Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Why is The
Meadowlands the industry’s handle leader?
There are many factors that make the mile
oval the most prolific in terms of average wagering per card in the game, with
large field size and small takeouts on popular bets being the most influential.
But it is not only big bettors that
fuel the bustling betting, but small players also have a sizeable say in making
the Big M what it is, as they are able to get a lot of action for not a lot of
money if they team up with other players to take on the track’s most popular
puzzles.
Low takeouts are great for the bettor
but sometimes overlooked are the Big M’s six bets that sport low 10-, 20- and
50-cent minimums. They make wagering on the races a viable entertainment option
for new racing fans. The low minimums have made playing the races affordable to
those players, and that has helped The Meadowlands average $3.6 million on
Saturday nights during the winter.
For those with a smaller bankroll but
want to get in on the action at The Big M and get plenty of chances to make a
score, here is one possible roadmap:
Four people who play as a partnership
come out to the races or play from home on their favorite ADW platform. The
total bankroll is $100, so all each player has to contribute is $25. Look at
this low-minimum, low-takeout strategy, in which $100 buys 657 wagers:
RACE 1 – the 20-cent Pick-5: The low minimum means the partnership
can play a decent-sized ticket (in this case, $30) yet still have plenty of
money left if they do not hit. If they are sharp enough to cash, they can play
the remainder of the card without digging into the original $100 and keep the
leftover money for the next night.
1st ticket: 1,2/1,2/1,2/1,2/1,2,3,4,5 = $16 (80
combinations)
2nd ticket: 1/1/1,2/1,2/ALL = $8 (40
combinations)
3rd ticket: 1/1/1,2/1,2,3/1,2,3,4,5 = $6 (30
combinations)
Total: 150 combinations for $30, 15 per cent
takeout = $4.50
RACES 2,3,4,5,7,8,9,11,12 – the
10-cent Superfecta: On
a typical 13-race program, The Big M offers nine Superfectas. We will spend
$2.40 per race using two strategies.
1st ticket: Box 1,2,3,4 = $1.20 (12 combinations)
2nd ticket: Key 1 with 2,3,4,5 = $1.20 (12
combinations)
Total: 24 combinations at $2.40 apiece for 9
races = $21.60 (216 combinations), 20 per cent takeout = $4.32
RACES 6 and 9 – the 50-cent Pick-4: The track’s signature wager, which
always offers a guaranteed pool of $50,000, will take an investment of $24.
Of the four following possible
tickets, one can be played in each Pick-4:
1st ticket: 1,2/1,2/1,2/1,2,3 = $12 (24
combinations)
2nd ticket: 1/1,2/1,2,3/1,2,3,4 = $12 (24
combinations)
3rd ticket: 1/1/1,2,3,4/1,2,3,4,5,6 = $12 (24
combinations)
4th ticket: 1/1,2/1,2/1,2,3,4,5,6 = $12 (24
combinations)
Total: 24 combinations at $12 apiece for 2
races = $24 (48 combinations), 15 per cent takeout = $3.60
RACE 13 – the 10-cent
Hi-5/Pentafecta: Select
the top five finishers and cash in to “get out” in the final race of the night.
The way you stagger your ticket can increase your chances of winning.
The ticket: 1,2,3/1,2,3,4/1,2,3,4,5/1,2,3,4,5,6/1,2,3,4,5,6,7
= $24.30
Total: 243 combinations at 10-cents apiece =
$24.30, 15 per cent takeout = $3.65
This bet enables one to use three
horses in all positions while adding one horse in positions two through 5.
Grand Total: $99.90 total investment, 657
combinations, total takeout $16.07 (16 per cent).
“Based on the low 16 per cent takeout
on these $100 in wagers,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General
Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The average player will lose $4 an hour for over
four hours of action. An above average player can create better odds of winning
by wagering into low-takeout wagers. The better players can overcome a low
takeout, based on their knowledge and experience, and make their evening
profitable.
“The great thing about low takeout is
that it creates more winning players, which creates more handle, which creates
more purse money, which creates more revenue for our simulcast partners and
stakeholders. That is a healthy business model for the future. Low takeout
makes winning possible. This has obviously created more interest in The
Meadowlands in 2021.”
FREE PPs: “Need a program? The Big M has you
covered,” said Settlemoir. “We offer free programs every night.” The free past
performances are available to anyone who goes to the track’s website, playmeadowlands.com.
‘SHADES’ TO CALL: As the Timbuk 3 song goes: “Things
are going great, and they’re only getting better, I’m doing all right, getting
good grades, the futures so bright, I gotta wear shades.”
The song could have been written for
Andrew ‘Shades’ Demsky, who calls the races at Tioga Downs and is a
jack-of-all-trades at The Big M. Demsky, who does back paddock interviews and
serves as occasional co-host of the in-house live presentation as well as
hosting and directing all kinds of interesting spots for TV, will step into the
track announcer’s booth Friday night and “Borrow Ken Warkentin’s Binoculars”
and call the 13-race card.
Warkentin will return to the booth on
Saturday.
GET SOCIAL: You can always check in with the team
at The Meadowlands on Twitter.
For early changes, racing information
and staff selections, go to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.
On race nights, stay in touch with
the Big M’s Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken
Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Demsky (@shadesonracing) and Jessica Otten
(@JessicaOtten1).
CHECK OUT THE PICKS: For those who need to get a leg up on
the action, go to playmeadowlands.com
to see track oddsmaker and analyst Brower’s selections and commentary. Click on
the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews”.
Brower’s input is generally available
48 hours before every card.
Additionally, track announcer
Warkentin’s blog is available on the site and offers his picks and analysis.
CAN’T MAKE IT TO THE TRACK? There are several options for those
who would rather catch the action from The Big M at home.
Racing fans can watch all the races
live on the Roberts Television Network (rtn.tv). In
addition, they can watch and wager by going to the Television Games Network (tvg.com) or their favorite Advance-deposit Wagering
site (ADW).
GET YOUR HOOPS ACTION: Mayhem is upon us.
One of the biggest events in all of
sports is about to begin, as in three days, the 68 teams that will participate
in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be chosen on “Selection Sunday”,
and bettors can watch and wager on all the tourney action in The Big M’s
FanDuel Sportsbook.
For those who have an opinion as to
which team will lift the championship trophy at tourney’s end, they can back
that opinion up and possibly make a score. The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the current
favorites at +250, followed by the Baylor Bears at +330. The third choice, at
odds of +420, are the Michigan Wolverines.
In addition, major conference
tournament champions will be determined throughout the weekend, as on Saturday
(March 13), the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Pac-12 will have their finals, while
on Sunday (March 14), the finals for the Atlantic 10, Big Ten and SEC will be
conducted. Get action on every game at The Big M.
In addition to the college hoops,
action will be available on professional golf’s THE PLAYERS Championship as
well as a plethora of other sports, including the NBA, NHL, Premier and
Champions League soccer, professional tennis and more.
The sportsbook is open Sunday-Friday
from 10 a.m.-midnight and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. The cash counter is open
from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
