We’ve all had em’, and few know how to beat them down. In the words of legendary gambler Pittsburgh Phil; ” Cut your bets when in a losing streak, and increase them when running in a spasm of good luck.” – Easier said than done, and here are a few ideas to getting you off the bench. See if any apply, and if you find one that fits you. Remember what was said about jockeys and advice. – “The good ones don’t need it and the bad ones won’t heed it.”

1. – Give me a break = There is nothing like taking a vacation after a long year at the office. You get some sun on your face and the alarm clock is left in the drawer. – The same goes for gambling on the races. Sometimes you just need a break. We all do, and once upon a time we used to get it. Long before the simulcast explosion, there was a down time. Unless you had access to a bookie or lived within driving distance to a track, you had some down time to build back your bankroll. With the over saturation of action 24 / 7 /365. It becomes impossible to get that needed down time. – For instance, I was home today as the track was not running. I had a pal give me a call and told me about some solid runners at Indiana Grand. So off and away I go, and found myself $30 down. – No blame on my buddy, all the blame is on me. We need some down time to get our bearings straight. – Think of it as a cleanse and get rid of your bad habits. You have time to re-evaluate your methods and you’ll come back hungry. – Give yourself a break, you deserve some down time.

2. – Cut it in half = If you like to bet $20 per race, make it $10. If it’s $5, round it up to $3. You get the idea. – This allows you to appreciate and not hustle through your wagers. It’s like your favorite meal you savor with every bite versus a sack of White Castles you swallow whole. Betting a smaller amount takes the pressure off and you have a chance to enjoy. – When you have that sweet winner that pays double digits, you’ll first want to kick yourself in the pants for not betting more. But tell me how it feels when you make your first losing wager and watch that (2-1) shot run down the pike and you only had $2 to win on him. – You’ll be glad you dropped back to punt. Every diet in the world talks about portion control, just use this logic and you’ll be back in a good mindset before long.

3.  – It’s all in your mind = You better damn well believe this one for sure ! – Your outlook is the most important tool in gambling. – You borrowed money to go to the races ? You’ll lose 8 out of 10 times. Have a fight with the wife before you hit the door ? You’re dead in the water before you pullout of the driveway. – Before we can start winning you have to visualize the deed getting done. It’s just like work, or visualizing the golf ball and the sweet spot meeting at the right part of your swing. – Gambling is 90% mental, and having the proper mindset can make all of the difference in the world. How many times did you cut work early or have a project that needed more time and you blew it off for a day at the races ? – Oh, there will be a handful of days where you’ll knock them dead, but the end grade will always be bad. – Do some handicapping the night before, get up a little earlier to decide on your wagering plan, and when you get to the track take your time. Stay away from the naysayers, bad attitude players and borrowers of money. They will suck your good fortune away quicker than you’ll ever know.  – Pittsburgh Phil was way ahead of his time, and his words still hold truth to this day. Here are a couple of my favorites that speak to the above rules of thumb.

* All consistently successful players of horses are men of temperate habits in life.

* Special knowledge is not a talent. A man must acquire it by hard work.

* When you feel yourself getting out of form then take a rest and freshen up.

* The less one thinks of crookedness and trickery in racing the more successful will be his handicapping.