The almighty PICK SIX proved difficult to catch with couplings, but now it has become virtually impossible to achieve for the ordinary punter, the man in the street (especially PE racing or the “wrong one” in the stable winning).
Yes the argument could be that one, under the new rules, would play a 10% Pick Six instead of 50% previously under the old rules(couplings apply) and that under the new rules, the dividend would be 5 times higher. So what is the big deal? You still surely win the same amount of money.
Punters generally overplay their hand when it comes to bets such as the Pick Six. We now have a scenario where it is similar in trying to win the Soccer 10 and not the Soccer 6 anymore. Also, it was mentioned that a survey was done before the no couplings rule was introduced. Which survey is this? Never heard or seen anything. Was it done at Tote agencies, websites?
I believe the punter has a right to know all the info obtained by the relevant authorities to warrant such a decision. All this ROCKET nonsense when advertising the new rules is supercilious and horseracing caters more and more for the big punter( R20000 wagers or more on a bet). I would guesstimate that the so called ordinary punter still contributes most to the pools.
If the pools have increased, there is reason to say it is welcomed by most, but it creates false hope to the smaller punter, in the diminished chance, but increased hope of winning big. This is similar to what casinos offer, lights flashing and bells ringing and with horseracing a ROCKET jetting one off to riches with you, yes you, on board.
The reality is risk has increased and with that most punters losing their money on the new Pick Six. The “wrong one” in the stable arriving (i.e Dying Thunder – R33.20 a win and R5.90 a place, not Countess Bacardi – one of the favourites- Vaal on 10 October) is a major obstacle in winning without couplings.
Pity to those that survived the Pick Six up the 5th leg at the Vaal and bombed out at the 2nd last hurdle. My guess is that their first thought was – if only couplings still applied. But there is always hope for next time. That is how any punter thinks.
This punter will stay with the PA and stay away from the Pick Six. At least I would stand a chance of winning something. Also the Soccer and Rugby bets, which is always entertaining and a fair chance of winning. On a positive note though, the PA BLITZ is a fantastic bet. A case of proaction. It is a new bet, not an established bet changed for the worse.
Regards
A punter who is backing the SA rugby team at the next World Cup.
.
Vee Moodley Responds
Innovation. Phumelela’s Vee Moodley keeping pace
‘Fifty percent of the people know my job better than I do, and the balance know even better than them’. Those were the closing comments by an upbeat Phumelela Executive Director of Sports Betting, Vee Moodley, after a telephone interview on Monday afternoon. Our experience has shown that in a field that lacks depth beyond the top three or four, Moodley is without question one of the most approachable racing administrators in this country.
The frustration and puzzlement that he has encountered in the wake of the couplings amendment to the Pick 6, which became effective on 9 September 2013, are tangible. But he remains positive,somehow! And Moodley does not lack customer focus either. He is probably the only industry leader who makes himself available to ordinary tote punters at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon. Certainly in our experience.
In a nutshell,we approached him to comment on the market’s reaction, in measurable terms, since couplings were dropped from the exotic bet’s qualifying numbers on 9 September. On 28 September, just three weeks after the change, the Emerald Cup day Pick 6 pool outstripped that of the Vodacom Durban July
Frankly, we can empathise with Moodley’s frustration, as the figures tell a story of a winner. And surely he is remunerated by Phumelela to ensure that innovation keeps the tills ringing and steer betting turnover graphs in the right direction? “Racing is a numbers game and I will let the numbers do the talking. The fact that the turnovers have increased by an average of 30% since inception of the new rule, is surely proof enough that the majority of punters are in favour,” he suggested.
When it came to the question of consultation of the customer, Moodley said that there were 400 tote outlets, of which 280 were managed by his team. “We went out and canvassed customers in well over 200 of those branches. We understand that we cannot please all of the people all of the time, but I will dispute the argument that we are favouring bigger players. People who say that are forgetting that fractional betting is a major leveller of the playing fields. The punter is left to choose his strategy, risk and approach within his personal budget. More horses, smaller percentage, more chance? Less horses, bigger percentage, less chance, or as much chance?
“We are always happy to get input from the customer, and to remain competitive we have to keep thinking out of the box. The sky is the limit with the Pick 6 and we are selling a lifechanging dream that is within every punter’s reach,” he said.
.
The Statistics:
9 September 2013 – 8 October 2013
- Pick 6 Average pool – R1,656,736 against R1,139,972 for the same period in 2012
- Highest pool – R5,700,826 against R1,923,597 for the same period in 2012
- Average payout – R288,141 against R61,763 for the same period in 2012
- Highest payout – R1,137,124 against R307,415 for the same period in 2012
