General Chat

[nortonscoin200]

Sounds a bit like affordability checks though.
They are designed to achieve the same result.
To cap maximum losses.

It’s always sensible advice to only bet what you can afford to lose.
The pain and frustration when you have a bad run is more manageable if you do.

If you know you can’t do this or will chase things.
Then place your affordable stakes on a Saturday morning after studying and then go and do something else like walking.
watch the replays when you get home.
And withdraw any returns till next Saturday or designated day you can study and bet.

I think you've missed my point Q.

What I'm saying is that backing horses ante-post for the Cheltenham Festival has give me all-year-round interest in NH racing as a punter.

I'll be able to follow the horses I start backing this coming April right the way through the year till March 2023.

It means I don't feel the need to have bets on day-today races through the year.

Every week of the year either one of my squad will be running or there will be significant races worth watching and analysing as a pointer to the Festival.

I'm absolutely certain this approach wouldn't appeal to everyone - maybe it would appeal to hardly anyone - and that's fine. We all do things in our own way.

All I was saying is that I understand how KB feels because I feel as though I've been in that same place - and it's not much fun.

You're welcome to disagree with everything I say Q.

But my post was not about affordability checks.

I was just using 100-points as an example.

Do most people on the forum set a limit for how much they're prepared to lose backing horses in a year? I'd be surprised if more than a minority do.

I don't either to be honest.

My Festival diary on these pages is the only complete record I have of my horse racing bets - but that doesn't include how much I bet on golf and tennis and the occasional visit to the race track during the year.

I was just trying to show how this method has given me a way to enjoy being a punter all year round without having a bet on day to day races.

And just to be clear, I'm a retired old git living on a modest pension these days so I can't afford to be too gung-ho on the punting front these days - otherwise it wouldn't take long before I ended up in a whole heap of financial trouble.

[Carnage at Taunton]

I think you've missed my point Q.

What I'm saying is that backing horses ante-post for the Cheltenham Festival has give me all-year-round interest in NH racing as a punter.

I'll be able to follow the horses I start backing this coming April right the way through the year till March 2023.

It means I don't feel the need to have bets on day-today races through the year.

Every week of the year either one of my squad will be running or there will be significant races worth watching and analysing as a pointer to the Festival.

I'm absolutely certain this approach wouldn't appeal to everyone - maybe it would appeal to hardly anyone - and that's fine. We all do things in our own way.

All I was saying is that I understand how KB feels because I feel as though I've been in that same place - and it's not much fun.

You're welcome to disagree with everything I say Q.

But my post was not about affordability checks.

I was just using 100-points as an example.

Do most people on the forum set a limit for how much they're prepared to lose backing horses in a year? I'd be surprised if more than a minority do.

I don't either to be honest.

My Festival diary on these pages is the only complete record I have of my horse racing bets - but that doesn't include how much I bet on golf and tennis and the occasional visit to the race track during the year.

I was just trying to show how this method has given me a way to enjoy being a punter all year round without having a bet on day to day races.

And just to be clear, I'm a retired old git living on a modest pension these days so I can't afford to be too gung-ho on the punting front these days - otherwise it wouldn't take long before I ended up in a whole heap of financial trouble.

Sounds like I have a similar approach to you NC.love the fact that 4 days racing in March feeds my hunger for much of the year.

[Quevega]

I think you've missed my point Q.

What I'm saying is that backing horses ante-post for the Cheltenham Festival has give me all-year-round interest in NH racing as a punter.

I'll be able to follow the horses I start backing this coming April right the way through the year till March 2023.

It means I don't feel the need to have bets on day-today races through the year.

Every week of the year either one of my squad will be running or there will be significant races worth watching and analysing as a pointer to the Festival.

I'm absolutely certain this approach wouldn't appeal to everyone - maybe it would appeal to hardly anyone - and that's fine. We all do things in our own way.

All I was saying is that I understand how KB feels because I feel as though I've been in that same place - and it's not much fun.

You're welcome to disagree with everything I say Q.

But my post was not about affordability checks.

I was just using 100-points as an example.

Do most people on the forum set a limit for how much they're prepared to lose backing horses in a year? I'd be surprised if more than a minority do.

I don't either to be honest.

My Festival diary on these pages is the only complete record I have of my horse racing bets - but that doesn't include how much I bet on golf and tennis and the occasional visit to the race track during the year.

I was just trying to show how this method has given me a way to enjoy being a punter all year round without having a bet on day to day races.

And just to be clear, I'm a retired old git living on a modest pension these days so I can't afford to be too gung-ho on the punting front these days - otherwise it wouldn't take long before I ended up in a whole heap of financial trouble.

I didn’t disagree mate.
but it’s a similar mindset to affordability checks.
just a different way of getting there.
And there’s nothing wrong with affordability checks- it’s how it’s done and how clunky it is to fit to all individuals methods and situations that’s the issue.
In an ideal world we’d all manage our own like you have done. You’ve found something that works for you.
not everyone is the same which is why a clunky system in its infancy is such shite at the moment

[nortonscoin200]

I didn’t disagree mate.
but it’s a similar mindset to affordability checks.
just a different way of getting there.
And there’s nothing wrong with affordability checks- it’s how it’s done and how clunky it is to fit to all individuals methods and situations that’s the issue.
In an ideal world we’d all manage our own like you have done. You’ve found something that works for you.
not everyone is the same which is why a clunky system in its infancy is such shite at the moment

Yeah I’m certainly with you on that Q.

[Istabraq]

nortonscoin200
Do you not get caught up with affordability checks from bookmakers with your strategy ?
Your account(s) will effectively show a loss all year and by that I mean your deposits are more than your withdrawals and it seems to be an adopted policy from many bookmakers to insist on financial checks if this is the case.
Of course, as you say, the majority (you hope!) of your bets are all live until March.

I'm in the middle of a legal issue with Betfred around financial checks because they insisted on interrogating my finances on an account that has been in considerable profit for years, my account has been closed because I've refused and they've said they won't pay me any returns from my ante post bets until I comply, this will end up in court.

There are plenty of book builders in here and I've never heard anyone say they have provided their financial data but they will all be in the same boat as you, constantly depositing throughout the year and accounts showing a 'loss'...

[Many Clouds]

Sounds like I have a similar approach to you NC.love the fact that 4 days racing in March feeds my hunger for much of the year.

Yep same here too. Iv always been a casual punter on horses really apart from Cheltenham. But doing antepost this year properly its really reduced bets I do on horse racing apart Cheltenham and iv enjoyed it so much more.

As Norton said its given me so much interest in the racing each weekend, watching ones you've already backed to see how they run and looking for other potential selections. I ended up having to create a list each week on the Thursday or Friday of races and horses to look out for on the upcoming weekend, which usually included quite a lot of races, which in turn peaked my interest massively and its ended up becoming my number one sporting interest of the weekend over football which has always been my number 1.

In previous years I'd be looking through the cards and form the evening before each day at Cheltenham trying to pick some selections out, wouldn't know the horses that well apart from the ones that had been around for years and would be having a bet based on that tiny limited knowledge and having missed out on all big prices.

But now reading the forum on a daily basis it has also fueled my love of racing, there is so much knowledge and interesting conversation from all different angles it really has changed not only my interest levels but also perception of horse racing and I feel like I have learnt so so much in the space of a year, and now i would say I know every horse that's going to run at Cheltenham (bar some in handicaps) and will have watched pretty much all of their previous runs this season.

So a big thank you to everyone who participates, its had a huge effect on me and its given me a new real passion that I'm involved in every single day. Safe to say I'm addicted to antepost betting, reading the forum and horse racing now, and win, lose or draw come race week I can't see that changing in the future.

[Irish Rugby]

Changing track slightly. We are close to the period when it gets a little clearer to get a good idea on what the weather is going to be like and therefore the likely ground conditions. As we all now, it's been a wet February but the first week of March looks relatively mild, showers rather than heavy rain. I think within the next 4/5 days we'd be fairly confident about the period up to 15 March.

Let me call it first - good to soft for day 1!!!

[Istabraq]

Changing track slightly. We are close to the period when it gets a little clearer to get a good idea on what the weather is going to be like and therefore the likely ground conditions. As we all now, it's been a wet February but the first week of March looks relatively mild, showers rather than heavy rain. I think within the next 4/5 days we'd be fairly confident about the period up to 15 March.

Let me call it first - good to soft for day 1!!!

Everyone loves that weather thread...

[ToniC]

Changing track slightly. We are close to the period when it gets a little clearer to get a good idea on what the weather is going to be like and therefore the likely ground conditions. As we all now, it's been a wet February but the first week of March looks relatively mild, showers rather than heavy rain. I think within the next 4/5 days we'd be fairly confident about the period up to 15 March.

Let me call it first - good to soft for day 1!!!

New clerk of the course was in rp (I think) a few days ago saying they’re confident they’ll be starting on good to soft. Track was currently soft / gs in places he said after a load of rain that they had needed

[nortonscoin200]

[QUOTE=Istabraq;n361533]nortonscoin200
Do you not get caught up with affordability checks from bookmakers with your strategy ?
Your account(s) will effectively show a loss all year and by that I mean your deposits are more than your withdrawals and it seems to be an adopted policy from many bookmakers to insist on financial checks if this is the case.
Of course, as you say, the majority (you hope!) of your bets are all live until March.

Not been caught up in it so far Ista.
Maybe because I’m small fry?
Had one account closed and Coral and Sky restrict my bets on a daily basis but 365 keep feeding me free bets and Lads and BF give me price boosts.

[Istabraq]

Maybe because I’m small fry?

As I understand it some bookmakers are asking for financial data once deposits exceed a certain figure, I know one bookmaker (can't remember who) was quoted as using the figure of 750 quid, so I don't think you need to be a particularly big punter to get caught up in this.
The upcoming government review has been the subject of much speculation but I'd be fairly certain no good can come from it for punters, I think it's likely that anyone betting more than about 100 quid a month (presumably with each bookmaker) will get dragged in and even if you comply with the checks they will come up with a restricted figure based on what they believe is affordable to you.
Ultimately I think your betting strategy might be unsustainable in the long run, which is obviously a shame given that it is sensible, affordable and controlled but there'll be no place for common sense by the decision makers...

[kinloch brae]

Hi KB, completely understand how you feel.

In my younger days I used to bet every Saturday and devoted a lot of form studying time in preparation -until finally the pressure got to me and I really wasn't enjoying it (that's putting it pretty mildly). Just a case of putting too much pressure on myself - probably betting beyond my means at a time when I had a mortgage and young family.

Nowadays I concentrate almost exclusively on the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National ( plus for the sake of total honesty some fun bets on tennis Grand Slams and Golf majors which I enjoy watching on the tv).

And I've found that just backing horses for the Festival gives me a year-round financial interest in the game while not having to continually have a bet on day to day races.

It allows you to keep the dream alive (in most cases!!!) which is a big part of our punters DNA - we need the dream of the big pay-day.

And then when the Festival comes - unless you completely bomb out on everything - you get some cash back from winning bets, even if you lose overall at the Festival.

So in effect you end up saving money during the course of the year and the dividend payment comes in mid March.

That may sound cockeyed but I think there is a logic to it.

If you set, for example, a 100-point betting limit on the Cheltenham Festival every March - that means your total betting outlay for the year will be 100 points.

That's the most you will lose from gambling in a year.

And whatever you get back from Cheltenham - win or lose - means you will have spent less than 100 points on betting during the year.

I'm sure doing it this way has saved me money - it's stopped me backing too many horses in too many races. And it's certainly stopped me making those last minute impulsive half researched bets just to have an interest in a race.

The important thing to get right is setting the limit in the first place.

If you are content to lose 100 points a year on betting then that's fine - stake it on Cheltenham throughout the year and you have a hobby that keeps your interest day in day out and could yield a profit - or at worst an affordable loss.

I always think being a punter is a bit like being a bank robber!!!

Do one hit and you have a chance of getting away with it - keep coming back to rob bank after bank and sooner or later you're bound to get caught.

Good luck at the Festival Kinloch - I'll be rooting for you big time pal and will be thrilled to bits if it all works out well.

Thanks for those kind words, much appreciated.

Fortunately, I can't afford to bet big amounts, and I don't think I could be accused of chasing too often. I think everyone does that once in a while. The succession of winning years were not massive, but it was nice to almost guarantee a bit of 'pocket money' every year, particularly with savings rates being terrible for what seems like 20 years. There is nothing enjoyable about tying your money up for a number of years. The big question I don't seem to be able to answer is why has it gone all pear-shaped over the past 15 months or so. Punting is one of those things that should improve with age. I don't think the thought processes are any different now to the times when I was winning. You keep telling yourself that you are good enough to turn it around, but obviously the longer it goes on, the more you lose confidence.

Concentrating on the Festivals is probably the best route, but even doing that you will have follow the sport day to day, and try and avoid the obvious temptation.

[Saxon Warrior]

74 now and have always enjoyed my racing specially attending meetings but the restrictions forced me into closing accounts in the recent past rather than be insulted by derisory offers and with all the reforms on the horizon it has prompted me to close the few remaining accounts upon settlement of this years fesitival,
I will still attend race meetings and as always I don't have to have a bet but chip in with my pals in doing a placepot which normally ends at race one.
GLA with your punting at this years festival and in the future and I'll always be reading this site.

Ive cleared out my restricted accounts preparing for the Gambling Reforms coming in.

Will close three more post Festival, when the bets I've got with them are winners or losers.

Don't want any useless restricted accounts being lumped together into "ONE VIEW" or whatever they call it, and neither do I want bookies counting me as an active account holder on their lists, or asking me for any financial info.

[Redbridge]

Ive cleared out my restricted accounts preparing for the Gambling Reforms coming in.

Will close three more post Festival, when the bets I've got with them are winners or losers.

Don't want any useless restricted accounts being lumped together into "ONE VIEW" or whatever they call it, and neither do I want bookies counting me as an active account holder on their lists, or asking me for any financial info.

Good for you SW.
I haven't a clue about Golf except the Open or the Masters, but I have a mate who puts on for his friend just on golf bets, the friend is a technophobe and his sole communication is a text phone but he keeps massive ledgers on golf stats and is fairly successful.
This man invests sums up to 3k a tournament and knowledge gets him backing double figure players per tournament and involves sums such as 60 quid EW 200-1 shots 8 places, my mate struggles to get 5-10 quid with some firms and is heavily restricted by a number of firms.

I struggle to get my head around such restrictions when you have up to 120 runners and I can't equate golf with football or racing in terms of inside knowledge and it shows that they have all the odds stacked in their favour and are still shit scared to let someone back their opinion.

[Saxon Warrior]

Good for you SW.
I haven't a clue about Golf except the Open or the Masters, but I have a mate who puts on for his friend just on golf bets, the friend is a technophobe and his sole communication is a text phone but he keeps massive ledgers on golf stats and is fairly successful.
This man invests sums up to 3k a tournament and knowledge gets him backing double figure players per tournament and involves sums such as 60 quid EW 200-1 shots 8 places, my mate struggles to get 5-10 quid with some firms and is heavily restricted by a number of firms.

I struggle to get my head around such restrictions when you have up to 120 runners and I can't equate golf with football or racing in terms of inside knowledge and it shows that they have all the odds stacked in their favour and are still shit scared to let someone back their opinion.

Bookmakers are generally leeches on the backs of punters.
They've never needed to get their house in order.
Make their own rules up to suit themselves.
Unregulated in the main.
Customer haters, looking for multiple ways to just rinse them.

I apologise to any that aren't.

To the rest, I hope their comeuppance day is close.

Or we go full on Tote/TAB/Pari-Mutuel and leave them without anyone to sponge off.