Contest

[admin]

I just got home. Saturday I tried my first ever handicapping contest _
Monmouth Park ran it
Except for PA and here I never went into a contest

I did very well profit wise I just called and they said they will
post the final results late today or Monday

I wonder if there are any suggestions for waggering in
these contest

I just as talking to Richie and I told him I was so nervous
I just bet each race like I always do
flat betting I really thought that if I just did my thing
I would do OK

Looking back I wonder if it would be better to be more
agressive late I won early on
I hate to leave the track with less money then I walked in with
I'm thinking once I got up I should have
put my entry fee in my wallet and bet my full
bank on each of the remaining races

Well I had fun
GS
Bill

[admin]

actually it was my second contest
I once was involved in a group contest
with a groulp of us here. We entered as team VDC Messenger
I remember we did so-so but woulda coulda shoulda
just missed with a 16-1 shot that placed

[RichieP]

I just got home. Saturday I tried my first ever handicapping contest _
I wonder if there are any suggestions for waggering in
these contest
Bill


Bill
best of luck on the contest result!

I was wondering if EXPERIENCED contest players like Jim G,Rxlawyer etc might be willing to post up some ideas they have used successfully in tourney play.
If I have left out any other experienced players it is from lack of memory right now.

Maybe a bit on game plan,strategies etc etc.

Richie

[Turbulator]

I just got home. Saturday I tried my first ever handicapping contest _
Monmouth Park ran it
Except for PA and here I never went into a contest

I did very well profit wise I just called and they said they will
post the final results late today or Monday

I wonder if there are any suggestions for waggering in
these contest

I just as talking to Richie and I told him I was so nervous
I just bet each race like I always do
flat betting I really thought that if I just did my thing
I would do OK

Looking back I wonder if it would be better to be more
agressive late I won early on
I hate to leave the track with less money then I walked in with
I'm thinking once I got up I should have
put my entry fee in my wallet and bet my full
bank on each of the remaining races

Well I had fun
GS
Bill

Bill,

I've been thinking a lot about contests lately, and it would help me to respond strategy wise if I knew more about the rules of this particular contest. They are all somewhat different.

[admin]

Hi Turbulator

The contest was a little like our summer stakes rules
It as Win or Win Place only but only 1 horse per race
you had to bet 6 races from the Monmouth card

Here is a copy of the rules The scan came out bad
but here it is


Were I messed up was I didn't realize till later that I
could bet MORE than $5 per race I bet my first 3 races
only betting $5 total
http://www.bindfold.com/websitepictures/Untitled.gif

[Turbulator]

Hi Turbulator

The contest was a little like our summer stakes rules
It as Win or Win Place only but only 1 horse per race
you had to bet 6 races from the Monmouth card

Here is a copy of the rules The scan came out bad
but here it is


Were I messed up was I didn't realize till later that I
could bet MORE than $5 per race I bet my first 3 races
only betting $5 total
http://www.bindfold.com/websitepictures/Untitled.gif

Hard to read, but let me see if I've got it. You enter for $50. Are you then given vouchers to bet or do you bet real money? Or do you just simply bet the $50 over the course of six races? Is there a minimum bet? So can you bet $2 on one race $20 on another, etc., etc.

If you bet win and place does that utilize more of your money. Say you bet $5 to win and $5 to place on a horse. Is now $10 of your stake gone?

Thanks

[admin]

Steve
Sorry about the scan
The way it worked was the $50 was $20 entry fee
then they gave me a $30 voucher

You had to bet minium of $5 per race
and you had to bet 6 races

It was 1 horse only per race
You got to bet off the voucher
This is were I made my mistake
I thought 6 $5 dollar bets = $30
But I figured out that there was no
max on your bet They gave each contestant
a special $30 betting card that you could not
add any more money too whatever you won
was added to you card . and you could keep
any money you on

[Turbulator]

Steve
Sorry about the scan
The way it worked was the $50 was $20 entry fee
then they gave me a $30 voucher

You had to bet minium of $5 per race
and you had to bet 6 races

It was 1 horse only per race
You got to bet off the voucher
This is were I made my mistake
I thought 6 $5 dollar bets = $30
But I figured out that there was no
max on your bet They gave each contestant
a special $30 betting card that you could not
add any more money too whatever you won
was added to you card . and you could keep
any money you on

$20 entry fee, ouch! If they don't get you comin, they get you goin.

Let's see if I've got it now. If you bet $5 to win on a 20 to one shot in the first race and win, you've now got that $100 you just won plus the $30 you started with for $130 on your card. You can then bet as much of that as you want on the upcoming races as long as you leave enough to bet $5 a race on all of the other qualifying races.

The first thing I would find out is how many people entered the contest and approximately what first place would pay. If it's a small turnout and first would only pay one or two hundred dollars, and I was winning, say $100, then in that case I wouldn't want to risk too much of my win just to try and win the contest. If first prize was around a $1000 or more then I might reconsider. To me it's all about odds on your money.

Different strategies apply as the contest wears on and you are either leading or close to the lead or significantly behind.

For example with one race to go and you feel you are somewhere in the middle of the pack you might as well pick a logical long shot and take a flier--either that or give up. And a five to one shot might not be high enough odds--you might have to go with a 15 or 20 to one shot or higher.

If you feel you are out front you might want to hedge on a price horse you think other cappers will be gambling on. That way if they hit--you hit and you reduce the chances of getting passed at the wire.

Let's say the logical horse to beat is an even money favorite. Betting on that horse won't advance you that much (unless you bet a lot), but if there is a logical long shot at say 9/2 or 6 to one that you're afraid of then you would have to decide how much to risk in order to preserve your lead should that long shot win. Conversely you'd have to consider where it would leave you should it lose.

A lot of the time you have to make some guesses about where you stand, who is close and how close, or how far behind you are.

It can be a thought problem, definitely.

Just a few ideas.

[admin]

Thanks Turbulator

I might just retire from them Like you said the $20 entry fee,
Thats $20 bucks that I could have used to bet and with my
current win percent and roi that would have been better spent

I went in figuring I would do ok if I just did my thing ,
I did alright. I made a nice profit It was exciting
and I felt good when I cashed out

But maybe its not for me I can't see myself betting
that way I enjoy the contest here on Pace and Cap
the formats fit the methodology In my opinion better

All I really want to do is do better than myself
Its just a matter of when, But someday I will
hit 15 winners in a 20 race cycle or maybe I will
top my all time 20 race cycle ROI I probably
will feel just as well and thats really who I am

GS
Bill