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PRO-POWER (Part 3)

By Alan Jacobs

Last issue I told you about the secret of Pro-Power betting. It's proportional target betting which means that you need never have to lose again.

Since the first two articles in this series were published in PPM, I've been beseiged with letters from readers, either thanking me or berating me. There are still many punters who refuse to believe in target betting of any description! But, as I pointed out in last month's article, we are all loss-chasing, no matter which manner of staking we choose.

Target betting merely means that you recognise there are losses to be recouped, and you set out to recoup those losses as well as make yourself a profit at the same time. What's wrong with such an approach? According to the critics, you shouldn't chase losses because your stake can climb to high amounts. I stress that this won't happen if your selection criteria are sound and you do not attempt to bet on each and every race.

Let's get around now to the second angle on Pro-Power betting. So far I have talked about betting on one horse per race. In betting one horse, though, how often are you forced to make a choice between, say, a 6/4 chance and a 3/1 shot? You bet one of them and the other one wins! Some people call this racing luck, but it's actually racing ignorance.

Now, in some races it's quite easy to narrow your picks down to two horses, but if you are going to bet only one of them you are forced to choose between the two. The risk is apparent. But why take the risk? If the odds are right, proportionate betting allows you to back both.

If we take 6/4 and 3/1 as an example, we can see that 6/4 equals 40 per cent of the bookies' market and 3/1 equals 25 per cent. Add the two together and it makes 65 per cent. Now, if we assume you are betting to win a Profit Target of $10 and you are already losing $10 then under the Pro-Power approach you are seeking $20.

It is easy to arrange your bets to suit. A bet of $23 on the 6/4 chance and $14 on the 3/1 chance. A total stake of $37. If the 6/4 chance wins your total return is $57.50. If the 3/1 chance wins your total return is $56. You have backed two horses and a win by either gives you a handsome profit of between $19 and $20.50.

As long as the odds are okay (that is, not too short) you can cruise ahead and make good profits using this Pro-Power two horses per race approach. But, as I have pointed out before, the real strength of the method lies in overlay betting.

Let's say you had priced two horses in a race at 6/4 and 3/1. Okay, you are looking for overlays, so you won't back these horses unless you can obtain better odds than those you have calculated. As it turns out, your 6/4 chance is on offer at 3/1 and your 3/1 chance is being offered at 6/1. The overlays are on!

You back both horses as if they were 6/4 and 3/1 chances-that is, exactly as I outlined before, $23 on the 6/4 shot and $14 on the 3/1 chance, an outlay of $37. But now if one of them wins you are latching on to much bigger returns.

Your 6/4 chance wins at 3/1. Therefore you have $23 on it at 3/1, giving yourself a total return of $92. Now, your profit has zoomed to $55 on the two-horse bet! If the 6/4 chance lost and the 3/1 horse won you would have your $14 bet on at 6/1. Thus, your total return would be $98, giving you a profit on the Pro-Power bet of $61.

We have, then, advanced the Pro-Power proportional betting technique a stage further. Let me go over everything from the beginning.

You seek to regain Expenses (transport, formguides, track admission, programme, food, etc.), you always seek to regain any Losses on previous bets, and you always seek to win a predetermined amount on each bet (this can be any sum from $1 to $5 to $10, etc.).

Each bet is made with the combined E+L-P in mind. You frame the bet proportionally to recover Expenses and Losses and to achieve your desired Profit Target. Simple, isn't it?

How do you arrive at your bet? It's easy, too. Let's say you are seeking Expenses of $20, Losses of $30 and a Profit Target of $10; that adds up to $60 in all. You are to bet two horses at 2/1 and 8/1. To get back Expenses and Losses (50) you will need a bet of $25 at 2/1. A further $5 bet is needed to gain your Profit Target. This is $30. But you also have to make allowance for the second bet, which at 8/1 will call for a $7 bet (rounded off) to recoup Expenses and Losses and a further $2 bet (rounded off) to achieve the Profit Target. Another $4 bet is needed to cover the bet on the 2/1 chance. Altogether you will have a $37 bet on the 2/1 chance and a $13 bet on the 8/1 chance.

A win at 2/1 will give you a total return of $111, while a win by the 8/1 chance will return you $112. The situation now is quite clear:

Previous Expenses, Losses: $50.
Profit Target: $10.
Stake on Current Race: $50.
Return on any winner: $111 or $112.

You have achieved all your aims. The Losses are back in your pocket, the Profit Target of $10 is in your pocket. Your total stake to date has actually been only $80 Your return has been $112. The profits have covered all your expenses ($20) and your Profit Target ($10).

Next month, in the fourth part of this series, I'll be revealing how you car use Pro-Power betting on the Daily and Extra Doubles. I'm sure you'll find it stimulating and fascinating.

Click here to read Part 4.
Click here to read Part 1.
Click here to read Part 2.