I had another good day betting yesterday. Amwager has a feature that I am starting to like a lot. That is a dutch payoff setup. I can handicap an exacta box or key. Once I enter my choices in the Amwager interface I can then choose the amount I want to win if I am correct. For instance, lets say I have a three horse box and wish to win $200. The system will automatically bet the amount on each combination that will get me to $200.

a) 1-2   $40 
b) 2-1   $30


Bet a will be $10
bet b will be $12

For a total of $22 bet to return $200.

Of course, you have to keep an eye on the payouts to ensure that you are not betting too much in regards to the payout.

On a different note, there is another handicapping book that is now out that is worth reading. Besides Dr Z's book mentioned yesterday, Barry Meadows has a new book out: "The Skeptical Handicapper". It has a solid discussion of angles and how many races constitute a fair sample. Too many times, a person will find something that works profitably for a short time. This leads one to think he has found the secret of racing. However, continue with the angle and one will give all the profits back and then some. The original sample was too small to make a fair assessment.

I am going to hopefully start posting to his blog again. I have been away for far too long. The last two summers at Saratoga I have the good fortune to visit with William Ziemba otherwise known as Dr. Z. I had been a fan of his for several years and have made good money following his system. He and Ted Craven of RDSS may cohost a seminar this summer in Saratoga Springs during Alabama weekend. If it comes to fruition, it is a must attend as both of these men have a solid grasp of horseracing and what it takes to be a winner.

Also Mr Ziemba has a new book out on betting exotics. I was fortunate to get an advance copy last summer from Mr Ziemba. The book is a great read and I found it very enlightening. Well worth reading and studying. It is available in hardcover, paperback and on Kindle.

Also last fall I opened up and account with NHPlay and Amwager. This is my first experience with a rebate shop. So far, it is very impressive. I have been betting very lightly because it tax season and I am also a tax preparer. For example, my last two bets have been trifectas and both have been winners. One was at Mahoning Valley Racetrack and paid 25-1. The other one was at Charlestown and paid off at 4-1. The rebates however bring them into a realm of bettability. I can understand better now the lure of rebates. Even though the Charlestown payoff was small, with the rebate I made approx 14% on my bet. Now, I see why the big rebate players just try to break even and live off the rebates.