By Bill Peterson

One of the advantages of going to a race track and watching live races is that you get to watch the horses being saddled and to observe them for a while before they run. The second best alternative, of course, is to watch them on a television monitor at an OTB, racebook, or some other venue. Of course, with horse racing now shown on television in the United States and still broadcast on the air in other countries, it is now possible to sit in your own home and watch them run.

Horseracing handicapping can now be done from home, but don’t lose sight of the fact that being at the races and seeing the animals live is still the best. The reason for that is that these living creatures react to their environment and feelings so that the effect of their surroundings and their mood will have an impact on the race results. Observing them before they race is just another tool to add to your handicapping bag of tricks.

I have seen horses literally do a back flip in the paddock and still go out and win a race just minutes later, but that is a rare occurrence. It is much more likely that if an animal is that agitated, or frightened before a race, it isn’t going to perform well. The same can be said of horses that break through the gate and have to be caught and led back and reloaded. They rarely win.

Horses that are all lathered up often break on top and set fast early fractions in a race, but rarely finish well. Learning to observe horses and making a few notes about their condition before a race can really help you to avoid bad bets and to find some really good bets at the horse races.

The ears of a horse can even indicate if it is paying attention to the jockey and trying to please or if it is nervous or distracted. Your job as a handicapper is to figure out what the signs say about the animal and wager accordingly. There are many ways to gamble in this world but one of the fun things about betting on horseracing is that you get to see beautiful live animals and to observe them and to note each one’s unique character and personality. For some of us, that is half the fun.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://williewins.homestead.com/truecb.html and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to http://williewins.homestead.com/handicappingstore.html Bill’s handicapping store.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Horse-Racing-Handicapping-by-Sight-Reveals-Nervous-Horses-and-Bad-Bets&id=1360493

By Bill Peterson

Knowing trainer moves is important if you want to make a consistent profit. That means focusing on one track or circuit and getting totally familiar with the trainers and how they progress their horses from races for conditioning and workouts to races for paychecks and wins.

First of all, forget about playing a bunch of tracks all over the country day after day and making a profit. That isn’t real handicapping, it is gambling. If you want to gamble, go ahead and do that, but don’t for a moment think that you are going to keep making money that way.

Handicapping for a living is brutal and requires you to focus and become an expert on the track and circuit you are playing. That means knowing the trainers and how they train their horses. Each trainer has his or her own way of taking a horse and conditioning it and getting it to progress forward.

Some trainers use races to condition a horse and others use works, while some use a combination. When you see a particular trainer’s horse in a race you should know how much the jockey is going to push the horse to win and whether he or she is just out to condition the horse or win. How many horses who are not meant to win can you afford to bet on and still show a profit?

One way to know how ready a horse is and whether the trainer will be trying to win with the horse, to “Send it,” as they say, is to look at the hidden fractions in the horses last two races. You must combine this with how the trainer trains his or her horses to know whether the horse is well meant or just out for exercise.

After the first quarter fraction of the race look at the next fractions and determine if the horse made a big middle move. If the horse made a big middle move in one race and showed big early or late speed in the other of the two previous races that may well mean the trainer is testing the horse to see if it is ready to win. Those moves are classic examples of how trainers will build bottom, or endurance in their horses as well as testing them to know if they have what it takes to win at the level they are competing at.

If you see a race pattern like the one described and then see a drop in class, the next thing to do is to check the scoreboard. There are ways to compare pools to figure out if the horse is being bet by inside money. Some of the inside moves are described at True Handicapping.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to Whats a Willie and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to Bill’s handicapping store.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Horse-Racing-Handicapping-Secrets-of-Hidden-Fractions-and-Trainer-Moves&id=941723

By Bill Peterson

You’ve probably heard this said before, “These horses have raced so many times against each other, it’s just a matter of whose turn it is to win. They just take turns.”

On any racing circuit there are certain horses who always seem to wind up in the same races. Usually this occurs with claimers or cheap handicap races. First one horse from the group will win and then another one of the horses will win and it really does seem like the trainers are taking turns, but that usually isn’t the case. What is actually happening is that the horses are so evenly matched that a minor advantage is all it takes for one of them to win.

Many times in these races, the favorite fails. That is good news for an astute handicapper, but before we get too excited about the possibility of winning, let’s be honest with ourselves. This is one of the toughest races to handicap because they have all shown that they are capable at this level.

Another problem is that we can’t read their minds to know which one is feeling its best and which one will get a good break, etc. So how do you handicap this race? First of all, there are many times when you should pass a race like this because it really is too close to call. On the other hand, look for value. If a horse has won at this level against this group, why can’t it do it again? If the odds are right, go for it.

The truth is that the trainers and other insiders often don’t have a clue as to which horse will win a race like that, but put their horse in because they know that given a break or in the right circumstances, their horse can win.

Learn more about the truth of how insider’s use this knowledge at True Handicapping and learn how to spot a horse that will pay well and surprise a lot of other handicappers.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to Whats a Willie and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to Bill’s handicapping store.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Horse-Racing-Secrets-for-Handicapping-Races-With-Horses-That-Have-Competed-Against-Each-Other&id=932500

By Bill Peterson

Most people who are involved in horse racing handicapping understand that workouts or works, as they are sometimes called, are mostly just exercise, but there are some special cases where a work can be very significant.

The clockers who time the works and sometimes comment on them will often let you know if a high profile jockey exercised a particular horse. If a leading jockey takes the time to work a horse, he or she may be doing a trainer a favor to try the horse and offer advice about a training decision. At other times, the jock may be deciding if the horse is worth a ride in a race, though that decision is usually made by the jockey’s agent.

Another thing that may be going on is that the jockey may be familiarizing him or herself with the animal to make sure that when race day comes they will be a winning team. When you read the clocker’s comments, and you really should, for each track you play, make special note of any horse that got a ride from a jockey.

Then take a look at the horse’s past performances, trainer, and any other comment’s the clocker has made. Your job is to play detective and figure out what is going on with the horse. I can guarantee you that most people who bet on the horse’s next race won’t have done that. That extra bit of thought can result in you knowing more than the crowd and in handicapping, that is known as having the edge and that, my friends, is how you beat this game.

You will know more about that horse than the crowd so you will be like an insider. To learn more about getting inside information without becoming an owner check out True Handicapping.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to What’s a Willie and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to Bill’s handicapping store.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Horse-Racing-Handicapping—When-Workouts,-Sometimes-Called-Works,-Are-More-Than-Just-Exercise&id=930234

By Bill Peterson

Despite the fact that many people rely heavily upon works to handicap horse races, most people don’t really know how race horses are clocked. It is a group effort and there is very little attention given to whether a work is handily or handy or breezing. Yet many people involved in horse racing handicapping will look at one or the other and claim that it is significant that the ‘H” or “B” tag was given.

Typically, a group of clockers will stand in the clocker’s booth and watch the track as the horses are let onto the track. A gap man or woman has watched the horses enter the track through the gate or “gap” in the fence and calls the names of horses and trainers up to the tag man. The tag man calls out the names and a clocker will volunteer to watch that particular horse. After the horse works the clocker will call out the name of the horse and the time.

The tag man writes it down and the other clockers make a note. Some of the clockers work for publications, private syndicates, and other interests. The private syndicates and other interests are looking for gold in the form of a horse that is showing a big improvement or is fit and ready. There is a lot of chaos and shouting that goes on because trainers rush to get their horses worked during the two times in the morning that the race track allows them to work their horses. There is precious little time for a clocker and tag man to note if a horse breezed or worked handily so most tag men will just write handily for most works. The other alternative is a “?”.

The important thing is the times themselves when compared to the other works and the clocker’s comments. When a horse looks so good that a comment is actually entered or the horse, that is a time to sit up and pay attention, but don’t get too hung up over whether it was a “B” work or an “H” work. Reading clocker’s comments and workout times are the closest most people ever come to getting real good inside information. If you want to learn how to use inside information and find horses that are fit and ready go to True Handicapping. Learn how to find real inside information that 99% of the crowd misses and start reading the comments for free inside information and tips.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to What’s a Willie and get the truth about workouts and inside information.

Bill Peterson is a former race horse owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to Bill’s handicapping store.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Workout-Labels-Such-As-Handily-or-Breezing-Arent-Reliable-Indicators,-But-Workout-Times-Are&id=923408

By Bill Peterson

As we all know, race horses are athletes and must train and workout just like any other athletes. Clockers watch them work and report on how fast they worked, how hard they were pushed, and sometimes make other comments.

Works are also listed in the past performances and online at many race track’s websites. Yet works are often one of the most misunderstood or little used pieces of information available to handicappers who are handicapping horse racing. Part of the reason is that the works themselves seem to offer few clues to which horse is the fastest or in the best condition. The reason for that is that most handicappers just look at the works and don’t combine them with other bits of information.

Unless you play spot plays (bets based on single piece of information or situation) then you are looking at several factors to make your handicapping decisions. How well you combine factors and compare them determines how well you get a true picture of the runners and can estimate their real chances of winning.

How often do you print out or write down several factors from the past performances and then hold them up side by side and really compare them? If you do that, how good is your method of comparing them?

For instance, when you are comparing works, and one horse has a 36B and another has a 35H, do you know what that means? It isn’t just about the actual times. It is also about how well one horse did when it was pushed to work harder than it wanted to naturally work (B). What you should be asking yourself is why did that trainer breeze that horse while the other worked his or her horse just handily. Looking at the rest of the factors in your past performances might give a clue especially with a good way to compare them like Ladder Handicapping.

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together is important otherwise your handicapping will not reach the level of the small percentage of players who regularly make a profit at the races.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to True handicapping and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to Bill’s handicapping store.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Which-Horse-Racing-Works-Are-Better-for-Predicting-Winners,-Breezing-or-Handily?&id=927740

By Bill Peterson

Here is a little known secret about gambling that every beginner should learn and never lose sight of. The worst hand in Texas Holdem Poker, statistically speaking, is the off suited 2 and 7. Here is another secret you should learn and never lose sight of, more money is lost on supposedly good hands than on the 2-7 off suit.

Think about that for a minute and ask yourself this question, “Since everybody knows the off suited 2-7 is the worse hand and very few people ever play it, how much is lost with that hand and how much more is lost with seemingly good hands?” If you learn to lay down a hand when it is going to cost you money you turn a loser into a winner because you have just developed discipline. The pros survive in tournaments because they know when to lay a hand down.

That shows how the difference between what is statistically bad and what is realistically bad are two very different things. Beginners quickly learn what the worse hand in poker is and lay it down, but then get a better hand statistically and refuse to lay it down even when all the signs indicate that they should. That is why I always say, “The off-suited 2-7 is the second worse hand in Texas Holdem Poker.”

The worse hand is any hand you hold onto and play to the bitter end and lose your chips and possibly your seat with. Starting to understand what I am saying? If you are going to be a good poker player you need to play the cards and the other players. Learn the statistics and you are part way to your goal of being a good player. Learn a little psychology and a lot of good old fashioned poker and you will be a good poker player.

If you are a beginner and want to start learning how to determine the strength of a hand, a good way to know if you should even open is to use the power of 19 as taught in Power Point Poker. No one can master the game quickly. It will take you a long time to master it, but think of all the fun you will have along the way. On the other hand, losing is not fun so master some simple techniques that will put you head and shoulders above many other players and practice, practice, practice.

Bill Peterson has been a professional horse player and card player for years. His innovative techniques were developed by thinking outside the box. In his own words, the result of “A life well wasted.” Bill has been teaching the basics of gambling for years and you can read about Bill’s Power Point Poker at Power Point Poker and all of Bill’s horseracing handicapping methods at The Handicapping Store.

“No one can make you a winner but learning the basics and a few little known secrets and techniques can advance you closer to your dream of making a profit at your favorite game. Use my methods and customize them to suit your own style and you will be ahead of 99% of the crowd.”

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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Worst-Hand-in-Texas-Holdem-Poker-and-How-to-Win-With-It,-for-Beginning-Poker-Players&id=925940

By Bill Peterson

If you are just learning how to play Texas Holdem Poker you may be confused by several aspects of the game. At first it seems diabolically simple. But the more you play, the more you realize how complicated it can be.

One of the biggest problems is learning what to open on and when to fold. The problem is that sometimes you have to fold on a hand that you know is statistically a good hand, but because of the other players moves, may be seeming to be a bit vulnerable.

The biggest single mistake that most beginning holdem poker players make is staying on a hand too long. Though pocket rockets may be the best hand in holdem, there are times when you even have to lay them down and concede the pot to someone else rather than get burned. Here is the first thing you should know. “There is more money lost on good hands than bad hands.”

You won’t be tempted to stay too long on a bad hand, but if you have a high pair or some other seemingly good hand, you may stay in the pot long after all indications were that it was time to get out. Worried that the other person is bluffing and feeling bad about laying down a good hand? Ask yourself these important questions, how did the other players in the pot enter, with a bang or a whimper? Is someone slow playing you? How many outs and possible combinations are there on the flop that make a hand that could beat yours?

Are you playing “pot odds’? Pot odds is a simple way to measure risk as opposed to possible return. If you don’t have much in the pot and there is only one possible hand that can beat you, then it may be worth it to hang in there, but if there are several combinations that can beat you and several players hanging in there, it may well be time to lay those cards down.

Another consideration is position, which in Texas Holdem Poker, is critical. If you are the first to bid, then you are in a bad spot and the other players may just be playing you.

A good way to determine if you should even open is to use the power of 19 as taught in Power Point Poker. No one can master the game over night. It takes thousands of hands before you can call yourself a journeyman poker player and thousands of games before you will be ready to call yourself a pro, but learning the basics and developing the strength to lay down a good hand that will cost you money is a good start towards becoming a great poker player.

Bill Peterson has been a professional horse player and card player for years. His innovative techniques were developed by thinking outside the box. In his own words, the result of “A life well wasted.” Bill has been teaching the basics of gambling for years and you can read about Bill’s Power Point Poker at Power Point Poker and all of Bill’s horseracing handicapping methods at The Handicapping Store.

“No one can make you a winner but learning the basics and a few little known secrets and techniques can advance you closer to your dream of making a profit at your favorite game. Use my methods and customize them to suit your own style and you will be ahead of 99% of the crowd.”

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-First-Step-in-Becoming-a-Great-Texas-Hold-Em-Poker-Player&id=925924

By Bill Peterson

Here is the next in the series of what I call my golden rules in horseracing handicapping or how to pick winners without losing your shirt or your mind. That may sound a bit ominous, but let’s face it, this game can drive you crazy unless you set a few simple rules for yourself.

Of course money management is one of the top priorities in anything we do in life that requires an outlay and risk. But nowhere in life is the need for money management more important than in gambling, even recreational gambling. Some people who make a living trying to teach other people how to handicap horse races would have you believe that betting on horses is an investment, not a gamble. I say it is an investment with a lot of risk, therefore a gamble.

It is speculation and speculation involves risk. We do our best to limit the risk and hedge our bets, but in a free market like horse racing, we compete against other people and though you may be pretty sharp and good at finding value plays, there are a lot of sharp tacks in the box and they are doing the same thing. What that means is that in order to profit from this business or game, you need to take a chance. That is gambling.

So managing your money is a key factor in staying in the game long enough to learn the game and make a profit. I say, handicap aggressively and wager cautiously. Go for value and take the risk but do so with an amount of money that isn’t going to crush you no matter how great the return may appear to be.

Set loss limits and stick to them and keep track of how your bets and decisions are doing and also the fluctuations in your bankroll based on your decisions and the races and other factors in your play. One good way to do that is with a visual system such as Ladder Handicapping

If you can quickly look at the bets you have made and the changes in your bankroll by holding two ladders side by side it illustrates the strengths and weaknesses in your play and helps you to make changes that will improve your winning percentage and lessen the strain on your bankroll. For instance, after 100 bets you have four ladders that show four different kinds of bets you have made and the dates you made them. You also have a ladder that shows the changes in your bankroll. By comparing each bet ladder to your bankroll ladder you realize that two of the bet categories show more profit but grater losing streaks, too, while the other two show one winner that has a high strike rate and small fluctuations in your bankroll and one loser. You drop the losing category from your betting strategy and increase your bets with the high strike rate bets. You drop the amounts on the other two categories just in case the losing streaks get a little longer and threaten your bankroll all together.

As a result your ROI goes up and there is less wear and tear on your nerves. All because you have observed Rule Number Three Make a Money Management Plan and Stick to it.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to True handicapping and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to Bill’s handicapping store

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Horse-Racing-Handicapping-Golden-Rules—Rule-Number-Three-Make-a-Money-Management-Plan&id=923186

By Bill Peterson

Usually when you think of taking care of the details in life it means that life is more complicated. But in horse racing Handicapping, taking care of the details and leaving the big factors alone may actually reduce stress.

Everyone will watch the big factors like class and speed when it comes to handicapping the race and the tote board will accurately reflect which horses have the edge in those well known categories. Your job as a handicapper is to find a way to get an edge over the competition. Sometimes that means finding a niche that has been overlooked by the crowd.

With all the scrutiny on the usual handicapping factors, you aren’t going to find anything the crowd overlooked in the usual categories. But finding a seemingly minor detail that might make the critical difference is a good way to spot a good value play. For instance, let’s say a certain horse that shoed back class and did well at a higher level has been running poorly of late. The horse’s form fell off about the same time that the horse started sporting front wraps, a sign that there was a problem with lameness or soreness in the horse’s forelegs.

You have been watching the track lately and notice that it is deeper and softer than usual lately. There seems to be no value on the board because all the horse’s in the race appear to be an open book. Accordingly, the crowd has placed fair odds on the runners based on their class, speed, form, connections.

You don’t have to butt your head against the crowd trying to figure out a slight edge in value. The best play of the day may be the horse with the front wraps because today it will find a more comfortable track to run on and may show an improvement in form. That is a minor detail that the crowd has overlooked and that you can use to your advantage. It isn’t always the big factors that make the difference in making a profit at the track. Sometimes it is the little detail that leads to a big profit. A few insiders at the track will spot those details and make a profit on them day after day while public handicappers and 99% of the crowd look at all the usual things. You could almost call this inside information except for the fact that it was there in front of you and everyone else, but because you started looking at the details you found it and cashed in on it. This is the kind of inside information such as you find in True Handicapping that can make a big difference in your handicapping success and lowering your stress and making big profits.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to What’s a Willie and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to Bill’s handicapping store.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Handicapping-the-Details-in-Horse-Racing-Can-Lead-to-Big-Profits-and-Less-Stress&id=924680