Fields Of Gold

I'm quite looking forward to this World Cup. The last two haven't offered much apart from referees doing all but score themselves to keep South Korea going in 2002, and the most poorly-executed headbutt in history from Zidane last time. But there's a small tingle about this one which is drawing me in.

Plus, Mrs P rang last week primarily to say she had drawn Argentina in her work sweepstake, but also to ask if they are any good - can you tell she doesn't know too much about football?

For a punter like me, there are betting opportunities aplenty for the next month and, as it's a four yearly comp, I can get away with placing them without the usual tutting. Even the righteous have trouble imposing their morals on us during World Cups, although this could be a test case for their increased powers so one never knows. After all, they've already fired an opening salvo.

So enticing is this, that I'd be tempted to watch a couple of games in the pub if I hadn't been made to feel unwelcome in every single one of them. It's the first World Cup since the Health Act, so the half time exoduses would be amusing to see.

All in all, I'm rather in the mood for a bit of rousing football-related music. No, not that Corden rap rubbish - something inspiring whilst also evocative of a time when life was, well, more relaxed.

Shall we? I think it's in order, don't you?

Eurovision Song Punt Test

I harbour a dirty secret. I quite enjoy Eurovision. Yeah, I know it's hard to defend ... I'm not even gay!

Still, it's one of those nights when we Puddlecotes buy in a massive pizza and marvel at a pan-European spectacle. Well, the kids do anyway, I just judge which singer has the best legs.

Unfortunately, the marking has become a bit of a procession in recent competitions, as I remarked upon, satirically, last year.

Europe was last night celebrating as the entire continent doubled their money.

After two consecutive years of the bookies' favourite walking the Eurovision Song Contest, everyone west of Palestine wised up and filled their boots by voting for who they had backed on border-free online betting sites.

Mehmet Erdogan from Istanbul enthused, "As I not able vote for Turkiye, I vote before for Germany where my brother build houses. Why? He never thank me. This year I take double money Asda price on Bet365, put all bank on Norway, and vote it. Like taking candy from baby."

Dave Smarmy of Reading, UK, thought long and hard before ringing 20 times at 15p per shot, "I weighed up my options carefully.", he revealed, "Do I waste my phone call on judging the songs on their merits? Or do I just see who the bookies favour, tell my mates in the office, prior to the event, that Norway are going to win and I've got my kids' savings on them, then boast about how brilliant and wealthy I am on Monday morning? It's a no-brainer really, isn't it? It's like backing the favourite in the Grand National and then being able to choose who wins".

As champagne corks popped from Riga to Cadiz, betting firms were planning their strategy for 2010.

"We've had a conflab and know how to beat Europe's cheating next year.", insisted Gary Camelcoat of William Hill, "We'll install Israel at odds on next time out. No-one likes them and unless they sing about polar bears like in the 70s or choose another gender bender, we'll suck the stakes up like a Dyson. Hahahaha."

Upon being reminded that those who bet are the judges, Mr Camelcoat responded, "Oh crap! Forgot about that."

On that basis, it's got to be worth a lazy score on the 2010 favourite, this sassy 17 year old from Azerbaijan. 11/4 at Billy Hills will do for me.



If you're tuning in yourself, drop any observations in the comments - I'll be around. Safura is on first.

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

It's always fun when an inexperienced press start fumbling around with betting prices.

William Hill slashed its odds from 300/1 to 25/1 amid the “biggest betting frenzy” on the party since Lloyd George was Prime Minister.

✓

The bookmakers also shortened its odds, from 20/1 to 10/1, that the party would win more than 100 seats in the next Parliament.

✓

Odds of a Conservative victory shortened from 8-11 before the debate to 4-5 by the end.

x

Yeah, err, nearly there. A little more homework required for inverse fractionals, methinks.

Strangely enough, while a Telegraph journo was confusing his or herself, somewhere a roadsweeper was mentally calculating the returns from an each way yankee without any problem at all.

I Gotta Horse!

Prince Monolulu hollering his catchphrase in 1927 (explained here)

We cover most of the vices here, but the betting tag isn't used too often, so let's put that right by throwing some cash around on Grand National day.

I'm already on Arbor Supreme having taken 40/1 ante-post in February. Best price is now 16s so I'm happy with the value there. Nicely weighted, the going is to his liking and he has a future star jockey guiding him.

However, I've simply got to top up with a punt on My Will, still 40/1 in places. Was third last year and his name sums up the ethos of this blog. My will, not the will of the state or anyone else. Oh yes.

Best of luck whichever you choose, and if there's any horse you particularly fancy, don't keep it to yourself, share in the comments and reap a year's worth of bragging rights if it wins.

Up-to-date best prices from major bookies can be viewed here.

The Perils Of Gambling

Don't do it, kids.

In a former life, Dick was quite involved in darts and provided tips to a rather salubrious subscription betting site. They must have been good because I was made a free life member. Some of the darts info I am afforded would make your hair curl so an anonymous darts blog would have been quite interesting. Unfortunately, I tried it for a couple of weeks and darts fans completely missed the point.

Anyway, one still likes to keep one's hand in and I threw a lazy tenner at Simon Whitlock at 66/1 earlier this month with a deliberate view to laying if it got too hot. That day was yesterday but, with distractions aplenty I bloody forgot, didn't I.

Brilliant, then, that he won to offer a much more attractive lay today. Bloody wonderful, in fact, as the bet was still alive and dent to my return, after hedging, was reduced by half.

Guaranteed profit is nice, but seeing him beat Barneveld tonight is rather worrying. I'm now left with a matched liability of £581 if he should beat Taylor tomorrow, leaving a mere £73 profit.

Now, it ain't happening, of that I'm pretty sure, but if he'd lost to Wade (with my lay placed) or Barney, I'd have been quite happy. With Taylor, though, I'm in the odd position of wanting Whitlock to win despite it costing me about £500.

There should be no sentiment in betting, so I wish I'd not bothered with a wager in the first place, to be honest.

Ungrateful bastard, ain't I?

Europe Cashes In

Europe was last night celebrating as the entire continent doubled their money.

After two consecutive years of the bookies' favourite walking the Eurovision Song Contest, everyone west of Palestine wised up and filled their boots by voting for who they had backed on border-free online betting sites.

Mehmet Erdogan from Istanbul enthused, "As I not able vote for Turkiye, I vote before for Germany where my brother build houses. Why? He never thank me. This year I take double money Asda price on Bet365, put all bank on Norway, and vote it. Like taking candy from baby."

Dave Smarmy of Reading, UK, thought long and hard before ringing 20 times at 15p per shot, "I weighed up my options carefully.", he revealed, "Do I waste my phone call on judging the songs on their merits? Or do I just see who the bookies favour, tell my mates in the office, prior to the event, that Norway are going to win and I've got my kids' savings on them, then boast about how brilliant and wealthy I am on Monday morning? It's a no-brainer really, isn't it? It's like backing the favourite in the Grand National and then being able to choose who wins".

As champagne corks popped from Riga to Cadiz, betting firms were planning their strategy for 2010.

"We've had a conflab and know how to beat Europe's cheating next year.", insisted Gary Camelcoat of William Hill, "We'll install Israel at odds on next time out. No-one likes them and unless they sing about polar bears like in the 70s or choose another gender bender, we'll suck the stakes up like a Dyson. Hahahaha."

Upon being reminded that those who bet are the judges, Mr Camelcoat responded, "Oh crap! Forgot about that."

The Importance Of Information

"Hence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend”

The Art of War, Sun Tzu

There's a lot of fallout from a Blue Square Premier Conference match on Saturday, which saw Rushden & Diamonds beat Weymouth 9-0. A club takeover had failed and all the players were out of contract come Monday morning. A (now very good) friend alerted me to this on Friday and I managed to scrape a fair sum at 6/5 on Rushden as the price was tumbling.

The Times and Mail are reporting how bookies were caned as fans lumped on the opposing team.

When fans of cash-strapped Weymouth Football Club heard the first team was going on strike, they decided to act - by heading down to the bookies.
Supporters quickly realised the club would be forced to field their youth squad in the Blue Square Premiership match against Rushden and Diamonds.
There was a killing to be made and, nine goals later (for Rushden), bemused bookmakers found themselves paying out more than £1million to happy Weymouth fans.

Senior squad members at the club have not been paid all season and they refused to play on Saturday after medical insurance for the match had lapsed.

Online betting exchanges and high street betting shops were inundated with people trying to place bets on a Rushden win, with many being forced to cut odds and then suspend betting entirely.

Weymouth's youth side went on to lose the match 9-0.
More than £680,000 was put on a Rushden victory on the Betfair exchange alone.

The odds on a Rushden win were slashed from an early 15/8 to 5/4 on the night before the game, and they were down to 4/6 before kick off.

Happy Days!

The Guardian and the Independent have a different take on it though.

The Football Association is to question officials at Weymouth and Rushden & Diamonds after suspicious betting on the weekend match between the two clubs.

Weymouth lost 9-0 after their senior players refused to turn out for the Blue Square Premier match because of a dispute over pay.

News of the dispute had spread before the game and bookies took 10 times more than usual in bets on the game – all for a Rushden & Diamonds win. An FA spokesman said: "We are aware of the concerns and we are investigating unusual betting patterns."

The bookies paid out around £1m but Totesport suspended betting on Saturday morning after "smelling a rat".

Totesport spokesman George Primarolo said: "People have got wind of the team news before the bookies have. This sort of thing happens in the lower leagues from time to time."

What's to investigate? The bookies got caught with their pants down. The information was in the public domain on Weymouth's web-site for two days, it's just that their compilers hadn't spotted it. To their credit, the bookies aren't making a fuss, so why are the FA?

Perhaps they have been taken in by the earlier articles stating that it was merely Weymouth fans taking advantage. It wasn't. If they had as much as £680,000 as was cleaned out at Betfair, never mind the sums deposited elsewhere, their club wouldn't be in the mess that caused Saturday's bonanza in the first place.

Information is King. (I'm sure this could also apply in financial circles as well, by the way).