Diary of a professional punter

[adnmdv]

Getting on is a nightmare though and Betfair has made it harder.

Confused, what do you mean by that?

[redarmi]

Couple of elements to it really.  Firstly, Betfair brought about arbers.  They existed before to a degree mainly in spread betting but also there were a couple that did tennis and that kind fo thing.  Now there is a two way price for everything the number of arbers has shot up so if you shop for the best prices you will often get tagged with the arber label even if it isn't true and get your account limited very quickly.  Prior to Betfair losing accounts very rarely got limited but now it happens all the time because they have transparency on whether or not you are taking a value price.  Sure in 2000 I would have bookies wary because I would bet things and the price would go but they tended to give you the benefit of the doubt or, importantly, they would lay me and then back it themselves but now they won't do that because if it is shorter on Betfair then they are going to struggle to get on.  Obviously, Betfair itself is great for getting a bet but that market, on the whole doesn't make the same mistakes that the a football odds compiler pricing up the conference whilst simultaneously filling out his lingfield placepot and eating his pasty from Greggs does and the combination of premium charge and lack of liquidity makes Betfair less appealing than it used to be.

[action man]

Couple of elements to it really.  Firstly, Betfair brought about arbers.  They existed before to a degree mainly in spread betting but also there were a couple that did tennis and that kind fo thing.  Now there is a two way price for everything the number of arbers has shot up so if you shop for the best prices you will often get tagged with the arber label even if it isn't true and get your account limited very quickly.  Prior to Betfair losing accounts very rarely got limited but now it happens all the time because they have transparency on whether or not you are taking a value price.  Sure in 2000 I would have bookies wary because I would bet things and the price would go but they tended to give you the benefit of the doubt or, importantly, they would lay me and then back it themselves but now they won't do that because if it is shorter on Betfair then they are going to struggle to get on.  Obviously, Betfair itself is great for getting a bet but that market, on the whole doesn't make the same mistakes that the a football odds compiler pricing up the conference whilst simultaneously filling out his lingfield placepot and eating his pasty from Greggs does and the combination of premium charge and lack of liquidity makes Betfair less appealing than it used to be.

hahah that was my daily ritual for years when i ran a hills shop

[action man]

any thoughts on brents punt on reading at 150/1 e/w for the championship?

[ChipRich]

any thoughts on brents punt on reading at 150/1 e/w for the championship?

cooooooooooooooo, get us paiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid

[redarmi]

any thoughts on brents punt on reading at 150/1 e/w for the championship?

One of those bets where if I was a bookie I wouldn't mind laying the win portion although it is probably a bit too big but the place portion is horrible for a bookie to lay.  I didn't see his tweet until after the price had gone but it was only I think....no idea why they would go so big really. 

[TheChipPrince]

any thoughts on brents punt on reading at 150/1 e/w for the championship?

cooooooooooooooo, get me paiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid

[redarmi]

Totally unrelated to punting but before I came away i went to a preview of a documentary/film called Dreams of a Life about a woman called Joyce Vincent who died aged 36 and was lying dead in her flat in Wood Green for five years.  I see from a tweet from Neil Channing that it is now on general release.  Go and see it before Christmas and then be thankful for all those things you normally take for granted.  It is amazingly powerful stuff.  Good review here - http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/dec/15/dreams-of-a-life-film-review

[BrumBilly]

Totally unrelated to punting

Thanks for this! Haven't seen it but having just read the review will definitely do so. Wood Green is a place that will always have bad connotations for me (was attacked there in the late 90's...badly injured and told I'd never walk again...thankfully that didn't prove true!).

Having spent 5yrs in London, I'd always seen the transient nature of the population as a major plus (probably because I quitle like getting lost in crowds and keeping myself to myself) sorry to see that it seems to have been a contributing factor to this young woman falling through the net. 

[redarmi]

Yeah I must admit it affected me greatly.  I have spent a lot of time travelling and have a lot of friends but I am an only child and, perhaps, not as good at staying in touch with people as I should be and i can totally see how this could happen to someone like myself and, if I am honest, it petrifies me.

[BrumBilly]

Not sure you've read this article written by the filmaker. Hell of a story!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/oct/09/joyce-vincent-death-mystery-documentary

[redarmi]

Today really feels like Xmas day to me.

Woke up and started punting horses/football.  Some promising positions and a winner already and the missus is making my breakfast as we speak.  The Boro game is on a stream so I can watch that for a couple of hours and then we are heading down to Gulfstream park for an afternoons racing here followed by dinner and then home in time to watch Carl Froch.  I cannot think of a more perfect day.

[T_Mar]

Merry xmas

[ACE2M]

Today really feels like Xmas day to me.

Woke up and started punting horses/football.  Some promising positions and a winner already and the missus is making my breakfast as we speak.  The Boro game is on a stream so I can watch that for a couple of hours and then we are heading down to Gulfstream park for an afternoons racing here followed by dinner and then home in time to watch Carl Froch.  I cannot think of a more perfect day.

I hate you a bit.

Got up at 7:30 to go to work with a bit of a sorehead because i drank a bit too much wine last night. Drove an hour to work in awful conditions. Its too cold to go outside for a fag because i forgot my coat. The friggin tea ladies have gone awol so i have had to make my own brew, twice! The mrs thinks she has broken her knee cap so i'm going to have to do everything over xmas if she has and i'm cooking for 16 xmas day. I'm at work for another 5 hours and so far almost everything has gone wrong so i'm working my arse off, when i'd rather be having a look at my fantasy team or finding a few bets. Then i'm driving home in the dark for and hour with the potential to kill myself in my death trap of a rear wheel drive car if the slush freezes over.

At least i got a couple of mates round tonight for too much beer and the Froch fight, i'll probably fall asleep or something.

[redarmi]

Today really feels like Xmas day to me.

Woke up and started punting horses/football.  Some promising positions and a winner already and the missus is making my breakfast as we speak.  The Boro game is on a stream so I can watch that for a couple of hours and then we are heading down to Gulfstream park for an afternoons racing here followed by dinner and then home in time to watch Carl Froch.  I cannot think of a more perfect day.

After posting this of course I had a brutal weekend.  It started out so promisingly with a horse I backed at 11/2 winnung at 7/4 doing handsprings but from there on everything that possibly could go wrong did and culminated with a fairly ugly performance in the NFL.  All told I wiped out about 20% of my bankroll in a weekend which isn't a disaster and I have been runnning pretty well recently but it wasn't really what we were looking for with Xmas on the horizon so I got up at 430am Miami time this morning and got well and truly on the grind for the week ahead.  Quite a few racing bets already today.  1240 - Cotswold Charmer @ 3/1, 110 Featherintheattic @ 2/1 and Majorca King e/w @ 9/2 and forecast the two, 225 Navan Fiery Oscar e/w and 300 Plump Me Julie @ 4/1.