In my last post which reviewed the undoubtedly disappointing performance of the portfolio through April, I said that there are times when you just have to suck up losing and accept it for what it is. What I meant by this was that instead of looking for reasons why the tipsters aren’t producing the goods, there are times when you must acknowledge that losing is a fundamental part of betting. It cannot be avoided.
Often the passing of time provides you with a much greater sense of perspective. You can look back at how the services are performing and see that the disappointing spells are nothing more than blips. It’s the same when you look at your betting portfolio as a whole as it is when you are analyzing the performance graphs of a successful individual tipster. You gain confidence from seeing a strong upward movement on the graph, demonstrating strong profits and tend to ignore the downward ‘bumps’, dismissing them as irrelevant. However, when actually living through one of those irrelevant bumps, believe me, you feel it. And the drawdown certainly doesn’t feel ‘irrelevant’ when you’re in the midst of it!
If we were to plot on a graph the performance of my own portfolio since the start of the year, plus those of the individual services within it, we would see a nice upward trend, a downward slant representing April, and now the beginnings of the next upswing. Psychologically, January to March felt good, April was a pain in the ‘arris, and now confidence is returning as a number of the tipsters I follow have enjoyed good days and seem to be getting some form back. Had I not actually lived through this however, and were coming to the graphs ‘cold’ and dispassionately, then I would think that the figures represented a good, strong set of tipping services that I’d gladly sign up to. And that, of course, is because the time covered by the graphs has allowed me a sense of perspective.
What I’m trying to say, in a roundabout get-to-the-point-Rowan kind of way, is that you shouldn’t let the blips drag you down. Try to stand back and give things time before judging anything too harshly (or too favourably).
Betting figures from Monday 1st May to Friday 12th May
Chasemaster: Staked 8.5pts, +9.05pts.
Jason James: Staked 38pts, -7.3pts.
Morning Value Service (Lite): Staked 31pts, -2.875pts.
Northern Monkey: Staked 40.625pts, +10.542pts.
Racing Service B: Staked 34pts, +12.725pts.
Pinpoint Golf: Staked 75.5pts, -11.47pts.
Football Service 1: Staked 2pts, +2.45pts.
Total figures: ROI 12.63%, ROC 3.03%.
