Here Are THE RULES......

 

As with any discipline, there are specific rules that you must abide by to stay on course. Any deviation from this may get you a quick hit, but in the end, you will lose in the long run...... like most bettors. Don't be cute, do your best to follow the path that I have given you here, and you should be OK.   

RULE ONE: DO NOT BET ON SHITTY HORSES

Ever hear the saying 'You Get What You Pay For'?  It's true. If a horse is 0-26, skip it, and move on. While it's true that there is some money to be made on every race, it does not mean you need to bet on every race. That will turn you into a crackhead. There are plenty of decent horses to bet on.  It's not exciting to get back 10%, but I got that yesterday on Breeders Cup winner CeCe, and I didn't even need to think about it. It was Tampa Derby Day yesterday. They had five stakes races in a row, and I hit a bet on each of the five. Why, because there is a solid horse in each one. Stick with a winner, and you'll be a  winner.

RULE TWO: BET SMALL

This is a 401k we're trying to emulate, not Powerball...... Like the tiny snowball that rolls down the hill, this is to slowly buildup over time, and roll from there. I am literally starting this out with $60. I'm not breaking the bank on this, and the bets should reflect that. The max I have done is $20. Will the bets get bigger later on? Sure, once it has gotten big enough to not hurt if I lose. Don't try to double and triple your money on a daily basis. You will lose bets - a lot. I've been wrong 29% of the time so far, but it's still going up, because I don't lose much. Save 'Let It Ride, Baby!!!' for the craps table in Vegas.

 

RULE THREE: DO YOUR RESEARCH

OK, you got home late from work, you put on your app.......... and it's 1 minute until Post Time. What do you do? Skip it, and move onto the next race. Every bet I have ever made at the last minute has lost. To be honest, at the track, I am no fun at all. I go to Saratoga and the Belmont Stakes every year, but good luck talking to me. Why? Because I am looking up everything I can to make the RIGHT BET.  Going back to the Wall Street theory, if a broker called you up and said he had a hot stock on some small company you have never heard of, would you go in on it? Probably not, or at least you shouldn't.  There is information all over the place to make informed, smart bets. I use the NYRA Bets app. It shows the histories, and almost all videos (very important) of their races. Jockey stats, Trainer stats, Dirt vs Turf, and live video of the race, which often includes the expert picks. Guess what? Those experts are actually pretty good.  Read up in the few minutes you have, you then.....

RULE FOUR: ALWAYS GO WITH YOUR FIRST INSTINCT

While information is a good thing, I can't tell you how many times I talked myself out of my first bet to another bet, because some stupid tidbit of info changed my mind, and I lost. Just to clarify, if during the research, you run across the HOLY CRAP bit on info and say 'Wow, I didn't realize that", then move on it. But if it's still a bit iffy, then go with the first thought..... or skip the race altogether. While on that subject, NEVER bet on two horses in the same race. Pick the better one. Betting on two almost guarantees you will get one wrong, and end up with a net loss. 

RULE FIVE: KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID !!

As unexciting and unappealing as it may sound, we are talking about Show Bets only here.... The profits will come. Yeah, when I bet on Breeders Cup Day or Belmont Day, I go off... This is not what we're talking about here. Have a lot of my picks finished first or second? Yes. Did I know which ones were going to finish first or second? Absolutely not! This is incremental gains we're talking about here. While we're at it, completely skip the Exotics. Exactas, Quinellas, Trifectas, Superfectas, Daily Doubles, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5 and Pick 6's are no longer part of your vocabulary. Every exotic bet that I made during this time has lost. As small as a $2 or $4 loss may seem, it adds up if you continue to do so...

RULE SIX: STAY DISCIPLINED

Lastly, take all of these rules that I have given you, and follow them to the T. No, it's not easy. Have I broken any of these rules? I have broken all of them. How do you think I came up with them???  You'll make a mistake, and then feel the urge to make up for the loss with an even dumber bet, followed by an even dumber bet than the second. Then The House Wins. When you mess up, realize it, recognize what you did wrong, and don't repeat it!  I realize that I have more pedigree than some of you guys. My Dad was a jockey, than worked for NYRA for 34 years. Did he teach me everything he knew? Nope. I learned most of this on my own. I suggest a small trial run of whatever you can afford to lose. If you know nothing, find something you know more about. 

mr