An early selection

Nothing new here, just trying to apply what I am learning from the excellent Itsamugsblog. 
Anyone who doesn't use this site and is interested in pre race trading should check it out.

The one selection I could find for the day is Rich Lord, 3.35 Wetherby. This is based on market movement, strength of the other horses and the available odds on the traditional bookies sites, based on data from odds comparison sites.

I have €25 in @ 9.6 but it has already moved in by a tic or two. 25% stop loss, so I'll see what happens. The €20 bet you can see @ 12.0 is the bet my software will fire in if the odds drift for a 20% loss (€5 in this case). This option is available on The Geeks Toy.

Happy birthday to me - Trading birthday.

I think it finally struck me yesterday about 4pm. Today is my new birthday, a new trader has been born. All memories of my previous trading life have been deleted and, now, I understand, I think I finally understand.

One of the statements that drives me mental is "Why is it always in the last place you look", bullshit, it was in the very first place I looked, but typical me, let's take something, complicate it, looker for hidden meanings, and fuck it up.

On  a serious note, I think the (now) years of looking at ladders and making fuck ups are beginning to bear fruit, all very positive, but , now I'm talking to myself out loud, so maybe I've finally just gone mental. Please, please,please let me be right, finally, let me be wrapped in the warmth of success, let me cast away the chains of fear, self doubt, self hatred and let me be right. Just once, let me be right.

New BLOG - Keefter - Just Do it!

Keefter has just started a new BLOG, he shows what can be done with a really small bank, essential starting point for all newbies.

Here's a video of him in action on youtube ...

Is it just me ?

As a crap amateur golfer I look forward every year to The Masters. Although there are officially 4 majors I feel only three warrant the moniker "major", The Masters, The Open and The US Open (just about). I feel The Masters aura has been sullied by the events of the last 24 hours, Tiger Woods is still playing despite having openly admitted to breaking the rules and signing an incorrect scorecard. One of basic rules of golf is that integrity is the foundation of every round of golf with the onus on the player to ensure that the game is played with a spirit of honesty and transparency. Snooker seems to be the only other game whereby people rely on an innate sense of  fairness, with the player being the ultimate arbiter of what is right and wrong.

Woods, by his own admission broke the rules, and therefore should have disqualified himself immediately. He is the most influential golfer in the game, otherwise Nike would not be spending obscene amounts of dollars to buy his implicit endorsements. He has now indicated that the spirit of the game is less important than the ultimate winner of a tournament. I have played regularly with reasonable players, ranging from scratch handicaps to 20+ handicaps (I was 12.4) and the thing that gave us a sense of equality was the understanding that the integrity of our scores was more important than the final number on the scorecards.

Now, this has been undermined by the actions of the Masters committee, and the actual acceptance of their ruling by Woods, the result is more important than the rules. When questioned by the media about the penalty imposed on the admirable 14 year old Chinese prodigy for slow play, Woods responded that the rules are the rules. When confronted about the legitimacy of his drop and subsequent submission of an incorrect score, it appears that the rules are not really the rules, merely guidelines. Perhaps I'm being naive here but I'm disgusted, I once wondered whether my perception of Woods as an odious character was unfair, but sadly it has been reinforced, or is it just me ?

I'd love to know what you think.

Lesson for aspiring traders

I have been trading for quite some time and today learned another valuable lesson.

When trading it is important to remember to close the trades before leaving the market. I was trading a dog race and scratched, or so I thought, I hadn't, I'd left €70 in the market, the dog was about 8.0 and my lay was inspired. Of course the dog won, so I'm immediately down €70 on a starting bank of €100 (I had increased it to about €125 by this stage).

Despite my stupidity I'm back to €100, thanks to Richard Hughes. I caught a major green on one of his favourites that steamed into odds on from about 2.6. I didn't green up but left all the green on him and won €38 to get me back to near enough the €100, worst case scenario was he lost and I lost nothing. I was pleased with my reaction as in the past I would have gone on tilt and blown the remainder of the bank. Learning to suck up failure is a massive part of this game, there will always be another race soon, another opportunity, just wait for it.

New Direction

As mentioned before, trading has stagnated and general malaise has taken over. I have always said I'd like another income from this game so I have decided to change the direction of this BLOG.

If I can demonstrate profits to others maybe they can gain too, if I can do it and lead them to the exchanges then hopefully I can build up a little affiliate income by linking directly to Betdaq or Betfair.

The only way I can really ask people to sign up is if I can be profitable, if I'm not they'd be idiotic to sign up. There's my motivation and if I can recommend a few sites by demonstrating profits and garner some income then why not ?

I need to do more than whinge and rant, I am about to become a God of trading, a source of inspiration, a generator of income, I will be mighty, arise - the mighty moi.

Sacere Bleu - Mais pas pour moi

I watched the Cheltenham reviews that I sky plussed. The only race I saw live was the last, I fancied Alderbrook but had no bet during the festival, so I abstained. My final impression of this race was that had McCoy ridden either of the first two he would have won.

Anyway, the hype about Sprinter Sacre was well founded, and he demolished a poor field. I do feel that with the exception of De Bromhead the other trainers deprived a potential great of a proper test. He won, he won well but, like Frankel, I just cannot get excited by him.Maybe it's my age, but I want to see heroes, warriors, fighters, winners and losers. Sacre may be the best, but I just haven't seem him tested. It's not his fault, I'm not trying to diminish his achievements, but I wouldn't pay to see him. I'd rather watch First Lieutenant and Brave Inca battle up the hill, I want to see Viking Flagship fight again, I want to see Imperial Call stumble, regain his balance and win, I don't want to see McGuire torture Cool Ground, I want to see The Fellow get his just deserts.

I want to love the Sprinter, I wanted to love Frankel, but then again I always did prefer Kentucky to Cordon Bleu.

The relative brilliance of all these of these equine athletes pales into insignificance when the condition of JT McNamara is still to be confirmed. I have a friend and cousin who has ridden a Cheltenham Festival winner, they know that tragedy, be it human or equine may be just over the next hurdle, that's why they are so devoid of  the hubris that surrounds other, more pampered professional sportsmen, that's why they treat the muslin veil of celebrity with the contempt it deserves. John Thomas, our thoughts are with you.

As far as trading is concerned, no steps backwards, but no steps forwards, frustrating and extremely time expensive. If any successful traders do drop by, I will gladly accept any help. In fact if you teach, why not teach me and I will advertise your services for light years and for free of course. As the fly said to his mate, this shit is hard.