What does it take to make a living at punting?

[Thoroughbred Fan]

The post about track handicappers giving "safe" picks brought something to mind. All you want is safe picks. I would rather have a day full of even money winning tickets in my pocket than one $50 winner and a whole bunch of losers. This is not a bragging rights game where whomever picked the longest winner of the day wins the prize. Doing it for a living is completely different.

Also, consider the DRF, Sheets, etc as part of what you are betting each day. That can be up to $100! Now beat those costs and the takeout. Do it regularly enough to cover your living bills and let me know how you do it.

-TF

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Thoroughbred Fan

The post about track handicappers giving "safe" picks brought something to mind. All you want is safe picks. I would rather have a day full of even money winning tickets in my pocket than one $50 winner and a whole bunch of losers. This is not a bragging rights game where whomever picked the longest winner of the day wins the prize. Doing it for a living is completely different.

Also, consider the DRF, Sheets, etc as part of what you are betting each day. That can be up to $100! Now beat those costs and the takeout. Do it regularly enough to cover your living bills and let me know how you do it.

-TF

I guess it depends on how many "a whole bunch" is, yes? I'd take one $50 winner and 24 losers every single day. This was about making a living, and you aren't going to do it betting even money shots.

Unless someone is buying the sheets or TG, there is no way you have to spend that much. I bet from home, and my only expense is for monthly comma delimited charts from BRIS, $76 per month. I don't pay for PPs as I do some consultant work and get them for free, but if I didn't, I could get unlimited PPs from TSN for $60 per month, or from HDW for around $100 I think.

Originally Posted by BellamyRd.

what do you do, design video games?
that avatar is very offensive
I'm surprised timmhasn't PM'ed you
I've though about it, but thought better of it

...

You're offensive on a regular basis so you have no room to criticize anyone or anything else.

Have a nice day.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I'm offended that Luigi isn't getting some 'noggin from the Princess in that Avatar.

Make her the cheese in a spicy, Italian, Mario and Luigi sandwhich I say.

Poor Luigi....the dude always get overshadowed by Mario....he deserves getting his salami slurped on by the princess every know and than.

I'm sure you guys all agree.

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

...

You're offensive on a regular basis so you have no room to criticize anyone or anything else.

Have a nice day.

yeah but that's me
I thought perhaps you had a little more class

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I'm offended that Luigi isn't getting some 'noggin from the Princess in that Avatar.

Make her the cheese in a spicy, Italian, Mario and Luigi sandwhich I say.

Poor Luigi....the dude always get overshadowed by Mario....he deserves getting his salami slurped on by the princess every know and than.

I'm sure you guys all agree.

Yeah, every now and then... he deserves it.

Originally Posted by BellamyRd.

yeah but that's me
I thought perhaps you had a little more class

Yeah my handle on this site exudes class.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

Yeah my handle on this site exudes class.

HILARIOUS! LMAO!!!

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

Yeah my handle on this site exudes class.

I was kidding around, sorry if you took it the wrong way

Originally Posted by BellamyRd.

I was kidding around, sorry if you took it the wrong way

Hey I thought you found Jesus during your sabbatical from this place. My mistake.

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

Hey I thought you found Jesus during your sabbatical from this place. My mistake.

you mean Castanon? yeah I ran into him at Turfway, in Flo-town

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I think very few of them bet even a reasonably significant amount and almost all lose. You are making a mistake if you consider these people expert handicappers....in general.

It's about understanding how to win....and few people do.

So are they just paid by the track to give something to help guide the first-timers to the track? I notice and question the strangest things.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

So are they just paid by the track to give something to help guide the first-timers to the track? I notice and question the strangest things.

I actually thought you were referring to random newspaper handicappers. To be perfectly honest I don't pay attention to any of them.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I actually thought you were referring to random newspaper handicappers. To be perfectly honest I don't pay attention to any of them.

Well them too.

Shadowroll After my most recent post, it is with some trepidation that I again wade into these waters, but I have an solid opinion here and posess a thick skin. You seemed sincere with your second post, so here goes. I would recommend a two pronged approach, one geographical, the other pragmatic.

My two cents says, playing the major tracks on either coast would quickly end your quest. The intrarace, vertical plays would be few and far between and heavily taxed*, and the horizontal bets ( pick threes, fours etc.) would prove too expensive. That is, no matter what you spent, you would be a small fish in a very big pool. Logic dictates a move to the midwest!

Welcome to the land of Churchill Downs, Arlington Park, Keeneland, Oaklawn and the Fairgrounds. This arena contains contentious full fields, at least fifty trainers with twenty year careers, excellent main tracks and challenging turf configurations. A year round playground brimming with opportunity and mostly void of the big money wiseguys, whose capital is an ongoing, distinct threat to your bankroll. Case closed.

Practicality requires selecting a pool and the pick four is an easy decision. I would guess the average $1 pick four for these tracks approaches $3,000.

When I posted my earnings the other day, a few forumites, who do not know me from Adam, were flabbergasted and disputed my claims. None, did the five minutes or so of research, that would have convinced them that my claims were valid. The fact that the bets were all posted on a nationwide forum did little to sway their opinion. They did not take into account, in fact a few strongly disputed, that I am a damn good capper. But the point here is ; the math eluded them.

For instance, assume you bet forty pick 4's each year, at a cost of fifty bucks apiece. Two grand. Further agree to spend a few days 'cappin these wagers improving your skills, working on your weaknesses etc. Next assume a ticket structured as (4 x 2 x 3 x 2 ) and you, choose the combinations.

Assuming eight horse fields a novice capper, a group which almost of the naysayers fell into, empirically, should hit the pick 4 about ten percent of the time. That is, 4096 combinations and you have covered 48 of them.

The cash outlay is two grand. A pathetic one win a year hit rate, returns on average $3,000. Two winning pick four tickets yields $6,000. A ten percent hit rate, four winning pick four tickets nets some $12,000. You get the picture!

Personally I have no problem with the discipline angle; ninety some percent of my wagers is on pick 4's, all posted. The challenge is working on your game everyday, being disciplined, having a modicum of talent and realizing there is always someone who knows something that will help you down the road. It is a challenging, ever changing hobby for me, but beware ; I get better everyday. Hope this helps. BBB

*For instance, a trifecta or vertical bet is taxed each race, whereas a pick four is taxed once for the sequence!

[blackthroatedwind]

You can also lie.

[JJP]

I think you're on the right track that those are good tracks to play, but I really doubt the average $1 P4 pays $3000. First off, the median payoff is more meaningful than the average, since a few big payoffs totally distort the average. I guarantee you the median payoff is nowhere near that high. As for big fields, of those tracks you mention, Arlington only gets full fields for grass and Illinois bred Mdns and SNW1X. The rest of their main track is a diet of 6 horse fields.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

You can also lie.

Is that your excuse for Mach Ride?

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by bellsbendboy

Shadowroll After my most recent post, it is with some trepidation that I again wade into these waters, but I have an solid opinion here and posess a thick skin. You seemed sincere with your second post, so here goes. I would recommend a two pronged approach, one geographical, the other pragmatic.

My two cents says, playing the major tracks on either coast would quickly end your quest. The intrarace, vertical plays would be few and far between and heavily taxed*, and the horizontal bets ( pick threes, fours etc.) would prove too expensive. That is, no matter what you spent, you would be a small fish in a very big pool. Logic dictates a move to the midwest!

Welcome to the land of Churchill Downs, Arlington Park, Keeneland, Oaklawn and the Fairgrounds. This arena contains contentious full fields, at least fifty trainers with twenty year careers, excellent main tracks and challenging turf configurations. A year round playground brimming with opportunity and mostly void of the big money wiseguys, whose capital is an ongoing, distinct threat to your bankroll. Case closed.

Practicality requires selecting a pool and the pick four is an easy decision. I would guess the average $1 pick four for these tracks approaches $3,000.

When I posted my earnings the other day, a few forumites, who do not know me from Adam, were flabbergasted and disputed my claims. None, did the five minutes or so of research, that would have convinced them that my claims were valid. The fact that the bets were all posted on a nationwide forum did little to sway their opinion. They did not take into account, in fact a few strongly disputed, that I am a damn good capper. But the point here is ; the math eluded them.

For instance, assume you bet forty pick 4's each year, at a cost of fifty bucks apiece. Two grand. Further agree to spend a few days 'cappin these wagers improving your skills, working on your weaknesses etc. Next assume a ticket structured as (4 x 2 x 3 x 2 ) and you, choose the combinations.

Assuming eight horse fields a novice capper, a group which almost of the naysayers fell into, empirically, should hit the pick 4 about ten percent of the time. That is, 4096 combinations and you have covered 48 of them.

The cash outlay is two grand. A pathetic one win a year hit rate, returns on average $3,000. Two winning pick four tickets yields $6,000. A ten percent hit rate, four winning pick four tickets nets some $12,000. You get the picture!

Personally I have no problem with the discipline angle; ninety some percent of my wagers is on pick 4's, all posted. The challenge is working on your game everyday, being disciplined, having a modicum of talent and realizing there is always someone who knows something that will help you down the road. It is a challenging, ever changing hobby for me, but beware ; I get better everyday. Hope this helps. BBB

*For instance, a trifecta or vertical bet is taxed each race, whereas a pick four is taxed once for the sequence!

I don't think the average $1 pick 4 at those tracks you mentioned is anwyhere close to $3,000. That sounds way too high. I think the number is more like $1,000-$1,500.

[horseofcourse]

I would say you need a very strong right or left leg...get really good hang time and average at least 42 yards per punt with a net average 35 yards plus I think. You'll need to punt at a big time college as well to impress pro scouts.