Why Horseplayers Continue to Struggle

[thaskalos]

The handicapping authors are partly to blame for the misfortunes of the players, IMO.

Since their main motive is to sell as many books as possible...they downplay the inherent difficulties of this game...making it appear a lot easier than it really is.

Outrageous claims, and carefully chosen race examples, make these authors look like geniouses...and, as a result, beginning players copy their playing methods, and head to the track with very unrealistic expectations.

Our game comes equipped with heartbreaking losses, and head-spinning losing streaks...and the only players who profit, are the ones who have learned how to win the ongoing battle against their own emotions.

Unfortunately...that knowledge can take many years to aquire...and cannot be taught in any book.

[Trotman]

thaskalos the latter authors I will agree with you on that. Ray Taulbot always said you will lose many more than you win and some of the authors that many of us have given credit to changing the game outright stole idea's and published these idea's as their own, and these again would be these latter authors.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by xfile

Dr Robert Anthony sent this out and it really hits home for horseplayers. The struggle that 90% go through does not have to be. It is unnatural:

"We often talk about "going with the flow". Why? Because that is what you were created to do! Think about this...everything that has been created has a natural flow and when it operates in that flow there is no struggle. Water does not struggle to flow.
Grass does not struggle to grow.
Wind does not struggle to blow.
Rain does not struggle to fall.
Sun does not struggle to shine.
Earth does not struggle to rotate.
Flowers do not struggle to bloom.

What does this tell us? Struggle is unnatural. Why sentence ourselves to a life of struggle when it is clearly unnatural? In short, struggle is a "learned response" that has been taught to us by those who are in a trance of struggle. This "learned response" has become an UNCONSCIOUS HABITUAL PATTERN. Awareness is the first step to making any change in our lives. If you are aware that struggle is not "normal" and that it is a learned UNCONSCIOUS HABITUAL PATTERN, you can CONSCIOUSLY make the choice not to live your life paddling upstream.

Focus your attention on this; NOTHING YOU WANT IS UPSTREAM! Everything you want is DOWNSTREAM. This means you do not have to struggle (paddle up stream) to have it. All you need to do is put your boat in the stream and let it carry you. In fact, you don't need to paddle at all. Even if your boat is pointed in the wrong direction (upstream), as soon as you stop paddling the stream will turn your boat around without any effort on your part. Then you will be going in the direction where everything you desire takes place. It is a simple but powerful metaphor.

Give up the struggle once and for all. Let go of the paddles, trust that Source Energy will guide you downstream to your desire and start enjoying the trip. It's a heck of a lot easier! Today will bring you a new awareness, a lesson or a manifestation that you are making progress - IF YOU LOOK FOR IT! No matter how large or small, please record it in your Evidence Journal. It will only take a few moments and will AUTOMATICALLY put you in the Flow.

Truly Caring for Your Success!
Dr. Robert Anthony"

Sounds anti-Darwinian.

Everything you want is upstream. Everything is a struggle. Those who succeed in the struggle live to procreate. Those who fail die and become extinct.

"No pain, no gain!" - Arnold Schwarzenegger

[Vinnie]

Originally Posted by Actor

Sounds anti-Darwinian.

Everything you want is upstream. Everything is a struggle. Those who succeed in the struggle live to procreate. Those who fail die and become extinct.

"No pain, no gain!" - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Actor:

Activities in which a person is generally involved in most definitely don't have to be that way. Some times the things right in front of our faces are exactly "what you first perceived them to be". Often times, I believe that we as human beings make things much more difficult than they really need to be. I believe that it is part of the human condition so to speak. I really think that on a personal level it is very important to know what makes you tick and what makes you perform at an optimum level. If I am tired or worn/stressed out from a long day at work or what have you, I may just watch the races and I in all likelihood won't play. I have to be in a very positive state of mind, knowing that I can devote all of my energy and concentration to the task at hand before I undertake the endeavor of handicapping and wagering any money at the windows. There is a lot to be said for being within your own personal zone or "happy place" when you are handicapping the races. Honestly, my wife on occasion will say to me, "Aren't you going to play and take a shot today?" If I am tired and just not with it altogether, my reply will ordinarily be, "Maybe tomorrow, when I have the chance to get a little more rest". I am indeed fortunate to have a wife that encourages me to handicap and play the ponies. Believe me, I thank my lucky stars each day that I have such a wonderful wife.

[formula_2002]

"Grass does not struggle to grow.
Wind does not struggle to blow.
Rain does not struggle to fall.
Sun does not struggle to shine.
Earth does not struggle to rotate.
Flowers do not struggle to bloom."


I see more truth in the fact that every living thing struggles in one way or the other.

[GARY Z]

Originally Posted by WinterTriangle

Thank you. I was going to start a topic on this


.
I believe that statistics can become propaganda, and sytems can become indoctrination. Both can lead followers to looking at information "the wrong way", or looking at data in a way that the real information they need is either not being looked at, or obscured. The devil is in the details and I believe a certain amount of critical thinking will get far. I believe that pragmatists, using varying but associated theories, probably have more of a shot than those who are overly systematic.

An example I saw recently was a maiden ..........with a sprinter's pedigree ......running in a long route. Once a friend pointed out that pedigree to me, I glanced at the speed figs, and realized the horse had no talent in the area of what he was bred to be good at. So they were running him long...... because there is nothing else to do with him. The trainer had a high % with 2nd time starters over a large number of starts. But looking deeper, the trainer runs so rarely "at that distance" so his % was actually dismal for "this" endeavor. So, most of the mantra-like evaluations used to analyze this horse were not of much use.

Winter:

While you first stated stats become propoganda, you utilized stats to
discount the sprinter going long in the next paragraph.

Through the years I've learned never to question the tactics of
winning trainers especially when the odds are valued in your favor.In this case, I'm uncertain of how good the trainer's % is for wins/or in the money.

Poor overall in the $ stats would lead me to agree with you,but
"good" trainers can score in the exotics,which can be examined
by your own notes or through Formulator under such scenarios
as jockey -trainer,long /short etc...


A sprinter going long on the grass might be a good play based upon the pace
scenario and post position of the sprinter including odds, not only
as a win bet but in the exotics, based on trainer stats listed above.

[Dave Schwartz]

Horse players struggle because the game is difficult. One could say that the game was designed to be difficult.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Actor

Sounds anti-Darwinian.

Everything you want is upstream. Everything is a struggle. Those who succeed in the struggle live to procreate. Those who fail die and become extinct.

"No pain, no gain!" - Arnold Schwarzenegger

"Even if you win the rat race...you are still a rat" - William Sloane Coffin

[Fingal]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

...and the only players who profit, are the ones who have learned how to win the ongoing battle against their own emotions.

Unfortunately...that knowledge can take many years to acquire...and cannot be taught in any book.

To paraphrase Sun Tsu-

Know yourself, know your enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

[xfile]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

Horse players struggle because the game is difficult. One could say that the game was designed to be difficult.

Players perceive it to be difficult. The simple methods work best. Betting overlays to win on a certain criteria nets a 'guy' I know 6 figures tax free off-shore every year.

[xfile]

BTW he bets $100 to win on selected overlays going off at 12-1 or higher. Low win percentage but a 6 figure net profit. Who cares about win% when you are raking in the ROI. He and another man I know have been doing this for quite a while. They don't even have any losing months ever that I can remember. Their methods are so simple yet so effective. Like I said - this game is "perceived" to be difficult. Hence the struggle....Horseplayers believe only a complicated mythical secret beats this game. Not true.....

[Dave Schwartz]

Players perceive it to be difficult. The simple methods work best.

XFile,

So, are you saying that the game is not difficult?



Dave

[DeanT]

Originally Posted by xfile

Players perceive it to be difficult. The simple methods work best. Betting overlays to win on a certain criteria nets a 'guy' I know 6 figures tax free off-shore every year.

That sounds really simple; kinda like a guy I know who does a simple put writing strategy to make money. However, finding the horses (or the puts) to play, is not exactly like picking daisies.

[xfile]

Originally Posted by DeanT

That sounds really simple; kinda like a guy I know who does a simple put writing strategy to make money. However, finding the horses (or the puts) to play, is not exactly like picking daisies.

It's not a game of picking winners (Although there is a simple criteria used to find potential bets). Gambling involves odds. When odds are in your favor to a large degree, like I said, you will have a low win % but high profit with a successful strategy/process. A problem here is that psychologically a player can't handle the losing streaks. I'm talking about something like no winners for 10 days betting $100 win bets (several a day) and STILL ending the same month with over $8k net profit. Very few can handle that pressure. But these guys have been doing it so long they know what works and they don't freak out during a losing streak. Most players betting $100 win tickets who didn't cash for 10 days would be looking for a bridge to jump off of.

[xfile]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

XFile,

So, are you saying that the game is not difficult?



Dave

I used to think it was Dave but it has been a few years since I had those ideas. Simple works best and makes the most profit. But most players believe a simple strategy could never be good enough to beat this game. They believe this has to be complicated. I, after decades of work, found otherwise.