I don't use tip sheets and try to avoid looking at the tote board. The horse does not know its odds and the odds are set by the people sitting around you. Someone that studies his butt off and knows the business that places $2 to win on a horse has just as much effect on the odds as the little old lady that always bets $2 to win on the Black horse or the jockey with green in his silks. I find that when I bet horses due to the tote board due to early action or late action or overall odds in general, I LOSE. One thing I do know, is that betting horses is about 30% knowledge and 70% numbers. Winning at horse racing is about 70% total betting, which includes the actual picks, discipline and money management, and about 30% Luck. Just like any form of gambling, luck plays a role in it, but you can narrow the luck percentage based on your knowledge and type of bet. Self Discipline plays a huge part in gambling. I take in what I can afford to lose, I do not get money out of he ATM when that is gone, I have a number in my head that when I exceed that in winnings off to the car I go. Follow these rules and the most you lose is what you can afford to lose. I am not a pedigree handicapper, therfore I stay away from 2 year old baby races, I don't like trip handicapping which is what a lot of grass races are so I don't load up on them, route races on dirt are not my favorite so they are not loaded up either, my favorite is the 6f claiming race. I know the fractions as far as when they are/have went too fast or too slow. Number play a part in every decision I make. I don't bet names, jockeys or trainers. I do take into consideration the jockey and trainer but don't just bet them by name. I bet the horse. I missed this years Ky Derby Superfecta which paid a small fortune because I did not bet Bluegrass Cat. My wife could not belive I would have 4 of the first 5 finishers and not have a horse named Bluegrass Cat being a HUGE Ky Wildcat fan from the Bluegrass State. I told her I bet horses with head numbers not names. I take into a million pieces of information to spit out a horse or combination of horses. I love numbers and always have and it is basically decifering a bunch of numbers for the most part. Many years of studying losing races after the fact to see what I missed on a horse, which I very rarely see people doing. Most lose and on to the next race. I lose and especially when I am not even close will look at the race again to see what in the hell did I miss on that horse to make sure I don't do it again. Hope this helps.