ODDS parameters betting two horses.

[Thoroughvest]

I know this is probably a basic question, but I have read or watched videos with conflicting odds requirements. On one audio by Dick Schmidt that the average of the two horses odds must be 8/5. On another audio he says any horse at even odds should be be bet to place with the total amount ignoring the other horse. Is there a more current view on ths subject?

A response would be appreciated.

Roger,

[MikeB]

You have to work out what works best for you, given your ability to pick horses and your own risk-reward comfort zone.

The original Sartin method was based on playing two horses to win, with both horses going off at or above a minimum odds. For Doc Sartin, as I remember, his original minimum was 5/2. That's a target I feel comfortable with, on rare occasion accepting a horse at 2/1, but you need to find your own comfort level.

At that odds requirement, I rarely play more than 2 or at most 3 races on a card. I'm not an action junkie, and that works for me. It's your game, and you set your rules.

[RichieP]

My Requirements:
1) Minimum 8 betting entries

2) EVERY horse has at least 3 rateable lines

3) 2 horse win bets in every race with BOTH bets at minimum odds at 0 MTP of 4/1 or higher ( I am VERY selective)

Patience is a virtue

[Thoroughvest]

Thank's for your input gentlemen.

[MikeB]

For more on this subject, go to the blue band across the top of this page and click on "Google Site Search" on the far left. Enter the phrase "betting 2 horses" and do a search.

[Thoroughvest]

Thank's Mike, that answered all of my questions

[DanBoals]

Hey Thoroughvest,

I had a conversation with Howard Sartin about this back around the turn of the century, and his view was : 5/2 should be the minimum odds if you bet two horses, he recommended waiting until you could get 3/1 on both, as your ROI would improve a lot according to what he told me. Depending on how many and how well you pass races, 3/1 makes sense to me.

Danny Holmes, iirc, recommended betting 3 horses with odds of 5/1 or more, and I have seen Howard do this in followups before, where he bet 3 horses at odds of 5/1, 12/1 and 13/1. If you are really good at passing races, this might work as well.

What is your hit rate on win bets? What is your average mutual? If you know these two things, you can calculate what you need in the way of odds to be profitable. I know for myself, I play exactas, and I generally hit around 20-25% so I look for payoffs in the 10-1 range to make a good ROI. For win bets, I bet 1 to 3 horses, depending on their odds, 1 horse if I really feel a horse at 1-1 or 2-1 is a lock, 2 horses if they are around 3-1 or 4-1 and then 3 horses if all my contenders are longshots, though this is very rare for me.

Dan

[Thoroughvest]

Thank's Dan, Right from the horses mouth....

[Tim Y]

Originally Posted by RichieP

My Requirements:
1) Minimum 8 betting entries

2) EVERY horse has at least 3 rateable lines

3) 2 horse win bets in every race with BOTH bets at minimum odds at 0 MTP of 4/1 or higher ( I am VERY selective)

Patience is a virtue

Good ideas BUT, oft times an "odds on" horse that goes off 9/5 that should really be 3/5, does represent an overlaid wager. I once (BEFORE the Canadian and US monies were co-mingled) got Medalia D'Oro at just over 2 to one and it was a gift.