E/W Bettting some simple facts.

[cavello]

I note that bets below 7/1 are discouraged. Why? E/W bets in the range 5/2 to 6/1 are often the best vakue you can get when the shape of the markets is suitable. The objective of serious betting is to make a long term profit regardless of if a particular bet shows a loss on an individual race. Yesterday Straw Bears was 7/2 and was serious E/W value and in the long term such bets WILL MAKE MONEY. Even in the range 6/4 to 5/2 there can be E/W value. Betting E/W in handicaps of 8-15 runners is generally wasting a bet on the place component with bookmakers. In these circumstances place your bets on the exchanges where much greater value is available. 16-20 runner handicaps with 1/4 odds actually give the punter an advantage and should be exploited by those who like to study these races. Proof. 16 runner race-- assume no overround. All runners have equal chance and are priced 15/1. Therefore place odds from bookmaker @1/4 = 15/4 or 4.75 True odds of placing 12(No of unplaced postions)/4(place positions)=12/4 or 4.00. Therefore advantage to punter of 18.75%:ok