You need a bankroll to start with. Money management is where its at. you have to play within your means. I wouldn't limit myself to a certain % of bankroll on wagers as different races or sequences need to be invested in different ways and you don't want to wager your entire bankroll on any race or sequence. Ticket construction is crucial. Being a good gambler beats being a great capper. a great capper can lose and never make money playing the horses where a not so good capper but good gambler can make a profit.
As most replies insist, these are not 'Simple' steps that anyone can do and that is why it is such a great challenge and why I love it. If you are a master of all three....cheers to you!
It is simple - Gary Player said it and I have it on my laptop screen crawl - so everyday before I have a gamble - I read it and say : -
"The harder you work, the luckier you get."
In betting that means - the more you do your research - the more you understand the game - which means the more you will find the right horse in the right grade at the right time.
This sounds big headed - but when I have a bet - I have the confidence to look back over my betting and analyse where I lose money and on which races and type of horses - if you can minimise your losing bets - the winning ones should still be there and your bottom line should increase.
So, on my betting record - I have the following filters: -
Track,
Class of race
Surface Turf, dirt, poly
Track surface - fast, wet fast,sloppy, etc
days since last run for horse
jockey/trainer combo
etc
So, if I see that I win more on starter allowances and lose a lot on maiden claimers - if you cut down the maiden claimers bets - your bottom line should increase.
If I see that I win more dirt than turf or I lose more bets on horses running after a 3 months + lay-off - stop gambling on those races and the bottom line should increase.
It's your money - so if you can control yourself from giving it away - it should give you a better chance of making an ROI.
Hope this does not sound big headed - it's just the way I analyse my betting and review it after time - to see where I am losing the most money.
What's the old cliche - learn from your mistakes !