The Art of Greyhound Handicapping

Greyhound Handicapping is a fancy phrase for picking the right dog for the right race. Knowing how to handicap is the difference between taking home five dollars and five thousand dollars. So, how do you tell which dogs to pick and which races to avoid?

Take some time and watch the dogs. Look for things like where the dog prefers to run from, start position, and where the dog likes to veer to. Notice how and where he stays in the pack. Make notes on that day's dogs. Pay very close attention to the overview of the dogs for each race. This will let you see the dogs as a group. Watch for the little things, does any dog have a limp or bad disposition at the gate? It won't take long to discover if one or two dogs stand out, or if one or two dogs are so inferior that they should not be in that race.

Pay attention to how others are betting as well. If they continually pick a winner, then follow their lead. Just be careful that you do not offend anyone or do anything that may be considered cheating.

If you have time, go and talk to the dog owners and handlers. Ask them about the dog's blood lines, racing history. Write all the information down that you can so that you may look at it in a hurry if need be. Make yourself familiar with different training techniques, rules, and guidelines. Find out how old the dog is, if they have ever placed in a major championship before. Remember it's your money you're betting.

Every now and then you will find a race that is just too hard to handicap. Nothing stands out. The dogs are fairly even in previous wins, age, agility etc. When this happens, you have two choices, you can either bet following your gut instinct, or you can choose to sit out that race. It is often that the most money can be won on these types of races.

Another type of betting is done on long shots. While anyone win this type of betting pays more, the chances are greater that you will lose your cash. A long shot is a race in which a dog is noted for not being a winner and you are betting against the odds they will win. This just like handicapping is an art.

Most tracks run at least 10 races a day. There is no way to win a profit from each and every race, but by taking notes, watching the dogs on a regular basis, and sticking to the

Don't be afraid to shop around for a comfortable track either. You may find that you have better luck at a different track. Just be sure that you keep notes for each track that you use. Each track generally uses different dogs.