The thrill of victory, the agony of being an idiot...

[Mulerider]

C.J., if this is in the wrong section, please move it. Apparently there's not a "Whining" sub-forum.

Since there is no off-track betting in Texas I go to LaD on Saturdays. Today I handicapped selected races from four tracks. Since I capped all the Aqueduct races I decided to enter a $250 winner-take-all lockdown tournament on HorseTourneys for races 2-9. So I got to LaD a little early, used my phone as a hotspot for my laptop (since LaD doesn't provide wifi), checked the scratches, and entered my picks. That done, I settled in for a day of betting. I'd occasionally check in on HorseTourneys to see how I was doing. As it turns out, I took the lead after the second race and never relinquished it, picking four winners and one place horse out the eight races.

That was gratifying, of course, yet my cash betting (aside from the contest) had resulted in a $60 loss as my final race of the day approached. As post time grew closer for the last race -- the 8th at Turf Paradise -- I saw that my second-ranked horse, the 5, was 8/1! My top ranked horse, the 7, was the favorite at 3/2. So I watched the tote until the absolute last second, then raced over to the machine and hurriedly bet $20 to win and $5 to place on the 5. Then I watched as the 7 and 5 battled for about 3 furlongs out of the six, and then the 5 took over convincingly. When the race was official I saw that I'd won $200.50, making my cash betting solidly profitable for the day.

What a feeling! I won a tournament AND made money at the windows! I Am the King! All my buddies except one complimented my skill, and I know he was just jealous. As I walked back to the machine to convert my tickets into one voucher, the cap I was wearing felt tighter as my head swelled. And I vowed to play good old Turf Paradise more often!

I inserted the win ticket. The machine spit it out, and the screen informed me, NOT A WINNER. I tried again. Same result. So I looked carefully at my two tickets, which were indeed a $20 win ticket and a $5 place ticket on the 5 horse, except for TURFWAY PARK, Race 1.

To paraphrase John Wayne: making money playing horses is tough. It's even tougher when you're stupid.

Mule

[2low]

I swear to you here and now, when I am elected king of all time and space, one of those tracks will be changing their name.

I haven't lost money because of it, but I can't count the number of times my software has seized up because I saved TUP race cards into my TP file....

[cj]

I can tell you I've traveled down that street a few times myself.

[johnhannibalsmith]

I once had a teller accidentally give me Turfway instead of Turf Paradise. At Turf Paradise.

[Mulerider]

Originally Posted by cj

I can tell you I've traveled down that street a few times myself.

When I got home my wife asked me how the day went. I mustered every available ounce of courage and told her I won a tournament.

[PhantomOnTour]

Originally Posted by johnhannibalsmith

I once had a teller accidentally give me Turfway instead of Turf Paradise. At Turf Paradise.

I laughed

[ultracapper]

I hate hearing stories like this. You pop a nice price and it's gone for just some silly-ass ridiculous reason.

[LottaKash]

Originally Posted by cj

I can tell you I've traveled down that street a few times myself.

Sure, anyone playing this game long enough, will have their "preventable accident" story(s)...

I have called myself a stupid JO more than a time or two....

[zerosky]

Betting errors, staking errors, math errors, along with disqualifications, lost photo's etc. lots of bad beats.
Although I once bet the wrong horse which won at 17/1, I didn't find out until the next day when I looked at my account.

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

Unfortunately this is a story that has happened to a bunch of us and is never easy. There are a million ways to lose in this game and your example is another one, frustrating as hell as I have been there too.

Go get 'em today and win !!!

[traynor]

Look at the upside. Some people live their entire lives with nothing worth remembering--good or bad.

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

Originally Posted by traynor

Look at the upside. Some people live their entire lives with nothing worth remembering--good or bad.

Not in Brooklyn!!! LOL

[Exotic1]

Originally Posted by johnhannibalsmith

I once had a teller accidentally give me Turfway instead of Turf Paradise. At Turf Paradise.

Really funny. omg.

[Exotic1]

Well written, Mulerider.

No OTB's in Tx, No wifi in La. What year is this? Crazy stuff.

[098poi]

I have the same issue handicapping. I use HSH and one of them is labeled TP and one is TUP. I have to open and check to see if the same horses running are the same ones I'm handicapping. I've tried to come up with a memory trick or trigger so that I will know but I never can remember!! Sorry about your loss but you are not alone.