Tap Dancing

by Ed Meyer

posted on July 26, 2010 in Educational Articles, General Discussion, Handicapping | 4 Comments >>

Tap Dancing

I hate to see a player make so many plays that they couldn’t even tell you the number of horses they played. I call it tap dancing, and watching players bet more than the law allows is criminal, or at least silly…..

I have a friend that goes out once a week. He is a good capper, but he plays ovals he doesn’t even follow. It makes me wonder how a good player could expect to be a one-day-pro…. Why would he want to bet so much that it takes away from his bankroll? Why would you do this to yourself? Does it make sense to play races just because it is the one day you can get out of the house? I see good handicappers dance the day away. In the end, they are pissed and pout. They can’t even tell you what happened. The races they really liked never even got a bet, all because they played the third at No-Nothing Downs…. They were out of the house, and they beat themselves… That is the hardest place to be when you love the game…

I have asked my friend to consider –  pick your best five tracks. Now, lightly scan two tracks – just races and possible bets you may want to consider. Then go for two other tracks, and study them in good detail. The final track, work it over like a test in school. Give it all of your attention.  Now, you have a plan.

The betting – Take your best 12 races. Now, cut back to eight races. I want you to select five that get a small wager as you have studied and focused your money. The other three races get your best wagers. As you look back, you have taken your best tracks, and put them in order of how much they deserve a wager and which ones get a hammer shot. You have better focus, and a plan. You may not win every time, but now you have a shot at winning in the long run. Money management, and race selection. This allows you to watch other races for future wagers, and you will not feel tired at the end of the day tap dancing to the window to wager.

Now, just study your tier levels, and put a plan into place. I bet you’ll enjoy your day, and you’ll even become a better handicapper.