Sorta a poll, but open-ended.

[Carl]

Question: How has HTR changed your horseplaying profile?

Do you now

1) Consider different factors? More factors or less?

2) Do you bet more now or less? The same?

3) Do you bet more often now? Less or the same?

4) Are you more selective in your plays now, or less selective?

3) Where do you see your game going? Where would you like it to go?

Shame on me for posting a poll on one of our biggest national holidays, but I started thinking about this and got real curious about other users thoughts on this matter (and I have no idea if they are the same as my own, which I will post later).

[George]

Have approached the game about the same way for last seven years.
That is, used good software tools, exported to db and analyzed data
relationships beyond the basic software.

HTR is among the best software tools I have used but in all honesty is
probably not much better than AODDS GOLD or MULTICAPS or ALL-WAYS.

It's real value to me is very economical to get large amounts of data for
analysis.

The interchange of ideas presented on both this and the old boards is
also of much value. Last but not least is the very excellent service
provided by Ken Massa. He takes the time to promptly respond to any
question you have. His constant push to improve his product is also
impressive.

Where do I want my game to go? Where I always have, find an unknown
data relationship that wins at boxcar prices nearly every race.
Will I find it? Naw! But it sure is fun looking.

[Cliff]

1) Probably using more factors, but, not currently proficient at any of them (the 'ol learning curve).

2) Betting less now while learning the nuances of HTR.

3) Betting less often now too....see above.

4) More selective now too......see above.....twice.

5) I am currently using HTR mostly to handicap Lone Star and as such am concentrating on finding winners at any price. Would like to eventually use it to find profitable high paying spot plays on ANY track similar to others that post on this board. (Any existing or potential spot plays would be a welcome addition to my arsenal if anyone wants to share....am not currently betting anything until I have time to research it in Access).

6) Would like to personally thank all those who have helped me get up and running thus far. The level of knowledge of handicapping in general and Access, etc. specfically never ceases to amaze me.

[MtKen]

Using software, in general, enabled me to expand the # of factors I try to handicap with. While Allways, which allows the user to weigh & blend factors together, may be more sophisticated than HTR it is astronomically more expensive @ $7 to $14 per track per day depending on what Bris plan you are enrolled in. ( These are the prices I was familiar with a few years ago, I don't know what they charge now.) You could spend more in 1 day downloading Bris files for Allways than HTR charges for a month of unlimited files. In addition to file cost programs like Allways & Horsestreet charge for their software (or for an expanded version). Horsestreet also now charges $100+ for their newsletter each year, even to established users. HTR is simply the best value out there, & not being independently wealthy, I appreciate having some $ left for my betting bankroll after paying for racefiles.

The introduction of phone & internet bettting has changed my horseplaying style more than software. Now I feel like I can just pick spots & spread my bets out a lot more. 4 or 5 years ago in MT all we had were simulcasts from TUP on the weekends which usually included most of the SoCal cards. I was much more inclined to 'reach' when I only had 60 races a wk. to pick from instead of the current situation where even on a Tues. there are that many available races.

What I would like to do is find overlays at lower odds. I have great plays for longshots but trying to find a profit from 3/1 to 8/1 horses is tough for me. I have been looking at a couple of promising angles but they 0-fer'd yesterday when I put them into play. I can handle getting blanked on 10/1+ horses but its more frustrating when a dozen 4/1 pix run out. I can find some cold comfort from looking at a spreadsheet & seeing these losing streaks played out on my monitor in an otherwise profitable situation. Everything slumps &/or clusters at times. W/O the db I'd be more inclined to panic at every losing streak or overbet every win cluster. I have about 6 months worth of data now & every additional month certainly helps me focus more on long term results.

Ken

[Carl]

Thanks for the the takes guys. Nice to hear about other's experiences with HTR as opposed to pre-HTR.

Promised to post my own take on my own changes, and I will. Will use point form, not quite sure where this will go.

1) I came to HTR from the stone age as far as computer handicapping goes. This is the first and only computer handicapping aid I have ever used. I don't even know what the other ones do. This would give me a somewhat different prospective in and of itself.

2) So it is the first time I have had comparative pace figures that I could use. This is a big thing for me. I have always wanted to know who would be the first horse out, figured I would take my chances from there. HTR does a great job of that IMO.

3) I play every day, and have for the last two years. I couldn't do this before I got HTR. My case was somewhat like Mt. Ken refers to, in that I would get on a losing streak and I would think it was something I was doing differently than before when I was winning.
This would make me very nervous.
With the access downloads, I can be assured that I am doing the same thing, and it is just "the rolls of the dice". I may get pissed off now, but I don't get nervous.

4) I too find it very economical. Comes out to like 30 cents a day per track for PP's, and the forever improving free software is superb.

5) I am betting more money, and more tracks, probably for no better reason than I can. I am still operating on my original HTR stake money, and until it multiplies to a million (soon I hope) or disappears, I keep plugging along. I have never been able to do this before.

6) I have enjoyed the learning about access that has come with the territory for me. This has had positive ramifications for me business wise also.

7) Where am I going handicapping wise?
I wanna stay with spot plays.
I think I am getting smarter about my spot plays, and the addition of the IMPACT to the HTR family has been a big help in allowing me to add relevant data. I really am looking forward to the ability to add more than one paceline of data, I think that will be of enormous help in searching out winning patterns.

later,
Carl