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The summer, live meet, series of handicapping contests has had one installment so far, that on May 9. This coming Saturday, May 30, will see the second in the Arlington Handicapping Challenge (AHC) series.
This coming Saturday will usher in a significant, for some, rule change for the contests. Now a fan will be able to establish and play two entries whereas previously the limit was just one.
All Arlington handicapping contests have been live-money contests since last summer. There is no fee to enter and play. In the summer, live meet, AHC contests a fan merely exchanges $100 for a wagering card, a plastic voucher, that is used to conveniently and accurately track each fan's contest wagers.
Now a fan can exchange $200 for two tracking cards and play two separate entries. They cannot be combined in any way such as a transfer of funds from one contest card to another.
All other rules, and the prize structure, for the AHC remain the same. Of course, a fan playing two entries will benefit, if in no other way, by earning 10 Twin Spires Club (TSC) points for each dollar bet on each of his two contest wagering cards.
One point of clarification. There are two ways to earn your way into the AHC finals on the last Saturday of September. First, by finishing in the top three in any Saturday AHC contest, one earns the right to play in the finals plus those top three finishers win a significant bonus of TSC points.
Second, at the end of the series but before the finals, the top 125 entries in the cumulative standings, which have not finished 1-2-3 in a weekly contest, also win the right to play in the finals. Thus, it is possible for a fan to win the right to play two entries in the end-of-season finals.
The ultimate goal is to play in the AHC finals where the top five finishers will win paid trips to the Coast Casinos World Series handicapping tournament to be held in Las Vegas next February. The prize package includes a paid entry into the World Series (value: $1,000), a $500 travel voucher, paid hotel room for the duration of the World Series, and significant TSC points .
For complete handicapping contest information, including rules, prize structures, dates, and more, click here.
It comes down to this. If you are going to wager at least $200 on Saturday, you might as well take two entries in the handicapping contest. It is free to enter, and you keep your winnings, so why not?
Saturday's contest will be preceded by my handicapping seminar beginning at 11:45 AM. Be at the admission gates b y 11:15 AM when they open and you will have no problem making your way to the Starting Gate Theater, choosing a seat, and settling in. If you were at my last seminar, you know that we have added a number of tables for all of you who need space to spread out your work. Be sure to register with me for the afternoon drawings and more. Remember, there are two separate sign-ups, one for me and one for the contest.
Are you going to play two entries in the AHC contests? Click the reply button below and leave a post with your plan, play one or two entries.
Thank you.
M. Scott McMannis
"Handicapping racing
"Handicapping racing competitions have always been the necessary part of Thoroughbred racing's landscape, but the Handicapping popularity has never reached the fever pitch that it has reached in current few years. loan
jack34: You are right on.
jack34:
You are right on.
The first on-going handicapping contest in Chicago Thoroughbred racing was at Hawthorne in 1995. Those of us whose involvement goes back beyond that can remember the absence on meaningful competition of that kind, save an occasional one-day event of simply picking some winners.
I think it is valuable part of the game for the more serious fan, adding additional competition beyond that inherent in pari-mutuel wagering. Plus, now we have the added attraction of winning a trip to Las Vegas to play in the big handicapping tournaments where big money is at stake.
I hope you win one of those trips, Jack34.
The next handicapping contest at AP is Saturday, August 22. Will I see all of you there?
Scott
Scott- Can you ask the
Scott-
Can you ask the "powers that be" if they'd be so kind as to start a "season long" cumulative leader board. (At least for me, knowing where I stand as far as getting into the finals, and possibly winning a season long prize would really affect my strategy)
eieio - whoops - eaoa89: You
eieio - whoops - eaoa89:
You are welcome, again. I will be presenting the "long list" of cumulative standings soon on this blog, probably early next week, in time for the next contest (August 22). Be sure to review it before that contest.
Scott
I love it when a plan comes
I love it when a plan comes together! Two cards ended at $173 and $116-should be enough to get two entries into the finals but I may be a bit conservative on the $116 and just play exactas to try to get it a little bit higher just in case. Pleasantly suprised that only 8 people played 2 cards. Now the next thing to figure out is the type of wagers it will take to actually be in the top 5 in the finals. I guess I can use the $173 to actually see about a winning strategy.
eaoa: Congratulations on
eaoa:
Congratulations on showing a profit on both entries. Keep the accumulation factor going and increase those balances.
Scott
Really there's no reason for
Really there's no reason for anyone who wagers $200 or more a day not to buy 2 cards, BUT on the other hand if your normal wagering budget at the track is $100 or so, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to play 2 cards. (First, no one should bet more than they can afford to lose, and secondly if you're in deeper than you're comfortable, you'll probably be betting scared which is probably among the most surefire ways to lose money at the track)
As for the "confusion factor" my suggestion (I do this even when the contests were one card) is to go ahead and make your bets for the day before the first race-make sure you've got $100 and 5 races bet on each card. You can always go back and add after a win, make changes, etc. but at least you've got the groundwork layed-the worst thing that could happen would be to hit a nice payoff only to see when the standings come out that you only wagered $98!
One entry
One entry
ttragarz: Well, I can see
ttragarz:
Well, I can see why, in your case, since you have won these contests several times. I didn't know if you wanted to go for two entries in the finals.
See you tomorrow.
Scott
ttragarz: Congratulations on
ttragarz:
Congratulations on finishing second and winning the right to play in the finals. Now win a second time.
Scott
Scott- Well, the strategy is
Scott-
Well, the strategy is set and appears to be sound (at least to me) but the next part of the equation is the handicapping!
I've decided that I'll have a "win" card which will be composed of $10 win bets plus one of the pick fours. While my win betting hasn't been "up to par" ($1.79ROI) I've "tweeked" my win strategy a bit-been trying to get "greedy" and looking too hard for double digit horses instead of letting them come to me. (Although I did find 2 or 3 anyway-they came to me, I didn't go out and seek them) In addition I'll play one of the pick fours, so I'll have the win bets to (hopefully) build up $$$ towards qualifying for the finals and the pick four to give me a shot at winning the weekly contest.
The other card will be an exacta card. (The exactas have been going well for me this season-$2.27 ROI) Again, the card will also contain the other pick four to give me a shot at winning the entire week.
I'll do very little "reinvesting" on either card (maybe a race or two at the most) and once I get the cards up to where I feel comfortable that the totals will be high enough to get me into the finals, I'll get more aggressive (tris, supers, etc.) in later weeks.
eaoa89: Those are some very
eaoa89:
Those are some very interesting ideas you have presented.
How about the rest of you contest players out there: what is your reaction to 89's ideas?
What are you thinking for your strategy? Chime in.
Scott
Scott, So far several
Scott,
So far several individuals think this is a good idea. Right now I need to think about it a little before I decide on what I will do. I guess it all boils down to an investment in probabilities and the big question is will it be a worthy investment based on all the increased activity.
wachalarj: Two things to
wachalarj:
Two things to remember: it doesn't cost you anything to play a second entry. You simply pony up a second hundred for a second contest card.
Second, you keep your winnings, in this case on both cards.
For someone who bets a lot of races, having two entries means more concentration required to keep things straight. Does that apply to you?
Perhaps others will post strategy ideas that will help you form your ideas.
How about it, you experienced contest players out there?
Scott
Having two contest cards
Having two contest cards might be useful. I could see using both if I was going to use one of them for a pick six or place pick nine. I would then use the second card as a back-up keying my horses from the pick six in exactas or trifectas with a couple of doubles or pick 3s.
But I don't think I will use this strategy for this contest. I will stay with one card for now. If I see a card where a little money can do a lot of work I may add the extra card.
chermo: You must decide what
chermo:
You must decide what is best for you.
You may want to have one "live" contest entry and one "pretend" entry for now. Play the pretend entry on paper for practice and see if you can manage two entries, see what works for you, and see if you become comfortable with that.
Just don't let playing the pretend entry get in the way of playing your real entry. Maintain your focus. Your primary objective is to score as high as you can that day, to finish in the top three. If you don't make the top three, you at least want to build your cumulative total so as to be in the top 125 in the final standings, thus also earning the right to play in the final contest on 9/30.
Scott
Thank you for the advice. I
Thank you for the advice. I will try and follow it on the contest day. I think I will also do this on non-contest days. After all practice makes perfect.
Scott- Great idea. Is it
Scott-
Great idea. Is it also true that you can qualify twice for the finals? Definitly going to play 2 cards! I think my strategy is to try to have an o.k. day on each account to get into the finals and going from there.
eaoa89: Yes, it is true that
eaoa89:
Yes, it is true that one contestant may earn the right to play two entries in the AHC finals on September 30.
Spread the word!
See you tomorrow.
Does knowing that influence anyone else out there?
Scott