I received a dozen letters from PPM readers in the last month or two, and all bar two of them related to staking. This didn’t really surprise me.

I know from all my dealings and friendships with punters that the one thing they find the most difficult is actually betting their selections. It’s not a new topic for PPM, either.

I guess we’ve been battering our readers with articles on staking since the first magazine rolled off the presses back in April 1985. I hadn’t joined the writing staff then but having flipped through back copies I know for a fact that staking has always been high on the agenda.

Of course, it HAS to be. The mere act of investing our money is not something any of us can take lightly. We all of us have our theories, our fears, our limits when it comes to this factor.

This applies not only to older punters but to newbies to the game as well, and many of the letters we receive are from younger punters just setting out on the betting adventure which is likely to last them a lifetime. So, naturally, they want to get it right.

I could tell them to bet level stakes and forget everything else. It will work as well as most theories, but it doesn’t provide too many thrills and you end up putting as much money on a 10/1 chance as you do a 2/1 chance, which is silly, really.

But let’s not delve into that issue in this article. What I’m proposing are a handful of “target and progression” plans aimed at the smaller-bet punters who want some fun and excitement. You won’t get into deep financial trouble with these plans and if your selections are only average you will probably manage to break square over a period of time.

The plan I am putting forward is one where you wish to make a profit of two or more units with a winner at 2/1 or 4/1 or 10/1.

It provides for a steady return on sensible selections.

  • At 2/1, you can have 8 bets: 1-2-3-4-6-9-10-20.
  • At 4/1, you can have 12 bets: 1-1-1-2-2-3-3-4-5-6-8-11.
  • At 10/1, you can have 25 bets: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-2-3-3-3-3-4-4-5-5-6-7-7.

Of course, this is not really restrictive because you could find that, using the pre-post betting market, your selection could end up paying a much better return than you expected (or the opposite!).

Let’s say you are backing expected 2/1 chances, and you hit a losing streak of seven. That means you have invested 35 units. Your next bet is 20 units. You get a winner at 2/1. The return on the bet is 60 units, with the profit being 40 units. Take away the 35 you have already lost and you are left with a profit of five units.

Let’s say you are backing 4/1 chances and you go six losing bets. Under the progression, you have outlaid 10 units. Your next bet is three units. The horse wins at 4/1. The return is 15 units, with the actual profit being 12 units. Take away the 10 units you’ve already lost and you are left with a two units profit.

So that’s how this progression works. It’s neat and it does deliver once you have provided the right winner.

Many readers ask me about each way betting. It’s one of the most difficult areas as far as staking is concerned. Do you bet each way or put two units to win on a horse? Or do you back two horses for the win in the one race?

My preference is NOT to back each way. To me it is too defensive and shows a lack of confidence in the selection. If you’re worried it won’t win, don’t back it, or else back it and another one, not avoid each way.

For those of you who do like the each way, and I know there are many out there in PPM-land, the following is worth serious consideration.

Any size bank can be used. The idea is to identify a pattern of 12 selections. That is, 12 bets in a sequence.

  • Bet one unit to win and five units to place on the first three selections. This costs 18 units.
  • At this point in proceedings, calculate the returns.
  • If the win is showing a profit, set the next three bets at two units to win.
  • If the place is making a profit, set the next three bets at 10 units place.
  • If the win is losing, set the next three bets at three units win.
  • If the place is losing, set the next three bets at 20 units place.

Once you have seen out the second set of three bets, you calculate the returns again.

  • If the win is showing a profit, set the next three bets at four units win.
  • If the place is making a profit, set the next three bets at 15 units place.
  • If the win is losing, set the next three bets at six units.
  • If the place is losing, set the next three bets at 30 units place.

After this third set of three bets, it is time to calculate the returns again.

  • If the win is showing a profit, set the next three bets at two units win.
  • If the place is showing a profit, set the next three bets at ten units place.
  • If the win is losing, stay at six units.
  • If the place is losing, set the next three bets at 50 units place.

I think this is a really interesting plan and I thank my colleague The Optimist for his invaluable input.

He has also encouraged me to look at a plan he compiled some years ago. It’s one aimed at making a four unit profit when you hit a winner in your sequence.

Let’s assume that you are going to be as sensible as you can and that you are basically putting your money on 2/1 shots. How do you ensure a profit during an afternoon’s betting with a 2/1 winner?

The suggested sequence of bets is as follows: 2-3-5-7-10-16-24. This covers you for seven races (they can be spaced days apart if you like).

Remember, that you are going to be dealing with likely favourites or at the least very well-fancied runners. You SHOULD hit a winner during the sequence.

If you don’t you have blown 67 units. But let’s look on the bright side and say that you DO find a winner, even if it is with your seventh and final bet.

By this time, you have invested a total of 43 units on six losers. Your next bet is 24 units. The horse wins. It pays 2/1. The return is 72 units, with the profit being 48 units. You  have already lost 43 units, so you are five units ahead.

At level stakes, with 10 units on each (total bet 70 units) you would have got back only 30 units (from having 10 units on the winner at 2/1). There are variations to this idea and I might take you through them in a later article.

It’s always worth examining these ideas. Perhaps you can consider them for short-term bursts?

Check out Place Betting
Place betting has been the subject of dozens of articles in PPM over the years. And still we continue to receive feedback from readers who want more plans and/or ideas!

Try this one; it’s a simple approach that can work very well with some sensible selections (you can use any set of selections you like but obviously horses at 4/1 and under are recommended).

  • Bet 10 units place all-up on the three selections (A-B-C).
  • Bet 10 units a place single selection A.
  • If this first runner (A) is unplaced then
  • Bet 20 units place all-up on B and C.
  • If the second runner (B) is unplaced then
  • Bet 40 units a place single selection C.
  • If the first runner (A) runs a place and the second selection (B) is unplaced, then
  • Bet 30 units a place on C.

By Denton Jardine

PRACTICAL PUNTING - JULY 2005