Still Going

A couple of weeks ago I passed the five year mark of blogging here; and, to be quite honest, I'm more than a bit surprised that I have stuck with this project this long; but I've really enjoyed doing this, and, Good Lord willing, I'll continue to enjoy it for quite some time to come.  Anyway, this being an anniversary of sorts, I thought now would be a good time to repeat and expand upon some of things that I mentioned in my initial post and in other posts.

First, this is not a gambling site.  You can't place bets here.  I'm not booking your wagers, and you're not booking mine.  Finding websites and physical locations where you can place legal wagers is as easy as a Google search; provided, of course, that you are of legal age and live in a locale where such activity is legal.  And I believe that I have just set a personal record for using the word legal in a single paragraph.

The majority of posts that I publish on this blog concern multi-race wagers that I will be placing (but not with you; again, you are not booking my bets).  It's a wonderful thing if and when the information that I place on this blog helps you to make a profitable wager or (even better) wagers.  But whether you wager and win or wager and lose, and regardless of the amount on either side of the ledger, I am not a party to those transactions.  Your wagers are between you and whatever legal entity you are placing your wagers; which, again, is not here.  Again: You can't place bets here.

By the way, always keep in mind that the one thing you can control when playing the horses is how much you lose.  You can never be guaranteed that your picks will win; and you can never tell how much those winners will pay until the results are Official; but you have full control over the amount that you wager, and therefore the maximum amount that you can lose.

I have found handicapping horse races to be a fun and challenging endeavor; a pastime which I hope The Good Lord will allow me to enjoy right up until the time that He calls me home.  But playing the ponies is an activity that must be done responsibly.  If you are concerned about your own gambling and think that you might have a problem; or if you are worried about someone you care about (or even someone that you don't really care all that much about) and think that they may have a problem, then I strongly, strongly urge you to seek professional help and guidance.  Among the places where help is available are the following:

National Council on Problem Gambling
Gamblers Anonymous
GamCare
Lifeline

Finally, always remember that the whole point of this exercise is to have fun.  We all want to win; and winning is a wonderful thing.  But if additional funds in your bank account is the only thing that you are seeking, then I would suggest that you just get another job.  Playing the ponies is not the pathway to guaranteed profits; but watching horses run around in circles can be a fun and wonderful pastime that sometimes allows you to finish the day with more than what you started.

Onto the next race!

Peace and Love,

Jimbo