Customer Reviews

How to WIN the PICK 6: Horse Racing's Big $$$ Payout

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

In 2001 & 2002 I was part of a 5 man syndicate. We wagered on all sports. Me and 2 other guys handicapped horses when there was money to make. Lot of pick 6's. Won and lost, it's a hard bet. We stoped after a trajedy. I win occasional small scores, but I haven't won anything big since then.
I bought the book as soon as I saw it. I expected lots of handicapping tips and stuff you see in other horse books. Very little of that glad to say.

He's been up and down and up. He did lots of wrong stuff. He lets you know but he doesn't dwell on it. What he does is emphasize strategies that work. They work on paper and in my head. I know they will work at the track. Not an if , a when.
After reading the book I have confidence. It's crystal clear what I need to do to win. He writes the truth and isn't afraid to tell how bad you've been playing.
They way he writes makes for a exciting book on horse racing.
It is going to change you and your wagering. And you will laugh at many parts of the book.
If you sit in millionairs row like I once did, or if you struggle everyday, this is the best book.

A book on winning money at the track doesn't get any better than this. This is the best book I've read on wagering and winning big at the racetrack. It's 397 pages (not 412), all dedicated to the Pick 6. Not a single past performance or other copied chart. I found it here, but bought it on the publishers web site. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. The "bad" - at times wordy and repetitive. The "good" - ideas about making big money that have never been written about. Who ever heard of the 30/30/40 Rule? Or the 3% Solution? He uses terms like "pacifier" and "insurance". He tells you you're a loser (he's right) and then starts to show how to make a steady six-figure income (hint: get off the favorites). P 6 strategies I've never seen. He proves throughout the book that any player can make a winning ticket. He likes to coach (a bit much?). He tells some stories that are literally spellbinding and others that make you feel you're trackside screaming at the horses. There's some witty humor and quotes. His bottom line: there's only one way to get rich at the racetrack; become a repeat P 6 winner. Best chapters are Dumb and Dumbest, The 3% Solution and Frittering. It's a winner and a keeper. Worth every bit of 5 Stars

Actually I was far away at an OTB. I won the Pick 6 at Hollywood for $13K and I didn't even know about it until the next day.
In April this year I went for my first time to play the horses. I'm 23. On my very last race I won a $53 exacta. I left $7 ahead and happy. I went again two weeks later and won over $800, primarily from some lucky trifectas. I felt I was going to make a lot of money playing the horses. By the end of May I was down almost $2K and unhappy. Nothing went right and I kept losing.
In June I ordered this book, Exotic Betting and Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies. I will write a review on the other books.
This book saved my skin; literally! I had played some small pick 6 wagers on some random tracks, mostly for $2 or $8 and was never close. After I read this book everything changed. I'm not a handicapper, and don't even try, but that doesn't seem to matter.
He tells you what tracks to play and why. He tells you the recommended field size. What horses to embrace and avoid. I think most important though is that he teaches you a playable plan. A strategy that is many more times likely to win than the average weekend players pick 6. I understand it.
Two year olds and maidens used to scare me. He acknowledges why that is and then shows you how to beat them and use them to your advantage.
All said and done, it's the best book on horse racing. He made me change and made me a winner.
The other reviews mentioned his humor and stories. I thought it would be BS. Wrong! There are funnies that pop up seemingly in every chapter. I wouldn't call all of his "stories" - stories. Some are race recreations done really well. Others are created and he sucks you into the action.
Not much negative. He wants readers to be able to handicap. I've got the basic idea, I just don't enjoy it. He spends equal time with beginners, average players and track regulars. He wants everyone to win, but I think he could have focused more on the intermediate level player.
Great book. It made me a big wad of money and a better horseplayer. I would love to win many more pick 6 jackpots. I would love to win enough pick 6's that I can retire in a few years. I just might do it.

He begins by laying down the law, (it's the Pick 6, and ONLY the Pick 6 that will make you wealthy). Then his personal introduction, and from there it's off to the races. I previewed the book on the publishers website as suggested by another reviewer and was immediately hooked.

His "stories" are about some of his experiences (funny & sad) and many stories about "you" - the reader. Example: "You can't believe your favorite is going to be beaten at the wire by a 12-1 long shot! How could this happen? Why? Why?! You had wheeled the best horse and now you were going to be a loser."

Some of his strategies on how to win are creative and unique. I've read about 20 books on racing. Few really tell you how to be a big winner. He slams losers hard. Change now, or continue giving your money to the good players. He hammers favorites, and shares the cool 30/30/40 Rule. Readers with just $32 tickets are shown how to win, and from there it's the 3% Solution (the best!).

Just the facts...he reviewed thousands of races and shares numbers that no other author has presented. Two that I'll always remember are: all six favorites winning happens about 1% of the time and pays less than $90. No favorites winning any of the pick 6 races happens about 14% of the time and pays on average over $82,000. Hmmm.

It's an excellent book, but it's loosely written. I didn't like his emphasis on morning line odds, but they are necessary. He shows you how to earn $100,000 to $250,000, but doesn't go any farther (I can live with that.) Somehow he wrote a 400 page book on only the pick 6 and amazingly stays on track all the way. The stories range from good to fascinating.
His teaching is a little "in your face". Often reminding you what your goal "should" be...to make money. He's repetitive (it's OK) and implores you to smarten up and go for the gold.

Like that other reviewer said - it's hard to stop thinking about the pick 6 and what you will do with all the money you're going to win. He works with all sizes of budgets - from $50 a week to what big syndicates might wager. I highly recommend this book, but fair warning: the way you think about betting the horses will never be the same again. That's probably good.

I was thinking about this book in the shower. Then again when I was driving to the store. All afternoon I couldn't get it out of my head. - -I am going to be a Pick 6 winner. There is absloutely no doubt about it. This book shows me every thing I've been doing wrong for thirty years. He shares some facts that should be common knowledge. He shows you how to make a lot of money. It's not going to be super easy, but if I can stick to the strategies and selection process I learned, I will win. As he says - GET FOCUSED! Stay on task, follow his rules and you will win! I learned new tools on how to beat this damn wager that nobody else has ever written about. Awesome! He doesn't give just a few flakes of gold for advise, he gives you some hefty gold bars to deal with. I know he's right and I have to change or I will always be a loser. I think every reader is going to feel Pick 6 super charged with plans on cashing some big checks. There is something eye-opening in just about every chapter and too much to list here. Some very well placed humor. After you get over the fun of just reading the book, you won't be able to stop thinking about it - about being a winner. Best sports handicapping book I've ever read! Thanks Kolb! 5+ Stars

Handicapping books are characterized by amateur authors telling their stories through examples and analysis. Many are poorly written and overly repetitive. How to Win the Pick 6 by Steven Kolb carries many of the characteristics of basic handicapping books. There are several misspellings and some concepts are presented repeatedly. Overall, I found the book thought provoking and stimulating. I learned several new concepts as the author presented his unique research which brought me to a new understanding of horse racing's Pick 6 wager.

Kolb takes the reader on a voyage through his experience as a Pick 6 handicapper. He starts raw and unskilled, but lucky. His luck changes and he is forced to analyze his losses toward improvement. The book appears to be written over a seven year period with data from 2002 and 2008, but no explanation for the intervening years. Kolb starts his wagers using morning line and makes improvements in handicapping which are not covered in the book. A second book is mentioned as a potential project. This is not a book about picking winners or handicapping individual races.

Kolb's insight to the Pick 6 wager adds value to the reader. He gives basic factual evidence supporting his basic premise to ratio favorites, short-priced horses and long-shots. He uses vignettes for examples of successful wagers. The problem here is some loss of credibility because most wagers end up as documented successes. Then again, readers will not be interested in tickets with zero or one successful selection.

Experienced readers may be skeptical of the results claimed in the book. Other reviewers cite long losing streaks associated with low probability wagers. My own analysis suggests that to win 3% of Pick 6 wagers, it is necessary to capture 56% of the probability for each of the six legs. Kolb instructs the reader to minimize the number of favorites, a key finding; however, readers may struggle to identify which of the six races to single and lose confidence as they single incorrect horses. Successfully singling two horses brings the probability for each of the other four legs down to a more reasonable 42%. Future books from Kolb should elaborate on how to identify the singles.

Nearly 20 years ago I enthusiastically read Dick Mitchell's books espousing the value of the Pick 3. I find Kolb's analytical style and content to be equally insightful to some of the greatest handicapping books of all-time. He has inspired me to undertake some independent research to see if I can replicate his success and follow the path to the super paydays associated with this poorly understood wager. Recommended.

In 2007 I retired from a government job and spent more fun time at the track. From years of experience I only played exactas and daily doubles. I did ok, but I very rarely won anything big. Before my husband passed away, we would occasionally play the pick 6 on big carryover days, but we never won. He taught me to be a conservative player.

Last July I read this book. It's the easiest book to read on racing that I've ever read. However it changed my thinking. I started playing the pick 6 on the type of days Mr. Kolb suggests. The fifth pick 6 I played was a $24 ticket at Del Mar and I won $12,000. That was in August.

A week before Christmas I won $17,000 at Hollywood Park.

It took twenty two years, but I was finally a big winner.

I bought a copy today as a gift for a friend in Atlanta. It is a book that any horseplayer will enjoy. Mr. Kolb mixes in his lessons with stories and humor. Well worth the $20.

If you are a conservative player like I was, this book should help you think a little differently. For me that's all it took.

Impressive and detailed yet laced with plenty of anecdotes to make his points. His style is fun, informative and full of action. Every horseplayer will find something here that they didn't already know. I've worked with thoroughbreds since 1987. There was plenty of information about the pick 6 that I had simply forgotten or wasn't aware of, and just as important, lots of reminders of how to put a winning ticket together. There is a method and he nails it.

The book came recommended from a semi-retired horseman at Churchill Downs. From his email "you will enjoy this book more than any handicapping book you've probably ever read." He was right. However, I should note that the book focuses almost entirely on making the reader a winning pick 6 player. It's the strategy, and the how to become a winner, that sets this book apart. Also, Kolb tries hard to show the reader a path to being financially free, or at the very least earn $100,000 every year. The key to it all - he proves it step by step.

When I heard about the book I thought it would be about winning $1M pick 6 pools. That's addressed, but mostly its focus is having the reader earn multiple $15K to $60K paychecks each year. He proves that can be done over and over. Therefore the book does fall into the category of having a system. Basic handicapping is covered, but it is clear that the focus is on his strategy and if you follow it you can win lots of money. If you don't, you (or me) probably won't.

Other reviewers mentioned not wanting to put the book down once they started reading it. Same here, a little over half-way into the book I couldn't stop. As I said, it's fun, informative, loaded with action, plus it's far better than expected.

Very well written, eye opening book about a bet that can make you rich. Best of the best. I encourage new and experienced racing fans to add this book to their collection.

DTC

Just finished reading the Kindle version of this book. It worked great and was easy to read. This is an excellent book for pick 6 lovers. I learned a lot and will recommend it to anyone who plays the pick 6. I just wish the author had included more information; perhaps a chapter or more, on other bets. Like the pick 3, superfecta and other exotic wagers. I hope he writes another book covering these type of bets. But for the true pick 6 player who wants clues and ideas on making lots of money playing the pick 6, this book is the one to read.

Kolb draws a "line in the sand" and says big winners on this side, all others on the other side. The winners side is players who are repeat pick 6 winners, or those who will do what it takes to become a repeat pick 6 winner.
If you bet on the pick 6 then check out this book. You might win big.
I didn't skip around much, like I do with other gambling books. Read it front to finish with no problems and at the end I felt I am a much better player. I'd love to quit my day job and win the pick 6 seven or eight times a year (I'd also love to win the lottery).
Recommend this for beginners who will learn a lot. Intermediate players will learn and will likely change their approach to the pick 6 bet. Experienced players should really enjoy reading the book and might pick up a few tips.
Actually any player having problems winning at the racetrack will quickly improve their chances.
The best chapter is Frittering. It made me think hard about my betting habits.