How many keep a detailed record of their betting ?

[bospheros]

100% of my bets are online, and around 99% of those bets are on Betfair.

I think today was the first time I've downloaded my P&L figures (for the last 30 days), probably because I'm chuffed to bits with the numbers on there! Nearly 3 grand in a month! (bet I'm just as proud as JC is with his numeros!)

I think I will do another spreadsheet with the bets from other sites to give the full picture. I'm quite happy with the prices I get on Betfair, but I need to have a look at what difference the commission is really making.

I'm a bit of an excel geek too so this kind of stuff is almost fun for me. When I was playing poker I would do graphs of every session that I played using their hand history. I stopped playing soon after they 'upgraded' the hand history feature disabling me from doing my session stats... possibly not just a coincidence.

I think you are much more likely to keep a record if you are in profit, but a person who keeps one whilst their numbers are negative is probably likely to turn it around. Again its that discipline thing.

[bospheros]

[fairfranco]

it's easy to say.

take a look at available prices for what you bet on on valuechecker/oddschecker and compare to Betfair -whatever your comission rate is.

do this for a while and see how it works out.

I'd like to be able to use my Betfair history downloads better in order to use that for my results but like you say you don't always get the information out brilliantly.

[turfline]

In responce to a fact were some do not keep records because ( i do not want to be reminded about losers), let me first of all say Big Mistake, and this is why, as i have said i log all my losses (wins and selections) and to get my investment back on them i follow them for three runs After and there have been plenty of big priced winners were i have used my 2nd tank (recovery tank) were i put on a small amount to recover my initial investment on the horse, just an example if a runner is priced up at 5/1 next time and i had £100 win on it last time, i would put £20 on it to recover the intial investment of £100 and a further small investment if the price was 3/1 or higher to make a profit on the investment overall ( on the selections next 3 runs only) then i discard them and have an overall column which the losses (those losers)go into, and that pool of losses can be trawled back with careful investment, meaning i have been trawling losses back in that column when ever the opportunity arises since i started keeping records.
It gives you an overall way of Monitering your Punting and that is so so important.
When i go shopping i always look fo the best deals if its food/ petrol or clothing or punting its a mind set thing that you must adopt, if you have a cavalier attitude towards money and punting especialy, bookmakers will wellcome you with open arms.
One of the horses that i put up on my Blog was a 50/1 winner at aintree in that 3 run criteria so it does not need much imagination to how much i trawled back on some of my earlier investments and all this because i keep records.

[mattpjl]

I totally agree with Turfline's sentiments above and also congratulate him for his info on Centennial- i backed at 33/1 now down to 10's for the derby.

Anyway onto this topic, i keep a detailed record of who i bet with, which horse and which price i got them with, I think you have to be discilpined like this for better results.

I totted up my record for this year Jan to Apr and was -£128 which on the surface looks bad however i have some of that money tied up in ante-posts bets and a lot of that deficit was on my ante post non-runner for the 2000 Guineas Amaakin

I also have had a couple of big winners on saturday which arent accounted for so i am personally not too disappointed as i see betting as a hobby and a lot of people would spend much more in 4 months than £128 on thier hobby.

I think its important to do things like this as if you are in profit -it is always nice to see and if you are losing you can look at where and why and hopefully not lose too much.

[thatsa donkey]

Hi All,

I don't keep records of my actual bets because I make so few that I can leave that to Betfair.

I am still relatively new to gambling IMO, only having been looking for bets for a couple of years.

I do however have notebooks where I record the bets that I think I should make. I do this in a notebook because it is easier and less time consuming for someone who only has a very basic understanding of spreadsheets, (mental note , must try and get to grips those pesky pooter progs,excell access etc.).

Keeping records is very important and it can give birth to tracking many interesting lookin systems.

Tipster comp is also great for easily identifying strenghts and weaknesses.

Donkey.