How would you describe your Gambling Activity?

spider2097 · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:19 pm Post subject:

I more or less break even.

Overall, I've probably made a loss - I have been gambling for over 12 years - but I don't spend a huge amount betting these days & have been knocking around a fairly consistent amount in my betting account for about a month now. Once the money in the account gets above a certain amount, I withdraw money to keep it around the mark it's currently at. My profit allows me to place a few more carefree/speculative bets whilst covering my usual betting activity. In an ideal world, all my bets would've come in & I could tick the "Always in profit" box & I'd be an extremely happy man. Then again, my aim with my betting is not to make a loss which I'm able to do at the minute. I'm currently working on trying to increase my my strike rate from about 45% to 100% (sounds like a big job, but in reality it's one selection of a Lucky 15).
_________________
"There's no such thing as a grown-up. We get bigger, we get taller, we get older. But, for the most part, we're still a bunch of kids, running around the playground, trying desperately to fit in."

toffee62 · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject:

Similar to Spider, i win sometimes and i lose sometimes. Over the years i am probably down, but i don't get RED LETTERS and i stil have my house Very Happy

_________________
Gambling is no good.........DO YOU WANNA BET!
Premiership 1-2-3 winner Oct 2008

man o bong · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:59 pm Post subject:

HONESTLY????

I lose, not much though. Not as much as i used to.

Since finding this site the tipping comp, is an outlet for my gambling demons whilst i am very selective in real money bets. Sometimes i dont pick a realmoney bet for weeks on end now. Only problem is i will have "gambles" from time to time which cost me. They are few and far between and are not selections per say, rather an odd punt on a fancy whilst dropping in the local to check the days results,

The most important thing though is that i am aware of thyem and they are under control.

I know,from my records that i can make a profit, but this gambling thing is and can be a disease. A quick check on my spreadsheet shows my advance selections put me 25.17 pts up this month already. 14 of those have come from one however. But guess what. I havent backed them all for level stakes with real money. So its irrelitive. The truth is i am down in real on the month thus far, but that my "entertainment" budget if you like.
November i finished -11.68pts, so its swings and roundabout and we are still learning all the time
_________________
NEW! Course Guides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Click here
12 Month Horse Racing Blogs Profit +102.2pts

topnotch · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:36 pm Post subject:

i do make a consistent profit. doesn't mean im always right in my selections or have a perfect strike rate, but given the bet-in-play options these days i certainly make sure i don't lose much money. no secret 'systems' or such like, just make sure i am making judgements on what i've seen and concentrating on the sports (usually football, rugby and darts) which i can watch and enjoy. i don't gamble on fruit machines or games and such like, very rarely in the casino either. i used to bet for fun and put so much to one side for the purpose, but usually it was win some lose some and risking a big acca for a worthwhile payout. i realised rather than do this i would go big when the opportunities arise and be very selective about what im 'investing in'. this avoids the temptation to just add more to a double or treble. also i prefer a televised bet so i can actually see for myself if i need to bail out or Lay off etc. also, i have no specific staking plan, i will just stake depending on how confident the selection is, and obviously the odds offered. i also work towards a target income every week and withdraw as soon as it is hit.
_________________
top rugby tipster april 2007

spider2097 · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject:

I have to agree with man o bong.

Since discovering this site my betting has improved - With all the help, tips & advice available via this site, I've been able to be a bit more selective, learn about different markets & "strategies" (if you can ever get a successful one) for picking bets. Also, his point about being able to use "OLBG Money" for going all experimental, ie on NFL/NHL/MLB/MLS bets, is a very good point. also.
_________________
"There's no such thing as a grown-up. We get bigger, we get taller, we get older. But, for the most part, we're still a bunch of kids, running around the playground, trying desperately to fit in."

jeremiah catskill · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:16 pm Post subject:

Up until joining this site I'd have estimated a small profit but after recording my bets & keeping a decent bank I'm quite a bit up in 2007 & have increased my Betfair bank tenfold since August - now if I could increase it by tenfold again - then that would be interesting!!

Dammo Qwirky · Stallion Joined: 29 Oct 2004 Posts: 5962

looking at the poll so far id say theres a lot of deluded people out there!
_________________
Positions now available in OLBG Lottery syndicate. 28 lines in each draw dramatically increases chances of a jackpot. Please PM me for info.

23RedRaider · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject:

Well over the few years I've been gambling I'd have to say I'm more or less even. Since I opened my Betfair account (whenever that was - probably 2 years ago), that is currently sitting around £700 up. In the early days of my "career" I did plenty of stupid bets / punts, but as is frequently stated in various forums here, it's all about discipline.

I'm a systems man at heart. I've spent the past 2 years working on (and continually reviewing / revising) a few systems in my spare time (combination of backing and laying systems across dogs, horses and football). I'm determined to find a "golden egg" from my work, and firmly believe there is something in the numbers (and I don't mean number of systems Laughing

).

lazystakes · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:42 pm Post subject:

The question asked on the poll is too varied i think

as obviously when you start out making a loss or break even but after time and experience you gradually get better

overall i couldn't tell you wether im up or down over the last 7 years as i never kept record of my old bets but i wouldnt guess at slightly down

in the last year i have made a nice profit uping the stakes and using systems and stats for my betting compared to my random selection bets i did when starting out betting

i dont steal money to gamble , i don't owe money for betting , and i can easily take a break from betting so a problem "NO"

the last year defiently a PROFIT

AND THATS BECAUSE OF THIS SITE

THANKS OLBG
_________________
3rd in Copa America Comp

2nd out of 3115 in Sun Poker Free-Roll

topnotch · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:18 am Post subject:

why would those voters be deluded dammo Confused

_________________
top rugby tipster april 2007

Dammo Qwirky · Stallion Joined: 29 Oct 2004 Posts: 5962

the proportion of people who think they make a profit from gambling is lower than it was when i voted but still over half think they make a profit. could be the small sample size, or just the successful ones voting, but experience tells me not many people do make a profit, certainly not consistently anyway. i think many people if they stopped to count up how much they have won or lost in a month would prob be surprised when they looked at it.
_________________
Positions now available in OLBG Lottery syndicate. 28 lines in each draw dramatically increases chances of a jackpot. Please PM me for info.

Betfairalfie · Stallion Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 5256

Dammo makes, as usual, a valid point.

With a large sample size I would have expected less than 5% to make a consistent profit. This is confirmed by the size of the OLBG Consistent Tipsters Table - 58 entrants from 2300 active tipsters. But most of the posters on this thread have shown a profit over 12 months, so maybe its just the good ones that responded.

What worries me more from the poll is the people who have admitted they have a problem. I am sure all OLBGers have experienced the downside of punting and many have stories to tell that may help others. I for one had a very near miss with the Bankrupcy court just over a decade ago when I thought I was unbeatable but wasn't Embarassed

The stress it put me and my family under was almost unbearable, and of course the sheet hit the fan just before Christmas Mad

OLBG helps keep the Gambling Demons under control. Its better to lose money on here than lose the rent money in the bookies. But also this site is committed to helping us all beat the bookies, or at least not lose everything to them. So a message to those brave enough to admit to having a problem. How can we help?