testing

[barb craven]

Ted's been showing me ScreenHunter and I'm trying it out for myself.





I think I've got it.

A few of you have been wondering where I have been since the Preakness.

I've been clearing up some things and getting a new laptop so when I get back from my week in Vermont(hooray!!) at the end of June I can spent the rest of the summer working on my skills and maybe in the fall I will be ready to get my feet wet and try betting for real.

Barb

[admin]

Originally Posted by barb craven

Ted's been showing me ScreenHunter and I'm trying it out for myself.

Attachment 12204

Attachment 12205

I think I've got it.

A few of you have been wondering where I have been since the Preakness.

I've been clearing up some things and getting a new laptop so when I get back from my week in Vermont(hooray!!) at the end of June I can spent the rest of the summer working on my skills and maybe in the fall I will be ready to get my feet wet and try betting for real.

Barb

Hi Barb
the screenshots look good
Will I see you at Saratoga for PaceandCap day?

Bill

[RichieP]

Hi Barb
You did great with the screenhunter!

Unless you have a 100% mechanical method of contenders to wager on(top 2 bl/bl, top 2 total energy etc) my feedback to you would be to start wagering today with a 4 buck a race outlay. Two reasons why with the second one being most important:

1) If you are looking at result charts to determine off odds and who you would have bet it can be extremely deceiving. Two examples from yesterday were a horse I bet at 1 minute to post who was 6/1 and when he wins they pay off at 7/2. Second example is a horse I bet also at the 1 minute to post mark who was 11/1 and when he wins they pay off at 17/1. All the late tote changes make it imperative that we play with "real time" odds making pass/play/wager decisions at a personally determined time before post. I use 1 minute to post and have never been shut out. When I used 0 minutes to post a couple of times I got shut out and abandoned that.

2) Unless a completely 100% mechanical method of whom to wager on exists in your way of playing you need to bet real money in order to get used to the emotions that kick in and deal with all the "little voices" that pop up when cash is on the line. Barb at least for me it was 2 completely different worlds wagering on "paper" and with real money.

Some of Howard's teachers in Pirco (Dick Schmidt in particular)suggested starting with a $200.00 bank as a maximum starting point. Never more.

You are very good and have a talent for this. Jump in and go for it Barb!
Richie

[barb craven]

Bill

Thanks for that. Sadly I won't be able to come to Saratoga although I would very much like to meet all of you. Maybe next year.

Barb

[barb craven]

Richie

Thanks for the advice. I will try it. I hear what you are saying about real money. Ted is always telling me that the whole experience is completely different. I get a rush even with no money down. so I can't even imagine what it will be like when it is real. $200 is what I had in mind, and I want it to be money I don't have to fret about if I hit a losing streak. I'm almost there.

I haven't done anything for a few weeks and have forgotten a lot of what I should automatically be looking at. I found that out last night when I did a few of yesterdays races at Woodbine. As I said, when I get back from Vermont I need to do a couple of hundred practice races, but then I will jump in I promise. How can I not with all you guys rooting for me.

Thanks again for all your advice and support. I suck it up like a sponge.

Barb

[Tim Y]

Most everyone I advise regarding the initial steps in wagering become, to some extent, jaded after their first experience since the transition from "paper wagering' to "real wagering", is steeper than you think.

I advise people to prepare for the wagering side of the equation by carefully considering what YOUR probability is that a horse will perform, compared to the "straw vote" (odds set by the crowd). It is only the contest that offers YOU the advantage that is worth the wager.

Three good sources to make this transition are
Mitchell, "Winning Thoroughbred Strategies."
Cramer, "The Odds are on Your Side."
Fiero, "Four Quarters of Horse Investing."

Very few books about horse racing seriously consider wager construction which is an entirely different discipline.

[Bob Cochran]

Hello Barb Craven.
My name is Bob Cochran. I was reading your posts, and decided to toss in my two cents.

There are several things you must know about yourself.

1. What types of races you have the most success. (sprint-route)

2.What type of bets (win)-(win-place)-(exacta)-(trifecta)(superfecta).etc..

3. How much to bet. (your comfort level)

4.The discipline to keep records and make the necessary adjustments as the
need appears.

5. Use a 2 horse betting strategy as a starter. 60/40

An easy way to discover your comfort level as you work your way up from the $2.00 level is to sense discomfort before making a wager. If you get an
uncomfortable feeling, you are over your comfort level.

good luck in your racing endeavors.
BobC

[barb craven]

My thanks to you Tim and Bob. I am considering all advice very seriously. My new laptop has now arrived and is being configured. This will let me spend more time practising and analyzing races before I start wagering. In the meantime I've been reading all Dr. Sartin's followups and anything else I can to familiarize myself with the art of wagercapping. (It helps to have Ted as a son).

I have been keeping records, but I find I must revise this because I wasn't sure to start with how detailed they should be and I found myself having to dig a lot more for "why" answers than I think I should. I'm now setting up an excel spreadsheet and am trying to decide just how detailed it should be. Any suggestions would be welcome. I won't be able to reply for a while as I will be down in your country for the next week.

Barb

[Bob Cochran]

It might be a good idea to keep a median energy track profile for the track(s)
you play.

BobC

[barb craven]

Hello again Bob Cochran

I've been taking your advice and have been playing the tracks in real time. I still haven't put real money, yet but have been keeping records plus med. energy. I see what you mean.

For the past week I've been playing Bel. and Woodbine and have been having about 50% success with 60/40 $5 bet, except for maiden races, I stay away from them because I have absolutely no luck with them right now. also, I have better luck with sprints than routes. But I also have been having luck with pick 3's.

Today I've been working with Ft. Erie and have a question that might seem dumb, but I just don't know. They have rolling pick 3's. Do you have to put all your bets down for the pick 3's at once, or can you do it race by race?

Thanks in advance.

Barb