Playing To Win

PARLAY TYPE GIMMICKS

These include the ever popular double, as well as pick threes, fours, etc. They can be played straight (one horse in each race) or multiples can be used in one or more of the races. In the double, we should avoid the strong favorite - strong favorite combination. It won’t pay much, and should the strong favorite win the first half, the strong favorite in the second race will probably become an overlay (see our section on “handicapping the tote board”) because those with a live double ticket won’t be backing him. His win mutuel probably won’t be much less than the double’s. There is nothing wrong with using multiples in either or both races so long as we don’t use too many and none are considered to be probable underlays. If we are singling a horse in the first half of a double, however, we probably shouldn’t use more than two horses in the second race (unless we are only using longshots.) Otherwise, it is probably better to forego the double and simply bet the horse we like in the first half. The risk is less and the potential return may be almost the same.

Pick 3's and 4's are simply extensions of the double. As such, the strategies used in the double generally also apply to them. Since there are more races involved, the compounding effect in computing the winning mutuel is increased which allows us to be somewhat more liberal. Including one probable underaly is probably okay because we have two or three races in which to overcome its negative influence. For the same reason, we see no problem in playing a horse we single in the first race with three in the others. In fact, that is a good strategy when a “rolling” pick three is offered. Single the horse we consider the most likely to win the first race (usually the favorite even if we think he may be an underlay)with two horses in the second and three in the third. That only costs $4 per $1 ticket and gives a very good chance to win at least one pick three during the day. Usually that is all that we will need to show at least a small profit. If the horse we are singling in the first race isn’t the favorite we would be tempted to play three in the second leg.

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312-Advanced Betting

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• Parlay Type Gimmicks
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