in which I go to The Races
After months of intending to, I finally made it out to Happy Valley on a Wednesday for the races!
It's an impressive facility, to be sure--grandstands stacked up, surrounded by high-rises, PACKED with people.
I took advantage of the 7:15 start time by playing around with night photography. And by that, I mean I had a beer and took some photos at the railing, most of which are jittery and incomprehensible. But, hey, it was fun, and I was next to two suit-clad businessmen doing the same thing (including some hilarious self-shots).
Note the horses coming around the final turn in the background of this one.
I also definitely did some gambling. I admit, I lost a little bit of money, but came close to breaking even (only placing HK$10 bets all night). All track-take in HK goes to the non-profit Hong Kong Jockey Club, so I figure it's not as bad as enriching some casino owner magnate. Something like HK$90 billion is wagered over the course of each racing season, too, so I figure I'm far from alone in enjoying a night at the track. (apparently HK's GDP is about HK$2 trillion, so track betting represents nearly 5% of that total)
I'm nothing short of impressed by how it seems like most HK people handle gambling (as seen both at the track and in Macau). First of all, they bet A LOT of money. I was sitting uncomfortably at the lowest-stake baccarat table at the Sands, only to see a guy take a seat next to me and throw down a HK$10000 chip. Likewise, as I stand in line at the cashier window, waiting to place my HK$10 bet card, the person in front of me is submitting a stack of bets (maybe six different wagering combinations on one race) and a couple five hundred dollar bills. Second, and I think more interesting, is the (to borrow that word from Sophia) equanimity with which everyone handles the results, win or lose. Yelling the number of your chosen horse as it runs down the stretch is ok, but beyond that there are few victory celebrations, and I've never seen people frown at defeat.
I think this is because of the way people approach gambling (this is why baccarat is the number-one casino game by a wide margin). People study the race cards printed in the daily papers obsessively, and halfway through a meet, they're covered in chicken-scratch notation in red and sometimes multiple other colors of pen. Baccarat players obsessively watch the previous hand results, some keeping track on scorecards, and rarely deviate from their plan (in the case of one player having a run of luck, maybe) regardless of how well it seems to be working out after any given hand. And there's no way anyone could make six bets on one horse race without some kind of complicated system to cover all the different wagers. What this seems to lead to is a real calm about surprising losses, even losses of a lot of money, because people believe that their system will pay off in the end.
In comparison, I guess I'm more of a casual gambler--as long as the stakes are low, I see the money I lose as the cost of having a fun evening. I may have lost a little bit wednesday night, but it was less than the cost of a movie ticket (even including the price of my beer and the HK$10 charge at the gate). And losing on most races makes the rare win that much more exciting. My winner this week:
There's also a really great dim sum place near the track, but I can't remember the name. Oh, and to get to Happy Valley from the MTR, you have to take the double-decker trolley, which is adorable. I'm really just happy that, even after five months here, I've been able to keep exploring!
It's an impressive facility, to be sure--grandstands stacked up, surrounded by high-rises, PACKED with people.
I took advantage of the 7:15 start time by playing around with night photography. And by that, I mean I had a beer and took some photos at the railing, most of which are jittery and incomprehensible. But, hey, it was fun, and I was next to two suit-clad businessmen doing the same thing (including some hilarious self-shots).
Note the horses coming around the final turn in the background of this one.I also definitely did some gambling. I admit, I lost a little bit of money, but came close to breaking even (only placing HK$10 bets all night). All track-take in HK goes to the non-profit Hong Kong Jockey Club, so I figure it's not as bad as enriching some casino owner magnate. Something like HK$90 billion is wagered over the course of each racing season, too, so I figure I'm far from alone in enjoying a night at the track. (apparently HK's GDP is about HK$2 trillion, so track betting represents nearly 5% of that total)
I'm nothing short of impressed by how it seems like most HK people handle gambling (as seen both at the track and in Macau). First of all, they bet A LOT of money. I was sitting uncomfortably at the lowest-stake baccarat table at the Sands, only to see a guy take a seat next to me and throw down a HK$10000 chip. Likewise, as I stand in line at the cashier window, waiting to place my HK$10 bet card, the person in front of me is submitting a stack of bets (maybe six different wagering combinations on one race) and a couple five hundred dollar bills. Second, and I think more interesting, is the (to borrow that word from Sophia) equanimity with which everyone handles the results, win or lose. Yelling the number of your chosen horse as it runs down the stretch is ok, but beyond that there are few victory celebrations, and I've never seen people frown at defeat.
I think this is because of the way people approach gambling (this is why baccarat is the number-one casino game by a wide margin). People study the race cards printed in the daily papers obsessively, and halfway through a meet, they're covered in chicken-scratch notation in red and sometimes multiple other colors of pen. Baccarat players obsessively watch the previous hand results, some keeping track on scorecards, and rarely deviate from their plan (in the case of one player having a run of luck, maybe) regardless of how well it seems to be working out after any given hand. And there's no way anyone could make six bets on one horse race without some kind of complicated system to cover all the different wagers. What this seems to lead to is a real calm about surprising losses, even losses of a lot of money, because people believe that their system will pay off in the end.
In comparison, I guess I'm more of a casual gambler--as long as the stakes are low, I see the money I lose as the cost of having a fun evening. I may have lost a little bit wednesday night, but it was less than the cost of a movie ticket (even including the price of my beer and the HK$10 charge at the gate). And losing on most races makes the rare win that much more exciting. My winner this week:
There's also a really great dim sum place near the track, but I can't remember the name. Oh, and to get to Happy Valley from the MTR, you have to take the double-decker trolley, which is adorable. I'm really just happy that, even after five months here, I've been able to keep exploring!
posted by sam at
11:04 AM
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