As someone who has transitioned much of his play to horsetourney.com and horseplayer.com the CAW players have less impact particularly in those tournaments where the format is “pick and pray” meaning all bets are locked in and cannot be changed once the first race of the contest starts. In those contests where the bets are live,meaning you can change or make your bet until post time, and where the odds have significant impact on your strategy in choosing your bet, the CAWs will still have an impact, I.e. You select a 6-1 shot because you believe it will put you in the money and horse closes at 5-2! I have become a big fan of the contests- in most there is a premium on handicapping rather than betting since the bets are mythical. The contests also enable responsible players to manage their bankroll efficiently while enabling you to pick good betting races to bet live. And use of Thorograph gives you an edge. Oh, and it is a lot of fun when you see you are leading going into the last few races of any contest. You can qualify for NHC championship for as little as $18 and for BCBC for a little as $20. Go for it!