Hi Paul,
Welcome! Sounds sort of like Christmas in June for you!
Your query about initial orientation materials sounds similar to a question someone posed earlier this week, about primer materials for a 'rank newcomer'. He was already using RDSS, hence some of the specific points. Here was my response:
1. Use RDSS and download the Example Database which accompanies the RDSS Teaching Forum posts (http://paceandcap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9127). That way, you can follow along with the detailed discussions which include concepts and specific guidelines for paceline selection and contender identification. Plus – you will see fairly quickly how much money you would have made! That will get your (or a brand spanking new person’s) attention and perhaps fortify you/them for the further reading and study.
2. Read Follow Ups 70+ in the Sartin Library for an understanding of the readouts (also see here for some links: www.rdss2.com/help-reference ) and their application, also betting and psychology.
3. Watch existing and newly published RDSS videos (www.rdss2.com/videos-tutorials)
4. If you can purchase the older book ‘Pace Makes the Race’ (preferably 1st Edition, but 2nd Edition is good as well), that will give an overview as well to some of the concepts still important today (http://astore.amazon.com/sartinmetho...ail/096307430X). The 1st Edition is where that excerpt by Doc which you referred to comes from.
5. After doing some amount of homework, make it a regular habit to ask good questions – online – giving as much illustration and specific detail to your question as you can (e.g. using a chosen race to illustrate a question or confusion – and learn how to make and post screen capture illustrations). That will prompt effective replies from smart people who will see your preparedness and seriousness, and who will want to give you some of their valuable time.
I didn't want to overwhelm the gentleman with dozens of references, but to the above I could add:
1. The Paceline Manual (see the Sartin Library)
2. The Las Vegas 1993 Video Seminar
3. This Matchup compilation document, compiled by a few pretty serious Matchup practitioners:
www.sartinmethodology.com/pubs/Bradshaw-Matchup-Forum-Compilation.pdf This represents the 'meat' of the contents of the Hat Check Forum.
Don't forget our friend '
Google', which has indexed all the posts on PaceandCap - everything you want to know (more or less):
www.rdss2.com/google-sitesearch (or - the link at the left edge of the main site menubar).
Perhaps that's enough for now! Time and initiative should take care of the rest.
Good luck, good skill!
Ted