Beating This Game

[jbelfior]

I was recently researching on the internet for work when I ran across a blog about systems architecture which in itself has no bearing on the subject. However it listed some qualities that are required to be successful. I\'m sure many on this board would agree that the list can certainly be applied to other ventures, including one very dear to our hearts.


1) A genuine love of the game they play
2) A clear understanding of the basic underlying principles at play
3) The ability to think visually
4) An instinct for recognizing patterns
5) A natural tendency for analytical thought
6) The ability to think outside of the box
7) The ability to memorize and recall facts
The ability to be discipline at all times.

Feel free to add.....my personal addition......less bets, higher volume of $. Probably falls under discipline.


Good Luck,
Joe B.

[plasticman]

To expand on #3 a bit, i would one thing i\'m good at is having the ability to replay a race in my mind and remember everything about it, right down to the exact call from the announcer.How this translates to success is anyone\'s guess, but i think a lot of being able to put the puzzle together is to remember (vividly) things that happened 2, 3 (and more sometimes) lines down in a horse\'s PPs.

Quite often a horse will catch the eye on tape and then in his next start, just not fire and then he will come back and people might forget what he did 2 back. To have the ability to remember that clear as day is an advantage i believe.

Another strength that one needs is the ability to seperate racing life from real life. The ability to not carry a bad beat to the next race or next day is really important i believe. Personally, it took me many years (too many) to learn how to recover from a situation where i knew i was a head bob or a DQ away from a HUGE score. I think a lot of this is repitition, the more races you play, the more days you invest in this game the better you\'ll get at \'putting aside\' the emotional trauma one will feel on occasion and get refocused for the next race in 20 minutes.

Lastly, the love of the game is paramount. You have to be \'deep in it\', if you\'re doing this just to try and make money, with all things being equal, you won\'t be as good as the guy who has a deep love for all things horse racing.

[djr2000]

#9  Bet a horse Jim Covel likes and JB recommends

[jack72906]

I\'d like to add another....

Ability to manage bankroll and being able to spot what are the best opportunities given the size of your bankroll.

All of the other factors are important, but you can be the greatest handicapper in the world and have mastered every item on the list, but if you can\'t manage your bankroll, long term profitability is unlikely to occur.