The tournament scene has really expanded in recent years. With all the online and on-site tournaments available, there are plenty of ways to get involved, and there is serious money on the line if you are good enough, and lucky enough, to qualify for one of the big ones. Luck matters here too. Even excellent handicapping skill needs some good fortune along the way to win.
By far the largest and most sought after event is the National Handicapping Challenge (NHC), held in Las Vegas each January. This is the big one, and for good reason. You have to qualify your way in; you cannot simply purchase an entry. There are hundreds of qualifiers and “feeders,” which are qualifiers for the qualifiers. The NHC winner takes home a seven figure prize and an Eclipse Award as the nation’s top handicapper. Several websites let you qualify online for a prize package that includes entry and travel expenses. Check out nhcqualify.com for more information on qualifying directly into the NHC.
Tournament strategy, whether online or on-site, depends on the rules and the type of contest. The most common format is the bullet contest, where every player wagers the same amount on each contest race, usually two dollars to win and two dollars to place. The races are chosen for you, and you pick one horse in each. The total you accumulate during the contest becomes your score.
A good rule of thumb is that you will need about two and a half times your starting bankroll (four dollars per race) to win one of these events. So if there are eight races in the contest, you would want roughly an eighty dollar final score on average to win. Strategy shifts near the end depending on where you stand. If you are leading or near the lead, play more conservative. If you are behind, get more aggressive and look for horses that pay big prices. Many players stick with their original picks until about three quarters of the way through, then reassess where they stand and what they need to do. This comes with experience, and you can only learn by trying.
Another common format is the lockdown, sometimes called pick and pray. You make your selections before the first event in the contest and cannot change them afterward, though you may get an alternate selection in case of a scratch, or the post time favorite in some formats. You are stuck with your original picks, hence the name. Good, old fashioned handicapping skill serves you well here.
When you first try your hand at handicapping tournaments, put having fun at the top of your priorities. Your first few contests will be learning experiences, guaranteed. Enjoy them and pay attention to how things play out. That experience builds confidence as you go.
A few sites worth checking out if you want to get involved or just learn more:
- DerbyWars.com: Several contests run every day with plenty of variety, from head to head matchups to events with hundreds of players. Cash prizes and qualifiers available.
- HorseTourneys.com: Qualify here for the big ones, including the NHC, the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, the Wynn, and the Horseplayer World Series.
- HorseplayerQualify.com: Another site where you can qualify for one of the major tournaments.
- BCQualify.com: Qualify here for the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, an annual two day event held at the Breeders’ Cup.
For more on tournament strategy, follow Peter Fornatale, contest player and author of “The Winning Contest Player.”