Please, Someone Just Shoot Me

[pweizer]

I hit the late pick four at Monmouth yesterday and got $59 back on a $60 ticket. The four races in the sequence all had large fields and all seemed competitive on paper. Yet it chalked out. That happens sometimes.

What makes the pick four a good bet is that it spreads the takeout over four races so the house edge is lower. This is especially attractive in the Monmouth Pick five which is a fifty cent bet and has a 15% take out to start.

I do agree with TFM that playing a pick four just because it is there is not smart. Playing a pick four where you can identify a shaky favorite or two can pay well above the parlay and thus is generally a good play.

Paul