Wire 'Em and Win: Handicapping [Paperback]

Denny L. Border (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995 | ISBN-10: 0964266911 | ISBN-13: 978-0964266919 | Edition: Revised

New copies of this timeless classic on handicapping Thoroughbreds, and wagering on horse races for profit.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Revised Handicapping Edition not only contains the wagering strategies of the original book, but also a concise overview of the key elements of handicapping.

From the Author

This may be the final opportunity to aquire a new copy of "Wire 'Em and Win", and for the first time, at a reduced price. The book will go out of print this year, and will not be reprinted.

The book has received some criticism in recent years, as not being the most complete, or current of publications, and admittedly it was published a good ten years ago. Wire 'Em and Win was written to give the casual, or weekend horse player a real fighting chance at the track.

One could devote literally thousands of hours developing any one of the skills necessary to become a so-called professional player. One could amass volumes of lterature and reams of computer printouts in the study of pace, equine body language, par time ratings or even bloodlines. But few people have the time, these days, for such an obsessive interest in the sport. Many have tried to become so-called professional players, and believe me to actually make a living at race betting you would work much harder and longer than you do now at your current job. The intent of the book is to give the reader a solid overview of the sport, and encouragement to learn even more. When I tell you that to be successful, you must 'understand every horse in the race', it goes without saying that winning is not easy. I currently use the winning methods outlined in the book, and still find them a viable approach to the game.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Wrenhouse Pr; Revised edition (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964266911
• ISBN-13: 978-0964266919
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,351,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Simplistic, December 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Wire 'Em and Win: Handicapping (Paperback)

Glib and useless. The book is basically a 75 page money management guide, (and not a good one), with 25 pages of handicapping advice tacked on at the end.

The handicapping section can only be harmful to the beginner. The task of handicapping a horse race can hardly be addressed in 25 pages. The advice is so oversimplified as to be completely useless, if not harmful.

For example, Border's "par times," which he offers as an alternative to Beyer speed, are laughable. I cannot begin to address the topic in 1000 words. Readers should read Beyer's Picking Winners, The Winning Horseplayer, and Beyer on Speed in order to understand the evolution of the Beyer speed figures. I think any reader who understands Beyer speed will agree that on this one part of the handicapping puzzle, Beyer still reigns supreme.

Border's tips re recency are also pitifully inadequate. Readers interested in current form analysis should read Scott's How Will Your Horse Run Today?

Border barely addresses other handicapping factors such as pace, trips, class, consistency, and body language. He sloughs off trainer/jockey patterns and interactions as irrelevant; I think anyone who comes out ahead consistently at the track will agree they are a vital part of the puzzle.

Most of the book is a money management guide, and here again, although the basic pattern Border recommends for exotic wagers is not bad, he ignores the most critical part of money management: betting on value only. Border recommends betting more money on horses in proportion to how much you like them, with no consideration for value. Any winning horseplayer knows a black bottom line results from betting horses who are going off at odds higher than they deserve. Consistently betting horses who should be 3-1 and are going off at 2-1 will be a long term losing proposition. Consistently betting horses at 4-1 who should be 3-1 will be a long term winning proposition. And of course yes, this means you cannot place a sensible bet without having some gestalt as to what the horse's odds should be, i.e. you need to make a line. For exotics, you need to be able to calculate what a fair price would be for any given combination you are interested in, or have at hand fair value tables (e.g. fair value for the exacta with a 2-1 shot on top of a 5-1 shot is whatever), and refer to the probably payoffs before making your bet. For bets where the probable payoff is not available, recognize that you are buying a lotto ticket. If you are interested in place and show betting, study Ziemba and Hausch, and be willing to bring a pocket calculator to the track and do the math a few minutes before post. Betting without value shopping is an exercise in giving away money. Readers are referred to Mark Cramer's The Odds on Your Side and to Barry Meadow's Money Secrets at the Racetrack.

Border also recommends a method of progressive betting which has been consistently outperformed by both flat rate betting and Kelley criterion betting in long term trials.

There are no shortcuts in this game. Making money at the track is hard work, and anyone serious about it should realize this and not give up their day job after reading Border's book. It takes years to learn this game. It's as tough as chess. 95% of horseplayers lose money over the long run. Being in the 5% who come out ahead is not only hard work, it takes a considerable period of study and some experience to get there. To think that one might become a successful horseplayer after reading Border's book seems to me like thinking one could make a living practicing medicine after reading a brief money management guide and 25 pages on the recognition and treatment of disease. The lawsuits would kill you off before you ever got the chance to lose your money with poor money management...Let's get real.

Of course, there is always the option of playing as a recreational handicapper, solely for the fun and beauty in the game. But let's not bet the rent money.

I would not have reviewed the book this harshly if Border had not given the impression that his book is enough to make the beginner into a winning horseplayer.

Other recommended reading:
The Body Language of Horses, Ainslie and Ledbetter
Modern Pace Handicapping, Brohamer
Betting Thoroughbreds, Davidowitz
Horses Talk: It pays to Listen, Parker
Winning at the Races, Quirin
Thoroughbred Handicapping, Quirin

And these are only the bare essentials, in additon to the books mentioned in the text.

pjd

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick Read - Practical Advice, December 4, 2001

By 

"bfon" (Charlton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wire 'Em and Win: Handicapping (Paperback)

Mr Border presents some very practical information on the mechanics of managing your wagering dollars. He covers everything from straight betting to the exotics, in easy to follow fashion. Very good discussion on how to pick contenders, and how to make high probability bets without having to create your own speed ratings or track variants, etc. Most profitable book I've read all year.