Small Bets, Big Action

by Ed Meyer

posted on January 21, 2020 in Blogroll, General Discussion, Horse Racing, WinningPonies.com | 1 Comment >>

You don’t have to wager Fort Knox to feel the thrill. – I work with a fellow who bets small, and he has the best time in the world. He loves to bet a $1 to win and place and root like hell. – There’s no better action in the world.

Kenny loves to make bets. Just this past weekend I had the races for the big pick-four at FG. – He had no clue, and gandered at the paper for five minutes. – He made a 50-cent pick four. Single, single, single, all. It cost $6.50. – As the last leg crossed the wire the winner was a nice price. – It came back a sweet $193 bucks! – No better feeling in the world.

When I taught him the art of the place parlay, you would’ve thought I passed along the secret sauce for every restaurant. – He still employs the parlay and loves every second. – The stories in between races are the best. He just got beat by a dirty nose, or how the favorite failed and his horse cruised on by. – Watching the small player relish the game is incredible. This is how many of us started and watching him enjoy is better than the law allows.

His wagering is kept tight and his discipline is super. – He stops at the casino on the drive home and goes in and wagers $10 bucks. – Loves the penny slots or plays 25-cent digital roulette. – I always look forward to the stories the next day, and no matter the outcome he still presses on with a positive attitude. – He’s a happy man who loves the action.

One day we were working at Belterra Park. – He had $100 for his birthday and wanted to do a place parlay and make a couple bets at Saratoga. This was his day of celebrating as I bought us a couple “monster burgers.” – He started at Belterra and by the end of the card he ran the card from my picks. – He started with $2 and had $89. – He said, “who do you like at Saratoga on the turf?” – Two guys were on a mission and the sky was the limit.

I told him I loved Irad Ortiz in back-to-back races. – The feature race was my best bet of the day. – I told him to take out his initial $2 so he would not lose a penny for the day. – He asked how much to bet on the first one. – ” I told him he’ll come flying late and Ortiz is ultra-strong on a closer. He was 6-1.” – He made a $20 place wager and started to sweat as this was out of his comfort range. It was his day and he didn’t know it.

As they turned for home Ortiz kicked out and moved to the middle of the track mowing them down. He won and and paid $6.00 to place. – $60 bucks was a great win and he was stoked. – “OK, how much do I bet on the 2nd runner you really like?” – This was an easy decision for me, but me I treaded with hesitation for him. – ” Keep the $87 you won  today and let’s go all-in. – $60 to place on Ortiz. – His hands were shaking but still went to the window.

He had made the biggest bet of his life and was a little pale. – When I told him he couldn’t lose as he was going to be $87 up for the day no matter what. ” It’s rare to have a win-win, and today is your day.” – As Ortiz went wire to wire and paid $5.20 to place there was one happy bettor at the track that day. – The next day he bought pizza for his video crew and especially for us. – ” I don’t know if I can do that all the time, it’s just too nerve wracking.” – “That’s OK, just stick to your knitting and play as you normally do. Today was special as we cleared 10 bets and your were in a good position to score. – He smiled and gave me a big hug and headed for the door.

He still bets $1 to win and place and his $6.50 pick-four was a decent bet for my friend. – He has more fun than anyone at the races and I can’t wait to see him employ his small betting strategy this Thursday night. – Best of luck, Kenny!