Quote Originally Posted by Devils Horse View Post
Problem with horse racing is humans are involved. I tore up a a 'guaranteed' winning ticket years ago after watching a jockey take the best horse in the field from a 3 length lead in the stretch to a 5th place finish. Haven't been to a pony race since.

That said, to each his own and best of luck.
There is always Dog Racing if you want to get rid of the "human factor", but you still have humans training and juicing the dogs just as much. One thing I learned a LONG time about gambling, all you can do is get your money in with the best of it and then it is down to luck. Got busted out of a No Limit Holdem tounament last night with pocket Aces, sitting as 2nd in chips with 5 to go and the chip leader calls with pocket Kings. I am 82% favorite to his 18% before the flop, which comes all hearts and I have the Ace of hearts so how the King of hearts won't help him so he is down to only the King of clubs he must hit to knock me out or I am massive chip leader with 5 to play. This puts him at 5% on the turn which comes a blank and now he is 2% on the river to hit the only card in the deck and the King of clubs comes on the river. I did everything correctly in the hand and the Poker Gods did not smile on me. Took my $546 for 5th place and picked up the racing form and started studying again. Been betting horses for 23 years, took my share of bad beats, good beats and flat out picked the wrong horse MANY times. But also know that I have been on the other side of the coin just as many times and more and probably one of the few that can HONESTLY say, I have won a LOT more than I have lost due to exact record keeping of winning or losing daily totals. Had one day of winning $27,000, another winning $14,000, a couple more over $10,000 and many more over $3,000. As it stands, up over $200,000 the last 10 years and counting. Paid $20,000 for my weight loss surgery and another $34,000 for our adoption process of our son back in 2003 all from gambling money. Humans do cause problems in gambling as they do in all other aspects of life but all you can do is make the best bet possible and then it is up to the gambling gods to decide if you win or not. But, knowing what you are doing sure does increase your odds of winning because you can put yourself in a much better position to win versus a straight novice doing the same. Cutting a 12 horse field down to only 3-4 that can win will increase your odds, getting your money all in during a poker hand with the best hand is all you can do. The more times you do this, the more times you will come out a winner.