Do you feel like you have to play every race on a program? If you don't play a race because you can't find anything in it you like, do you feel like you've missed a chance to make money? As the races go on, do you feel like you're under pressure to find a pick in every race to make up what you've lost?
If this sounds like you, it's time to step back and take a look at your betting pattern. It's hard to handicap when you feel like you're under the gun. It's much better to be selective - to choose only the races that you really think you can sift through and find a contender who has a really good chance to win.
If you're just desperately looking for anything that looks like it has the slightest chance of hitting the board, you're not handicapping. You're hoping and wishing and depending on luck to save you. This is no way to make money at the dog track.
If you can't keep from playing a race, you have a problem. Maybe it's time to take a break from the track for awhile. Maybe it's time to use a system and only bet what it picks. That way, you'll automatically know which races you should play and which ones you should pass.
If you can't rein yourself in, sometimes it makes sense to let something else regulate you. This is one reason I use handicapping systems. If my system doesn't pick a dog in a race, I don't play that race. This makes it a lot easier to sit out races. There's a lot less pressure on you when you have a plan.
