Return to the Main FAQ's PageFAQ # 3
ALL-WaysTM Support
Follow good wagering and money management practices.
Let's do some level setting. Taken as a whole, all betters at the track have a negative ROI equivalent to the tracks takeout, often around 17%. That's a -17% ROI. If you bet the post time favorite to win in every race, you would have a win percentage of about 30% to 32% and your ROI would be in the area of a negative ten percent (-10%). Professionals strive for ROI's in the range of 20%. If you learn to use the power of ALL-Ways, apply basic handicapping skills and follow good betting and money management practices, your ROI should be at or near the top of the professional level range. Those of us that have been involved with All-Ways for some time are achieving this level of performance and, we are happy to report, so have a majority of our All-Ways Handicapping partners who have put the effort into mastering the use of their All-Ways software.
There are four simple, disciplined things you need to do to approach the professional level. The "things" are easy. The discipline is not.
1. Put thought and effort into developing your All-Ways Handicapping Profiles.
"No pain, no gain" and "no free lunch" are old adages that are right on the mark. Study and understand the handicapping factors in All-Ways. Study, understand and use the Analysis Reports. This will not only help you develop predictive Handicapping Profiles, it will also help you apply sound handicapping judgment when selecting the horse(s) you are going to bet.
2. Never blindly accept the computers first pick.
All-Ways was designed to give you access to extensive, powerful handicapping information... information for you to use to apply your own handicapping skills... information not available anywhere else ..... information not in the hands of the general public. You should use this information to the maximum extent possible.
3. Do not bet every race.
At least do not bet serious money. Entertainment bets are certainly OK. After all, this is supposed to be fun too. Some races are just too contentious to risk your bankroll. Professionals will tell you that they hope to find 1 to 3 playable races on a card. With ALL-Ways, we have been able to bet 4 to 6 races on a typical ten race card and maintain a solid ROI. But, if we bet every race, our ROI would surely turn negative.
The Contender Summary handicapping report in ALL-Ways warns you of races you may want to avoid. If the Hall Comprehensive total figures are all bunched in a narrow range and if there are a lot of contenders, such as 6 horses in an 8 horse field, you should generally pass the race. Bet the race if you can find a clear reason to back one of the horses with conviction such as a speed or class standout or a lone early runner that will be loose on the lead and is capable of running to the par times. If you can't bet with conviction, pass the race.
4. Follow good betting and money management practices.
This is easier said then done. But, it must be done. We are not going to give you a lot of advice on this subject, just a few tips. There are many good books on the subject of betting strategies and money management. We particularly like some of the works of Dick Mitchell.
Here are a few tips:
• Demand value. Bet on overlays, not underlays. Demand premium payoffs on exacta and doubles. The exacta matrix on the Contender Summary report shows you the fair exacta payoff and the premium payoff you should demand.
• Do not go overboard on combination bets. Instead of a 3 horse exacta box (ABC/ABC, a $12 bet), see if you can narrow the horses on top to just two horses (AB/ABC). This only cost $8. Instead of a four horse trifecta box that costs $48 (a $2 ticket), try keying your top pick (A/BCD/BCD, BCD/A/BCD, BCD/BCD/A). This only costs $36. Try to find a single horse in one of the races of a pick 3. Betting three horses in each race of a pick 3 will cost you $54 (a $2 ticket). Three horses in each of two races and a single horse in one race will only cost you $18. Instead of wagering $54 to win a $2 Pick 3 bet, wager $54 to win it 3 times (i.e., a $6 bet). If you have to bet too many combinations, then you probably do not have the race(s) figured out. Maybe they are too contentious and simply can't be figured out with conviction.
• When you have a strong conviction that you have spotted the probable winner that the public has missed and the horse is a solid overlay, bet your conviction with confidence and "crush" the race with a prime bet.
• Have a betting strategy and a money management strategy. Now there are many possible strategies and their are as many expert proponents as their are expert opponents for every one of them. The actual strategies that you adopt are not as important as the fact that you have some kind of strategy. This instills a discipline in your wagering that will both save you money and make you money. You should have a personal betting strategy for betting exacta, trifecta, doubles and pick 3's. You should have a strategy for your typical bets as well as your prime bets aimed at crushing a race. You should know, in advance, what odds you will require before you will bet two horses to win and whether you will bet them equally or "Dutch" them. You should know how you are going to manage your bankroll, perhaps fixed dollar bets or a percentage of bankroll approach or any other planned , consistent approach. Having some kind of strategy and sticking to it in a reasonable fashion means your wagering will be disciplined. You will avoid the single biggest problem faced by losing horseplayers which is last minute , insecure, undisciplined betting.
There you have it. These are the four things we suggest you do to approach a professional level of play.
1. Put study, thought and effort into learning to use ALL-Ways effectively.
2. Never blindly accept the computers first pick.
3. Do not try to bet every race.
4. Develop your own disciplined betting and money management strategies.