This spring I am starting a series of episodes that will focus on the logistics of beating the game. I'll discuss everything from jockeys to algorithms, money management and a ranking system. In the first episode of this series, I discuss the importance of understanding how much the track takeout impacts you, the importance of finding value and how rebates can help offset the track takeout. I give real examples of takeout and the math behind it from actual races and use those as a catalyst to talk about why the game is so hard to beat. Beating the game encompasses a lot of topics, but it starts with fully understanding how much the track takeout costs you over the long run.