Myths that Continue to Destroy a Horseplayer's Bankroll

[banacek]

I see Cynthia has brought out a revised edition of "Myths That Destroy a Horseplayer's Bankroll". I still have my original somewhere. Don't know if there is anything new in it. Anyone seen it?

http://www.cynthiapublishing.com/Mer...egory_Code=NEW

[Richard]

I have a new copy(and an original copy as well)The chapter on contentous races helped me to make a betting decision on the Preakness(which worked out quite well).Haven't finished reading it yet.Seems to use up to date examples of the original material.

[kitts]

I have the new one and it has new stuff and is a great book. It is interesting to note how many of these myths are still around!

[Dave Schwartz]

Kitts,

Who wrote the new one?


Dave

[cj]

If the book is any good, it will declare the following as a myth:

Be very selective, and only play a few races a day!

[Richard]

Looking at the book cover,the closest thing to an author reads:"An Appreciation by the Cynthia Publishing Company Staff".It is therefore my HO that CPC is holding forth Dick Mitchell as the original presenter of the material.Appropriate.

[kitts]

Dave-

Richard said it best.

[mainardi]

Originally Posted by cj

If the book is any good, it will declare the following as a myth:

Be very selective, and only play a few races a day!

Not trying to be a "smarty pants"... just in case it comes off that way.

What exactly would be the myth? I only ask, because the corollary would then be to play every race. You can either be selective and not play every race... or you can NOT be selective and play every race.

CJ, I fall into the "be selective" category, but I play however many races qualify... and since I will handicap multiple tracks on any given day, it may be just a few races or it may be ten races. When I first started -- back in the 70s -- I tried to play every race. I quickly learned that I could handicap every race, but I didn't have to bet just because I handicapped it.

Your thoughts on the subject?

[cj]

I wasn't saying you can't win that way, but there seems to be a misconception that playing a lot of races is a sure way to ruin. With today's technology, you can easily play over a hundred races a day successfully. You may lose a little value by not going so deep into a race, but with rebates, you can more than make up for it in volume. There is safety in playing more races for less money if you have an edge. Probably should start a new thread in the Handicapping section on this topic.

[sjk]

CJ,

I have always thought I was in the high volume camp but 100 races a day is out of my league. After I bet 8-10 races and hour for 3-4 hours I am getting burned out. Maybe time is catching up with me.

When you bet this many races do you get to watch them all? I have always thought that watching the races and yelling at the horses during the stretch-run was half of the fun.

Do you wait until shortly before post time to make a play? There are times when I have to wait until 0 mtp to really know what to play and what to pass.

I question whether the guy that dumps thousands of dollars into the exacta pool way before post time is a plus or minus (he was certainly playing Pim yesterday; often AP). When the two horses you like are 4-1 and 8-1 but the exacta is paying $20 it takes some patience and energy to wait to see whether the prices are going to do what you think they will.

[melman]

I don't think there is a "one-way" or for that matter a "right-way" when it comes to betting for profit. The player I have met in over 30 years of betting horses who I think did the best was a woman who did not care about odds, number or races bet a day and never looked at pp's or "figs" of any type. She had the visual skills of knowing and I mean KNOWING when a horse was going to run. Lost track of her long ago as when I knew her she worked the Keystone and Monmonth tracks. Was told that she had bought a house in San Diego but that was many many years ago. I am a "volume" player myself who loves the pic bets and the exacta's but that does not make it the only way. Find your own skill level and stick with it is best advise I think.

[cj]

I watch nearly all the races I bet. Only if a few go off near the same time do I miss one. I don't get too hung up on the outcome of any particular race, not really that vocal win or lose. Don't take that to mean I don't enjoy it, because I do.

I usually bet at 4 or 5 minutes to post. By now, I have a pretty good idea which way the betting will go when I place my bet. I'm usually right, but it evens out in the long run when I'm not. Most horses I am betting go up or stay the same.

I don't usually put in enough hours to bet 100 a day. I will bet about 10 races an hour on weekends, fewer on the weekdays as there are less tracks to choose from. I do have the occasional marathon session where I'll play all night. I probably couldn't do it every day, but a few times a week doesn't bother me. (It does bother my wife!) The main point was, most of the handicapping is done with the program I'm using. I've been using it so long and looked at so many races, I know in just a few minutes if I'm interested and at what approximate price.

[Overlay]

Originally Posted by melman

She had the visual skills of knowing and I mean KNOWING when a horse was going to run.

Sounds like the way that Tom Ainslie described Bonnie Ledbetter in his introduction to The Body Language of Horses that they co-authored, although I believe Ms. Ledbetter was an equestrian rather than a handicapper.

[JackS]

For me there are three types of races- 1... I think I know who the winner will be. 2....I think I understand the true contention but must admit to myself that I don't know who will win. 3...I do not understand the race. This is when 20/1's look like 5/1's and 2/1's look like 10/1's. This last type of race is always an interesting proposiition. The favorite can be tossed easily and a "stab" at some of the prices can be made. I usually prefer to start a P3 since Exactas seemingly just compound the confusion already present.