Handicapping Tournaments
 

Why do most handicapping tournaments insist on having thier contest based on $2 W/P only? The only one that I participated in where it wasnt was at Lone Star Park a few years ago. They had Tri, Super, Ex, WPS format.

IMO because it takes more skill to pick consistant winners than have a couple of impossible horses fill the bottom of tri's and super's to artificially inflate payouts.

The simple answer is that it is easier to understand and thus more poeple will enter. Every host would prefer real money but the pool of poeple would would play is not there yet.

Paul

$2 W/P format is a game of picking winners, not making money. In a contest of 10 races is pretty much over half way through. Its just a up and down position battle for the top 5 at that point.

They should have a $500 imaginary bankroll and you can play it as you please on any race as you please (specific race format is even more stupid). The whole idea of winning at the races is to make money not stacking 3/5 winners and say you are the best.

easier to understand? The whole idea of these tournaments is to weed out your 2 times a year player who thinks zenyatta is the greatest horse ever.

The tournaments should be about real handicappers, playing real bets.

There are not many people in the country who play in more contests than me. Personally I prefer live money and play in most of them. I ageree it is a better test of skill. But, the real purpose as you say is to fill spots in contests. That is how the NTRA looks at it as does almost everyone who puts on contests. Simply put, if you do live money, your fields will be small.

I am going to South Dakota next weekend to play in a contest offering $150,000 in prize money. It is live money so you also keep what you win. It offers more than 100% pay back to players. But, it will have about 40 players in it. That is just the reality.

Paul

You obviously are a real follower of this tour. I would love to do a lot more but I am too busy with work

I play in a lot of them too.
Ky Downs last week. Played in Lone Star, Sufolk, Vegas (Red Rocks), Emerald Downs, Sam Houston, and many more online. The only two that I did well in was coming second in at Lone Star and winning a non NHC contest on Youbet.
Both of these contests were not the $2 W/P kind. The others I have either finished mid pack or below.

Sam Houston has not had a NHC contest since November 2008. Their format was always $2 WP. I won the last contest they had.

As Paul said, live money contests wipe out a number of potential players who do not want to put up $2,500-$7,500.

it doesnt have to be live then. Give them a 500 dollar imaginary bankroll and let them play the races as they please.

When racetracks stop caring about handle, they might do that. I guess Parx could be a candidate.

Is anybody else on here going to SD? I will be there and hope to meet a couple derbytrailers.

I will be there. Should be a fun time.

Good luck Paul, Tiz & VK in Sioux Falls - I personally got side-tracked this year and didn't have time for the contest play I had planned, so will not make it...

Kevin and Leigh put on an awesome tourney, and for those that haven't been you're in a for a great experience....Some of the sharpest players I've ever met I met at the HPQ Player's Challenge and still keep in touch with a number of them.

Are you going to the BC and playing in that event?

Of course. I have played in all three breeder's cup contests so far and will be at Santa Anita as well. To me, that is the single best contest of the year. It is not cheap but you get free tickets, great seats, buffet each day and more. The Breeder's Cup people not only return 100% of the entry fees but also contribute an extra $25,000 to the prize pool on top of all the extras.

Paul

I will be there as well. Will there be others attending that event?

That is too bad, this is my first year playing in tournaments and I orignally first heard of this one because of a post of yours early this year and was lucky enough to qualify a couple weeks later. Was hoping to buy you a drink or five out of appreciation.

I know NTamm and VolJack are in as well.

Paul

Dan--I will miss seeing you there. Next year for sure.

Paul

I have played in many NHC tour contests but not any Horse Player World Series qualifiers.

Can someone please post a list of dates of these qualifying contests at various locations?