New to Handicapping: Have a Few Questions

[georgetkingiv]

Hello,

I have a few questions I am hoping a few folks here wouldn't mind sharing their opinions on.

Here goes.

1. I am new to handicapping and like to read. Can anybody recommend to me a few good books and magazines worth reading or subscribing to?

2. I typically place my wagers through TwinSpires. Is this the preferred place to play? Or is there someplace else everyone uses?

Thank you for your time

George

[Secondbest]

Some books I like are
Any books by Mark Cramer or Andy Beyer
Modern Pace Handicapping by Tom Brohammer
Handicapping Magic by Michael Pizzolla
These are older books but I believe they are worth reading.
As you learn you will find the style { pace, speed, both together} that suits your personality the best. Good luck and welcome aboard

[cj]

Originally Posted by georgetkingiv

Hello,

I have a few questions I am hoping a few folks here wouldn't mind sharing their opinions on.

Here goes.

1. I am new to handicapping and like to read. Can anybody recommend to me a few good books and magazines worth reading or subscribing to?

2. I typically place my wagers through TwinSpires. Is this the preferred place to play? Or is there someplace else everyone uses?

Thank you for your time

George

There is a Handicapping Library section here. Expand it to show all posts instead of just the last months to "beginning" and you'll find virtually every book ever written on horse betting discussed.

[cj]

Originally Posted by georgetkingiv

Hello,

I have a few questions I am hoping a few folks here wouldn't mind sharing their opinions on.

Here goes.

1. I am new to handicapping and like to read. Can anybody recommend to me a few good books and magazines worth reading or subscribing to?

2. I typically place my wagers through TwinSpires. Is this the preferred place to play? Or is there someplace else everyone uses?

Thank you for your time

George

As for the second part, shop for the best rebates. Some are better than others.

[Tom]

On the homepage, there is a box to some horse racing articles, including a couple by CJ.

[Nitro]

Originally Posted by georgetkingiv

Hello,

I have a few questions I am hoping a few folks here wouldn't mind sharing their opinions on.

Here goes.

1. I am new to handicapping and like to read. Can anybody recommend to me a few good books and magazines worth reading or subscribing to?

2. I typically place my wagers through TwinSpires. Is this the preferred place to play? Or is there someplace else everyone uses?

Thank you for your time

George

I would personally suggest that you first read the “Racing Maxims and Methods of Pittsburg Phil, 1908”

http://colinsghost.org/2010/05/racin...phil-1908.html

Some might suggest that its dated material, but you’ll notice later-on after reading newer publications that many of them just elaborate on these Maxims. There are also a few gems of worthwhile horse racing information that are either overlooked or just glanced over in later books.
Keep in mind that these Maxims were written after Pittsburg Phil had passed and he had nothing to personally gain financially or otherwise from any books sales. I can’t say the same about the authors of any newer publications.

[ebcorde]

Originally Posted by georgetkingiv

Hello,

I have a few questions I am hoping a few folks here wouldn't mind sharing their opinions on.

Here goes.

1. I am new to handicapping and like to read. Can anybody recommend to me a few good books and magazines worth reading or subscribing to?

2. I typically place my wagers through TwinSpires. Is this the preferred place to play? Or is there someplace else everyone uses?

Thank you for your time

George

Andy Beyer. He's written a ton, I think I started with Picking winners, it;s been ages.

There's a ton of guys, Some dead.
After a while you'll develop something that suits you. Because no matter the track the patterns are the same

in case you don't know:
The best Jockey and Trainers win most of the races (duh)
The best closers win most of the routes
The top early speed sectional last out in sprints win most of the sprint races
the last speed figure is best indicator of a horse's fitness

and stay away from maiden races if possible. skip them.
and stay away from chalk horses.

if you "Feel" something go for it, but if you have that "feeling" every other races drop the habit.


there that's my book
For The best pros it's a job , you'll spend 8-10 hrs a day handicapping a card, even after reading 20 books. I spent 4 hrs doing Aqueduct today.

if you decide to be serious then you just entered Handicapping college.
if a weekend player , the basics and the occasional hunch is plenty IMHO.


I started by covering up the track handicapper picks, handicap, then compare, took 2 weeks before I had the same picks.
The books are good for mining "opportunities" a 20-1/30-1 that no one else sees.

[thaskalos]

IMO...the ideal book for a neophyte is Brad Free's Handicapping 101. Once that book is digested...Andy Beyer's The Winning Horseplayer seems to me to be the perfect sequel. After that, the beginner should start his own experimentation in the game...to find his OWN way...just as all the other competent players have done.

[FakeNameChanged]

Originally Posted by Nitro

I would personally suggest that you first read the “Racing Maxims and Methods of Pittsburg Phil, 1908”

http://colinsghost.org/2010/05/racin...phil-1908.html

Some might suggest that its dated material, but you’ll notice later-on after reading newer publications that many of them just elaborate on these Maxims. There are also a few gems of worthwhile horse racing information that are either overlooked or just glanced over in later books.
Keep in mind that these Maxims were written after Pittsburg Phil had passed and he had nothing to personally gain financially or otherwise from any books sales. I can’t say the same about the authors of any newer publications.

Thanks for showing that. Just read the 2nd chapter and it still applies today in spades.
To the Orig. poster, you might take a look at Steve Klein's: The Power of Early Speed and some of Wm. Quirin's books also. Too many to list.

[CincyHorseplayer]

As a good and thorough and all round handicapping primer I would get James Quinn-The Complete Handicapper. Then Steve Davidowitz-Betting Thoroughbreds. These books are general and comprehensive whereas some of the other titles get into particulars of betting methods and intricacies of figures.

Good luck brother!

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Welcome.

I play on Twinspires, and it is decent enough. Grandfathered in for my state, so I can't change if I wanted to.

Anyway, as for books?

I wouldn't read any books other than Poker books and understand Odds before anything with relation to horse racing. You need to get a thorough understanding of Odds and how they can play out in any environment.

While horse racing is much different, knowing the true "value" of each and every Odds play that is out there is as good a resource as you'll ever find. Why? At the end of the day, winning and losing at horse racing comes down to how you play the Odds in a mutuel pool of fellow bettors where the house takes at least 15% of every wager you make.

Simply put, a guy can pick 4 of 8 winners at a track for a single card for a single day and lose money just betting W tickets while another guy can hit 2 of 8 winners at the same track and make a 200% profit.

[Nitro]

Originally Posted by Lemon Drop Husker

Welcome.

I play on Twinspires, and it is decent enough. Grandfathered in for my state, so I can't change if I wanted to.

Anyway, as for books?

I wouldn't read any books other than Poker books and understand Odds before anything with relation to horse racing. You need to get a thorough understanding of Odds and how they can play out in any environment.

While horse racing is much different, knowing the true "value" of each and every Odds play that is out there is as good a resource as you'll ever find. Why? At the end of the day, winning and losing at horse racing comes down to how you play the Odds in a mutuel pool of fellow bettors where the house takes at least 15% of every wager you make.

Simply put, a guy can pick 4 of 8 winners at a track for a single card for a single day and lose money just betting W tickets while another guy can hit 2 of 8 winners at the same track and make a 200% profit.

Excellent point!
Because in reality no matter what you may read you’ll soon discover that there are 2 sides to this game: The Selection process and the Betting process.
To be successful I believe you’ll eventually need to recognize how to approach the game from the perspective of making valued plays. In order to do that re-read Lemon Drop’s post and seek information on Money Management.

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Originally Posted by Nitro

Excellent point!
Because in reality no matter what you may read you’ll soon discover that there are 2 sides to this game: The Selection process and the Betting process.
To be successful I believe you’ll eventually need to recognize how to approach the game from the perspective of making valued plays. In order to do that re-read Lemon Drop’s post and seek information on Money Management.

Yep. Betting.

Pure and simple. Learn how to bet. Anybody can pick winners. The real question is "do you know how to bet"?

[NorCalGreg]

Originally Posted by ebcorde

if you "Feel" something go for it, but if you have that "feeling" every other race drop the habit.

...best advice yet

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by Lemon Drop Husker

Yep. Betting.

Pure and simple. Learn how to bet. Anybody can pick winners. The real question is "do you know how to bet"?

I would add "know how and when to bet". A beginner approaching the game would do well by staying away from all of the handicapping books and start by getting an advanced understanding of stats and probability.