Looking for a Pari-mutuel Spreadsheet

[sjgmoney]

Anyone have a pari-mutuel program/spreadsheet I can use (or know where I can find a free one)? Having a Kentucky Derby party on Saturday and I think it would be fun to have our own little betting pool. Thanks in advance for help.

 

[sjgmoney]

Where are all the gamblers out there!!!! What's wrong with you people, don't you know that money won is better than money earned!!!! Seriously, any help here?

 

[new2AMD]

have no clue but I will be at the Derby so I dont need one. Good luck finding what you need. not sure if such a thing exists.

 

[sjgmoney]

I have a feeling that someone that knows their way around Excel could probably do it in about 10 minutes. Problem is I am not that guy!!!!! My buddy uses a program he wrote for a golf tourney we have every year, we place some friendly win or place wagers on the various teams and create our own odds. Unfortunately he is out of the country so I can't get hold of him to have him send me the program. Any other creative people out there? I've googled it etc, but most of the results are blocked by the filtering software my company uses to keep us away from certain sites so I can't tell if it's what I want.

Here's an offer to anyone who can create the program: I'll give you a free $5 wager on any horse you want and enter it in our pool. I'm honest and you can count on me to send you the dough if you cash.

 

[Drakkon]

pari-mutual gambling isn't as easy as your making it out to be when it comes to horse racing. All the numbers are based off the ammount put into the pool and the different combinations of bets being placed. If your only doing win wagering its easier but most systems dont provide for that (more w/p/s/qu/ex/tri). If your just doing win betting have people put money into a pot, and each person gets back a % based on how many people played the horse...so if one person wins than 100% goes to them, 2 then 50%...so on and so forth...you need like at least 10 people all putting in $2 and everyone betting on different horses almost to make it work though.

This is exactly why i'm going to an OTB Track here in AZ, placing some REAL bets down and watching the derby with 1000 other people along with some LIVE horseracing at the track Maybe even having our horse run...

 

[sjgmoney]

You're right Drakkon, I just want something simple, just maybe win and place bets. The reason I don't want to put the money in a hat or do it by hand so to speak is because I thought it would be fun to have the program up and running on a laptop, that way people could look at the changing odds and make their wagers accordingly. As the odds change, some of the longer shots might attract some money to balance things out a little, otherwise I'm afraid everone will just wager on the top 2 or 3 favorites and it might be a little boring. Cmon you Excel hounds, give it a try!!!!

 

[Drakkon]

you could put revolving odds on w/p wagering but if you go by the odds given by DRF for a starter i think thats what you will have to stick with cause u wont have enough bets (unless you have like 100 people) to update them. If you pay out at 99-1 though you better have a grip of cash on hand cause the house might have to pay out BIG. Thats why the pot idea works better for "parties" because a % system makes sure only the cash put in = cash payed out. so if you do a w/p system 80% of pot goes to winners, 20% to place, and that way house doesn't have to pay out anything.

I'm thinking too big i guess...I've worked behind the scenes before and it just seems too complicated to run a small time operation but i guess it wouldn't be too bad if you get the thoery down properly

 

[sjgmoney]

I plan on paying out whatever comes in, so I'm just looking for a spreadsheet that shows the odds. Obviously it adds up the total win pool and divides it by all the win bets placed on the winning horse. Easy calculation by hand (other than recrod keeping), but I'd like to have it on the laptop to show the odds as they change. Maybe have a separate place pool also. Not going to use the Daily Racing Forum odds at all, other than a reference point for people who might want to see who the pre-race favorites are etc.

This is a real novice crowd, lots of drinking (no mint julips however, they taste like ass) and then some fun gambling on the race before things really get going.

 

[sjgmoney]

So I fooled around last night with Excel and was able to do a few things for a Win pool etc. However my experience with Excel is so limited that I can't do much more. (Using the Sum function is a big deal to me!!!) I really could use some help to do more, anybody, anybody, Bueller, Bueller? I'm still trying to figure out how to add text to the end of my SUM function so the odds will read 4 to 1 etc. ( I can't get the "to 1" part right)

Help

 

[ActuaryTm]

Originally posted by: sjgmoney
So I fooled around last night with Excel and was able to do a few things for a Win pool etc. However my experience with Excel is so limited that I can't do much more. (Using the Sum function is a big deal to me!!!) I really could use some help to do more, anybody, anybody, Bueller, Bueller? I'm still trying to figure out how to add text to the end of my SUM function so the odds will read 4 to 1 etc. ( I can't get the "to 1" part right)

Help

Upload your work (the .xls file) thus far, and a list of your desires.

Likely someone (perhaps even including myself) will offer aid.

 

[sjgmoney]

Thanks for the offer ActuaryTM, I'll work on it alittle and then may take you up on your offer. Quick question, how can I get the a cell to show the result as X to 1, where X is the result of a previously cell (where I have a sum function going on). For example, lets say my sum function is on B24. In another cell I want it to read X to 1. (where X is the constantly changing B24 cell)

Man am I bad at asking questions, sorry!!!

EDIT: Hey I figured that part out, all right, now I'm getting somewhere!!!! I still may take you up on your offer so stay tuned

 

[ActuaryTm]

Originally posted by: sjgmoney
For example, lets say my sum function is on B24. In another cell I want it to read X to 1. (where X is the constantly changing B24 cell)

Should be able to use the "&" operator. Dependent upon the implementation, may also use CONCATENATE and/or a few logical statements.