Question for the bookie staff...

carly_86 · 03-06-2009 2:40pm #1

I work in a bookies and come across different people from all walks of life.Has any1 got any funny, weird, dodgy storys that you have come across in the betting shop?:D

punchestown · 07-06-2009 11:17pm

Plenty of characters in the shops around the place. Anyone Northside of Dublin will tell you about Barry. Stone mad, calls every jockey a crook, openly letches all the female staff of the particular shop he is in at the time, shouts his horse from the 8f pole all the way to the finish at the top of his voice going through every emotion as particular horse looks beat, then has a chance then gets narrowly beaten in a tight finish. Has a nickname for most regulars in the shops he frequents

jkmanc1974 · 08-06-2009 10:23am

punchestown wrote: »

Plenty of characters in the shops around the place. Anyone Northside of Dublin will tell you about Barry. Stone mad, calls every jockey a crook, openly letches all the female staff of the particular shop he is in at the time, shouts his horse from the 8f pole all the way to the finish at the top of his voice going through every emotion as particular horse looks beat, then has a chance then gets narrowly beaten in a tight finish. Has a nickname for most regulars in the shops he frequents

Is that the bloke who goes into Boyles(I think) in Whitehall? Mad, free entertainment though.....

Brgds
Johnny

thewools · 08-06-2009 2:36pm

jkmanc1974 wrote: »

Is that the bloke who goes into Boyles(I think) in Whitehall? Mad, free entertainment though.....

Brgds
Johnny

That used to be my "local" bookies when in college alright... if that the same guy as punchestown is on about - I remember him well!! Spent a many of hours in there doing my daily picks and few quid on the dogs and most of the time he was there too... Great (free) entertainment

raheny red · 08-06-2009 3:53pm

thewools wrote: »

Spent a many of hours in there doing my daily picks and few quid on the dogs and most of the time he was there too... Great (free) entertainment

That's what you think

thewools · 08-06-2009 3:56pm

raheny red wrote: »

That's what you think

True...

punchestown · 09-06-2009 11:57am

jkmanc1974 wrote: »

Is that the bloke who goes into Boyles(I think) in Whitehall? Mad, free entertainment though.....

Brgds
Johnny

Thats Barry alright!

Often see him in McGowans aswell some nights eyeing up the candy although God knows what he would be liked if he snagged some pretty young thing back to his mothers if his antics when he gets two winners up on a 10c lucky 15 are anything to go by!

punchestown · 09-06-2009 12:01pm

Any Betfair forum users can view the following. Its a legendary 'betting shop characters' thread posted on there before and contains some real jems. Sadly you need to log into Betfair forum to view;

http://site.forum.betfair.com/jive3/betex/ThreadsFrameset.jsp?forumID=58&forumName=Chit+Chat&threadID=732227&tName=BETTING+SHOP+CHARACTERS+%28reprinted+by+request%29&iMessageCount=339

Collie D · 09-06-2009 11:11pm

punchestown wrote: »

Thats Barry alright!

Often see him in McGowans aswell some nights eyeing up the candy although God knows what he would be liked if he snagged some pretty young thing back to his mothers if his antics when he gets two winners up on a 10c lucky 15 are anything to go by!

Is he the bloke that used to come on at half time at Dalymount to take (and invariably scuff a mile wide) penalties at the sub keeper?

Anyone know the scruffy looking chap who frequents Boyles on Capel Street? He's bald with log hair at the same time, bit overweight and looks like his heart is going to give way at any minute. Bit odd and always tries to start a coversation. One of those blokes who always knows the winner after the fact, the kind you want to punch when you've just blown a wad on some ****ty fav who gets blown away by a 33/1 shot.

patmac · 09-06-2009 11:26pm

Worked as a manager in Laddies in the late 80's and when the first gulf war started a rather drunk punter came in and insisted I ring head office with the following bet(his spelling): £20 double on George Bush and Sadan Hassan to be assignated in the next six months.

Was so tempted to pocket the £20.

Saltash · 13-06-2009 5:27pm

punchestown wrote: »

Thats Barry alright!

Often see him in McGowans aswell some nights eyeing up the candy although God knows what he would be liked if he snagged some pretty young thing back to his mothers if his antics when he gets two winners up on a 10c lucky 15 are anything to go by!

Ah i love Barry, gas man, always get a buzz out of him. My ma used to manage Boyles in Whitehall and id see him all the time. He used to come into me in Powers in Santry aswell before i moved to head office, i tell ya, he never forgets a name or face, id say he knows most of the staff in all firms on the north of dublin. . . God translating his bets used to be a nightmare!! haha

Alyosha · 14-06-2009 2:58am

That's one long thread on betfair Punchestown! Only managed about 3 pages but good stuff. Few strange characters in the bookies I used to work in aswell.

One auld fella in particular was hooked on the both the 49's (daily numbers draw) and Lotto. He was about 50, got early retirement from civil service. Would easily drop €500 a week on numbers, and anything he did win would go go straight back onto a dog or more numbers. Never a horse though. The same fecker would then be telling us what was on offer in all the supermarkets, where coke or jaffa cakes etc were best value at the minute! A bit warped really.

Few other (quickly described) characters:

Fella who used to walk about 12 miles into town every day, wore a yellow reflective vest every day, smelt like a barn and talked non-stop fine gael. Without ever putting a bet on. Used to come in for the free soup.

The Pencil Man. A pretty well known con-man in the area I worked in, small weedy fella who used to try confuse new cashiers with complicated dog bets. Some sort of a combo forecast if I remember correctly. Only saw him the once...as soon as he walked in the door the lady I was working with went after him with a sweeping brush!

The illiterate traveller who used to wait for the bell, then get us to write out €100-€300 bets for him. Grand when the shop is empty, but awkward on a busy weekend.

Then there was the fellas I used to love - those who knew what they were backing. Most notably an alcoholic uncle of a decent young Irish jockey. Fecker used ring in bets from his bed! Cute enough though and used follow his bets whenever I could nip across to another bookies.

Am gonna stop now but the amount of con men, degenerates, alcoholics and wasters I met in three years of part-time work is frightening!

Browney7 · 14-06-2009 7:56am

Back working in a bookies part time for the summer again and the amount of characters is unreal.

We have the cookie monster who comes in every morning looks at the screens and papers for about 20 minutes EVERY morning and then proceeds to eat all the biscuits and then goes across the road to another bookies and places his bets. Stingy out.:rolleyes:

Another one comes in every day and asks the 49's results and proceeds to write out about 6 slips with about 6/7 different numbers on them trying to pick the bonus. Rarely gets anything off them.

Another madman comes in and goes mad backing virtuals. If number 9 was 9/1 he is convinced he'll win. Comes in the evenings and checks the results of portman adn steepledowns. If no 12 16 or 20 to 1 has won that day he will back every remaining one.

Then you have the slow counts. One guy in particular goes around the country on his free travel pass and writes out a load of dog slips for if the dog wins he will say it's 100 and if it loses he will say it's 1 euro. Sneaky f*cker:rolleyes:

raheny red · 14-06-2009 5:57pm

Alyosha wrote: »

The Pencil Man. A pretty well known con-man in the area I worked in, small weedy fella who used to try confuse new cashiers with complicated dog bets. Some sort of a combo forecast if I remember correctly. Only saw him the once...as soon as he walked in the door the lady I was working with went after him with a sweeping brush!

That would be Mr. Magnier, travels around the country - basically his livelihood.

carly_86 · 15-06-2009 10:27am

raheny red wrote: »

That would be Mr. Magnier, travels around the country - basically his livelihood.

He's prob barred outta every bookies in the country

raheny red · 15-06-2009 12:01pm

carly_86 wrote: »

He's prob barred outta every bookies in the country

For sure, there's pictures behind every counter I'd imagine so the staff can familiarise themselves with his mug. It would have been a goldmine for him a few years ago but he's up against it in this day and age. However, even if he pulled one off every second or third day he'd be doing ok.

carly_86 · 15-06-2009 12:09pm

raheny red wrote: »

For sure, there's pictures behind every counter I'd imagine so the staff can familiarise themselves with his mug. It would have been a goldmine for him a few years ago but he's up against it in this day and age. However, even if he pulled one off every second or third day he'd be doing ok.

He nearly caught be out once while i was working but the bookies out smart his ass

jfk247 · 15-06-2009 12:18pm

worked in William Hill in Dublin and Swansea for bout 2 years in total and you get all kinds of folk into the bookies.

bloke came into the shop i worked in in Swansea, completely jarred by the afternoon. put a couple of bets on disappeared out for a smoke only to return with his pack of cigarette skins stuck in his glasses. hadnt a clue they were there. me and the other lad workin there had great craic. got a couple of pics before someone told him.

one old man in Balally used to have a chart for the lotto numbers and would tip 3 and 5 every now and again and would give them out as a "Tip" - cant knock him though if he won he'd throw 20quid behind counter for us.

strangest bet...................50p each way on Oxford in the Oxford-Cambridge boat race!!!!!!!!!!!

jkmanc1974 · 16-06-2009 2:52pm

Collie D wrote: »

Is he the bloke that used to come on at half time at Dalymount to take (and invariably scuff a mile wide) penalties at the sub keeper?

Anyone know the scruffy looking chap who frequents Boyles on Capel Street? He's bald with log hair at the same time, bit overweight and looks like his heart is going to give way at any minute. Bit odd and always tries to start a coversation. One of those blokes who always knows the winner after the fact, the kind you want to punch when you've just blown a wad on some ****ty fav who gets blown away by a 33/1 shot.

Think the fella at Bohs might be the bloke that ALWAYS wears a Bohs jersey so it seems in the Dorset St/Parnell St shops around that area - usually spends the 2nd half of the Bohs matches in the bar!!

Brgds
Johnny

jellybaby21 · 17-06-2009 9:51pm

I'm currently a manager in an independant bookmakers and can tell you we get allsorts!!!
You have the old fella with parkinsons who is 90 and calls the bookies his office, spends the whole day in it.
Then you have the alco's you can see them getting drunker as the day gets on the words get slurier!
Then you have the lads from a psych hospital, absolutely stink but most of them are harmless!!
I was working in another of our branches before this one and we used to have a fella that came in with a bagpack, he's do a few bets and be watching them on one of the big screens, you'd think he was riding the horse :pac: he pretends that he's whipping it and going up and down on the horse, he does be shouthing like a madman (which I think he is a bit mad anyway) at the horse and if he loses!!!!
We all get abused!!!

" F**kin b***ards, c**ts robbing my money yez are always after my money you's are robbing me, well you's aren't gettin anymore of my money robbers",

picks up his bag pack and runs out the door sideways!!

Some of ye might have seen him in and around Dublin before I know he's been in a few of our branches around Dublin also!!