Match Betting

TOm Kelly

This studying form ... second guessing crooked trainers and jockeys ... checking weight / going / course / draw / blinkers / betting .. blah blah ...

and you end up stuffed ....

now this match betting - one horse against another .. no messing ... usually get around evens ... if yours finishes 15th and the other 16th ... you win ..

you can be in and out of the bookies in minutes ... have your tank on and get it over with ... a decent, civilised, speedy way to eliminate all that crap about form and half convincing yourself that you might actually know something about this game ...

this punting is very time consuming ... and for what?

.... if there is any consolation to be had from losing your tank ... it is to have had a good cut on in one whack - you can walk tall out the door secure in the knowledge that you were not afraid to be a contender ... you can cry later .. when you get home ...

I am leaning towards this match betting ... it would certainly save time ... only two possible results ... it's not fixed ... it's pure gambling ...

mdwexford

always back the fav in match bets

its a foolproof system imo

TOm Kelly

hmmm ...I was in Boyles the other day ... saw 3 match bets ... the 3 non-favs won!

by the way - these were bad horses in bad all-weather races ... but if you got it right - they paid out the same as a group 1 winner.

Robin1982

Why do we continuously have these types of threads?

About as naive a betting strategy as it gets.

However, you have (inadvertently IMO) brought to light a significant expense that investors often forget to factor in: the opportunity cost of the time they spend studying form. This is work time. You could be earning €10/hour (or whatever value you feel your time is worth) somewhere else. Your betting records should reflect this fact.

...you can walk tall out the door secure in the knowledge that you were not afraid to be a contender...

If that is something you actually value; personally I prefer profit.

Posts like these just remind me that there are so many people who just don't understand betting. It isn't about finding winners. Its about finding value.

TOm Kelly

Robin1982 wrote:

Posts like these just remind me that there are so many people who just don't understand betting. It isn't about finding winners. Its about finding value.

I never mentioned finding winners - I mentioned finishing in front of one opponent.

I am not talking about superbly disciplined, knowledgeable form students with clever betting strategies, staking plans and impeccable records.

I am talking about the average Joe Punter who does his tank in the bookies - say he had a monkey ... it filters away in scores and nifties ... and it is gone without him ever even giving himself a chance to win anything substantial anyway ... this is the guy you get in the bookies every Saturday - religiously losing whatever he has ... be it fifty - a ton or whatever.

And I am not classifying the bookie shop punter as being any lower on the betting knowledge food chain than the internet punter ... as seems to be the general view (what percentage of punters win on Betfair?)

I have always contended that no matter what your level of stake is, save it until you have a big multiple of it before you have a cut -

If your average bet is 10 cent on a horse - don't back until you are having a fiver on ... if average = a cock and hen - hold off until you have a monkey ...

I can assure you that you will never have studied as hard as you do before you pass your cash across the counter - you will stand to have a decent win if it clicks ... and if it doesn't ... well, at least you gave yourself a chance ..

... And that's where this thread came in ... look at some of the fields these days .. 25 maybe 30 runners ...

.. a match is what it says on the tin ... if I can't pick one to finish in front of another ... what right have I got to think that I can pick one to finish in front of 9, 16 or 27 others?

I don't bet on betfair ... I could see myself living at the computer - and betting off a credit card does not even bear thinking about in my case ... I read the forums ... guys grabbing fractions of points ... good luck to them ...

If the average punter in the betting shop or hanging around the internet spent the same amount of time working in McDonalds .... I reckon they could be sticking 15 grand minimum in the bank for the year ... and have free food.

With my strategy, they could combine both their punting and McDonald careers.

Robin1982

You are speaking of betting as purely a leisure activity. I'm not. Hence the difference.