Rage against the Machine

[Que]

I'm am totally dumbfounded by the stupidity and duplicity of the racing industry. The latest case in point is the recent ruling by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations regarding the North Dakota betting operation. Here's two quotes from the DRF article that I find fascinating:


Racing officials emerged from a meeting Thursday about the North Dakota computer betting link-up saying that the high-rolling gambler using the system should not be discouraged from betting, because he is operating well within the purview of racing rules and with a program developed under his own initiative.

This ruling, therefore implies that this bettor is doing nothing wrong, and that he/she has no unfair advantage--i.e. he/she is "simply smarter than other players." Yet below is another quote from the same article:


Racing executives said that their effort now is to make technological innovations available to all gamblers. That would entail developing products that can ease the burden of physically placing bets and making the products available to horseplayers across the country.


In their ruling, these same racing executives admit that the method used by this individual is not available to all gamblers. Don't forget that this bettor places thousands of dollars in bets using an automated betting system on multiple combinations of place, show, and exacta combinations seconds before post through a direct link to AmTote--which is something you or I cannot do.

I'm sure, the fact that North Dakota placed over $88 million in off-track wagers last year didn't enter into the racing executives decision making process. And I'm sure the racing industry feels the average race player is too stupid to understand the implications of this decision. Wake up people, in the paramutual industry, every dime the North Dakota players make using a method that is "not available to all gamblers," is money being directly taken out of your own pockets. And I'm not even mentioning the issue of rebates, where the racing industry takes approximately 20% of your wagers, but only 10% of your competitors dollars. (Ever wonder why the North Dakota per capita betting handle rose more than 1300% between 1997 and 1999.) But what really makes me sad/mad about all of this.... is that nobody seems to give a sh...

Que.

Note: I'll refresh my earlier post that discusses how wrong this practice really is.

[PaceAdvantage]

Que,

While I agree with your line of thinking on this issue somewhat, I have to wonder if you would be saying the same thing had this player gained similar type of advantage using only a superior type of information system. However, I guess it is unfair to say this, since his main advantage seems to be the placing of multiple wagers instantly at the last moment, something none of us can do.

Did you read the part about how this guy had access to an Am-Tote server "outside the firewall". I think this little fact deserves a lot more explaining. His computer pulling in the odds and analyzing them is no big deal. I know your program does this, as does mine (thanks to you giving me the motivation to include this in my own work....)

==PA

[Que]

PA,

I'd have no problem, if this player gained his edge through superior information technology or superior handicapping skills--in fact, I'd be one of the first to congratulate them. But the fact that they are being granted special privileges, "direct access to an AmTote server" and at least an 8-10% rebate, is what makes me so mad. Not to mention the fact, that by endorsing this practice, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations is demonstrating the industry's total contempt against the average horseplayer.

Que.

PA

I am interested in getting real time odds and pool amounts available so that I can look bring them into access.

It was also mentioned that awhile back some one on your board was touting a program called cherry picker.

Can you (or anyone on the board) provide me with any information on the cherry picker program or where I might find information on how to do this?

Are there any books or articles on how to write a program for this?

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to provide

Mike Dee

[PaceAdvantage]

I wrote a little review about Cherry Picker....go to the home page and click on the REVIEWS link....Cherry Pickr is an automated betting program (it automatically places your wager if criteria are met through YouBet)

Pulling odds into Access is an entirely different issue.


==PA

thanks for the reply PA. Doesn't sound like cherry picker is what I am looking for.

[NNMan]

On the contrary, the CherryPickr ebook would help you learn
how to do exactly what you want to do, and do it automatically without any intervention. The routines included with the book can easily be modified for this purpose. I am surprised that =PA did not recognize this.

For futher info on CherryPickr eBook, go to http://www.handi2k.com

Cheers,

[MikeH]

The new "Millennium" Version of Lotus will open Files from the internet in Spreadsheet format. It's real easy: File - Open - Internet - type or paste URL - and there it is.

I use it from time to time to track Tote Board movements. You can also open things like the DRF or Equibase Charts in a spreadsheet format and save them that way.

I don't use it to track the Tote Board all that often, so I do it manually. But I'm sure that you could write a macro/Script to automate it.

I've attached an unedited spreadsheet file "Del_Tote.Wk4"; it's in a zipped file because it looks like I can't attach .Wk4 or .Xls files.

[FortuneHunter]

Another advantage this guy has with the direct link to Amtote is the triple pool information which none of the virtual totes provide to my knowledge.
Can you imagine?
Instant access to all mutuel pool information.

You type in your 3 selections for the race.
You type in your total investment
You type in your target ROI

The computer program analyzes the win, place, show, DD, and triple pools 30 seconds before post and determines the amount to wager on each of the 3 selections in each pool to return maximum ROI for the maximum number of possible race outcomes. You click on "OK" and the bets are made.

The mathematics to develop the algorithms to do this is not beyond the college graduate.
The average computer programmer can program these algorithms.
The PC hardware and software OS and applications can be purchases for less than 5K.

The problem is the mutuel pool information feed, and placing multiple bets in a short period of time.

Looks like one gambler solved this problem in North Dakota.

I am as equally outraged as Que. It is completely unfair to provide this service to "insiders" only. I think it is equivalent to insider trading and should be outlawed immediately.

[PaceAdvantage]

Actually, the racing officials from AmTote said the mystery gambler was pulling in pool information from a public site on the Internet, available to everyone. He was NOT getting his pool info directly from AmTote servers. He WAS betting directly into the AmTote server though. Which is a greater crime? I think being able to send in 100-200 wagers within seconds of the pool closing is a greater crime!


==PA

read your review PA, thanks

NNman- visted the web site. Not interested in the automatic wager part, at least not yet. But thanks for the advice on using the ebook as a training tool. Also checked out the unisyn site on the automate software.

Only part still in question is the Access part, from the books I have I should be able to figure a way to get the odds board and pool amounts into tables the I could update on a real time basis...I think.

MikeH- don't have lotus, but I'll take a look at your spreadsheet. Thanks. I wonder if one can do the same with excel, still on excel 97, maybe excel in office 2000.

[Larry Hamilton]

Tote board (philly's) to excel in real time is doable. All you need is the macro that goes on line, downloads the tote, stores them, and inputs the data to something. Did that.

It is also possible, when the above is done, to upload the tote into a set of tables in a data base such as Access--haven't done that, yet.

"Real Time" is a misnomer, though. We can go to phillys tote board, look at the odds and pots right up to the last second, and THEY WILL STILL CHANGE WHILE THE RACE IS UNDERWAY. This is a problem without a solution unless you can make electrons move faster.

[Dave Schwartz]

MikeH,

How do you get the spreadsheet to handle odds like 9/2?

Excel brings it in as a date. LOL

[Larry Hamilton]

you do a chr test of the date, then you "trick it" by testing the input for the "/" in the 2nd slot, then if its there you check the 1st and 3rd digits and turn them into a fraction..I can elaborate if any are interested...

Larry good point on how late the odds get updated, kinda kills all of the work to get the real time data in the first place.

I wonder how wonder boy in N. Dakota deals with this? If the article is right and he is getting his odds off the net it is hard to believe that he wagers all that money on odds data that is so out of sync with where the pools really are.

OR

On the other hand maybe he IS the reason the pools and odds change so much after the 1st call.