Quote:
Originally Posted by turfnsport
I don't watch much TVG anymore but some of those guys are decent handicappers. I just think the network's obsession with Pick 4-5-6's is ill advised.
I think one of the best things they have done is the $10 win insurance. Give a newbie 7 or 8 opportunities to bet $10 to win and get their $10 back if they run second or third. The newbie's bankroll stays intact much longer giving them a longer learning curve to understand handicapping and betting while giving them an opportunity to make a 10% or 20% "rebate."
If I had started out playing the ponies in the 80's betting on Pick 4's and Pick 5's I would not have lasted two months. But I'd probably be pretty good at golf now.
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The network's obsession may make more sense than you think. In a typical 10 horse when all the money is in, 8 horses will be below even and 2 might possibly offer value if you are good enough to figure out who the 2 are. That is the reality of this game. The chances of the public or even the tvg hosts figuring out who the 2 horses are before the race when we don't even know what the final odds will be are pretty small. There were no rebates in the 80's when you started betting so you got a chance to learn and win on a level playing field and you also had a much better idea of what your horse would pay as they were loading the gate. Horses dropping from 9/5 to 4/5 on the last flash were the exception not the rule.
With pick 4's and pick 5's, most players will typically be close to winning a lot. IF so and so would have won the 5th I would have scored for 2 grand or if so and so would have won the 8th I would have got back $1500 not $180. These things feed the fire to continue playing pick 4's and pick 5's a lot more than if so and so would have won the 6th I would have got back $62 on my win/show bet. This is why pick 4'a and pick 5's and even "sucker" jackpot pick 6's are so popular. People want to bet $60 to get back $2000 and the game is set up where the more sophisticated gamblers that want to grind cannot without significant rebates (not players points).
