DanG
4th February 2007, 04:27.47 PM
Note:
I don’t post often on “PA’s” board, but this thread was interesting to me. A woman claiming to be a pro posted her experiences and was subsequently barbequed to a large degree. This struck me, because as I posted earlier I knew a woman pro well who felt the need to hide this saying she felt “resentment” from men.
This was followed an HTR member mentioning that this years 3rd place woman finisher in the NHC was incorrectly identified as a “beard”.
I post this here while some of it is out of context without reading the prior back and forth. While this is way too long and jumps around (as I often do :eek: ) it may be interesting to anyone in the HTR family who is / or considering doing this for income.
Obviously reading the prior thread on PA would provide some background. I warn you, the PA thread is rather long and some of it down right insulting. (Something HTR’s board rarely if ever ascends to fortunately) I believe the post on PA is entitled…”My years as a professional”
Warning…Long post!
Reminder…This is strictly in reference to the PA thread, not intended for the good people who post here.
-------------------------------
Preface: I stated reading this post as I knew a woman who played professionally and I found it fascinating the reactions she received. I give her credit for even dignifying some of them as I know I wouldn’t bother.
As far as the anxiety aspect of racing paying your nut, my experience is it goes in waves.
(I can only speak for myself, but it’s not exclusive to me as I know a few people who have had similar cycles.)
My first year it was almost over whelming at times. I was single and still the financial pressures and working much too long vs. working smart was draining me. The cost of doing business in New Jersey was rising and I decided to move to Vegas after it was recommended to me by a good NY player.
Vegas was the turning point for me as I met three other full time players and we hit it off. They had a partnership and allowed me to join for a stake. I think the clincher was Turf routes were their weak point and they happen to be my strength.
The pressure of playing for my nut decreased tremendously. I roomed with one of the guys (cutting expenses.) and they were older than I and had tremendous confidence and it was infectious. As fate would have it our partnership and trust was solidified early as I had a key turf bomb and we hit a sizeable pick-6.
This went on for several years before I met my soon to be wife and her family lived in Tampa and we moved back.
Everything changed…She had children and they needed all the insurances, coverage’s, health benefits etc that come with traditional employment. I quit the partnership and supervised a telecommunications company for a few years. I continued to play at nights on the side, but with all the time requirements my play suffered. In addition there was a stigma attached with her family that viewed horse players as one step below earth worms.
I was miserable and we both knew it. We had a very amicable divorce and the next stage began. (BTW: For what it’s worth… I have a better relationship with her and her kids when I became true to myself.)
I was very fortunate in that my group was still going strong and I joined for a second time. Still living in Tampa I wanted to lighten the work load of creating all my own information and joined HTR. This was a very important move as it allowed me to A) get more sleep and B) focus more on evaluating rather than gathering data.
Next crisis…My brother is living right outside of New Orleans when Katrina hits. No sign of him or his girlfriend and kids for 4-days. (Same frightening situation with Rick from HTR)…Long story short, he had no coverage and virtually zero savings. He has ALWAYS been there for me, so I pulled out of the partnership (again) and used the funds to help him start over.
Several months pass as I need to gather a stake. I go back to a “traditional” job and betting at night…the very second I get the proper funds I enter the partnership (for a 3rd time :eek: )…That takes us up to today.
Couple points…I know this is running way too long, but we fortunately hit the pick-6 at SA yesterday (after a significant drought) and I have a little more energy than usual. I don’t type as fast as some of you, so this was written over a significant time period.
The anxiety eventual goes away over time with the players I know. It’s a bell curve of initially tremendous nervousness; to refining your work load and methods to eventually it becomes “almost” like another job. Dick Schmidt I think it was said it right. The process almost becomes “boring” when you hit your stride. I still get pumped with carry-overs and top class horses, but the average weekday card has become quite routine.
I think many players underestimate the power that a good partnership can provide. If you’re lucky enough to get with mature, honest and serious players it can help you in many ways you would not have considered.
I enjoy reading the horse racing forums very much. There is so much knowledge people are willing to share. I’m the only one of my group who ever writes and I’ve been told I write too much, but I find it very therapeutic. One of my partners in particular could write a thesis on constructing multi-race wagers, but the truth is he will never pass along that great knowledge.
Many…many people much sharper than I could have so much to teach, but besides the obvious reasons of maintaining their edge, they have no time for some of the petty back and forth that goes with posting thoughts.
I’m sure I’m not alone in spotting the posters who while typing from their mother’s basement are so quick and sure of why “all the pros they have met” are flawed in their approach. As the great dialogue in Silence of the Lambs went (I am paraphrasing)…” You see a lot, poster. But are you strong enough to turn that high-powered perception at yourself?”
They may not like what they see. :eek:
One last thing and I’ll mercifully end this…Of all the misconceptions about gambling for a living…#1 is you are not “quitting your job to play”. You are quitting one job to attempt a much tougher one.
If you read this start to finish…thanks for your endurance…If not, I wouldn’t blame you! :D
I don’t post often on “PA’s” board, but this thread was interesting to me. A woman claiming to be a pro posted her experiences and was subsequently barbequed to a large degree. This struck me, because as I posted earlier I knew a woman pro well who felt the need to hide this saying she felt “resentment” from men.
This was followed an HTR member mentioning that this years 3rd place woman finisher in the NHC was incorrectly identified as a “beard”.
I post this here while some of it is out of context without reading the prior back and forth. While this is way too long and jumps around (as I often do :eek: ) it may be interesting to anyone in the HTR family who is / or considering doing this for income.
Obviously reading the prior thread on PA would provide some background. I warn you, the PA thread is rather long and some of it down right insulting. (Something HTR’s board rarely if ever ascends to fortunately) I believe the post on PA is entitled…”My years as a professional”
Warning…Long post!
Reminder…This is strictly in reference to the PA thread, not intended for the good people who post here.
-------------------------------
Preface: I stated reading this post as I knew a woman who played professionally and I found it fascinating the reactions she received. I give her credit for even dignifying some of them as I know I wouldn’t bother.
As far as the anxiety aspect of racing paying your nut, my experience is it goes in waves.
(I can only speak for myself, but it’s not exclusive to me as I know a few people who have had similar cycles.)
My first year it was almost over whelming at times. I was single and still the financial pressures and working much too long vs. working smart was draining me. The cost of doing business in New Jersey was rising and I decided to move to Vegas after it was recommended to me by a good NY player.
Vegas was the turning point for me as I met three other full time players and we hit it off. They had a partnership and allowed me to join for a stake. I think the clincher was Turf routes were their weak point and they happen to be my strength.
The pressure of playing for my nut decreased tremendously. I roomed with one of the guys (cutting expenses.) and they were older than I and had tremendous confidence and it was infectious. As fate would have it our partnership and trust was solidified early as I had a key turf bomb and we hit a sizeable pick-6.
This went on for several years before I met my soon to be wife and her family lived in Tampa and we moved back.
Everything changed…She had children and they needed all the insurances, coverage’s, health benefits etc that come with traditional employment. I quit the partnership and supervised a telecommunications company for a few years. I continued to play at nights on the side, but with all the time requirements my play suffered. In addition there was a stigma attached with her family that viewed horse players as one step below earth worms.
I was miserable and we both knew it. We had a very amicable divorce and the next stage began. (BTW: For what it’s worth… I have a better relationship with her and her kids when I became true to myself.)
I was very fortunate in that my group was still going strong and I joined for a second time. Still living in Tampa I wanted to lighten the work load of creating all my own information and joined HTR. This was a very important move as it allowed me to A) get more sleep and B) focus more on evaluating rather than gathering data.
Next crisis…My brother is living right outside of New Orleans when Katrina hits. No sign of him or his girlfriend and kids for 4-days. (Same frightening situation with Rick from HTR)…Long story short, he had no coverage and virtually zero savings. He has ALWAYS been there for me, so I pulled out of the partnership (again) and used the funds to help him start over.
Several months pass as I need to gather a stake. I go back to a “traditional” job and betting at night…the very second I get the proper funds I enter the partnership (for a 3rd time :eek: )…That takes us up to today.
Couple points…I know this is running way too long, but we fortunately hit the pick-6 at SA yesterday (after a significant drought) and I have a little more energy than usual. I don’t type as fast as some of you, so this was written over a significant time period.
The anxiety eventual goes away over time with the players I know. It’s a bell curve of initially tremendous nervousness; to refining your work load and methods to eventually it becomes “almost” like another job. Dick Schmidt I think it was said it right. The process almost becomes “boring” when you hit your stride. I still get pumped with carry-overs and top class horses, but the average weekday card has become quite routine.
I think many players underestimate the power that a good partnership can provide. If you’re lucky enough to get with mature, honest and serious players it can help you in many ways you would not have considered.
I enjoy reading the horse racing forums very much. There is so much knowledge people are willing to share. I’m the only one of my group who ever writes and I’ve been told I write too much, but I find it very therapeutic. One of my partners in particular could write a thesis on constructing multi-race wagers, but the truth is he will never pass along that great knowledge.
Many…many people much sharper than I could have so much to teach, but besides the obvious reasons of maintaining their edge, they have no time for some of the petty back and forth that goes with posting thoughts.
I’m sure I’m not alone in spotting the posters who while typing from their mother’s basement are so quick and sure of why “all the pros they have met” are flawed in their approach. As the great dialogue in Silence of the Lambs went (I am paraphrasing)…” You see a lot, poster. But are you strong enough to turn that high-powered perception at yourself?”
They may not like what they see. :eek:
One last thing and I’ll mercifully end this…Of all the misconceptions about gambling for a living…#1 is you are not “quitting your job to play”. You are quitting one job to attempt a much tougher one.
If you read this start to finish…thanks for your endurance…If not, I wouldn’t blame you! :D