Ron Miller is a former sportsbook ticket writer from Vegas. Born in Philadelphia, he, of course, follows the Philly teams, no matter how many times they let him down. Like Rocky, he has passion and heart, which is shown in his writing style. He has been writing the popular column, "Champs Corner" for six years now. Mille, being part of the boxing media, gets credentials to many fights in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. His columnn is published by many boxing sites, including http://Boxingsfinest.com, http://Insideboxing.com, http://Eastsideboxing.com, http://boxingtime.com, boxing-central, boxinginlasvegas among others. And of course his work is featured here on eSports as well. He took on the name "champ" in recognition of a great champion, Jack Dempsey, the Manassas Mauler. But don't be fooled. Miller also mixes in regular sports. He is quite knowledgeable on all games, but boxing remains his true passion. He is the "Howard Cosell" of boxing writers, "telling it like it is." Whether you like it, or don't like it, he puts it on the line, unlike most run of the mill writers. Like he says, keep your hands up and keep punching for the stars! My experiences at the track started relatively late in life. My father was never a gambler, my mother on the other hand, loves slots. I learned about horses around 1995. I learned about exotic wagers, "tips," touts, but most importantly, money management. That's what I discuss a bit later with you fans. For now, let's take a look at the "state of horse racing."
Many moon's ago, boxing(my first love), along with horse racing, was the "Sport of Kings." Unfortunately, it all changed with the turn of the century.
Horse racing was a first page story in any newspaper. Now it's sadly buried in the back, along with the "as seen on TV" ads. Even when we had a few horses in the last few year's going for the Triple Crown, it did little to revive the sport. Movies such as "Seabiscuit" also had little effect. The sport has progressively gotten worse lately, and I don't see it getting any better, soon.
The younger generation(for the most part) doesn't care about racing. It's an older, dying sport. Go to any track, OTB or Las Vegas race book, and you will see what I mean. Bluehair's galore.
It also seems that scandals, such as "milkshakes," drugs, and Pick 6 frauds litter this once great sport.
Tracks? Don't make me laugh. They have all been transferred into "racinos," slots for the wives, ponies for the guys. So while you are getting drunk, the wifey is blowing the savings and kid's college fund via the "one armed bandit."
Del Mar is one of the great tracks. However, unless you live in San Diego, it's just too far. Vegas? Great, if you are already there. Santa Anita is pretty nice, but again, location, location.
Hollywood Park is the closest track or OTB where I live. Thank God for Youbet. Trust me, if you haven't been to Hollywood before, what I'm telling you is the truth, shocking as it may seem. Parking is a joke. It takes about a mile to walk after parking your ride. The class of people who go to the track are lowlifes and degenerates. That's putting it nicely. Some probably have never seen a bar of soap. After you have gotten the smoke out of your hair, clothes and eyes, you better make sure you leave before it gets dark. The area around the track isn't "home, sweet home." And the lighting in the parking lot is atrocious. Better hope the moon is full.
Money management 101. Only bet horses with value. Obviously a 1-9 shot is probably a sure thing, but unless you are betting A LOT of money, you aren't going to make enough to buy a watered down beer and an artery clogging, greasy hotdog. Also think about if you lose (which you probably will, as favorites only come in about 33% of the time).Wheel it, put it in a pick N or look for another horse.
Start with a good bankroll. This will help you if you go 0-10. Once putting the bet down, no matter how much you scream your head off, ala Howard Dean, it won't matter. Consider the money lost and feel fortunate if you do win. The odds are stacked against you. How do you think they build those skyscrapers in Lost Wages, better known as Sin City, better known as Las Vegas?
Never bet over your head, always with it. No, the mortgage, rent, car payment, money for food, clothes, etc., isn't worth a "sure shot," because they don't exist. ANY horse can get bumped at the gate, stumble out, run out of gas or get cut off. Also, jockey's can have an off day, along with horses, and there goes your hard earned cash, until tomorrow, anyway.
Jimmy the Greek once said, "I don't bet on anything that eats." Good sage advice. Heed it, or you will be at the pawnbroker's seeing how much you can get for your wedding ring and Casio watch. No, they don't take a TV made in the '80s or your 1979 Yugo.
Never chase your money or "double" up. Bet consistently, but not every race. You will go broke. Pick your spots and unload. If you feel good about a bet, bet a bit more, but don't bet every race like it's going out of style. After a few beers, I know we all feel like Superman. Resist the temptation. There is always tomorrow.
Until next time bettors, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.