What Odds do you look for in a bet?

I have often wondered what is going through the other guys head at the race track. I thought it would be interesting to set up a poll to see what odds a horse bettor looks for when he is about to bet at the track. Compared to other polls I have conducted this one turned out to be quite popular as well as informative. Actually at this point in time (half way, I set it up for two months) there has been 29 horse players who have voted with 28 days remaining for the poll to be active.

The results so far show that 55% of you look for a horse with 4/1 but less than 10/1 odds. Now what does this tell me. I'd say that more than half of you are looking for some value with your bet. After all at 4/1 odds a $20 win bet will return $100 at the low end. At the high end at 10/1 a $20 win bet will pay $220. Now that's value if you are right and the horse wins.

Now some of you are looking for the long shot to come in. 13% of you say that you look for a horse with 10/1 odds or more to bet on. They do come in. Look at the Kentucky Derby this year when Mine That Bird went off at greater than 50/1 and took home the prize, $1000+ on a $20 win bet. I'll just bet that there were more than a few folks down in El Paso, Texas who collected on this bet too. In the Belmont Stakes there was another Bird, Summer Bird that went off better than 10/1 too - and won. Now you see that with some courage and conviction that these folks can be handsomely rewarded!

Add together 55% and 13% and this amounts to 68% of you out there are looking for "value" or "super value" with your bets. Hey, I'm with you. Go for it!

Now about 30% of the time the favorite wins. I'd say most of you have the right idea. Favorites don't give back much bang for the bet. However, from the poll it looks like 32% of you like those favorites.