Hi Party

Yep you gotta lock em in if you can to increase POT but you should still win with 'best or betters of' if you have the right system & operator. Last week & for the next few i have the kids at home in the afternoons for school holidays. I muck around with them between races in the arvos so have no intention of using betfair aswell with the distractions, as its too hard..... on all of us!
Ive just been using better or best of 2.

Last week I copped $1.04 x 1 $1.10 x5 $1.20 x6 as the poorer results. I still made over 8% POT for the week, because as you say its all in the strike rate & as i say its about knowing which ones not to back. I left 3 on Saturday alone that got smashed late in the ring to near the red. 2 lost & 1 came in. As i only had 5 bets on Saturday theres a chance i would have lost taking them. Instead i went 5/5 (1x $1.50 + 4x $1.30)
Bomber Command was another this afternoon. Wouldnt have touched it at any odds. It came in the ring from $3.2 > $2.60 > $2.40 > $2.30 & you couldnt get a tip for anything else. Amore Harmony was another. $2.00 > $1.70 > $1.80 in the ring. Admittingly i did miss Beau Esprit that paid $1.51. I did have Libertina and copped $1.22. Had i taken all of the so called 'good things' > result would have been -1.27 units. I walked away with 1/1 & only .2 of a unit but thats a days wages and i dont consider Mon or Tue as race days, so its easy to walk.
Im not sure about 'the best way to bet' but can offer the best way i know how!
1. having your own ratings system that you KNOW does the job over any period of time (obviously not everyday)
2. knowing the odds you expect, accept & need and locking them in if you can otherwise having the stats and figures behind you knowing that the best of 2 or 3 will make you profit anyway.
3. The first thought in your mind should be about the horses you dont take rather then what you can or did take. Thats what i have learnt the most & i label it under one word "instinct"