VDW Maximiser is a new product which is being offered through the Race Advisor website, seemingly on behalf of Michael Wilding (aka The Anonymous Ginger). It claims to bring an older betting system up to date.
What does the product offer?
Race Advisor are arguably one of the bigger names in terms of the whole online UK horse racing betting niche. The website updates frequently, the content is generally informative and interesting and for a one man operation, I think that it is more than fair to say that Michael Wilding does a good job of things. I have also looked at some of his products and services from the past and unfortunately, the results here have been much more mixed. With this in mind, it seems like natural progression to keenly follow any products that they release.
All of this brings me on to VDW Maximiser. This is a product which is headlined (very clearly) with the claim that you can “Win every time you bet”. This is one hell of a claim and whilst I am sure that there is some context that this can be placed into, it is also hard to ignore. What is particularly interesting about VDW Maximiser is that this is based around a betting system that has been around for some time (the Van Der Wheil method). All that Michael Wilding says that he has done is brought it up to date and tweaked it, so can these simple tweaks really make it as profitable as claimed?
So what exactly do you get with VDW Maximiser? Really, there is only one thing and it is key to the whole operation. That is the VDW Maximiser software. This automates the process of generating ratings, form etc. and brings it all together into one easy to use format. The software is attractive and well put together (which I would expect from Michael Wilding) as well as being easy to use and follow. You don’t have to be technologically minded to figure things out here (and even if you aren’t there is full video training on how to use the software). Furthermore, from what I have looked at in detail, it is also accurate in the numbers that it puts out.
Naturally the software side of VDW Maximiser in and of itself does nothing without context. With this in mind, when you sign up to the service you will also get access to 5 different strategies. Obviously, it isn’t fair of me to go into explicit detail about how each of these work, however I will provide some information below.
I also feel that it is important to highlight that there aren’t really any numbers to look at with VDW Maximiser. There is a staking plan of sorts included with one of the strategies in which it is instrumental. Ultimately though, the variety of bet types etc. will mean that you have to apply common sense to ensure you don’t wipe out any betting bank. Likewise, the strike rates for the different strategies will also differ massively. Some will clearly produce more winners than others with Michael Wilding citing one example as being particularly likely to win.
How does the product work?
Ultimately VDW Maximiser is just a tool that simplifies calculations of the Van Der Wheil method. I don’t want to go too much into that as there are plenty of resources which look at it in detail, however I will cover the basics. Essentially the Van Der Wheil method is used to calculate the ability and the form of a horse. Once you have established this, you can use custom ratings in order to identify betting opportunities.
VDW Maximiser uses 5 different strategies which Michael Wilding has developed that whilst ultimately based on the Van Der Wheil ratings, do differ in terms of their selection process. I want to cover these in basic detail here.
Strategy 1 for VDW Maximiser works by focusing on very specific races. You then look for horses with the top form and ability where they are backed by Betfair’s market. This is probably the simplest strategy.
Strategy 2 takes the Van Der Wheil score (a number that the VDW Maximiser software generates for a horse based off ability, form etc.) and looks for races where the top 5 scores are also in the top 5 betting market. Where this has been identified, it is recommended dutching the bets.
Strategy 3 has a lot in common with Strategy 2, however it can be used where there are less horses. This does however mean that there are more types of bet recommended with a view to generating the most profit. This is arguably the most convoluted strategy and is one that I would say is better suited to more experienced bettors.
Strategy 4 aims to produce a high strike rate with a low yield. Essentially you are place betting on horses that have the best Van Der Wheil score and are favourites on the Betfair exchange. This does come with a staking plan to allow you to maximise profits although this is never an area in which the strategy excels.
Strategy 5 is probably the most rounded. It involves looking specifically at the form and ability ratings that VDW Maximiser generates. Where there are races with particularly outstanding horses, these are then compared to what people know about the horse. You then cast your judgement on whether the ratings match the likely outcome and bet appropriately. This strategy is also the most difficult to quantify for obvious reasons.
What is the initial investment?
When you sign up for VDW Maximiser, you pay an initial fee of just £19.99 in order to use the software for 60 days. Once this period has elapsed, the model moves onto a subscription based one with Michael Wilding asking £24.99 per month (both of these numbers have VAT on top of it). It is worth pointing out that there is no money back guarantee in place however. In the terms and conditions for VDW Maximiser, it is stated that since the product is a “non-tangible irrevocable good” there is essentially nothing to refund on.
What is the rate of return?
As is the case with any betting system, figuring out how much you can earn is a difficult thing. There are a large number of variables such as which strategy you are using, how much you are staking with it and how often. There are a few testimonials for VDW Maximiser including turning £100 in £880 within a month and a user who made over 30 points in just a few weeks (using a dutching method). Whilst it is hard to tie down the specifics with something like VDW Maximiser, I do feel that it is important to acknowledge that there is genuine profit potential here.
Conclusion
I had never heard of the Van Der Wheil method before looking at VDW Maximiser and this is probably for the best. Truth be told, the original methodology is somewhat flawed however Michael Wilding has done a sterling job in taking something that is somewhat archaic nowadays and bringing it bang up to date. There are a few things that I want to talk about before I summarise however so I won’t dwell too much here.
There are two main things that are up for review with VDW Maximiser. The first is the software itself. This is a much easier thing to pass comment on. It is simple to use, does exactly what it says and it is informative. This is noteworthy simply because most products that I look at which are software based are ugly and cumbersome. Truth be told, this is probably because ultimately VDW Maximiser doesn’t have a lot to do and in modern computational terms, it is straightforward. I won’t let that detract from its usability though.
The next thing that needs to be reviewed are the different strategies and honestly, this is where I have been left impressed. I mentioned that the fundamental Van Der Wheil method is somewhat flawed and Michael Wilding has clearly reached the same conclusion. The fact of the matter is this, whilst it can be used to provide a decent overview of a race, I feel that it puts a too much emphasis on the rather mathematically unsound principle of “class”.
By taking this as a simple guideline however and applying it to modern betting methods, it becomes apparent to me that you can very quickly and easy use these fundamentals to your advantage. What I find most appealing about VDW Maximiser is that it is flexible. Each of the strategies will serve different betting banks and abilities which means that it can work for almost any bettor.
One of the things that I always like to consider is whether or not a product represents value for money and in the case of VDW Maximiser, it is a resounding yes. £20 for the first 60 days is plenty of time to get to grips with the software and the strategies. Whilst the price does then go up a little it is far from exponential. In fact, I would be inclined to say that you can probably make your first few months of subscription costs within the initial period quite comfortably.
With all of this in mind, do I recommend VDW Maximiser? Rather wholeheartedly actually. It is not very often that something comes along which you can do “when you want” and works. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t going to be something that will work for everybody. There aren’t going to be bets every day and depending on which of the strategies you use, VDW Maximiser may not be the easiest thing to follow. In the main though, I genuinely believe that this is a quality product that is worth your consideration.
