Never kept track of any handicappers, but to tell you the truth,
half the time, I preferred not to handicap; I found that inserting
a set of fixed numbers with common boxes such as 1-2-4, 1-2-3,
1-2-5, was the better option. I think I proved to myself that
it was a numbers game that couldn't be handicapped successfully
in the long run. I lost money betting, overall, even though I
hit the tri-super, fantasy jai-alai twice, countless other signers,
etc., etc. And 99.5% of my bets were handicapped - it's not as
fun to play system numbers. But regardless of playing numbers
vs. picking who you like, the 25%-28% parimutuel takeout pretty
much kills all prospects of winning in the long run. It's a hobby
that costs money - not a side job.
And in all honesty, I'd avoid the handcappers picks like the plague,
unless you undoubtedly agree with them, because there's a hand
full of people in each betting facility that pound those numbers
at the bottom of the book and massacre the price.
And to answer your question, the 3 handicappers would extract
their picks by hand every performance for the program that was
being created that evening, even if they wanted their fixed set
of numbers. Nobody else used a fixed set ever, except me. And
the others were aggrevated by my religious picks. That 1-2-4 box
was their worst nightmare.
