very helpful and it improved my play.
Fast forward to March 2011. I was looking for a software program that offered the flexibility to do my own research and build my own approach(es) to the game. Unfortunately, there appeared to be three or four really good ones. How to choose? Long story (thankfully) shortened, I liked what Dave Schwartz had been writing on PA so I decided on HSH.
This isn't a commercial for HSH, but rather for a way for some of us to perhaps improve our game.
I have been lurking on PA for several years and I've read quite a bit. One thing that stuck with me and I could relate to my dog days is the idea of having a mentor. This has come up in books I have read and many of the members here have pointed out the importance of having a mentor. It has also been pointed out here that you can emulate a mentor but it is unlikely that you can copy a mentor's approach and enjoy the same success.
Okay, so where do I find a mentor? I can't very well ask Thaskalos to spend an hour a day with me to help me improve my game. I also can't ask him to show me how he does it. This is where the 'cooperation' in the title of my post comes in.
Dave put me in touch with DT, an experienced user of HSH. DT took the time to show me some things with HSH and pointed me to reference materials and "How to" information to get started. As I began my research, DT and I began exchanging ideas and discussing what worked and what didn't. Soon, Dave put Jon, another new user, in touch with DT and I and we created a cooperative group. We have come together and established a common goal: Winning money.
With this in mind, we have mapped out a strategy to get to the point of being profitable. With all three of us working the problem, separate areas of the same problem, we are getting work done and seeing results much faster than any of us could have alone.
This is where a strong leader, or mentor comes into play in our particular circumstance. We use Dave as a sounding board for our ideas. Dave has given us suggestions and nudged us in certain directions and kept us on track. We are closing in on an approach that we feel will be profitable for all of us. Dave's leadership in this area has been very valuable.
Now, this might not be a blueprint for many of you to follow. But if you think this kind of cooperative effort might help your game, then you might PM Dave Schwartz and see if he can put you together with any like-minded individuals. Knowing Dave, I don't think he would mind doing this in the least. (If he does, I'm sure he'll be along to sock me in the mush in short order) For me and where I am with my game, this cooperative effort and mentoring from Dave have been invaluable. I know it has moved me much closer to long-term profitability.
Good luck.
Doug
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Unless I am mistaken...Dave Schwartz is, as we speak, in the process of putting together something which is designed to accomplish the very thing you are talking about.
As I, and others, have said before...a "real" mentor is INVALUABLE in this game -- mainly for two reasons:
The complexity of the game...and the vast amounts of misinformation floating around about how to play it.
Without a mentor, the inexperienced player can remain sidetracked for many years...
