| There are lots of problems that people encounter | | | | good you are at picking winners. The reason is that |
| when they set out to handicap horse races. If they | | | | money and betting are complicated in ways that |
| are strictly interested in picking a winner with little | | | | picking winners is not. While a horse's form cycle may |
| thought of making a profit, then all they have to do | | | | change from race to race, overall, what you see is |
| is find the horse that has the most speed and recent | | | | what you get. |
| form. That is usually the horse with the lowest odds | | | | But such is not the case when it comes to betting on |
| in the morning line. But if he or she wants to make a | | | | horse races. About half of all the money wagered on |
| profit from his or her picks, then life becomes much | | | | a horse race isn't totaled and added to the pools until |
| more complicated. | | | | after the race goes off and you can no longer bet. |
| Money has a way of complicating everything, doesn't | | | | So when you are shopping for a good bet and basing |
| it? How many people think they would have an | | | | your decisions on the odds on the tote board just a |
| easier and simpler life if only they had more money | | | | few minutes before post time, you are looking at |
| only to find that having more money makes life more | | | | half or even less of the money wagered. You will not |
| complicated? The stories of lottery winners are a | | | | know the final odds until after the race has started |
| perfect example of that. Many find that the thrill of | | | | and the mutuel pools close. |
| winning soon wears off but the problems of dealing | | | | Back in the days before pari-mutuel wagering, legal |
| with all that money and so many people trying to | | | | bookmakers would give you odds on a horse and |
| cheat them goes on. | | | | that was what it paid, no matter what. In other |
| The same is true of handicapping. Sitting down with | | | | words, when you bet it, you knew exactly what it |
| your past performances or in front of your computer | | | | would pay. They also took less out for profit |
| and sorting through the races, looking for your | | | | because they competed against each other for your |
| favorite angles, may be an enjoyable way to spend | | | | business. That is why horse players, good ones, |
| your morning. But when you start making real money | | | | made a profit and that is exactly why it is so hard to |
| bets, especially if you lose a few, it takes a lot of | | | | make a profit now. The race track and state have a |
| the carefree pleasure out of it and stress and worry | | | | monopoly on your bets and you don't know what |
| soon set in. That is when you realize the biggest | | | | you are buying. I don't want to discourage you, but |
| problem handicappers face. It is simply making it all | | | | that is a terrible way to invest money. |
| pay. Why is that? | | | | You not only have to get good at projecting how |
| Many people are good at picking winners, but still lose | | | | the odds will change after post time, but you should |
| money playing the races. The biggest challenge for | | | | also know which states take out the smallest |
| any handicapper isn't learning how to handicap horse | | | | amounts and give the horse player the best chance |
| races, it is finding a way to make money from it. | | | | at making a profit. |
| That isn't as easy as it may sound, no matter how | | | | |