Derby Wars???

Its a good concept but I am not a fan of the limited formats and the token system. It has great potential similar to that of Fan Duel and Draft Kings.
Great for people who live in a state where they cant bet online.

[Arletta]

Originally Posted by helicopter11

Its a good concept but I am not a fan of the limited formats and the token system. It has great potential similar to that of Fan Duel and Draft Kings.
Great for people who live in a state where they cant bet online.

I am sure Texas will figure out a way to make it illegal as well.

Originally Posted by Arletta

I am sure Texas will figure out a way to make it illegal as well.

For sure

[fantini33]

Originally Posted by helicopter11

Its a good concept but I am not a fan of the limited formats and the token system. It has great potential similar to that of Fan Duel and Draft Kings.
Great for people who live in a state where they cant bet online.

I agree about the limited formats and it is something that I think Mark is possibly working on. Maybe some "optional race" tournaments. Some "on site" events. The bracket challenges are certainly unique.

IMO the "token" system is a giant

I would never pay $235 to play in a 100 person Saturday event. Or $375 to play in a 30 person high stakes Sunday game. And most importantly...$875 to play in a 30 person NHC qualifier.

DerbyWars has opportunities all week long to win tokens for such events, in games of multiple sizes and buy in amounts, and at lots of different tracks.

The $47 9 person games where you win a $375 token is a great deal. First off, they will run these even with only 7 entrants, meaning there is actually a negative takeout. If you can get one in under 7 tries ($47 x 7 = $329) you practically eliminate the takeout yourself. I have been fortunate enough to typically get one in the first 4 or 5 tries meaning that those Sunday contests yield a positive financial expectation for me in the long run. That's the idea anyway.

As far as NHC spots goes. They run $47 24 player contests which yields 1 $875 token. That gets you into a 30 player qualifier where top 2 make it to Vegas. Most qualifying sites they will take like 1 of 65 entrants. I realize that mathematically your overall chance to qualify may be better going the big game way, but I feel as though my practical chances are improved by having to fare well in 2 smaller sized tournaments as opposed to 1 large tournament. Not quite so overwhelming.

[fantini33]

Originally Posted by helicopter11

Its a good concept but I am not a fan of the limited formats and the token system. It has great potential similar to that of Fan Duel and Draft Kings.
Great for people who live in a state where they cant bet online.

I agree that it has similar potential to sports fantasy sites. If anything, it seems to be the best way at this point to draw new players to the game we all love, which is desperately in need of new players.

Derbywars has live Wednesday night and 100k game webcasts which are fun to be a part of as well as constant write-ups and articles on players and tournaments at Horseracingnation. These are nice touches in an effort to get a new generation to become involved.

[fantini33]

I apologize if I have put some people to sleep with my responses.

[senator L]

Appreciate you sharing your knowledge

Do you think it would be easier to win on Horse Tourneys
or are they the same level of handicapper?

[fantini33]

You will find a lot of the same players on both sites. Lots of really sharp players, lots of intermediate players, some newcomers. If you have good opinions you will be fine at either place. The other sites seem to have more big contests which require you to submit all picks ahead of time, while Derbywars offers more play as you go type games. (IMO there are pros and cons to both) Derbywars offers the most $$$ games of the sites (I'm 90% sure of this) Horsetourneys offers more NHC spots throughout the year. I think Derbywars only awarded 11 spots this year as opposed to over a hundred at some sites. I would expect that number to grow significantly for the 2016 NHC.

I have enjoyed the majority of my success at Derbywars but I would like to think that is mainly because I focus most of my play there, not that another site may be more difficult to win at.

[senator L]

Thanks Ed! What would be the best way to rate one's level
of skill? Money, wins and how much would you equate betting
in terms of your handicapping skill (they seem to co-relate)
sorry not the greatest with words lol

[senator L]

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

[fantini33]

Originally Posted by senator L

Thanks Ed! What would be the best way to rate one's level
of skill? Money, wins and how much would you equate betting
in terms of your handicapping skill (they seem to co-relate)
sorry not the greatest with words lol

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.