Start Betting Horse Races – Don’t Be Intimidated
What does it take to be a successful handicapper? Well, that reminds me of the famous story about the guy who asked the NYC cab driver, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The legendary response: ”practice, practice, practice.”Handicapping is a mentally challenging and potentially financially rewarding activity that rewards persistent practice. In short, “the more you see, the more you know.” The variables that go into handicapping a race include: predicted pace scenario, race conditions (meaning the distance to be raced such as a sprint [typically under a mile] or a route
[typically over a mile]; the age and sex of the horses; the type of race such as stakes race, allowance, or claiming; the prize money offered or the claiming price, and special restrictions such as entrants limited to horses bred in a particular state); track conditions (e.g.; fast, muddy, or sloppy for races on dirt, and firm, good, or yielding for turf races); connections (credentials of the jockey and trainer); workout regimen, pedigree (traits that may have been passed down by the horse’s sire (father) or dam (mother); and class (the type of races each horse is accustomed to running; i.e., stakes races or claiming races). And these basic factors are just the tip of the iceberg!
Once you synthesize all the data, you need to factor in the odds and use that information to construct the type of bet that maximizes your return on investment. Knowing how to handicap a race is only half the battle. Betting strategy and money management are skills that can make the difference between a good day and a great day, or a bad day and a so-so day. Each type of bet is like a separate tool in the toolbox for the horseplayer. Certain situations mandate use of single-race combination bets such as exact, trifecta, and superfecta bets; other conditions require multi-race bets such as pick 3s, pick 4s and pick 6s. Over time, your ability to match specific racing scenarios with the appropriate bet, or play, will mean the difference between being a consistently winning player and a consistently losing player.
It’s no wonder so many people are intimidated by the complexity of handicapping. Those who’ve played the races for years likely take their knowledge base for granted. It reminds me of when I first walked into a casino and was fascinated by the energy and atmosphere of the craps table. I didn’t play initially because I was so intimidated by the confusing layout of the table and foreign lingo of the dealers and players. A friend later explained the rules of the game and a basic strategy to follow. Then I practiced, sometimes making mistakes and even getting embarrassed once in a while. However, in a very short time I became a seasoned craps player and even introduced the game to others.
Handicapping horse races is very similar; once you understand the rules of the game, the excitement pulls you in and doesn’t let go. A key difference between craps and racing is that craps is at its core a very simple game wrapped in a complex veneer. Racing seems simple – first horse to reach the wire wins – but as you dig deeper into the handicapping aspects each race presents a riddle begging you to untangle. Each race you can learning new betting angles that will improve your game. The biggest difference between casino gambling and horse race handicapping is that casinos have a built-in house edge that cannot be overcome – the percentages will ultimately grind you down over time. With pari-mutuel wagering, horseplayers play against each other, not the house. There is the unfortunate track takeout; which at a nominal rate of 20% is hard to overlook. However, there are consistent winners who can out-wit and out-handicap the betting public in the long run.
Oh, and one more thing, when you bet on horse races, you’re betting on a sport that involves gifted and daring atheletes riding the most amazing animals that have ever graced the earth. These are not cards or poker chips. The horseplayer is an integral part of a sport involving magnificient animals going back centuries in human history. Sometimes people forget this fact – I don’t. It’s why I believe horse racing is the greatest game we have.
So, with all that said, are you up to the challenge of being a horseplayer? There’s no reason to be intimidated.
18 August 2009, 10:36 pm
There are lots of similarities between playing craps and playing the races. Both wagering activities can be intimidating to newcomers but once you get hooked, you’re hooked. You will never forget a “hot roll” at a crowded table or a triple digit payoff on a trifecta. It’s what brings you back. Kind of like hitting your best drive on the 18th hole; that’s that shot you always remember.