Take A Break

by Ed Meyer

posted on August 20, 2009 in General Discussion, Handicapping, Help/Educational Articles | No Comments >>

I love to play the races. Plain and simple, I am a fan. I wish racing would happen round the clock on TV and the computer, and you could bet anytime you wanted. Oh, it already does!  So what is the problem?

As much as I love to play, I play selectively. If you watched fifteen signals and “tap danced” with all of them, you can bet your bankroll would be gone. No matter how good you are, just take the number of wagers, and be sure to take out the % takeout from the tracks. Now, factor in the losers. See what I mean?

I had a grandpa, who loved to play the races. Now, this is before the simulcast explosion. He surely would have loved that. He was a plumber by trade, and loved to smoke Dutch Masters cigars, and tinker in his garage, when he didn’t have the means to gamble. Oh, my dad would save him from time to time and pick him up to run out for the last few at old Latonia in Kentucky. That is how I fell in love with the game. Being with the two guys I loved most in my life.

When papaw didn’t have the money to play, he would adjourn to his garage workshop and tinker with his tools, and find scrap metal to cash-in. He would take the needed break. He would return refreshed. His bankroll would be filled, and his mind would be open. My dad would be driving, and I would be in the back seat… The game was on, and the adventure began…This time is hard to find for gamblers. There is no downtime. It is with this idea, that I came up with ‘plan B’ to this dilemma.

You need to follow NO more than three circuits. Of those three, make one of them your favorite. The time of year can help you change up, and this way you are not stepping outside of your boundaries. You choose ten races you would like to play. Now, find the best six. Of the best six, I want you to make your biggest wagers on two races. No more, no less. Don’t change your habits, and don’t let others influence you. In papaw’s terms of going to the garage, this is money management. You trust your 401-K to professionals. So why not your gambling money to your closest friend, you…..

Every time you find yourself wanting to become an expert at a small oval, or the larger one with marquee races, go ahead and dial up professional data. This will allow you to stay informed without being distracted. It also allows you to keep focus on your money.

Twenty years ago, seeking information systems would have been a smack in the chops. But today it is good sense. Times change, but the song remains the same.

I can still hear papaw out in the garage. It has been almost 25 years, and his cigar still roams the air. I think more than ever, he would have spent more time in the garage these days. Not because he didn’t know what to do, but it was because he knew in his own way a time to drop back, and stay fresh…