Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Keep your Money in your Pocket

Not a song title, but good advice none the less! Went racing yesterday - the Galway Races are on and we usually try to get there a couple of times during the week. No, I'm not a gambler normally, but if there was ever anything I was going to become addicted to.....

I headed off from work around 4.30 and was out in good time for the first race. The Galway Races are different to other racing events because it is a very local event, even though people come from far and wide. Also, you don't need to know jack about horses and it seems that nearly every horse has as good a chance as the next. Tony was coming from home so I said I'd meet him out there, but he was a bit delayed waiting for a ticket from some guy. We both got tickets so that saved €50 straight off....or €50 more to put on the horsies. I decided that I would use the time at the beginning to learn a little more about the various other types of betting that you can do....I would almost always be a Tote better, and spread my bets with small amounts rather than €20 here or there.

Anyway I decided to find out about Exacta and Jackpot...and had the time to ask at the Tote counters because it wasn't very busy initially. The exacta is where you bet that 2 horses will come in first and second in a race and you get better odds because you are betting on a combination rather than each one....obviously the chances of winning are lower, but the amounts you can win are higher....I am in this for the money btw! You can also do a reverse exacta where you bet on the two horses - either can come first or second. I did this throughout the day and won diddly-eye-squat. Nada....but it's a skill I acquired I suppose.

I also worked out how the jackpot fee is calculated. This is where you bet on a horse (or number of them) from the 3rd to 7th race (in yesterday's case) and if your horses come in as winners (all of them...not just one or tw0) - you get to share a jackpot of €50,000. Again - the prizes are high, the chances are low. Last year I got stung with a fee of €30 for my bet because I didn't know they multiplied all the races by each other....this year I asked first and saved myself €56!!! and went back to the drawing board. Sorry if I'm babbling on - maybe someone else finds this interesting.

Today, Brian at work got a few tips from a client of ours and said the best thing to do was a €1 each way, all ways patent! I made my way to the bookies half an hour ago and hope that I've done the right thing.....it's a real learning curve, but I don't know how to play poker, so I might as well know the various ways to bet on horses!

My friend Brenda bro in law is on the race committee so I was invited to dinner after the races with Brenda and her family which was lovely....espesh cos I was starving. 3 courses in a lovely little private committee room at the race track - it was a good way to end the evening....seeing as I had lost my shirt at that point.

Will probably not go racing tomorrow - Ladies Day - dont' think I'm able for the crowds in my current condition, but Friday evening is always nice and the weather is promised fine, so that might be the plan instead.

Yesterday I backed names (as I always do)...and went so far as to back two horses at 100 to 1 just because of their names - Another Sister (given that I am preggo....and have 3 sisters...when my mum had each of us, we would be told 'another sister...so i thought it was very apt), and Crafty Casuist....dunno what a casuist is, but I'm crafty...No joy - they are still running. Best advice, only bet what you can afford to lose and a good tip is 'keep your money in your pocket'.

3 comments:

gertie (aka aine) said...

i wouldn't have a clue how to bet, and would chose the horse by name alone!!!
keep me away from the races i say!!!

Kate said...

I've given you an award over on my blog. pop over to receive it.

gertie (aka aine) said...

hi coco, i have tagged you!!