28/7/2000 edition

Odds, Odds, Odds

To win at the punt you must get good odds. Take our "Horse Watch" selection Bushra Gem which won midweek at Sydney as an example. Its starting price in the betting ring was 7/2 which is equivalent to $4.50 on the tote. Even more, 15/4 equivalent to $4.75 on the tote was bet about it. Yet punters on the Queensland tote were paid $3.00 or 2/1. A $20 bet at starting price with the bookies made $70 profit. On the Queensland tote $40. The punter who won $70 can have three losing $20 bets and still be in front. However the tote punter who won $40 can have now three losing $20 bets and will be overall losing $20.

That was not professional money backing Bushra Gem on the tote. There are many small punters and large punters who are long term losers because they do not understand the importance of getting top odds about the selections they bet. You know, ''Any price a winner is a good winner."

Professionals get the best odds available. They do not plonk large sums of money on to our tote markets and effectively bet against themselves by shortening the odds. They don't mind if the odds are shortened in the betting ring after their bets are placed because the betting ring is not a tote. No professional took the $3.00 about Bushra Gem.

If you are serious about giving yourself a fighting chance to make money long term then you cannot accept such poor unders. Did I hear someone say, " I'm just having some fun." Sure. No worries. But wouldn't punting be more fun if you were able to break about even or maybe make some money long term? The tote is a winner every race. Bookmakers are not. You can now bet online and get decent odds about your favoured horses. You often won't on the tote.

Next Page
Favourite versus the field - the final word. 
Races to avoid and save your money.

Copyright ©1998-present. OZmium Pty. Ltd. All rights reserved.