Racing Forum

Variations on a Theme

Posted By: Rusty Starfish
Date: 23 May 02, 10:37 am

In Response To: Place and Show (StevieY)

At jai-alai frontons, the win-place-show pools are incredibly small, usually less than $100 total in each. We used to place a $200 wager on the strongest team, then listen as bettors ooh-ed and aah-ed at the 99-1 odds posted for the other 7 teams. People who didn't normally bet on W-P-S would rush to the windows to get some of that 99-1 action. A few seconds before the closing bell, we'd cancel the $200 wager and replace it with a $2 wager. Sometimes, we could get 15-1 or 20-1 on the favorite team.

You only wanted to pull this stunt once or twice a season, though. Pretty soon someone would wise up and track down the window where the $200 ticket was purchased (and cancelled). The mutuels clerk would have to explain how it happened: "I selected the wrong 'event'(horses, dogs, etc) for the wager". Use that excuse very often, and you'd be on the outside looking in real quick.

A co-worker used to punch $10000 win tickets for the South Florida tracks on a horse he had no intention of betting, just to attract square money away from his real choice. If my friend advance-wagered, the track host (on TV) would always mention some "early action" on the #4 horse during his pre-race chat. My friend would bust up laughing at the thought that his bogus bet drew the attention of the TV host (and hence the squares).

At the last minute, he'd cancel the $10000 wager, and replace it with a $1000 wager on the horse he really wanted. I have no idea how effective this technique was, if at all. But my friend enjoyed doing it, and figured it had to be worth something, even if it was just breakage.

(Which explains why some states don't allow the cancelling of tickets once the bettor leaves the window, if at all).

Messages In This Thread

rethinking Triple Crown no bet -- ricky -- 19 May 02, 9:00 pm

Your "no tc" bet is safe, IMO -- Another Anon -- 19 May 02, 9:27 pm

Magic Weisner -- D -- 19 May 02, 9:31 pm

Don't think so -- StevieY -- 20 May 02, 11:28 am

War Emblem likely won't be even money, and -- Fezzik -- 19 May 02, 9:53 pm

Are horse racing markets efficient enough-- -- D -- 19 May 02, 10:19 pm

completely illogical -- ricky -- 19 May 02, 10:44 pm

you're both right, to a degree -- Dunbar -- 20 May 02, 3:33 am

I don't think it's illogical at all. -- Fezzik -- 20 May 02, 9:23 am

Patriots money line -- ricky -- 20 May 02, 9:35 am

stats -- Duece -- 20 May 02, 6:59 pm

Useless stats -- Seenmoreracesthananyhumanonearth -- 20 May 02, 9:16 pm

Disagree, Seenmore -- patrick -- 21 May 02, 8:13 am

Only my experience Patrick -- seenmoreracesthananyhumanonearth -- 21 May 02, 10:03 am

Derby Trial -- Don Peszynski -- 21 May 02, 11:39 am

Even a little more recent -- StevieY -- 21 May 02, 12:15 pm

Walk down memory lane -- Duece -- 21 May 02, 1:42 pm

Place and Show -- StevieY -- 22 May 02, 9:09 am

Thanks for the info. (nt) -- Duece -- 22 May 02, 6:02 pm

Variations on a Theme -- Rusty Starfish -- 23 May 02, 10:37 am

Extremely dated information=pure garbage -- Seenmoreracesthananyhumanonearth -- 20 May 02, 2:19 pm

Answer the question -- Seenmoreracesthananyhumanonearth -- 20 May 02, 2:23 pm

Edit -- Seenmoreracesthananyhumanonearth -- 20 May 02, 2:28 pm

point Fezzik -- ricky -- 20 May 02, 3:37 pm

What Odds to Bet Into -- Jesse F. Knight -- 20 May 02, 4:22 pm

i also assume ... -- davie -- 20 May 02, 8:18 am

You should have done heavy shopping. -- Math Boy -- 20 May 02, 6:55 am

do you mean "uncomfortable"? -- Dunbar -- 20 May 02, 9:34 am

Yeah (nt) -- Math Boy -- 20 May 02, 10:31 am

Your NO TC Play.... -- bhead -- 20 May 02, 11:55 am

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