The morning times., 1895-08-18
TRICKS OF THE RACE TRACK
Only the Bookmakers Have
a Sure Thing.
POOR PLACE TO MAKE MONEY
Systems and Their Failure
Proved by Unlucky Ones
Who Tried Them
POOR PLACE TO MAKE MONEY

ofall the schemes that have been devised
for gambling purposes, that OF betJng upon
horse races IS probably the most fasCiuat-
| Ing the ingenuity OF man ever conceived
| Since the day that Lord Derby hIiiIt a race
course on his estate and the first English
| Derby was run. the game has grown and
grown, uutil now not only in this country.
but in nearly every civilized country on
the globe the race horse Interests Involve
millions OF dollars
What was started a q first, however, 10 a
wholly sporting spirit has gradually retro
graded, until to-day the Whole system is
one vast gambling scheme. which is Kept
alive by the hard-earned dollars OF the
public. is their money which keeps alive
the hOrsemen a1d~sells the Golfers OF the
race track owners
The average citizen who reads OF the i'm
nlense winnings ofsome famous plungerand
iunocently thinking that he can go and do
likewise would consider long time before
he tries to beat the game If he knew the ms
and outs of the business
in favor OF the house" is very slight
This is an exception, however, as other
gain that they are regular gold mines to
their hackers And this is the case with the
race track gambling
BIG CHANCES AGAINST 1T.
The chances against person winning
from the boOkmakers on a race track are
at least ten to one. In the first place, when
the expenses that bookmaker is under are
taken into consideration it will readily, be
seen that his percentage of gain must be
heavy to enable him 10 do business
Each bookmaker who goes on as it is
termed, must pay 500 a day to the race
track owners for that privilege This,
with the fOrty-odd dollars that ne pays out
each day for his help, makes quite little
sum that he must win each day before he is
even with the game, and as, OF course. he
is not in the business for fun, it stands to
reason that he would not go on and give
up this $140 unless he had a good chance
of winning not only his stake back but a
profit besides
If a bookmaker has very small bank
roll when he goes on he can make what is
termed a "round book" By this is meant
a book which would net profit for the
bOokmaker, no matter which horse in the
race won.
An Illustration can easily be given ex-
planning this. Say there are three horses
in race. One of them is a favorite at
TO 5, another is second choice at to /,
and the third is to 1 Chance. The
bookmaker takes in $3.50 on the favOrite,
500 on the second choice and $50 ON the
4 to / shot
In case the favorite should win the book
would have to pay out the original $3.50
which was bet on the 10 chance and
winnings on S150 at tie rate OF 10 o,
which amounts to S12O. Deduct this S12O
from $50, which is the sum total bet on
the second and third choices, and il viii
be found that the book won $50. Figure
the same way or the other two and it will
be found that the winnings, il the . 10
shot had won, would have been $50, and II
the third choice had been the winner they
would have cleared SIOO
HE ALWAYS WINS
True, sometimes the betting is so Iiehtthat
round book cannot be made. When this is
SO the boOkmakers figure on a certain per
ceDtage. Sometimes this does not amount
TO more than per cent, but even this
nets them a good return If they handle
- ousaDd dollars to each race on six races
day.
This, however, only presents one side OF