How in the World Do You Qualify for the NHC in Vegas?
If you are new to the contest scene then you might ask how do you go about qualifying for the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC)?
It’s a legitimate question. I guess if you have an unlimited budget and play all the big money entry contests which have a low number of people entered then you will eventually get lucky.
Most of us don’t have an unlimited bankroll. We have to pick and choose our contests wisely.
I have qualified five times for the National Handicapping Championship. Here is my game plan on how to qualify.
#1 Join the NHC Tour. It costs $45. You must join the tour to qualify for Vegas. The only way you can get around this fact is to only participate in free contests.
#2 Play in every free contest. The NHC Tour gives out 15 free qualifying spots throughout the year. TVG, Del Mar, and Monmouth Park have free online contests. Lone Star Park has a series of free contests where six people qualify for the NHC.
#3 Do lots of research on the tournaments within driving distance of your home. If you live in the northeast part of the country then your options are plentiful. If you live in South Florida then you will either be playing in a lot of online tourneys or jumping on a plane. Some of the best live qualifying tourneys include Keeneland, Surfside Race Place, Belmont, Saratoga, Aqueduct, Emerald Downs, Monmouth Park, and Del Mar. Some of the tourneys on this list are quite pricey while others are very affordable. Please note that not all contests are created equal. Some tournaments return 100% of the entry fees while others return as little as 50% even after taking into account paying for the NHC qualifying spots.
#4 Look into the online qualifying contests. NHC Qualify offers the most qualifying spots on the net. TwinSpires.com has all sorts of online contests for Vegas births from the Leaderboard to the TwinSpires Online Handicapping Series to the TwinSpires Online Handicapping Championship. Xpressbet.com has some great NHC qualifiers too.
Good luck in your quest in qualifying for the 2012 NHC!