Hi All,
I was also having difficulty wrapping my head around the scoring for the P.A.I.H.L. Contest. So to help myself out I made a calculator. If you want to use it, it's free to download at this link
http://www.ihandicapraces.com/PAIHL/
Using the Calculator:
Adding your WPS and Alternates:
Click the drop down list for one of the WPS or alternate entries and select the horse number that is your selection for that position. While you're working the calculator will format your forum post in the left hand corner so you can copy and paste it into your forum entry.
Removing Scratches:
Click the little square button on the left to open the scratches editor. Select the horse to be scratched on the left and click the Scratch -----> button to move it to the scratched horses list on the right. If you want to put it back for some reason, select it on the right side and click the <----- Un-Scratch to move it back to the left side. You can just play with it to see what I mean.
Entering results:
Entering WPS results is very similar to entering your picks. Same drop down lists.
Entering Payouts:
Click the little square button on the left of the event WPS results to open the payouts editor. Enter the WPS and Exacta payouts. I included an option to do the divide by 2 for exactas in the event that they are reported as $2 exactas. Just be sure it's set right when you click done. Of course you can edit it at any time.
Export and Import:
I added an Export feature to export the results to a comma delimited text file. If you save your files with a .csv extension you should be able to load them right into Excel or Open Office calc.
The import feature allows you to recall an event card. There is an option to only load the scratches and results so your selections are preserved. That way a participant can send you their completed file and you can calculate using the results and scratches they've entered previously.
The calculator keeps track of your work as you go, so Import/Export is optional. No need to save, it's done automatically when you exit the program.
Clearing the Calculator:
To start a new event card press the Clear button to set everything to the defaults. This zeros out the payout so that as you enter results during the day you can click the calculate button and get a correct answer. If you do not clear, even though you've entered your new selections, the payouts for the entire card will still be affecting the results.
Installing:
Download the zip file from the link above. Sorry it's a little large, about 80Meg. I wrote it in LabVIEW a programming language for scientists and engineers. The installers are large because of a runtime engine that is included and will be installed on your computer. It's completely free and comes with the obligatory license agreement you must agree too.
Unzip the file in a directory of your choosing and run the setup file. After, you should have a desktop icon and one in your program files menu.
I compiled it to run on Windows XP or later so most forum members should be able to use it. It won't install on MAC or Linux.
I tested the calculator with the Event 8 corrected results and got the same answers.
It should be good for tracking day to day WPS/Exacta handicapping as well. So hopefully you find it useful.
Let me know if you have questions or just want me to leave you alone.
