Also, wondering how long it takes you to handicap
10 races thanks!
I asked Andy Beyer he said 4 hours he was also doing
some extra breeding research though

I think that rating the skill level of a handicapper is entirely different than rating the skill level of a horseplayer. I have friends that I have learned tons of handicapping from over the years that rarely make money because they simply don not know how to wager on their opinions.

If you are getting paid for your opinions then I guess wins are okay. If you are like most of us schlubs your opinions need to make you :$: or whats the point.... Would you rather hit 6 out of 9 races and lose $5 for the day or be right twice and turn a profit? Easy answer.

Most people I know dedicate 20 minutes to going through a race and then figure out how to wager that opinion on the way to the window. I try my best to split that time evenly. Learning how to maximize your profit when correct and minimize your losses when not is critical to your long term success. After reading Crists "Exotic Wagering" book I immediately noticed a difference in my play. Having a correct opinion, just like the guy beside you, wagering the same amount, just like the guy beside you, but collecting more money than the guy beside you, that's when you know you can have some success at this game.

I usually give a kind of breeze through, Race 10 through Race 1....if its a circuit I am familiar with....takes maybe 45 minutes. Unfamiliar tracks take much longer. I wish I could dedicate more time to it but my family is patient enough with me as it is, so I prefer not to push it. That is usually enough to sort of set up an idea of what sort of things I would like to focus on within a given card.

There are a lot of variables to this though (tournament play vs regular play) (track vs track) Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses as a horseplayer can help you to understanding where you should focus more of your attention. Tracking your bets, tracks played, etc.

My advice would be to take advantage of any resources that you can get your hands on. Formulator, Timeform pace ratings and projector, thorograph, HTR. These tools certainly simplify the handicapping process.

Thanks again for your time Ed, knock em dead
this weekend:$::tro::D

As a player who loves 'action' I was sold based on this thread and mainly Fantini's posts.

Just opened an account and would like to add that with the initial deposit of $25, they add $10 more as well as give you 1,000 points. I think it was $20 added for $100 and $30 for $200 (all gave 1,000 points). Look forward to playing soon though not today as Dell63.

Take advantage if/when when they have new player contests (<1month). I think I won $50 or $75 in one of those and there wasn't many in it.

Thanks for the heads up.

I joined myself last week. Looking forward to having some fun. Playing as FrankieFigs.

In the early $100 game with you. :)

GL

Ha I just noticed that. Good luck!!

Must say after a month of play, Derbywars has not only been more enjoyable than expected but also profitable. Not sure that qualifies as a Red Board (Since rankings are public #204 with $912 in winnings for Feb.)

BTW my successes pale in comparison to Fantini, ranked #17, and has 10X my winnings for the month.

If you're on the fence about joining, get in.

Based on the posts here decided to jump in as a way to

-cut back on action bets
-get a feel for any sort of tourney play

Missed the new player tournament by a few hours. Will they offer another one next week?

Look forward to getting my feet wet in some smaller games this weekend.

Personally I have concentrated on the $600 game at GP, the track I follow closest. The winner get's $300 and it pays out to 5th, limited to 29 entries with a $24 buy-in. The 7 races if played for real would be a $28 investment and I've found a result of $50-$60 puts you in a great position to cash top 3. One thing I've learned is to handicap all 7 races and decide where limit horses have a chance, otherwise you're forced to chase at the end in races where possibly long odds horses have little chance and or short fields.

GL

BTW finished 2nd both Saturday and Sunday picking up $300 on an investment of $48. Much better than the $110 or so I would have made playing real bets but of course you wouldn't be forced to play all 7 races. Getting 3 outa 4 in pic 4's was getting old. ;)

However, as twisted as I am I placed a cover bet on Saturday to cover the only long shot that would have brought me down in the contest for $2 as a hedge.:zz: