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Thread: A Gambling Sabatical

  1. #41
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    Money won is twice as sweet as money earned. ~ The Color of Money.

    In that quote lies the biggest problem for everyone that loves a bet. One winner is never enough!

  2. #42
    Senior Member del boy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Euronymous View Post
    I've been keeping records since 1991 and I've found that whereas there are certain meetings that are bad for me and I largely ignore nowadays - the July meeting and Aintree in April for example - I've had years when I've been massively down and finished like a train for a profit - and years where the opposite has happened.

    One of the best gambling books I've read was Mark Coton's 100 hints for Better Betting. One of those hints was never get too emotionally high on a winner or too low on a loser. This was a hint I didn't agree with at the time I read the book but it may be the best one. When New Approach won the Derby my bankroll reached it's all-time high and I was truly content with life for the first time since I was about 13. For ten days I was on cloud nine - and I was even pleasant to customers at work
    Then I went for a touch in the Queen Anne with Darjina and Finsceal Beo and even though that loss barely made a dent I was so crestfallen after being on such a high that I blew a large chunk of my betting stack during that horrible Royal meeting. I wanted that high back. The lesson learnt was basically never think you have the game cracked, and try and stay on an even keel.

    If you keep records it's important to analyse what kind of races you do well in and also what price range as well. I very rarely manage to find big price winner in Group races so if I fancy something at 10s plus in a race like that I will only back it to place.
    Absolutely brilliant post. Exactly how things have gone for me this year.
    "Sometimes a horse is so far behind in a race, it actually thinks its leading...." Junior Soprano

  3. #43
    Gearoid
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    Greed is the downfall of all punters but there is no completely right or wrong formula for success and it remains very much a personal thing. I have always wanted to have a combined pot with someone. I think it could be a lot of fun and also can stop chasing etc. The one thing I cant have is a sebatical. If you need one you are doing something badly wrong or are just risk averse. If you keep records than only after an extended period can you make a proper judgement on your betting. I would love to have Euros amount of betting record on file. I like his outlook that is the end of year figure that matters despite being way up or down.
    Last edited by Gearoid; 1st November 2010 at 2:12 AM.

  4. #44
    Senior Member del boy's Avatar
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    The one thing i have learned is that im not invincible, there was a while i was punting heavy on the football, two or three odds on shots combined, maybe working out at less than evens, "buying" money. Was paying dividends for a long time, but when it goes wrong you really feel like a mug rather than having lost money on a 6/1 shot that you backed on form in a race that just wasnt good enough.
    "Sometimes a horse is so far behind in a race, it actually thinks its leading...." Junior Soprano

  5. #45
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    When I was ill last year, I took a complete breather for 6 months and only watched racing on the box, just to stay in touch.

    Due to an excessive and increasing workload, I had little time and even less energy when I got home, despite the fact that I do specialise in certain races.

    I started work on Cheltenham at the beginning of February, had my first bet in the Arkle and ended up with 10 winners at that meeting. Happy bunny, equilibrium restored. Health, sadly not.

    If your confidence takes a knock it will affect your judgement, so taking a breather is a wise move. You don't have to drop racing altogether, just watch and enjoy the sport without the pressure induced by money.
    ... unicorns are busiest at three o'clock in the morning.

    [COLOR=blue][I]"It is one of life's tragedies that men become what they oppose."[/I] Dr A Guirdham

    [/COLOR][COLOR=#b22222][I]"My glass always tends to be not just half-empty, but cracked with my ale seeping off the table and into my shoes..."[/I] Lydia Hislop[/COLOR]

  6. #46
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    Every so often I request a report from Betfair to check the amount of commission I have paid.The reports they send are fairly comprehensive and also have neat summaries.I find it fairly irritating the amount of commission that I pay-at times it's headwrecking and I wonder if I am basically a Betfair employee.
    As for chasing -I do it all the time -has generally worked out well with the exception of last weekend.

  7. #47
    Senior Member krizon's Avatar
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    Great stuff, gents, thanks so much for the further insights. For someone who really doesn't bet - I don't honestly think we can put my Sundays at the dogs with a grand total of a tenner with the nice Tote lady in that bracket! - and who's got to know a few 'real' punters over the years at the races, it's fascinating to know how your minds work. And yet, what I see there, is that for all that strong discipline in keeping sometimes very detailed records, for all of the calculations and sometimes exquisite data searching, there is still a lot of emotion involved!

    I'm beginning to realise why such detailed punting is mainly a man thing: I think that it's rather like the male hunting instinct of eons ago. You are constantly searching/hunting down that perfect prey, setting your wits against an unseen foe (failure), and using all of your guile to win that trophy. When you're right, and you bring home the biggest mammoth/best result, you must feel that huge rush of having got things right, coming 'home' without a scratch on you, no gaping wounds to stitch up. But when the mammoth appears to be cornered, ready for you to just take, and a couple of others suddenly show up and knock him over the cliff first, the disappointment - the 'how didn't I see that coming?' shock - leaves you a bit stunned. You know there'll be other mammoths, but that isn't the point - you'd plotted your way and had the prize in your grasp, only to see fate and circumstance wrench it away.

    It takes guts to get up off the floor and plot another 'mammoth coup' all over again.

    Happy hunting, gents, and thanks a mill for what is a most insightful and fascinating thread!
    Last edited by krizon; 1st November 2010 at 12:05 PM.
    Power is good. Control is better. (Lenin)

  8. #48
    Senior Member Euronymous's Avatar
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    Punting does keep the mid-life crisis at bay so you may be spot on there.

  9. #49
    Senior Member del boy's Avatar
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    Im on my third mid life crisis and im not thirty yet.
    "Sometimes a horse is so far behind in a race, it actually thinks its leading...." Junior Soprano

  10. #50
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    When I hit rough(losing) spots I just reduce stakes drastically because I find you have to keep up with things in the game and having small bets makes it more interesting to do it.

  11. #51
    Senior Member PRICEWISE2008's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arkwright View Post
    Well I'm guilty as charged as my last bet was 2 1/2 years ago.

    Not even the Grand National or Cheltenham has tempted me back.
    Arkwright- I take my hat off to you..I couldn't manage without a bet..
    "Have a little each way on the filly" D.K Weld

  12. #52
    Gearoid
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    Is this now the offical crying thread when varience kicks in?

  13. #53
    Senior Member Hamm's Avatar
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    A very interesting thread ..

    Chasing is the singular worse thing you can do - we've all done it, but rationally, if you didn't fancy something at the start of the day, but will now bet on it just because you are down on the day, that makes no sense, particularly if you bet relatively seriously. There is no shortage of bets, no matter what your angle, so surely it is better to wait until you have calmed down, and then look for a value bet or bets, and wait until these come to you, as opposed to creating bets that are not there.

    I don't understand backing horses that there has been a word for. Most owners will pass on a 'word' that their horse could do well etc etc. What does this actually mean? Nothing, the vast majority of the time. Even if they think it is never better, how can their tip be worth anything unless they have an intricate knowledge of, firstly, all other horses form and other relevant factors, and, secondly, what is their understanding of a value bet, and also, how can they be objective when they are closely connected to a horse. I wouldn't put a bet on in these circumstances for love nor money.
    Last edited by Hamm; 1st November 2010 at 1:37 PM.

  14. #54
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    you just need a good staking plan.

    the one i use does the trick..i put £1000 on the winners and 0.50p on the losers

    works for me

  15. #55
    Senior Member Bar the Bull's Avatar
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    Lads, if someone thinks they need a break from punting, they need a break from punting.

  16. #56
    Senior Member Hamm's Avatar
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    Who is suggesting otherwise?

  17. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gearoid View Post
    Quitting is for quitters.

  18. #58
    Senior Member Bar the Bull's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Euronymous View Post
    For me taking a break would be the worst thing ever. What if something you know you'd have backed wins? Missing out on a winner is far, far worse than any loser.

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    A staking plan could have saved me on the way down but the other side of the coin is that I wouldn't have got as far as I did.I'm still not convinced how essential a staking plan is.
    Last Saturday I watched a couple of races on ch4 plus 1 - an hour behind-and found it enjoyable and relaxing.After that I played basketball with my daughter for half an hour and took the dog for a walk.There are definitely benefits having a break but I wish it had been through choice not neccessity.

  20. #60
    Senior Member del boy's Avatar
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    Day one,poor racing makes it easy enough to miss. If I was having a bet it would be two small ews and an ew double on barndeh and capacity at wolver.Would be very small stakes though. Tuesday and Wednesday be 13 hour days for me so I won't have time to be Looking through form,usually would do a champions league bet but It's getting to the stage if the competition where teams are nearly qualified and may not push themselves too hard,so a good time to miss them.
    Last edited by del boy; 1st November 2010 at 3:28 PM.
    "Sometimes a horse is so far behind in a race, it actually thinks its leading...." Junior Soprano

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