The following are some general guidelines followed
by many pros which will give you a 'leg up' on many other
bettors:
1) When betting straight, restrict your bets to
win and show only.
2) As a general rule, bet horses you like with
odds of 5-1 or greater to win and odds of 5-1 or less,
to place.
3) Play close attention to horses' recent performances.
Form handicapping has a lot of merit, and you face your
best chances with a horse in top condition.
4) Horses backed heavily by touting services and
computer handicappers may win more, but so many bettors
are placing their cash on them, they give poor value for
the money. Try to find the 'dark horse,' one that has
a good shot at the post but is not overly backed.
5) Be wary of the 'smart money,' bets placed at
the last minute by supposedly, those in the know. There
isn't much smart money at the tracks.
6) Go with your gut feelings. If there's a horse
you fancy, by all means bet on that horse. There's no
worse feeling than not doing what you felt you should
have done, and it working out, without you. And if it
doesn't work out, no big deal.
7) Pay special attention to fast starters on slow
courses. It is more difficult to maneuver on a muddy,
slow or heavy course, and these conditions will favor
the horse that takes the early lead.
8) Avoid horses moving up in class. They may have
looked good against lesser horses, but the move to better
competition may reveal different colors.
9) Avoid horses that have not raced in the past
four weeks. They may be recuperating from illness and
the owners are using the race as a tune-up. The winning
percentages of long-idled horses are way below average.
10) Bet only winners. If you see a horse that has
been around but never won a race, why figure that today's
race will be any different? Instead, choose a horse that
has some background of winning.
11) Bet only horses you feel have a good chance
of winning. If you had eliminated all the horses you've
bet in the past but have not really believed in, you would
be sitting with a much higher winning percentage. If you
don't like a horse, don't bet on it.
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A wagering site may be operating legally at their location but it may still be illegal for you to wager from your location.
We suggest you check on the legal situation from any jurisdiction in which you may wager.
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The following are some general guidelines followed
by many pros which will give you a 'leg up' on many other
bettors: