Posted May 31st, 2009 by admin
I just finished up my second read through of Andrew Beyer’s book, “Picking Winners A Horseplayer’s Guide” and am getting ready to go through Tom Ainslie’s “Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing” again and I had to laugh. Both of these guys are stellar punters and great authors, there is no question…but I got such a kick out of how they poke and jab at each other…sometimes deliberately and sometimes with a “tongue in cheek” approach. I guess they are no different than any other punter out there who thinks that his particular system is the “end all be all” of racing systems and that none other can compare. There were times when I was reading that I felt like a parent who wanted to say “boys, boys, BOYS! Just get along….you’re both right! Class is important but so is speed!” Yes, they both humbly admit that one without taking the other into consideration is lunacy but still when push comes to shove they stand by their preference. Funny stuff!
I picked up both books, and plan on reviewing more as time allows, but my intention or ultimate goal was to educate myself. I am still working through Puntology and have to say that I like it. It does have a bent more towards British racing but much of it is very relevent no matter where on the planet you live or what sort of racing you fancy. The ultimate goal is to become a professional gambler at the end of a year’s time and the funny thing is that the author, Michael Wilding, knows human behavior pretty well and includes a simple betting system in the beginning of the lessons since I think he figures that you’re going to want to get up and running as quickly as possible. From there he helps you to refine or create your own betting system tailored around your own interests. What I found was that, for myself, I wanted a system that was a little more granular or detailed…I wanted more in depth knowledge of some of the statistics that many of us use in handicapping a race or even remove some of the key elements of the beginners Puntology betting system that weren’t relevent to racing here in the US…that is why I picked up some books to supplement my education, so to speak.
I was actually surprised to find that the Beyer figures that so many speed handicappers live and die by that are posted in the Daily Racing Form aren’t as accurate as they might seem! It definately is a large endeavour to create your own charts but it made sense after reading these books…and what better way to create a signifcant edge than to be able to have super accurate speed figures that nobody else is privy to… (other than those that might also wish to create their own charts, which is highly unlikely in this day and age of a public that demands immediate gratification!)
The long and the short of it is, Puntology is great and it will give you a wonderful education and make you a Grade I punter within a year’s time…there is no question about that…but why not do some “extra credit” stuff to ensure that you have a signifcant edge over the rest of the punters out there and ensure that you are solidly a part of the 2-5% of punters who make money and are successful instead of hoping and praying that you aren’t a part of the remainder that fill the pockets of the upper eschelon?
Tags: "Picking Winners A Horseplayer's Guide", andrew beyer, Andrew Beyer's book, betting system, complete guide to thoroughbred racing, michael wilding, michael wilding puntology, puntology, puntology betting system, tom ainslie, Tom Ainslie's "Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing"
Posted May 24th, 2009 by admin
Try telling your family that you’re going to quit your job and make a living punting. Go ahead!…tell them that you either have a system that is earning you more money than you’re making going to work every day and see if you don’t wind up on a morning tv show where your loving family has an intervention with you, telling you that they are worried about your sanity…at worst. At best, your family and chances are your mates will tell you that you’re nuts. That if it was that easy everyone would be doing it and that you shouldn’t quit your day job.
But what if you actually COULD learn to be a successful punter? If you could hone your punting skills to the point that your betting bank was slowly growing instead of shrinking on a monthly basis. What if before long your betting bank had grown from a hundred pounds or dollars to a thousand? What if on a weekly basis you were clearing an easy 100 to 200….more than if you had a part time job. How long would it take before you took your punting to the next level? Enough money to pay the bills every month and three months worth of funds in your bank account for those losing streaks that are bound to come along….how would it feel to not have to live paycheck to paycheck? To have the security of basically having your own business…and a business doing something that you love!
Personally, I can see myself waking up each morning when I want and not at the urging of my alarm clock…no grueling drive to work each morning or commute back at night, realizing that more than half of my time is spent doing what someone else wants me to do when they want me to do it…basically slavery to a job that I despise. I can imagine the freedom of going on holiday when I want, where I want and for as long as I want.
Is this just a pipe dream or can this be your reality? It is honestly up to you…how hard are you willing to work?…will you take the time to find a system that works for you or create your own system?…will you have the patience to wait for your betting bank to grow and make safe bets along the way and throughout your career as a professional punter? Can you treat this like a real business and put in the time to grow your business slowly but surely? Will you continue with your ‘education’ just like any successful professional?
The fact is that close to 95-99% of all punters lose money. What makes you think that you can be amongst that elite 1-5% that don’t? What is going to separate you from the crowd? Is it going to be a superior betting system or will it be your patience, character and determination? Everyone has access to the same information and betting systems…it is all in how we use this information and these tools that will keep us in the money in the long run. We won’t win every bet and every day won’t be filled with big wins but as we hone our skills and become wiser…and with patience…we will become a member of the elite who quietly make a handsome living at their leisure while enjoying time at the track or by betting on a few select races each week.
For most the dream of making a living betting on horse racing is just that….a dream…but people just like you and me DO make a handsome living doing just that. Day in and day out they quietly wait for their race…they see opportunities and with the skill and precision of a successful stock market trader they place their bets and receive income. If you listen to the crowd you will never live the dream…but if you dare to dream it you can live it.
Visit our main site, Horse Betting Systems, to read our reviews of popular betting systems and books to see what might suit your betting style and keep from getting ripped off. I assure you that, just like the races, not every system is a ‘winner’ and there are quite a few folks out there wanting to separate you from your money. Basically…anything with a rating of three stars of less is not good….we got sick of these guys trying to hack our site or sending us nasty emails so anything three stars or less is bad….four or five stars is good. Get it? 
And good luck! 
Tags: betting bank, betting on the ponies, gambling, handicapping, horse betting system, horse betting systems, Horse Racing, psychology, punting, winning at the track, work from home
Posted May 23rd, 2009 by admin
Ok…I spent some time on Thursday looking at the card for the 6th race at Belmont today…and like I said, I’m going to post some of my picks. Play them if you want or just watch them like me.
I did make a few bets when I first started the Puntology course and was somewhat successful but I am seeing that there is much to learn and I’m excited about really learning how to handicap a race and thus improve my edge.
So, without much more messing about…
PP3 – Mindemoya – I like this horse but she’s not my picks. She seems to like to run out front and set the pace but she’s stepping up a bit in class so I don’t know if this in addition to the added distance might hurt this filly. She does run pretty much “in the money” most of the time
PP4 – Not Just A Rumor – I like this filly and she is my pick. She has the best speed rating of anyone in this race when running in her class. Last time out she finished 4th while in the mix while way out of her class so I’m thinking that she is here to win. She set the pace last time also and I think she might have tired a bit…same distance as today’s race but I think she’s gonna run away with this one.
Other horses that I think will be there in the end are the 2 and 3 horses…so I would probably bet:
3-4 Box Exacta
3-4-5 Boxed Trifecta
The #1 filly (Beauseant) looks ok also but she’s been on break since October…
The #2 horse (Forcefully) could be there in the end and did well when she was in her own class.
The #5 horse (First Circle) should be there at the end and was outclassed last race but ran well when within her own class with good speed at this distance.
The #6 horse (Gigolette) ran with Forecefully (#2) and finished behind her.
The #7 horse (Class Gem) seems to be clearly outclassed here…sorry. She hasn’t run near the front since she broke her maiden (12K)
I’ll let you know how they finished. This is FUN!
Tags: belmont race track, handicapping, Horse Racing, horse racing picks, punting, puntology
Posted May 21st, 2009 by admin
I’ve been working through the Puntology course and have to tell you that I’m really impressed so far. I really like Michael Wilding’s philosophy and like the pace with which Puntology moves along…..and I NEVER thought that I’d enjoy homework quite so much!
I hope to post some of my handicapping so you can see how things progress with me as I strive to become a Professional Gambler this year. I will tell you that I’m not a horrible handicapper but I think we will all agree that each of us could use some improvement…I mean, given enough time and a couple of pints I’ve always been able to tune out those around me voicing their opinion of the next race and asking me what I was going to do….and on a winning night I usually don’t have trouble in passing on a race that doesn’t seem quite right to me…and if things turn really bad I don’t have a problem with saying “Sorry…I’m done for the night”
My problem has always been achieving that delicate balance of having my wits about me while being relaxed enough to see the whole picture when I look at the racing form. On these occassions I can usually pick two or three trifectas with two of them being winners….but when I overhandicap and try too hard (or drink too much lager, on the other end of the spectrum!) I wind up trying to find a good bet…and that always winds up biting me in the arse!
I am enjoying this process of working through Michael Wilding’s Puntology…and if you’re game I’d welcome anyone who wants to work through it with me. We can either communicate through email or create a group of some sort….a “study group,” so to speak! I was thinking of asking Michael if he would be interested in starting up a message board of some sort on his site that could be accessed by those of us who are reading his lessons. The only problem that I can think of is that it is human nature to want to read ahead and rush things which I think might hurt more than it would help.
Let me know what you think and in the meantime check out Puntology and think seriously about getting your education in punting.
Tags: handicapping, homework, michael wilding, pint of beer, punting, puntology, trifecta
Posted May 19th, 2009 by admin
Are you a skilled handicapper or are you just chasing after a dream using one betting system after another hoping to find the magic bean that will point you in the direction of winning horses on every race? Do you find yourself frustrated by each and every system that you buy? Are you finding that a system might work really well on paper but as soon as you lay your money down the success that was just there suddenly goes cold?
The fact is that if you ever wish to become a successful punter you are going to have to work in a different direction than you have been. Even if you are seeing some sort of success chances are it will be short lived if you are relying solely upon an “off the shelf” betting system. Betting systems or handicapping systems have their place but only as a tool. You will never be able to call yourself a real punter if you don’t know what makes that tool or system work. On the flip side of that, if you know how each particular system works you will know which one to use given a particular situation. A real punter also knows that no system can ensure a 100% strike rate and when to sit out a race and just enjoy watching the horses run.
The long and the short of it is that if you love horse racing and want to take some pride in your handicapping….if you are into this for the long haul and you want to set yourself apart from the pack there are some things you’re going to have to do.
Educate Yourself – Nothing beats a good education. This goes for any aspect of your life. If there is something that you wish to be good at, whether that be fixing automobiles or painting or picking winning race horses, a good education can give you an edge and make it easier for you to be successful. Educating yourself doesn’t have to be boring although if you haven’t read a book in years you might have some trouble. Many of the books on the market are a good mixture of “how to handicap”, how to use statistics and a good measure of some very interesting stories. Take advantage of those that have gone before you and learn from them through books, magazine, and talking with other successful punters.
Become Absorbed With Horse Racing – If horse racing is really something you enjoy and is your passion, dive headfirst into it. Seek out old timers at the track and folks you see on a regular basis. You might be surprised by who you might meet…trainers, owners, old jockeys….you never know who you’re going to meet….and I’m not suggesting that you befriend people so you can get “inside information” but what you are seeking is guidance. What you are looking for is an inside peek into how the racing world really works. Read up on horses and spend some time getting to know what a good running horse should look like and move like…learn confirmation and soundness and gait. These are things that can only be learned through years of looking at actual horses but given time it will help set you apart from the crowd and make you a better handicapper.
Work On Your Mental Game – There is nothing quite as important as how you deal with the wins and losses as the mental component of punting. It can be quite a roller coaster ride with severe highs and lows and the only thing that is going to keep you from crashing when you come across a long losing streak is how well mentally you are prepared to deal with this stress. You might also want to look into how you are going to deal with the losing streaks financially…will you have money set aside to get you through such times?…will you go on vacation for a bit until the season changes?…will you lower the size of your bets until you feel more secure in your handicapping and your betting system?…or will you become frustrated, like many punters do and either walk away or blow your entire bank trying to recoup your losses? Likewise, big wins and long winning streaks can do the same thing in a round about way. You might feel invincible and start spending money like a rock star or become sloppy in your handicapping. It might feel like the good times will never end but life seldom plays out this way.
The above are a few of the things that you might want to think about and the results should be enough to tell you whether you want to take your handicapping to the next level or if you are just dreaming about what it might take to make a living at betting on horse racing. It definitely can be done but it’s not as easy to get from here to there as most people might like to think…but with a little determination and some passion for the sport you will be successful.
Tags: betting on horse racing, handicapping, horse betting systems, punting, puntology, winning at the track
Posted May 16th, 2009 by admin
I will admit that I put some money on Rachel Alexandra…to place. It’s not that I don’t want her to win and make the “fairy tale” come true…and I have the utmost confidence in Calvin Borel but I’m just not a “win” better. There simply are a million things that can happen in a race and hundreds of things that can go wrong. I just hope that everyone has a good trip and that we get a fair run on these remarkable athletes. There are just so many other great horses running in the Preakness today.
Pioneer of the Nile has a shot at it I do believe and he is one of my picks just because I think he’s a great horse. If I had the money and felt confident in betting on such contentious races I would probably box a exacta between Pioneer of the Nile and Rachel Alexandra…I would want Rachel Alexandra to blow away the field, of course, so I could see history in the making and give the filly her due respect…and fillies in general.
Now…everyone is almost writing off Mine that Bird but I would probably count him on being there in the end somewhere. The Derby proved that he does have what it takes to go the distance and is in the proper condition to have plenty of gas in the tank at the end. If you get a chance to see the replay of the Derby from an overhead shot you will see this horse absolutely take off like a Ferrari when Calvin asked him to. No, Calvin isn’t riding him today but Mike Smith definately is a world class jockey and that is why I count Mine That Bird in as part of a good solid trifecta. He has shown what he’s got and this horse has a lot to offer and Mike is the guy to get the best of out him…
I think if I were to want to play the Superfecta I would put Papa Clem in there somewhere also. He was another horse that I really liked for the Derby so I wouldn’t count him out.
One thing I’ve noticed about Rachel Alexandra from looking at her and Calvin’s performance at The Oaks and comparing that to a couple of other races is that she seems to run faster if she isn’t whipped. Now, I am not opposed to a jockey whipping a horse. I don’t believe that it’s the same as whipping a human or something like that and I see the value in whipping with the right horse….but it’s rare to see a horse destroy a field like Rachel Alexandra did at the Oaks and Calvin didn’t touch her…the two or three other races that I saw he did use the whip…she still won but not by 20 1/4 lengths….just some food for thought and I could be wrong but I think that Calvin has this filly figured out and I wish her and him all the best today at the Preakness.
We’ll see how it all plays out but I do believe that we may see history being made today in Maryland. And as much as I love to be right and how much I enjoy winning, I wish more than anything that all the horses and jockeys arrive at the finish safe and sound…safety above all else…
Tags: exacta, jockey, jockeys, jockies, mike smith, mine that bird, papa clem, pioneer of the nile, place, preakness picks, preakness stakes, rachel alexandra, superfecta, trifecta, win
Posted May 14th, 2009 by admin
I don’t think that there is anyone that would argue that an experienced jockey can mean the difference between a horse having a good run. A good jock knows his horse…knows the animal’s limits and all the peculiarities of that particular horse…does he like to run up front?…does he get freaked out in certain situations?…how much gas does he have left in the tank come the last 100 yards or so?…what does he or she respond well to when the time comes to drop the hammer?
This fact can be seen in Calvin Borel’s winning record on Rachel Alexandra…..he is unbeaten on her, and hopefully he will remain that way come Saturday at the Preakness! LOL
The fact is that winning jockeys get the best horses. This may go against your thinking or beliefs but it is the best horses that have the money behind them in the form of ownership and these are the mounts that the best jockeys want since that’s where the money is in the form of percentage of winnings. Nothing can be more heartbreaking than having a great horse and placing it in the hands of a jockey that doesn’t know how to get the best out of that horse….perhaps a jockey that can’t hold a horse back at the begining of a race and thus the horse is spent come the end of the race. Yes, there are always exceptions to the rule and there are a lot of young, new jockeys out there with pure talent….as well as some older, “experienced” jocks that just lack real talent…that intuitiveness where they become one with the horse. But as a general rule, older, more experienced jockeys get the better horses and thus have a better winning percentage.
This fact is why as a part of my own betting system I do take into consideration a jockey’s win percentage. I don’t treat this as a flat number but I do actually take that percentage and weigh it against all the other jockeys in the running.
There are many variables to take into consideration and a jockey’s winning percentage is just one of them. You may ask, “what betting system do you use?” and I’ll tell you that I use MY betting system. It may look a lot like many of the other ones out there but this one is mine. I am constantly modifying and tweeking and and changing things a little bit as things change in an attempt to get a better handle on exactly what all these variables mean in my handicapping…but not too much. How did I come up with this system? I read a lot and take the advice of others who have gone before me and been successful like Michael Wilding of Puntology fame.
To find out more about this “education in punting”….this “PHD in betting on horse racing”….this “Masters Degree in Gambling” go to http://www.horsebettingsystems.info/recommends/puntology/
Tags: betting on horse racing, betting on racing, calvin borel, gambling, horse racing system, horse racing tips, jockeys, michael wilding, puntology, winning at the track
Posted May 13th, 2009 by admin
So I’ve been really juiced lately with the Derby behind us…Mine That Bird pulling of the upset of the century…but the big news is Rachel Alexandra running in the Preakness. She really is one hell of a filly and the whole story around her road to the Preakness with Calvin Borel passing on riding Mine That Bird in the second third of the triple crown so he can ride Rachel Alexandra…folks entering horses for the Preakness to try to keep her out…the fear trainers have for her is astounding! I truly believe that we will see history being made on Saturday and that this little filly is going to do great things in her career and hopefully bring more attention to the sport, in general…
So…I’m all jazzed up with everything that’s been going on and I get an email this morning offering tips for todays races at Churchill and Belmont. These tips are coming from a very reliable handicapper who claims to have picked the trifecta for the Derby keying on Mine That Bird…so he has my attention. $15 and I’ll have hot tips from one of the most respected handicappers in the country…so I bite. I’ve got stars in my eyes and see what I think is a shortcut to winning at the track…..sounds pretty good eh? $15 and I’ve got tips for a 20-1 shot, a exacta box and a trifecta. I’m thinking that even if one of these comes in I should be able to at least break even….
Now, I’m not a big fan of tip services or tipster services. I don’t even take seriously anything that I read on message boards…at least not a plain tip sheet. I am basically an honest man and I love the sport of horse racing and I want to become as proficient as possible and tipster services always sort of reminded me of the kid in school that would want to cheat off of your test. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from picking horses yourself and win, lose or scratch, at least I have nobody to blame but myself.
Needless to say, none of the tips were worth a damn. I sure am glad that I did fork over the $100 to race with these blokes this entire week! If I want to pick losing horses I can do that for free and I’ll tell you that I had better luck on my own this past weekend! I picked 4 out of 5 races…played it safe and bet to show (because that’s just how I roll sometimes when a race is contentious)…but 4 out of 5 horses ran in the money. Not too bad for a guy that isn’t a world reknown handicapper! Perhaps I should start my own tipping service!?
Please done’t be emailing me asking me to help you by sending you my tips. There is nothing spectacular about me or my handicapping. I just love the sport and enjoy handicapping and have worked to educate myself. I WILL tell you what put me on the right path…and I’m no bullshitting you…Puntology…this is where I would begin if I were you. If you really want to save youself a lot of time and trouble just sign up for this course. It is a no bull, shoot from the hip education in how to pick winners and become a professional punter. Do what the guy says….pick up a couple of the books that I recommend on my site and get yourself an education in betting on the ponies. Don’t waste your time with tipster services and lame systems. I promise you that you won’t be dissapointed in Puntology.
To learn more about Puntology go to http://www.horsebettingsystems.info/recommends/puntology
and to see some honest reviews of horse betting systems go to
http://www.horsebettingsystems.info
Tags: belmont, betting on the ponies, betting systems, calvin borel, churchill downs, gambling, Horse Racing, horse racing systems, kentucky derby, mine that bird, preakness, punting, puntology, rachel alexandra, tipster services, winning at the track
Posted May 10th, 2009 by admin
As I’m waiting for post time on the 4th race at Monmouth I thought I’d drop you all a line. (Not the greatest race of the day but I really liked “Marybeth Marybeth” and had to put a couple of bucks down in hopes that the horse will at least run in the money)
Anyhow…I wanted to touch on the subject of risk and reward. We all have choices in life and even more so in horse racing. Which catagory do we wish to be in? Do we want to be risk takers, hedging our bets in hope of minimizing that risk while capitolizing upon the great rewards that come from taking “said risk.”….or do we wish to keep all risks to a minimum and only travel down the path where unfortunate things do happen yet when they do they are rare and don’t last long. Do we want to bet on a “sure thing”…or at least as much of a sure thing as we can muster in betting on horse racing? Personally, I tend to beat myself up pretty bad when going through a losing streak…take the above race that I’m waiting to go off. “Marybeth Marybeth” is the odds on favorite according to the morning line odds…but horse racing can be unpredictable, as can be seen in Mine That Bird’s Derby win a couple of weeks ago…. a smallish horse that most folks didn’t even put in the running. Things have a way of happening and it’s great if you’re on the winning side of them but not so much if you were the odds on favorite wondering “Who Dat?”….”who just went flying by me?”
There is also another school of thought that the reward for playing it safe isn’t worth risking laying that money down on the odds on favorite….the pay off isn’t enough to risk something happening like having a Mine That Bird coming inside on the rail and blowing away everyone.
I believe that there has to be a balance…that we only take the calculated risk when we believe that we have all our bases covered or remove as much of the risk as is possible and thus reap some of the rewards and take our lumps like a grown up.
The above is why I have started to change things up for myself and am looking into learning how to effectively bet Trifectas and Superfectas. I played around with them when I was younger….the exotics like Trifectas and the Daily Double were my Dad’s favorites and he taught me a bit…but not enough for me to feel confident. I’ve picked up a couple of books that I’ll post links to on here this afternoon once I’m done and I’ve also picked up a nice little course/system on Superfectas.
I will caution you against using “systems” right out of the box and thinking that the publisher’s promises of making you money without having to know a thing about horse racing…there are no “instant riches” without some sort of work…and if horse racing interests you then it won’t really be “work” (UGH! such a dirty word!)…it’s more of a puzzle or skill that I want to learn…a love of the sport and desire to be proficient at or wish to know as much about as I possibly can. What’s the payoff? The satisfaction of having this knowledge and also knowing that I have a skill that I can use for the rest of my life….a past time/hobby/job that I can work at in my leisure that will provide for me and that I enjoy at the same time. Imean, I am a pretty good handicapper…but I don’t think I will ever be as good as I want to be.
Overall, this has been a good weekend with a 100% strike rate so far for the weekend with four races yesterday and only one today that I wanted to mess with. I just couldn’t resist this horse…only the future will tell if I have chosen wisely!
+++++++++++++++++++++
HE HE HE!!! Ran in the money! Paid 3.20 on a $2 bet to show!
Tags: 10 cent superfecta, betting, gambling, Horse Racing, horse racing systems, mine that bird, monmouth, superfecta betting, superfectas, trifecta betting, trifectas