Betting techniques
 

I've read several threads on here that give good information on finding winners, using different angles, and so on. I'm interested in hearing some of your betting techniques (amount included). I know it may vary quite a bit, but what is your main betting technique and why? For instance, I normally play $10 win tickets and put that horse over 3 or 4 for an exacta. I also usually dont bet horses that are 5/2 or lower. Every so often I'll play a 5$ exacta boxing 2 horses. I've got one friend who will only play $50 win/place (usually favorite) with $20 exactas, and one who will only play exactas/trifectas by keying 2 horses with 3 or 4 under, never putting win/place money on them. What are some techniques of yours that work, and those that don't work as well? Thanks

You are killng your odds putting your horse over so many others. Just bet more to win if you can't decide on the place horse. Your betting is still way better than either of your friends. Stay away from tri's and supers except for maybe on the big racing days.

There's nothing wrong with putting your horse over 3 or 4 horses if you have the opinion that your horse should win and those horses are most likely to run underneath. . . It would be a different story if you just put it over the 4 bombs and were hoping to get lucky or over the four biggest faves. . . Wheeling is a bad idea because it tends to diminish potential gains but putting a horse over 3 or 4 others is a decent play. . .

And there's nothing wrong playing tris or supers if you have a strong enough opinion to determine the most likely runners in each spot. . .

In general you have to adapt your betting strategy to the advantageous opinions you have in that particular race or sequence. . .

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, YOU HANDICAP A CARD THEN USE THE SHOTGUN METHOD AND HOPE U HIT HALF OF THE BETS. YOU DONT WANT TO BET HORSES TO MAKE A FEW BUCKS YOU WANT TO THIT THE BIG ONE! and that means supers tris and pick 3s. I USE SO MANY DIFFERENT METHODS AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHICH WILL HIT THAT DAY. IF YOU ARE A REAL BETTOR THAN U CANNOT JUST PICK YOUR SPOTS.... I WANT ACTION .

I guess it depends on if you want to be a degenerate or a horseplayer? :rolleyes:

Thrifty Horseplayers Are Like Accountants Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

By The Way, I Have Met More Degenerate Horseplayers Who Are Doctors Than I Can Count.

Why does everyone hate on anything less than 5/2? Statistically, there is a "longshot bias" meaning that in general, the shorter the price, the higher the ROI. Horses at 20-1 or more return less than 70 cents on the dollar. I'm not advocating playing every odds-on favorite, but by restricting play on those, you are playing into a larger deficit.

Just a thought here...Just as an example...lets say that you like a 9/2 shot...If the horse wins you collect $5.50 for every $1 that you bet to win...
If you don't bet the horse to win but rather bet it on top over four others in the exacta then you need to consider a couple of things...1) your horse can win and you may not cash at all... 2) If your horse wins then the exacta (that you hit only one time) needs to pay more than $22 on a $1 ticket...
imho, You need to get paid considerably more in the exacta to offset the additional risk that you are taking...