The Psychology of Thoroughbred Handicapping: Lessons and Valuable Insights
I've read numerous books on the fundamentals of handicapping, but this college professor's book contributes something new. Instead of covering trodden ground, this book adds new ideas for helping players in a sophisticated and complex game. . . yet it's not just theory. The suggested strategies are easy to put into practice and provide immediate gains for those who seriously try them. --Brian, San DiegoProfessor Wilson, a research psychologist, has written a highly readable primer on the psychology of handicapping in thoroughbred horse racing. His readers should cash more tickets at the betting windows. --Irv Shaw, Co-owner of Cielo Gold, winner of the Indiana DerbyThis is the best book I've ever read on handicapping. I couldn't put it down: A+ ----eBay Buyer feedbackIt is quite a different book than I have ever read on the subject and I am enjoying it quite a bit. That might be because I have an interest in some of the things he talks about - as an example he gives examples of the utility of a wager which I haven't seen like this before.I don't agree with everything he says, but most of it I do and I find it quite an enjoyable read. He talks a lot about how we make our decisions and maybe more importantly how the crowd makes its decisions. Some things hit home with me. Like when I start handicapping and the first horse I look at has some quality that I really look for and then the rest all get compared to it. But if that was later on in the past performances (say no.6), I might look at the race differently because I have made other judgements based on the first few horses. And I think he's right (in my experience). I see a horse that fits a certain pattern I am looking for and I start loving it so much that I fail to look at the rest of the field objectively. And therefore I sometimes overestimate his true probability of winning. And also some of the examples of how we structure our wagers is quite illustrative for me. He even cites some small samples of horseplayers (both experienced and novice) he has taken and how they approach a race.I am easily getting my moneys worth out of it. I am guessing some of you won't like this book (some might even hate it). The reason I say that is it is so different from anything else I've read. But I think many of you might enjoy it. For me, it is the most interesting book concerning the races I have read in many years and I've read pretty well everything. It has really made me think about how I approach my handicapping and wagering. --Online ReviewIt was an easy read, which is what I was afraid it was not going to be. The reader must go into it with an open mind, I feel. I was hesitant to post because some may call it hogwash....but that is the problem with shifting thought paradigms. Most are set in their way of assessing the races and this has become learned behavior. Many times incorrect as it may be. What hit home to me is the way we "stack" factors about a horse to come to our selection, instead of "indexing" the factors. This, to me, explains why the "unexplainable" horse wins some times. Also why the favorite loses more times than they win. I would have gladly paid double [cover price]. There are not a whole lot of books in my library that I have read more than once, but I am starting my second time thru this one already. And I can see a 3rd or 4th revisit as well. Thumps up! --PaceAdvantage Blogger