Wrong you still keep your job!!

[Kash$]

http://www.news-sentinel.com/enterta...he-job-to-have …

By Mike Marin for The News-Sentinel
Saturday, September 19, 2015 12:01 AM
I must admit, I have a rather cushy job. If I make a "misteak," odds are nobody will even notice. It certainly wouldn't kill anyone. Compare that to an air traffic controller who, if he does his job correctly only 99.99 percent of the time, will likely cause a disaster.
I suppose it's all relative. Ninety five is a great score on a math test, but I wouldn't want my appendix taken out by a surgeon who botches the operation in five out of 100 patients.
A baseball batter who fails 70 percent of the time is considered a superstar. A quarterback who completes 60 percent of his passes is having a good day. (By New York Jets' standards, anyway.)
I used to think meteorologists were very overrated. Where else could you be wrong a good portion of the time and still keep your job? (In fairness, I have to admit they do seem to be improving. With all the Doppler radar and monitoring systems they have now, it is becoming rarer and rarer for them to really blow a forecast.)
I think I have finally found the least stressful job in the world: horse racing handicapper. Who knew you could make a living being wrong most of the time? (Note to wife: Shush!)
Take a look at the racing section of many daily newspapers. They always have some "expert" choosing that day's probable winners. Now check out their results from the previous day. Often, they are two for 10, or worse. If they guess three races correctly, that's considered a high success rate.
I've gone to the races a few times, and the biggest bet I ever won ($225) was when my then-12-year-old daughter told me to bet on a horse because the girl jockey had pretty pink silks.
Take that, Jimmy The Greek.

[Maximillion]

In my 20s i drove a beer truck and after a couple years i was starting to grow tired of it.Some friends in the company suggested I should try selling beer,as in being a salesman,and I was open to at least trying it.
I had some training,and was getting advice left and right from just about everybody I knew.One piece of advice seemed to put things in proper perspective-"you are getting paid to talk about beer!"

Thats kind of how I feel about public handicappers/writers-I know its a rough job- but it could be a whole lot worse.

[Steve 'StatMan']

Enjoyable job that I do from home, or it was for the first few of my 15 years so far. But hard to come by, and pending on the company, there are a lot of ups and downs essentially hand-in-hand with the local/national racing industry. Not a great living, couldn't raise a family on it, but a single, middle-aged guy like me can get by. But rarely any openings and more qualifications needed than just knowing how to handicap. I'm still looking to recover the 50% lost work and income from when the economy tanked in 2008, with co-workers in a similar situation.

It is a living, but working from home, really not much of a life.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Steve 'StatMan'

Enjoyable job that I do from home, or it was for the first few of my 15 years so far. But hard to come by, and pending on the company, there are a lot of ups and downs essentially hand-in-hand with the local/national racing industry. Not a great living, couldn't raise a family on it, but a single, middle-aged guy like me can get by. But rarely any openings and more qualifications needed than just knowing how to handicap. I'm still looking to recover the 50% lost work and income from when the economy tanked in 2008, with co-workers in a similar situation.

It is a living, but working from home, really not much of a life.

Whom do you handicap for, Steve?

[no breathalyzer]

i was trying to figure that out myself

[Track Phantom]

I guess I don't understand the point of this thread or complaint.

Is the original poster saying that most (all) public handicappers are poor and should be fired? Or that the public has a low expectation and should expect a higher hit rate?

I've done some form of public handicapping for many years and can tell you it is wrong-minded to put emphasis on picking winners, at least in my opinion. By coming down on people for not "picking winners" forces them into selecting low prices to protect their win percentage. I heard a paddock handicapper actually say "this is a very difficult race with many longshot chances, but I went with the favorite here (in order to protect his selection percentage in the local newspaper).

My analysis ALWAYS includes much commentary about the selections, a confidence score, and an attempt to add provocative thinking in my selections (i.e. a healthy balance between logical, low priced winners and those who can upset at a price). My "win percentage" will never be much higher than 28% - 30% but the QUALITY of my winners should make a difference.

I like Rich Eng as a person, but does anyone ever look at this guys selections in the Las Vegas Journal Review? He picks the (THE) favorite on top in 8 of 9 races and picks the 2nd favorite on top in the other. Every day. Without fail. He might pick 33% winners. Does it matter?

I'm pretty passionate when it comes to this area because I think 95% of the "public handicappers" are lazy surface 'cappers that cater to the low information players. But, comments like this thread actually encourage them to do nothing but select low prices to protect their "win percentage".

[Kash$]

Not complaining or asking for anyone to be fired..I could care less..
Came across the article found it amusing no big deal..
Public handicappers at the end of the day lose just like 98% of us..Very few post there roi
Handicappers on twitter exchanging cheap shots,complaining,many failed to understand opinions aren't wrong....

[Robert Goren]

Public handicappers do not get skip a race or hunt for value in other pools
and make their picks before the field is set. A scratch of a key front runner can alter the way is run and might change the pick. A rain storm can change things too. So can a late change in jockeys. All things considered, most public pickers do a pretty good job. They do better than I would under the same conditions and my ADW account almost shows a small profit at the end of the year. That said, if you are using public pickers in your considerations, you need to find a Gamblers Anonymous meeting in your area immediately. You are obviously reaching for a reason to bet. That is a sure sign, you are in trouble.

[Kash$]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Public handicappers do not get skip a race or hunt for value in other pools
and make their picks before the field is set. A scratch of a key front runner can alter the way is run and might change the pick. A rain storm can change things too. So can a late change in jockeys. All things considered, most public pickers do a pretty good job. They do better than I would under the same conditions and my ADW account almost shows a small profit at the end of the year. That said, if you are using public pickers in your considerations, you need to find a Gamblers Anonymous meeting in your area immediately. You are obviously reaching for a reason to bet. That is a sure sign, you are in trouble.

GA meeting immediately

[Steve 'StatMan']

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Whom do you handicap for, Steve?

The Green Sheet/Finger Sheet. Not doing Chicago, but NYRA tracks, GP/GPW, LRL, MTH, and when we need them, CT & PEN, MNR once in a great while. Occasionally the Clocker Riley single page tip sheet, for CD, discontinued last couple years at AP.

For those unfamiliar with us, we're more geared mostly for novices and recreational player, and some intermediate bettors. Those who are at the races but don't necessarily want to look or learn about the PPS, or may want some opinions on the races and rankings of the horses

My analogy is if we were a bowling alley, we are the House Ball and House Shoes for those who want to play the game but haven't committed to buying their customized balls drilled for their specific hand. Our parent company also is a local distributor of DRF print editions.

[Track Phantom]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Public handicappers do not get skip a race or hunt for value in other pools
and make their picks before the field is set. A scratch of a key front runner can alter the way is run and might change the pick. A rain storm can change things too. So can a late change in jockeys. All things considered, most public pickers do a pretty good job. They do better than I would under the same conditions and my ADW account almost shows a small profit at the end of the year. That said, if you are using public pickers in your considerations, you need to find a Gamblers Anonymous meeting in your area immediately. You are obviously reaching for a reason to bet. That is a sure sign, you are in trouble.

I respectfully disagree to one extent. If you're using a public handicapper and betting their picks without any supporting rationale, that isn't a good plan. However, if you're using a public handicapper to help identify info that isn't easy to identify and augment your own work, as long as that handicapper is above average, I don't have an issue with that.

[no breathalyzer]

Originally Posted by Steve 'StatMan'

The Green Sheet/Finger Sheet. Not doing Chicago, but NYRA tracks, GP/GPW, LRL, MTH, and when we need them, CT & PEN, MNR once in a great while. Occasionally the Clocker Riley single page tip sheet, for CD, discontinued last couple years at AP.

For those unfamiliar with us, we're more geared mostly for novices and recreational player, and some intermediate bettors. Those who are at the races but don't necessarily want to look or learn about the PPS, or may want some opinions on the races and rankings of the horses

My analogy is if we were a bowling alley, we are the House Ball and House Shoes for those who want to play the game but haven't committed to buying their customized balls drilled for their specific hand. Our parent company also is a local distributor of DRF print editions.

thanks.. do they still have the green sheet. that was good stuff back in the day. we would always buy the greenie back in the day at Hawthorne .. Do they still sell it there. Maybe i'll pick one up when they open in a couple of weeks

[Steve 'StatMan']

Originally Posted by no breathalyzer

thanks.. do they still have the green sheet. that was good stuff back in the day. we would always buy the greenie back in the day at Hawthorne .. Do they still sell it there. Maybe i'll pick one up when they open in a couple of weeks

Oh yes, we're still there, and at the Chicago, IN, KY & FL tracks. I will admit I'm not the AP/HAW handicapper, though. But I do cover the tracks I listed earlier, and do the big layout with comments when we do use them, such as this past Saratoga meet.

Thanks for asking!

P.S. We're also online, at www.greensheetracing.com

[no breathalyzer]

Originally Posted by Steve 'StatMan'

Oh yes, we're still there, and at the Chicago, IN, KY & FL tracks. I will admit I'm not the AP/HAW handicapper, though. But I do cover the tracks I listed earlier, and do the big layout with comments when we do use them, such as this past Saratoga meet.

Thanks for asking!

P.S. We're also online, at www.greensheetracing.com

thanks

[Striker]

Originally Posted by no breathalyzer

thanks.. do they still have the green sheet. that was good stuff back in the day. we would always buy the greenie back in the day at Hawthorne .. Do they still sell it there. Maybe i'll pick one up when they open in a couple of weeks

Costs $4 at Arlington