Setting Limits on Your Horse Racing Handicapping Will Improve Your Profits and Hit Rate

If you are handicapping horse races then you havelast few months, you find that you broke even on bets
probably already figured out that it takes a lot ofin the range from 2-1 to 5-1. This is the best group and
discipline to do it right. There are times when youyour bets in other ranges, both below and above
become emotionally involved with a bet and want tothose odds, were losing bets.
make it, even though you know, rationally, that it is aThe obvious next step is to start limiting yourself to
bad bet. Our feelings and moods can have awagering on those horses you pick that fit into that
catastrophic effect upon our bets. Most people do notrange and just eliminating the rest. You will go from
even set a limit on how low they will go when it comeslosing money to breaking even. Perhaps that doesn't
to their bets.sound too enticing to some people, but there are a lot
If you were to go around the race track and ask theof people who would love to break even at the track.
horse players how many of them had been up atI have had winning seasons and losing seasons and
some point during the day, many would say they hadcan remember when a few bets got me back to
been ahead, but lost it back. The problem is that manyeven and what a relief that was. Just as you can't win
of them wanted to gamble and to have the thrill ofevery day that you bet on the horses, you can't win
cashing more tickets.every month or even every meet. Playing the horses
The same thrill seeking attitude is what will drive ais an up and down streaky affair.
person to take ridiculous odds, like 3-5, when the horseIf you find your best odds range, however, you will be
may be good but no where near that good. Whilevery close to winning. Now you simply have to tweak
plenty of 3-5 horses do win, not enough of them winthat group of bets just a bit to get on the plus side of
to justify those low odds. If you really want to makethe ledger. It is a lot easier to do that with your best
money betting on horses and handicapping the races,bets that lose the least or break even or even make a
you have to figure out how good you are and wheresmall profit, than it is to do with all your bets that are
the bottom is.spread all over the board.
By that I mean, can you make money if you allowFirst figure out where you are by keeping a record of
yourself to bet on horses that go off at even moneyevery bet and then set limits that keep you within your
odds? If you have been keeping a record of your betsown personal best. Soon you will be one of the few
and the odds the horses went off at, which oddspeople who not only has been up during the day, but
range are your best or most profitable results foundusually leaves the track ahead of the game.
in? For instance, perhaps, reviewing your results for the