I don’t think it’s any secret that the vast majority of my betting now is guided by the material available on the Bookie Basher’s website.  I use the Golf, Horse Racing and Football Coupons trackers, implement the Double Delight/Hat Trick Heaven strategy whenever possible, and look to get involved with the suggested methods for profiting from NFL matches too.

If you read the SBC reviews for the horse racing and football trackers, you’ll know that it’s advised to strike up a rapport with the shop staff down at the bookies.  Tip them after a good win, be nice, take an interest in them…so that when it comes to it, they’re less likely to impose bans on you betting with them, or reporting you to the Area Managers who will not hesitate to do what they can to be rid of you if they think you’re capable of making a profit long term.

So it was interesting when, for the first time ever, I saw someone else slip each of two staff members at one of my locals £20 as a tip.  I’ve no idea how big his win had been, but sufficient to show some largesse, it seems!  And it made me wonder if he was a BBer, playing the game (quite possible he was just a nice bloke, I guess).

And just a couple of days later, I saw a middle-aged, very well-spoken and presented lady picking up a footie coupon, whilst talking on the ‘phone.  After striking a (very small) bet, I could hear her as she walked out the office, talking into her mobile about the prices on the teams she had just backed.  A classic tactic for weeding out the prices that had been cut so that her gambling partner could go in somewhere else and place the “proper” bet.

I was tempted to stop her and have a chat, but where do you start a conversation like that?  “Excuse me, are you a Bookie Basher?”.  I could be arrested.  At best, she’d have thought I was some weirdo with the worst chat up line ever!

Last week was an absolute stormer for me and it’s made paying for Christmas very much easier.  I mentioned on Monday that I’d got Antoine Rozner, 16/1 winner of the last DP Tour event of the year from the Golf Tracker.  The reason I got him was that the price on one of the Weekly Golf Value tips (Niklas Norgaard Moller) had gone by the time I’d driven to my nearest Corals once I’d finished work.  No point in taking -EV bets, so had a look to see what was on the Tracker.  At 16/1 and showing 107% +EV, backing Rozner meant my field coverage for the event came to 13%, which was perfect as I aim for between 12.5 and 15% each week.  Happy days!

This was followed by a really good Lucky 15 winner which netted 26 points profit.  A 22/1 winner, a 14/1 winner, an unplaced and a horse in a race at a meeting that was abandoned due to the weather was enough to bring horse racing back to an all time profit high for the year.  The ROI on this now is incredible.

And finally, my football coupon betting had been on a bit of a slump, but a decent win at the weekend clawed back a chunk of the losses.  Interestingly, three of the seven matches were abandoned, again because of the weather, but it didn’t prevent a good profit being made.

So all in all, it was a hell of a week.  The NFL so very nearly added a big chunk too, but Field Goals were a right pain in the arris!  Betting in three games, and needing a tied scoreline at half time to land one bet and set up a bigger win on a second, a missed field goal just before half time that would have brought the scores level proved a source of frustration.  I mean, what percentage of field goal attempts are missed anyway?  Not many!  And then, with four seconds on the clock before the half time siren sounded in another game, a successful field goal took the score from 3-3 to 6-3.  What could have been, eh?

So that brings the year to a close.  All that remains is to say have a fantastic Christmas if you celebrate it, have a great holiday if you don’t, and I’ll see you all back here in the New Year.

Have a good one.

GOLF: roi 51.91%

RACING: roi 68.19%

FOOTBALL COUPONS: roi 14.68%

NFL: roi 38%

DD/HH: roi -8.73%

I once came home from a cricket match I’d played in, to find my then 12 year old son sat in front of the telly watching the darts.  Taking advantage of his Mum being upstairs trying to get his younger sister get through the bath and bed routine, he’d helped himself to a glass of red wine and was happy as Larry.  And to be honest, I can see why the arrers would hold a fascination to someone of tender years.  Ridiculous fancy dress costumes in the crowd, the raucous atmosphere, Sky Sports did an amazing job in turning darts tournaments into full blown parties.

It’s been a while since I sat down to watch myself. My lad has left home and is now at Uni, and there’s always something else to be doing.  But I have managed to get a peep in at the World Championships that started at the back end of last week, and although the early rounds perhaps aren’t quite as frenzied as the later, it still looks like good fun.

Of course it’s even more fun if you’re making a bit of money on it too.  And On The Oche has had a fantastic year, so for their sake as much as anything, I really hope this is a tournament they can round things off in style on.

It’s been a steady enough start.  Just five bets at time of writing, three winners and a profit of a little under a point.  Nothing spectacular, but just a few points extra profit accumulated would really round things off for OTO.

Here’s hoping they can do just that.

Last week was a strange one.  No PGA Tour event for a start, and the last DP World Tour event over in Mauritius being a target for just Golf Insider (who picked the 16/1 winner) and Weekly Golf Value (who found three to place).

I had money on the winner, although strictly speaking I’d already sourced it as a bet using the Bookie Bashing Golf Tracker and backed it as such, where Antoine Rozner was showing as representing value.  But more on that in Wednesday’s post.

This was essentially a dry run for how my betting is looking like stacking up next year.  I’d like to say that life got in the way of doing much last week and sound all mysterious and interesting, but the reality was work was hectic (always is as I try and get things wrapped up for Christmas (Ha! Get it?)) and I also had Christmas shopping to do.  If I didn’t get that important job done, then 2023 may be the year of making good gambling profits, but it would also likely turn out to be the year I need to make the money to pay for the divorce!

Anyway, there was plenty of stuff to get stuck into in the shops and with the one remaining online account I have, so I took the conscious decision to concentrate on that.  This is my new reality.

The chap who was Best Man at my wedding is, I’m pleased to say, proving that he can live up to the title albeit 20-odd years after he had to remember the rings and make his speech, by sticking my money on the World Darts bets coming through from On The Oche, so I’ll give an update on how that’s been going tomorrow, and then final post for the year on Wednesday.  Thursday, I’m off away for Christmas.  And I can’t wait.

Until tomorrow…

Turnover was very much down last week, and to be honest I’ve felt not a little miffed and frustrated as a consequence.  I was looking to get the shop betting back firmly on track after not being able to do much the previous week due to a dodgy eye.  Alas, it was not to be.

Saturday typified the situation.  I tend to drive to the furthest away bookies first and then work my way back home (doing it that way usually ends in a quick pint with a mate or, if it’s been a good week and I’m feeling a bit flush, a chippy lunch – I know, I know…rock and roll!).  Anyway, had driven the half hour to the small town I know has a Fred and a Hills practically opposite each other, and filled out a football coupon.  Chap behind the counter tries to put it through, and then tells me four of the seven matches have been postponed.

I simply walked out, got in the car, and drove home (no pint, and definitely no fish and chips).  It dawned on me that I could find other teams showing +EV on other coupons if I really tried, but the chances of those games being subsequently called off had to be fairly high, and so all in all I just couldn’t be arsed.

Felt a little bit guilty, to be honest.  But the logical side of my brain convinced me that there are so many opportunities to bet, missing the odd weekend really is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

Of course, the weather effected the racing too, and continues to do so.  So fewer Lucky 15s than I would like through the week too.  A wee bit of profit all told, and I’m certainly having a lot more horses place now than was the case two or three weeks ago.

One very weird thing though…I noticed last week that on a couple of Lucky 15s placed with the one account online I still have, that they paid BOG on a couple of placed horses.  Not on all of them, just a couple.  What’s all that about?!?  I find it really weird.  I mean, that the account is still viable is weird in itself, because the last month I’ve hammered it (whilst I still can) and have reaped the rewards.  I know that email about the trader’s decision is coming.  But until it does, I’m just going to carry on a-hammering.

The 175/1 winner on the golf made my week.  Means I have no excuse to not go Christmas shopping.  I suppose every silver lining has a cloud…

GOLF: roi 46.64%

RACING: roi 62.96%

FOOTBALL COUPONS: roi 8.72%

NFL: roi 68.67%

DD/HH: roi -4.16%

Total ROI: 45.89%

I’ve just finished watching the World Cup semi final between Argentina and Croatia.  Lionel Messi.  Just love him.  I’ve always had both feet very much planted in the Argentine’s camp when it comes to the tedious Messi vs Ronaldo debate.  As far as I’m concerned, Messi is the best I’ve ever seen.  Ronaldo isn’t even the best player I’ve seen called Ronaldo!

Moving on to the betting, and it’s come to pass that some drastic measures have had to be taken to ensure that I’ve a chance of getting on the On The Oche tips through the chaos, madness and downright fun that is the PDC World Championship, which starts on Thursday.  Those drastic measures essentially amount to asking a good friend very nicely if he wouldn’t mind putting my bets on.  With just one online account left open, I’m in dire straits when it comes to getting on.  This way, I benefit for the couple of weeks I can put some money down, and he has a few cheeky snifters bought for him down the pub.  Every one’s a winner!

On a serious note though, this issue isn’t going away, and I’m going to have to think long and hard about what I do (and don’t do) in the New Year.

On The Oche (30pt bank): Staked 78.5pts, +14.155pts, roi 18.03%, roc 47.18%, High 14.155pts, DD 0pts, Max DD -2.27pts

The Poacher (40): Staked 253.5pts, -0.91pts, roi -0.35%, roc -2.27%, High 7.407pts, DD -8.373pts, Max DD -9.043pts

Touchdown Profit (50): Staked 51pts, -2.17pts, roi -4.25%, roc -4.34%, High 4.93pts, DD -7.1pts, Max DD -7.1pts

Sports Totals: ROI 3.03%, ROC 9.79%

Ockie Strydom.  175/1.  Another winner.  Come on!

The form of Weekly Golf Value has, for the last few weeks, been nothing short of phenomenal.  And miraculous.  Miraculomenal.  Phenomenulous.

The value perceived in the selection was such that a nice stake was wagered, and boy did it deliver.  Looks like the kids can have Christmas presents after all (although only if I hear they’ve got me something decent!).  Talk about ending the year on a high.  Just one more tournament this year remains, and we’ll be betting on it, but even if it’s a blow out the year has been a vintage one for WGV.  My ROI is now sitting at 47%, which kinda says it all.

Let’s not get carried away though.  As the email that went out to members today stated, rather sensibly, that what we’ve seen across the last month or so has simply been positive variance.  We has a long spell in the year when we merely stood still, and we had out blank tournaments.  But just as we have to ride out these periods, so we must enjoy the good spells, accept there will be far less successful periods ahead, but as ever the long term we’ll be fine.

Which obviously I agree with 100%.  That said, it’ll be a decent bottle of Champers we’ll open on Christmas Day, and the whole family will raise a toast to Bookie Bashing.

Elsewhere and Golf Insider got a couple to place but as has seemed to be the case recently, not at odds that reward us with an overall profit.  And just two picks from PGA Profit, neither of which made the frame.

Golf Insider (200pt bank): Staked 406pts, -80.963pts, roi -19.94%, roc -40.48%, High 29.24pts, DD -110.203pts, Max DD -110.203pts

PGA Profit (500): Staked 783.5pts, +124.14pts, roi 15.84%, roc 24.82%, High 213.14pts, DD -89pts, Max DD -136.1pts

European Tour (500): Staked 81.5pts, -65pts, roi -79.75%, roc -13%. High 0pts, DD -65pts, Max DD -65pts

Ben Coley (600): Staked 496pts, -110.79pts, roi -22.33%, roc -18.46%, High 79.93pts, DD -190.72pts, Max DD -190.72pts

Tour Tips (150): Staked 201.5pts, +17.96pts, roi 8.91%, roc 11.97%, High 23.48pts, DD -5.52pts, Max DD -79.25pts

Weekly Golf Value (2000): Staked 4,596.5pts, +2,188.55pts, roi 47.61%, roc 109.42%, High 2,188.55pts, DD -0pts, Max DD -493.09pts

The Rainmaker (400): Staked 1010.5pts, -400.08pts, roi -39.59%, roc -100.02%, High 5.2pts, DD: -405.68pts, Max DD -405.68pts

Golf Totals: ROI 0.9%, ROC 1.95%

After being cooped up indoors for the best part of a week due to an affliction that made me more averse to light than a vampire at day break, it was good to get out and about down the betting offices of South Manchester again.  What was even better is that the enforced break seemed to cut through the spell (of despondency) I’d been suffering with the Bookie Bashing Horse Racing Tracker.

You may recall that in my last Bet Diary missive that apart from one solid winning Lucky 15, I was finding it really tough to get a horse to place, never mind win. Since coming back though, that has all changed, and whilst there’s been no spectacular win, I’ve had a number of bets that have produced a decent enough return which when totted up has led to a 10 point profit.  Not spectacular, but a good rate of return nonetheless.  Happily though, I’m getting my fair share of placed horses now although outright winners remain a touch elusive.

I’m still waiting for my big win at one of the shops, though.  To date, most of my returns have been sourced from the one remaining online bookmaker account I have access to.  I came close, mind you.  A Lucky 15 I had at one of the BetFreds I visit started with a 25/1 winner (although there was a small Rule 4 applied, I believe), and was followed by two placed finishes at 10/1 and 11/4.  Had the last horse won, it would have been a four figure return, but the daft old bugger made all before folding in the final furlong to finish out of the frame completely.

As for the football, well, I can’t buy a winning coupon at the minute.  If you looked at the odds, you’d have definitely expected more winners than the handful I’ve had, so a bit of negative variance striking here I think.

All told though, I’m delighted with how things are going.  I’m at an all time profit high when taking all strands of betting together, so I’m certainly not complaining.  Having said that, there are some things that are causing pause for thought, and being a worrier, these are things that are causing me some concern and anxiety.

I’ll go through these issues with you next week.  Until then…

Golf ROI: 36.9%

Racing: 64.6%

Football Coupons: 9.05%

NFL: 98%

DD/HH: -4.1%

There were no Bet Diary posts last week.  I was unable to look at a screen to type.

Last week was a bloomin’ nightmare.  I had an eye condition that was: a. darned painful, and b. meant that from the Friday night to the following Thursday, I could barely open my eyes when in any sort of light.  The glare of a screen was an impossible hurdle to overcome, and driving to bookmakers (or anywhere else), out of the question.

As a result the week was a long and boring one.  My World Cup experience was completely radio-based.  Three visits to the hospital and all is on the mend, and thankfully betting has resumed for me over the weekend.  However, checking emails once I could, and seeing a big Weekly Golf Value stake being committed to 25/1 winner Adrian Meronk, made me sigh externally and weep a little internally.  Balls!

Anyway, enough of my travails and whingeing.  I’m pleased to say that the betting I have done since last Friday has brought some success but I’ll write about that on Wednesday.

No post tomorrow.  With no bets struck last week there really isn’t anything to say.  So I won’t.

See you Wednesday.

I’d gone into one of the local(ish) BetFreds I frequent.  It was a cold, dark, and wet midweek evening, around 7.30.  The only people in there were myself, the lady behind the counter, and a chap sitting at one of the FOBTs in the corner.

I placed my bet and, spotting an opportunity to build on the rapport I’d already started to build with the clearly bored and wanting-to-go-home cashier, I thought I’d stop for a bit of a chat.  Naturally the conversation focused on betting.  I’d started by making a comment on it being so quiet and asking how the shop pays for itself, seeing as it seems it’s rare that anyone is actually in it!  The answer?  The FOBTs.  Apparently they more than pay for the shop overheads, which includes the various fees paid for television pictures for the racing (is it still SIS?) and suchlike, wages (although these were pretty crap – this lady with 35 years of working for some of the smaller independent bookies originally, then Hills, and now BetFred, explained she had had three wage DEcreases over the last couple of years or so), electric bills, etc, etc.  According to her, the bookies really aren’t that fussed about people walking in and having a bet in the old fashioned way; all they care about is the FOBTs.

It was clear this lady felt conflicted.  Whilst reluctantly admitting that these machines kept the lights on and herself in a job, she confessed to hating them.  She blames them directly for three suicides of people she knew – two customers and a friend.  She called them “evil”, that she sees people’s lives being destroyed by them, often with tragic collateral damage inflicted on others too.

Why am I writing about all of this?  Well, for me personally, although I knew these machines to be the crack cocaine of gambling, when I heard someone as level headed and steeped in experience of working in the betting industry talk like this, it really had an impact.  It genuinely did make me pause to think.  Everything she told me of the ‘corporate’ bookmaking world made it sound like a pretty grim place to be.

There’s a guy in the same shop, in his early 60s I’d guess, who also seems to see me as someone suspicious and up to no good.  No idea why!  Whilst I’ve been proactive in building a rapport with everyone in every shop I use, this chap always eyes me up suspiciously every time I go in.  It’s a slight concern, because the plan is to up my stakes considerably over time.  At present, I guess my bets are bigger than most, but then from what I’ve seen most don’t appear to be over about a fiver.  The biggest payout he’s had to pay me has been £86!  Perhaps I’m reading it all wrong and I’m picking up the wrong vibe.  Perhaps instead of going out of my way to strike up conversation whenever I see him I should play it cool.  All very puzzling though.  I mean, how can you not like me!?!

As for the betting itself, well, I hit a new profit high at the weekend when Adam Svensson won the PGA Tour golf event (see Monday’s Bet Diary post for details).  The electric form of the golf has arrived at a good time because since I had a four figure win with a Lucky 15 three weeks ago, the racing element has been pretty pitiful.  Doesn’t seem to matter what odds I’m backing at, none of the blighters are finishing in the frame.

Sunday evening was all good though.  The golf came through, and in addition a lovely winning bet using a Bookie Basher strategy that takes advantage of games that are likely to be relatively low scoring.  I’m betting across half time and full time scores/outcomes and so far things are going great. Managed to get close to 9/1 and 18/1 at the Exchanges on bets that should be considerably shorter, and the HT/FT results in the Jets/Patriots game added a very thick icing to a golfing cake.  A couple of other matches came close to providing the same positive results but at these prices, the strike rate doesn’t need to be that high to turn a very nice profit indeed.

Figures below, but do bear in mind that the ROI figures for DD/HH and the NFL bets are likely to be extreme until I get a lot more bets under my belt.

Until next week.

Golf ROI: 33.6%

Racing ROI: 63.51%

Football Coupons: 20.29%

NFL: 203.62%

DD/HH: 27.77%

It was the Grand Slam of Darts last week and possibly the most consistent service of the year so far – On The Oche – excelled.  Four winning picks from four, including a bet on a player who lost the match 4-10 but still landed the odds by scoring more 180s than his opponent.  Takes some doing that, I reckon.

Never the most prolific in terms of turnover, we’re now not short of 50% ROC for On The Oche, which takes some doing.  The deepest drawdown for me in 2022 is just -2.27 points.  This service has been the epitome of consistency.  Given a decent showing at the end of the year razzmatazz that is the PDC World Championships, this will be a golden year for the tipping old timer.

Sadly Touchdown Profit suffered a bit of a ‘mare on Sunday with all four picks losing and setting the P&L line almost back to zero.  And here’s hoping it’s a profitable World Cup for The Poacher.

On The Oche (30pt bank): Staked 78.5pts, +14.155pts, roi 18.03%, roc 47.18%, High 14.155pts, DD 0pts, Max DD -2.27pts

The Poacher (40): Staked 247pts, -1.58pts, roi -0.63%, roc -3.95%, High 7.407pts, DD -9.043pts, Max DD -9.043pts

Touchdown Profit (50): Staked 48pts, +0.83pts, roi 1.72%, roc 1.66%, High 4.93pts, DD -4.1pts, Max DD -4.19pts

Sports Totals: ROI 3.56%, ROC 11.24%.