Hidden Treasure System is a new to market horse racing tipster service that is operated by Patrick Holt. It is currently being marketed through Best System Bets and has supposedly made some very respectable profits to date.
Introduction to Hidden Treasure System
I am a strong advocate of the fact that, ultimately, there isn’t necessarily a right or a wrong way to bet. But in this industry, I think that there are some very strong thoughts one way or another. Really though, it all just boils down to the old saying of “different strokes for different folks”. Something that I often see criticised is the idea that following a rigid structure is an inherently bad thing. An argument that I fully understand. But that doesn’t mean that there is no merit to it either.
This is something that I want to establish quite firmly, not least of which is because… well, today’s review subject is a very rigid one. Now, this isn’t something that is intended as a criticism of Hidden Treasure System at all. In fact, the approach that Patrick Holt takes here is something that works incredibly well on paper. So much so that I might even go as far as to say that it’s really quite exciting. Doubly so when you start to factor in the profit potential that Best System Bets headline the sales material with.
The core premise is made up of a combination of shorter priced bets that are designed to keep your betting bank stable, then there are bigger wins that are designed to provide substantial profits. Unfortunately, Patrick Holt and Best System Bets don’t necessarily do a huge amount to really convince of this. As such, whilst this is a solid looking service on the surface of things, there are definitely some questions that need to be asked here. So, with quite a lot of ground to cover, let’s get into it.
What Does Hidden Treasure System Offer?
One of the things that is always good about looking at a service with the structure that Hidden Treasure System has is that, as a writer, there isn’t that difficulty on where to start. Because as well as being quite rigid, this is also one of the more fundamentally straightforward tipster services that I have looked at in terms of the betting that you are doing too.
This starts with how the service is managed. Now, Best System Bets is a name that is pretty well known to me by this point. Their services are… well, a bit of a mixed bunch, if I’m honest. But it does mean that we can have a reasonable idea of what to expect from Hidden Treasure System as a punter as well.
As you’d probably expect from any modern tipster service, selections are issued directly via email. These are also made available on a daily basis which means that there is a decent amount of action. Something that can be a little frustrating in my mind though is the information that Patrick Holt provides. Hidden Treasure System is really rather basic in terms of what you get.
Of course, you get enough information to know what you’re betting on, but other than that, there isn’t much more insight (such as odds, for example). This is rather frustrating to me as this obtuseness is something that I think is present quite a lot in Hidden Treasure System. A prime example that builds on this is Best System Bets saying in the sales material effectively saying that you should just back Patrick Holt’s bets with any old bookie.
Having looked at a lot of services like Hidden Treasure System in the past and having experience with them, this is pretty crappy advice. The truth of the matter is that because of the approach that Patrick Holt takes and how everything interlinks with this, odds are one of the single most important factors of the service.
With that in mind, I would definitely recommend taking advantage of an odds comparison site if possible. Whilst this can be difficult given the fact that you aren’t given a whole lot of time to explore your options, it is worthwhile. Because if any horse wins with Hidden Treasure System, it is really quite important to ensure that you’re maximising those odds to ensure the long term stability.
So, with that said, let’s talk about the bets that you will be placing. Each day, Patrick Holt issues two different tips. The first of these is a straight back to win NAP bet. This is the horse that is seen as the most likely to win the race that they are in. And as you’d expect, this is typically at lower odds. Best System Bets say that this will usually be around 2/1.
The other element of Hidden Treasure System are long priced each way bets. These supposedly average out at around 10/1 and are really where the profits come into play. All of which is why I think the odds are so important. It is worth noting that there is also a vague mention of doubling up on both bets (either as a win or each way) for massive jackpot wins, but this seems ill advised in my opinion.
With all of that out of the way, let’s talk about the numbers. Hidden Treasure System follows a level staking plan of 1 point per bet. That means that each day, you’re staking 2 points. This isn’t a huge number. But it can start to add up if you hit a losing streak. Something that I think is a very real possibility, despite how Patrick Holt and Best System Bets present this.
Something that is rather concerning to me is that there isn’t any advice on what kind of betting bank you would need. Realistically, I would say that you’d want to have at least 100 points. The fact is that there is a lot of potential for drawdown with Hidden Treasure System, especially if you’re also doubling down on bets. As such, it is better to err on the side of caution.
As a final note, whilst we’re talking about the numbers, there is quite an insinuation that you won’t lose all that often with Hidden Treasure System. Patrick Holt and Best System Bets present a few days of winning bets that show some kind of win 4 times out of 4. There is also a testimonial in which somebody claims to have a strike rate of around 40-50%. But I am hugely sceptical of this. Especially in the light of a lack of evidence.
How Does Hidden Treasure System Work?
There are two key elements when you talk about how Hidden Treasure System works. The first is the structure of the service. The idea here is a very simple one. By combining a NAP bet with a longer shot, you are theoretically keeping your betting bank mostly balanced with short priced wins and those longer shot each ways placing. In theory, Patrick Holt and Best System Bets present this as meaning that you only need one bet to come in in order to actually balance your bank.
Of course, as great as all of that is on paper, it fails to address quite a significant problem. Simply having a system like this for your betting is not necessarily a betting system. This sounds counterintuitive but hear me out. All of this makes perfect sense on paper. But it doesn’t count for much if Patrick Holt isn’t actually able to pick out horses. Which is of course where the problems start.
You see, whilst I can appreciate what Patrick Holt and Best System Bets are trying to do here, there isn’t actually anything provided that gives me much cause for hope. Despite all of the information provided about how Hidden Treasure System “works”, there is no information provided whatsoever about what the selection process actually entails. This is something of a problem in my mind as this is the single most important element of a tipster service.
Adding to this is the fact that Patrick Holt is picking out two very different types of horse. This is quite a thing to simply claim that you’re picking without talking about it. All of this is of course a very real cause for concern. As is the fact that there isn’t really a huge amount of evidence backing anything up. At best, you might describe the evidence for Hidden Treasure System as questionable, but all that we’re really given are a few betting slips that I am sceptical of.
What is the Initial Investment?
With that said, let’s get down to the business end of things. The first subscription option for Hidden Treasure System is a quarterly subscription which is priced at just £29.95 every 3 months (again, plus VAT).
If you are looking for a longer subscription than this, then Best System Bets offers a few options for Hidden Treasure System on an annual subscription at a cost of £59.95 (plus VAT). Finally, there is a lifetime license which is on offer. This allows you to sign up, for life, for a one time cost of £99 (again, plus VAT) however this is advertised as a limited time offer.
It is noteworthy that none of these options come with any money back guarantee or refund period. As such, you should be very willing to commit to Hidden Treasure System. Especially if you are signing up for those longer subscription lengths. With that said, you are told that you can cancel your subscription when you want.
What is the Rate of Return?
Of course, the big question that exists with any tipster service simple. How much money can you expect to earn? Patrick Holt and Best System Bets claim that a realistic profit of £550 per week is attainable. Even with this being based of level stakes of £50 per point, that is still a very significant 11 points per week or 44 points per month.
Whilst this isn’t actually advertised as such, this would mean an ROI of about 80%. A hugely impressive number, however, as with many elements of Hidden Treasure System, this isn’t exactly substantiated either. It is based purely off the claims that made by Patrick Holt and Best System Bets.
Conclusion for Hidden Treasure System
It’s very easy to look at something like Hidden Treasure System and see what the appeal is. The difficult thing however is actually grounding that in any sort of realistic basis. And that is quite a difficult thing to just overcome. Now, I appreciate that this is all a bit vague, so let me explain what I mean.
When I look at a tipster service, there are a few things that I really like to consider. Of course, the numbers are a huge part of this, but they are just that. A part. Before I even start to think of those, I like to try and ascertain just how viable the model of a tipster service is, what their results and numbers actually suggest, and what the chances of that happening actually are.
This makes for one of the single most important questions. Can the claims that Patrick Holt and Best System Bets make for Hidden Treasure System be believed? Unfortunately, I’m not entirely certain here. Because there is such a significant lack of insight and evidence that really matters.
Sure, it’s all well and good providing a few betting slips. But they aren’t proofing. Putting aside the fact that what we are given for Hidden Treasure System is effectively devoid of context. It is just 4 days. This means that even if you took Patrick Holt at face value and said that you accepted that these 4 days of betting played out as advertised. That isn’t a huge data sample. As such, I am somewhat doubtful.
Adding to these concerns is the way that the doubles are leveraged. I rather skipped over this earlier because I don’t really see it as pertinent to Hidden Treasure System as a service. But as part of the broader marketing, it seems a lot like certain bets have been chosen because they happen to allow these big claims of £1,500 profits when a double has landed.
I don’t want to say that it is all intentionally disingenuous, and I would really hope that it isn’t. But that sort of thing is always a concern when it comes to a tipster service. Transparency and understanding are ultimately key and in the case of Hidden Treasure System, I don’t think there is much transparency, and Patrick Holt and Best System Bets definitely don’t do much to help you understand their approach to betting.
Instead, everything hinges on something that sounds good in theory. Now, I would love to be proven wrong here. To be shown that Hidden Treasure System is above board and genuine. But I haven’t really seen anything that suggests that is the case. Which is a shame, because with a decent tipster behind it, the core premise isn’t a bad one.
When you bring all of this together you have a service that, unfortunately, I don’t believe that I can really recommend. I don’t believe that the results advertised are attainable, and I’m not sold that this is more than an interesting idea. And whilst I will admit that Hidden Treasure System isn’t badly priced, it isn’t cheap enough to say that it is even worth a risky punt.
I queried with Best Systems why they didn’t show full results
They replied very rude saying they didn’t waste people’s time!!
They are indeed a company to avoid
I have blocked their emails – they are juggling a high amount of products
And their attitude shows what the products are