Diary of a professional punter

[The Camel]

Good morning.

A week or two ago you wrote......

Been thinking for a while about ways in which I could keep the diary interesting but without it becoming just a constant stream of tips or thoughts on current sporting events and happenings. 

You also mentioned that you have come across a few characters during your gaming journey, & you named, amongst them, Tony Bloom. I'd quite like to learn more about Tony. Keith (Camel) of course will know him very well, & may have even had a little punt on Brighton last season.

I just know him vaguely, firstly from poker, where we shared a few tables back in the day, & later, in a rather more peculiar way. I was in Stockholm in around 2005 for some poker event, & I was collected from the airport by one Martin de Knijff, who was quite a big name in poker in those days. Martin did a job on me (which failed) trying to persuade me to invest in a betting syndicate, which ran for 3 month periods, & bet on football. The entry cost was, I think, £30,000 per quarter.  I declined, but in the interim, he explained quite a bit about how it worked, & that his partner was Tony Bloom. Both of them had Chelsea Season Tickets back then, Corporate jobbies, but I guess they moved on to Brighton later.

So, any Tony Bloom news & stories would be most warmly received. Incidentally, as a poker player, it was my view that he was quite exceptional. The spotty kids, minds & senses numbed from 12 hours every day in their back bedroom staring at a PC, will of course, diss him, as they do everyone unless they are a "hero", but his "cashes to Tourneys played" record must have been as good as anyone.   

TIA.

The worst mistake you have ever made was not investing the 30k.

What sets Tony apart in him being such a success with the A Handicaps?

Hard work.

The amount of analysis they put into each bet is mindblowing.

[tikay]

Good morning.

A week or two ago you wrote......

Been thinking for a while about ways in which I could keep the diary interesting but without it becoming just a constant stream of tips or thoughts on current sporting events and happenings. 

You also mentioned that you have come across a few characters during your gaming journey, & you named, amongst them, Tony Bloom. I'd quite like to learn more about Tony. Keith (Camel) of course will know him very well, & may have even had a little punt on Brighton last season.

I just know him vaguely, firstly from poker, where we shared a few tables back in the day, & later, in a rather more peculiar way. I was in Stockholm in around 2005 for some poker event, & I was collected from the airport by one Martin de Knijff, who was quite a big name in poker in those days. Martin did a job on me (which failed) trying to persuade me to invest in a betting syndicate, which ran for 3 month periods, & bet on football. The entry cost was, I think, £30,000 per quarter.  I declined, but in the interim, he explained quite a bit about how it worked, & that his partner was Tony Bloom. Both of them had Chelsea Season Tickets back then, Corporate jobbies, but I guess they moved on to Brighton later.

So, any Tony Bloom news & stories would be most warmly received. Incidentally, as a poker player, it was my view that he was quite exceptional. The spotty kids, minds & senses numbed from 12 hours every day in their back bedroom staring at a PC, will of course, diss him, as they do everyone unless they are a "hero", but his "cashes to Tourneys played" record must have been as good as anyone.   

TIA.

The worst mistake you have ever made was not investing the 30k.

Bad mistake, yeah, very bad as it happens. The worst? No way, not even close! I can, without too much thought, bring to mind at least 4 decisions that each cost me 6 figures. I can spew like you would not believe.

[The Camel]

Good morning.

A week or two ago you wrote......

Been thinking for a while about ways in which I could keep the diary interesting but without it becoming just a constant stream of tips or thoughts on current sporting events and happenings. 

You also mentioned that you have come across a few characters during your gaming journey, & you named, amongst them, Tony Bloom. I'd quite like to learn more about Tony. Keith (Camel) of course will know him very well, & may have even had a little punt on Brighton last season.

I just know him vaguely, firstly from poker, where we shared a few tables back in the day, & later, in a rather more peculiar way. I was in Stockholm in around 2005 for some poker event, & I was collected from the airport by one Martin de Knijff, who was quite a big name in poker in those days. Martin did a job on me (which failed) trying to persuade me to invest in a betting syndicate, which ran for 3 month periods, & bet on football. The entry cost was, I think, £30,000 per quarter.  I declined, but in the interim, he explained quite a bit about how it worked, & that his partner was Tony Bloom. Both of them had Chelsea Season Tickets back then, Corporate jobbies, but I guess they moved on to Brighton later.

So, any Tony Bloom news & stories would be most warmly received. Incidentally, as a poker player, it was my view that he was quite exceptional. The spotty kids, minds & senses numbed from 12 hours every day in their back bedroom staring at a PC, will of course, diss him, as they do everyone unless they are a "hero", but his "cashes to Tourneys played" record must have been as good as anyone.   

TIA.

The worst mistake you have ever made was not investing the 30k.

Bad mistake, yeah, very bad as it happens. The worst? No way, not even close! I can, without too much thought, bring to mind at least 4 decisions that each cost me 6 figures. I can spew like you would not believe.

I hate to break it to you, but this decision (depending exactly what was on offer) might have cost you seven figures!

[redarmi]

Will respond in detail later as on a train right now but agree with Keith.  I know people whose share of Tony's star system was basically the money that supported them for years.  It was possibly a 7 figure mistake!!!

[redarmi]

Ha!!!! snap!!

[redarmi]

Good morning.

A week or two ago you wrote......

Been thinking for a while about ways in which I could keep the diary interesting but without it becoming just a constant stream of tips or thoughts on current sporting events and happenings. 

You also mentioned that you have come across a few characters during your gaming journey, & you named, amongst them, Tony Bloom. I'd quite like to learn more about Tony. Keith (Camel) of course will know him very well, & may have even had a little punt on Brighton last season.

I just know him vaguely, firstly from poker, where we shared a few tables back in the day, & later, in a rather more peculiar way. I was in Stockholm in around 2005 for some poker event, & I was collected from the airport by one Martin de Knijff, who was quite a big name in poker in those days. Martin did a job on me (which failed) trying to persuade me to invest in a betting syndicate, which ran for 3 month periods, & bet on football. The entry cost was, I think, £30,000 per quarter.  I declined, but in the interim, he explained quite a bit about how it worked, & that his partner was Tony Bloom. Both of them had Chelsea Season Tickets back then, Corporate jobbies, but I guess they moved on to Brighton later.

So, any Tony Bloom news & stories would be most warmly received. Incidentally, as a poker player, it was my view that he was quite exceptional. The spotty kids, minds & senses numbed from 12 hours every day in their back bedroom staring at a PC, will of course, diss him, as they do everyone unless they are a "hero", but his "cashes to Tourneys played" record must have been as good as anyone.   

TIA.

I first heard of Tony Bloom when I started with Victor Chandler in Gibraltar in early 1998.  He worked for the firm but had some weird role in Bangkok where he seemed to bet into the Asian Handicap markets with Victors money (and his own I guess - not sure how the deal worked).  He was apparently in his mid to late twenties and was by turns mentioned in reverential and disparaging tones but whilst some didn't like him most seemed to respect him and his results and whenever it got back to the office he was going big on one we invariably backed it as a firm and tried not to lay it. 

As we expanded it was decided thatwe were going to get into spread betting and Tony came over just before the 1998 world cup to set up and run the spread department and continue his proprietary betting business for the firm from Gibraltar.   He turned around a disastrous start to that tourney into a six million victory which got everyone in the firm a decent bonus.

I think at the time there were a great deal of things he was doing that I didn't fully understand at the time but, years later, have come to become crucial parts of my own punting armoury and I was probably ahead of the game.  Two things that really stand out about Tony though are the sheer amount of work he puts in and his ability to be completely clear headed about every individual decision.  He was always in the office from before nine every morning until 10pm+ every night and I don't remember him taking days off or I only remember one holiday which was a safari and that sticks in my mind because he called the office and I was tasked with faxing him the sports section of the Racing Post every day to Kenya or wherever.  I don't know for sure but I would say that period was probably the point where he went from reasonably well off to seriously rich yet his focus never wavered and he worked just as hard in the years after and eight years later (2006 wc) I wound up doing a bit of punting for one of the big Asian bookies that handled his bets in that market and was privy to his bets again (well the ones they handled) and assuming they don't handle more than about 30% of his action it is fair to say he is the one exception to the Galfond rule from the other day that most punters/poker players net worth is less than you would expect.  Pretty sick when you consider he is only 42 this year.  I am loathe to describe him as clever or talented because I truly believe he is a great example of where hard work and dedication can get you.  Love to know if my view tallies with Keiths who probably knows him better than me, certainly nowadays.

[Marky147]

Love reading about stuff like this!!

[Eso Kral]

Love reading about stuff like this!!

Me too!!

[c4ught]

Love reading about stuff like this!!

Me too!!

+1

[Graham C]

Love reading about stuff like this!!

Me too!!

+1

+2

[SuuPRlim]

this is really really sick!

I didn't even know this diary existed! wtf so good.

I'm in!

P.S If I give you 100 pounds can you turn it into 1,000 for me?

[redarmi]

P.S If I give you 100 pounds can you turn it into 1,000 for me?

Only if I can call you every night with results and when I report a win of, say, £120 you always promise to look at me sceptically and say "ahhh but how much did you lose?"

[SuuPRlim]

P.S If I give you 100 pounds can you turn it into 1,000 for me?

Only if I can call you every night with results and when I report a win of, say, £120 you always promise to look at me sceptically and say "ahhh but how much did you lose?"

I chose not to ask that question. I find it leads me to some rather depressing realities lol

I was suggested a horse to bet on today, Brindisi Breeze in the 2.40 is this a good horse to be wagering on, I believe the bookmakers rate its chances of victory at around 10 to 1

[redarmi]

Weirdly that is the only race at the Festival this year I haven't had a bet on.  It has won every time it has run over hurdles and isn't from a fashionable stable and the jockey isn't high profile so it is very much the price it is on merit.  I couldn't put you off.  Shame nobody is betting 4 places that race as that might have been interesting....looks very solid place claims but the race is competitive

[redarmi]

Ended up having a little bet on that in the end so cheers Dave.