Betting with your Head
Even for the most experienced, the Breeders’ Cup and all the betting opportunities it offers can be overwhelming so consider these reminders about how to immerse oneself into the wagering arena on November 5 and 6.
Just like any good general, coach or racing manager, bettors have to have a game plan, a bankroll to work with and an overall concept on the good and iffy opinions about the 2-day card.
One of the first things to do is to manage the money and the bankroll by understanding that you have to bet just a percentage of what your have set aside for the day’s action and then adjust with each bet or every other bet.
Say if one has a $500 wallet for both days, a 5% unit or in this case $25 for each bet is acceptable to start with. If one feels less than comfortable with that amount, one can always cut it down to 2 or 3% to extend the bankroll but the key will be to move the action as the results come in.
In other words, if you win your first couple of bets, the unit can be increased from the original $25 and therefore if you lose your first couple of bets, the 5% of a lesser bankroll will be wagered for each gamble.
This type of use of the bankroll should give one a good chance of success and of not tapping out too soon.
When looking to the bets themselves, know that these are the best horses in the world and for the most part, are very competitive and equal. If that is truly the case, bettors have to avoid taking short prices on these kinds of days and zero in on sharp horses that have been conditioned specifically for this event.
Be careful about wagering on runners that were on the fence as to which BC races they were going to run in or to connections that waffled in the final few days of training. Those kinds of indecisions by connections can sometimes signal a bad physical presence of the runner.
With all the stimuli and all the action, bettors have to really focus on the task at hand and try to make logical and non-emotional decisions.
Never start to chase your money. Even if things are going terribly wrong with the early wagers, know in the back of your head that even if things don’t go your way this day, there is and will be a tomorrow.
When looking at the prices on the tote board, try to make sense of horses that are either getting a ton of action or are cold on the tote.
Another thing that hard working bettors do is to monitor the BC prices from Europe betting shops to give them an edge as to what the world view is toward some of the BC propositions.
Finally, don’t be so stiff and rigid about the approach to the day’s action that one is locked into a certain wager no matter what. The key to many successful days at the track is to be able to watch how the races are unfolding, try to isolate any biases that may be evident and adjust in time to stay ahead of the curve.
Be confident and good luck to all.
