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Old 02-10-2018, 01:33 PM   #16
Ruffian1
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I started asking my dad around the age of twelve. I will spare you all the details but by taking an interest in gambling, it eventually led to me enjoying two successful careers. The first as a thoroughbred trainer and the second as a real estate developer. It all started with gambling and both of those careers are all about that.
But please understand, as a trainer my gambling was not like customers, it was the claiming game which is a constant gamble. I played it everyday. Same with buying and developing property.

So for me, my advice would be absolutely talk to him about it. Chances are you know more about the subject than most dads .

Hope that helps.

Good luck.
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Old 02-10-2018, 02:23 PM   #17
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I would tell him fuhgedaboudit for now, because of the way the game is declining. Tell him to check back in a few years and see how things are. Santa Anita is now running $6250 claimers and $12.5 maiden claimers. Not long ago the only maiden claimers in So Cal were $50K and $32K. Accounting for inflation these races are no better than the $800 claimers they used to run at Caliente. The Strub has disappeared and the San Juan was won by a claiming horse a few years ago. Bring on those bottom level 4-1/2 furlong extravaganzas. I will get off the bleeping soap box now.
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Old 02-10-2018, 08:30 PM   #18
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He's 15 and is taking an interest in what you are interested in ?

Jump at the chance.
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Old 02-11-2018, 01:57 AM   #19
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A lot of great posts, leaning towards the father-son thing rather than the mentor-student-gambling thing, and I agree with a lot of the posters here that it's a great way to share some time with your son, and have something to discuss nearly all the time. Also will give you a great insight into who he is, and what inclinations he might have. I have two grown sons that have always known my interest in this game, and both learned just as much as they wanted to. They can both discuss handicapping with me, but all their bets combined in a year doesn't equal one slow week for me.

But, it will always be a subject of mutual understanding that I have with both of them.
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Old 02-11-2018, 02:38 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by chiguy View Post
Take him out golfing and teach how to figure out his handicap
I'm with you, Chiguy. If the lad plays golf he may spend $40 or $50 a week on 4 or 5 hours of quality time with Dad and/or his buddies. It's all good - the game is great and so is being on a golf course. Toss in walking the course and the shared experience is even healthier.

Contrast that with the lad learning to play the horses today. Sure going on big days with Dad is a tremendous thing. But playing the horses today is nothing like I experienced. For one thing, if I couldn't get to a racecourse I couldn't bet. And when I could bet it was just at the track I was at for the most part. In addition to that fact, If I took $50 to the track when I was learning to play years ago, that was all I was going to lose. And I only had to hit a couple races out of 9 or 10 races to hold my own. Today a bet on a slew of races is a couple clicks away all day long. The temptation to click when the rent was due would have gotten me in trouble for sure when I was younger and dumber.

Then there is the horrendous thought that I would encourage my son to play a game that takes a 20% cut off the table on almost every bet. (If horseplayers are "lucky", it's 20%. )

Do I want to share my love for racing with my kid? Of course, I do. But it's fairly obvious that he's better off financially learning how to be smart betting craps, blackjack, and sports if he wants to gamble.

Not that people haven't been known to bet a buck or two on a golf course.
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Old 02-11-2018, 08:54 AM   #21
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any quality time you can spend with your son take it. Unfortunately the only interest my Dad and I shared was being workaholics. I fished, bowled,played football,baseball,basketball,hiked and my Dad worked,worked and worked. When I grew up and started working, I found myself just like him. Work,work,play,work work. As much as I love telling everyone that I am my Fathers son. Had his habits and hairline, or lack of, it turned out that we had very little time together. I did pick up some things from him that have been a blessing, especially from the 20 years he spend on the volunteer first aid squad that have allowed me to help others in emergencies and other basic first aid needs, but not any quality time together.
I say enjoy the moments you have together, be it on the golf course, at a ball game or at the track. Also, talk to him man to man. If you have not been able to spend quality time with your son, maybe this is his way of trying to spend time with you, by trying to take an interest in what you like to do. Above all, if he is truly interested in learning the game, then take him to the track, show him the ropes, the beautiful animals and all the sport has to offer but also make sure he sees the dirt bags that hang out at most of the tracks and make sure he understands that it could be him some day.
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Old 02-11-2018, 09:55 AM   #22
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Great topic. Johnny miller once said the greatest gift you can give your child is your TIME. Good luck.
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Old 02-11-2018, 10:30 AM   #23
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The need or desire to bond with a child is a poor excuse to introduce them to or encourage them to gamble. Do kids really have spare money sitting around that they can afford to spend playing the horses? I have seen way too many people get caught up in the high of gambling and essentially ruin themselves and their families financially.

Racing today is nothing like racing was when most of us started. Racing was a social outing. Almost all betting occurred at the track. Today most betting occurs behind a computer in a mostly unsocial setting. Do I want my child sitting behind a computer for hours betting on races. Hell no!
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Old 02-11-2018, 11:20 AM   #24
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Andy you make it sound as if we want to bond with our kids so bad then let’s shoot up drugs together just to spend time.

Come on. I agree it’s different betting at home now. But take the kid to the track and teach him what to avoid. Jeez.
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Old 02-11-2018, 01:09 PM   #25
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I come from the position of "parent" more so than "handicapper."

The short version is that I've worked to keep my children away from my involvement in horse racing. It is not that I am ashamed. As my father once said, "Gambling is one of the great joys of life."

My rationale for this is from my own experience. My father was a gambler and dedicated loser. Not a blow-the-mortgage-kind-of-guy, but a guy who lost enough money gambling on a regular basis to always keep us deeply in debt.

Every 7 years he filed bankruptcy.

To his credit, he was always sober, and was a hard worker. Always had 2 jobs and once worked 12 years without a day off. (No joke.)

It wasn't until I was a teenager that my mother and I found out he never worked Saturdays before 5pm because he took a junket to the Bahamas every week.

As a 9-year old with a precocious intellect, his quote to me was, "Someday you will play poker. I'm going to teach you how to play so that you can win instead of lose."

By the time I was 9, he and my mother gave up expecting to beat me at hearts or gin.

Age 9 was also when a guy who used to work for my dad as a blackjack dealer came to visit. (Dad owned an illegal card and horse room in Niagara Falls back in the 40s until the mob invited themselves in as partners. He promptly left town.)

After dazzling me with card tricks for about 20 minutes, the guy says to my father, "Can the kid deal?" I said, "Sure I can," and proceeded to deal cards around the table much as you'd expect any 9-yr old to do.

Then he says, "He's got the cards in the wrong hand!"

"No, that's the way I do it, see?" continuing to deal. (I am right-handed, so, logically, the deck was held in the left hand.)

My father instructed me to never deal right-handed again. It wasn't until I was 15 and dealing blackjack and poker in an illegal casino in Liberty City (Miami) that I came to understand why.

In case you don't know, it is easier for a lefty to peek at the top card, and, hence, makes for a better mechanic.

At age 13, while dad and I were in the Catskills (working as waiters at the Concord), I had to bail him out of several gin rummy games by taking on the guy who had his money. (That became an every-summer deal for 3 years.)

So, I was brought up in and around gambling. All this led me to a fascinating and, at times, exciting life... and I especially enjoy the fact that I've pretty much lived it My Way, often to my own disadvantage, but it has been a good life.

We all know people whose lives have been literally destroyed by gambling, along with many of the people they touched.

I would just never want to be that parent who taught his child something that could have such a negative impact on his future.

Of course, I have known guys whose lives were destroyed by spending 15 years trying to play Major League Baseball. Also had a business partner once who lost everything to 8 years of full-time Amway.

There are so many ways to blow up your life for a lifetime.


Just my opinion.

Dave

Last edited by Dave Schwartz; 02-11-2018 at 01:11 PM.
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Old 02-11-2018, 01:39 PM   #26
whisperlunch
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Dave that’s interesting reply and pretty fascinating story. My point is not to teach children bad habits. I was introduced to horse racing by my uncle. Everyone is brought in by someone. My point is I’d rather spend one on one time with my son doing this and teaching him than not spending time. My son is 22 now and he likes the races but he doesn’t spend his life playing. So each Person is different. I’ve lost a ton of $ when I was younger at this sport but you learn to keep it where u can afford it. I have no problem when I see kids at the track with their parents or family. I don’t think anything is wrong with it. To each his own. This is an interesting topic.
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Old 02-11-2018, 01:53 PM   #27
Franco Santiago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz View Post
I come from the position of "parent" more so than "handicapper."

The short version is that I've worked to keep my children away from my involvement in horse racing. It is not that I am ashamed. As my father once said, "Gambling is one of the great joys of life."

My rationale for this is from my own experience. My father was a gambler and dedicated loser. Not a blow-the-mortgage-kind-of-guy, but a guy who lost enough money gambling on a regular basis to always keep us deeply in debt.

Every 7 years he filed bankruptcy.

To his credit, he was always sober, and was a hard worker. Always had 2 jobs and once worked 12 years without a day off. (No joke.)

It wasn't until I was a teenager that my mother and I found out he never worked Saturdays before 5pm because he took a junket to the Bahamas every week.

As a 9-year old with a precocious intellect, his quote to me was, "Someday you will play poker. I'm going to teach you how to play so that you can win instead of lose."

By the time I was 9, he and my mother gave up expecting to beat me at hearts or gin.

Age 9 was also when a guy who used to work for my dad as a blackjack dealer came to visit. (Dad owned an illegal card and horse room in Niagara Falls back in the 40s until the mob invited themselves in as partners. He promptly left town.)

After dazzling me with card tricks for about 20 minutes, the guy says to my father, "Can the kid deal?" I said, "Sure I can," and proceeded to deal cards around the table much as you'd expect any 9-yr old to do.

Then he says, "He's got the cards in the wrong hand!"

"No, that's the way I do it, see?" continuing to deal. (I am right-handed, so, logically, the deck was held in the left hand.)

My father instructed me to never deal right-handed again. It wasn't until I was 15 and dealing blackjack and poker in an illegal casino in Liberty City (Miami) that I came to understand why.

In case you don't know, it is easier for a lefty to peek at the top card, and, hence, makes for a better mechanic.

At age 13, while dad and I were in the Catskills (working as waiters at the Concord), I had to bail him out of several gin rummy games by taking on the guy who had his money. (That became an every-summer deal for 3 years.)

So, I was brought up in and around gambling. All this led me to a fascinating and, at times, exciting life... and I especially enjoy the fact that I've pretty much lived it My Way, often to my own disadvantage, but it has been a good life.

We all know people whose lives have been literally destroyed by gambling, along with many of the people they touched.

I would just never want to be that parent who taught his child something that could have such a negative impact on his future.

Of course, I have known guys whose lives were destroyed by spending 15 years trying to play Major League Baseball. Also had a business partner once who lost everything to 8 years of full-time Amway.

There are so many ways to blow up your life for a lifetime.


Just my opinion.

Dave
This is the single best post I have ever read. Thank you for sharing the story to allow us insight into your mind and soul.

We do things essentially for two reasons: to avoid pain or to increase pleasure (although, sometimes we things for both). It is clear to me why you would not involve your children in this horse racing.

Thank you again for sharing.
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Old 02-11-2018, 02:50 PM   #28
Ocala Mike
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I would encourage him to follow his interest in horse racing/handicapping/gambling in hopes of discouraging him from being interested in some unseemly field like politics.
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Old 02-11-2018, 03:32 PM   #29
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My viewpoint is that there is a lot of bad things that can happen no matter what you do. I come from the school that you live and let live, but with a lot of guidance. If your son has interest in a book about racing, let him read the book. Discusss the book with him. If he wants to pursue betting the horses explain the facts of life. You have to talk to him about sex and drugs and alcohol and smoking and vaping and stelaing and people and politics, and driving distracted or impaired or too fast and respecting yourself and the opposite sex........and yes you probably should talk to him about gambling. Don't think, no matter how hard you try, you can keep gambling out of his life. He may decide to bet football or go to Vegas or go to a poker room or play poker at college or go a local casino when he comes of age. I think ignorance of the game is more detrimental than the game itself. Not saying that lives aren't screwed up by gambling anyhow, but I think in general not knowing what your dealing with sets you up for the fall more than anything. You kow the game, you know gambling, let him know the score as you see it.

Like anything else in life teach him how to make wise decision for himself. As Ultracapper said in his post, chances are this game likely will not appeal to him that much anyhow. I have a nephew who goes to school in San Diego and his frat goes to Del Mar a few times a year. He says he has no interest in the game nor do the people he goes with. Just seems like this younger generation is differrent than we were. The worst thing you can do is keep it a secret as if you are keeping something really awesome from him. "It works for me but I could never let you do it". Seriously?

If he seriously want to pursue the game, let him pursue the game the right way. You say we are going to start you out with $500 bucks. You are going to bet 2% of bankroll($10 per horse or half of that if you prefer) until you reach a $1000 or go broke. If he reaches a $1000 you figure out what step 2 is and you go there. If he loses the enitre $500 it is safe to say his desire to pursue this game likely will go out the window. In between, you talk horses, bond, teach him the game and the two of you have a lot of fun. Chances are that $500 will last him quite a while and you go from there. The bottom line is he will learn how to play the game in a disiciplined fashion and won't get caught up in chasing scores. His gambling experiences of the future will be much wiser than they will be at random.

Life is full of great things and bad things and all you can do as a parent is guide and pray that your kids make the right choices in life and that nothing really bad happens even if they do.
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Old 02-11-2018, 04:46 PM   #30
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The need or desire to bond with a child is a poor excuse to introduce them to or encourage them to gamble. Do kids really have spare money sitting around that they can afford to spend playing the horses? I have seen way too many people get caught up in the high of gambling and essentially ruin themselves and their families financially.

Racing today is nothing like racing was when most of us started. Racing was a social outing. Almost all betting occurred at the track. Today most betting occurs behind a computer in a mostly unsocial setting. Do I want my child sitting behind a computer for hours betting on races. Hell no!
they already spend hours in front of the tv playing video games
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