Like most dog players, I struggled at first to pick winners. It didn't take me long to learn the basics of handicapping. They haven't changed in centuries. But even when I got to where I could pick winners some of the time, I didn't make money.
Luckily, I had the guidance of an older handicapper, a man who cashed tickets on a regular basis. He gave me some little tips and hints and they helped but I was still in the dark for the most part. It seemed like I'd just get a handle on how to pick dogs and some other dog would surprise me by being better than it looked like it was.
Then, one day, my friend asked me if I was serious about making money at the dog track. I told him it should be pretty obvious that I was. He laughed and said, "Well, answer this question and I'll be able to tell if you're a good handicapper or not. Can you eliminate four dogs in at least 3 races on each program and then handicap the race so that you make money?"
I didn't even have to think about my answer. It was "NO." For one thing, I didn't handicap that way. I looked for winners; I didn't look for losers. What the heck way was that to handicap a dog race? I thought the guy was losing it.
Then I started thinking about how often he went to the window to cash while I tore up my ticket because my best bet hadn't come in. Maybe he wasn't so crazy after all. Maybe I'd better start thinking, at least, about trying to handicap his way. So I did.
At first, it was weird. I mean, who wants to look for losers? But I did it and after a while, it started to make sense. Not that I could make money with it at first. I still lost my shirt.
But after a few weeks, I realized that I was going home with more money than I came to the track with. And, better yet, I was getting good at picking four dogs to throw out and then betting the rest in a quiniela box or a trifecta key and having it come in.
Within six months, I was going to the window to cash almost as often as the guy who told me to handicap by throwing out dogs, instead of looking for winners. Now, it's automatic. If you want to win at the dog track, you might want to think about handicapping this way.
Do it on paper first with old programs, where you know the results. Then try it for real, but only with small bets. Don't bet every race on the program. Only bet when you feel that you really have an idea of who the first four dogs over the finish line are going to be. If you can figure that out, you're ready to win.
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