Friday was a long day. It was an early start to catch the train that would get me to the Big Smoke, and from London Euston to Chelsea FC, in time for the first speakers at Smart-Bash 2024. And before I go any further, can I just make a request to Virgin Trains that they up the ante when it comes to their bacon rolls!? Richard Branson, if you’re reading this (and why wouldn’t you be?), you need to take a long hard look at yourself if you think that is a bacon roll. It isn’t!
On what was a very hot day, it was a bit of a relief to arrive at Chelsea FC (not a line I’d ever thought I’d type) and into the air conditioned conference suites. It was even more of a relief to just have time to grab a coffee before going straight in to listen to the first panel.
The whole thing got off to a perfect start in my eyes. Nothing too complex; there was time for the caffeine shot to work its way into the system and kickstart the old grey matter. But what we listened to was thoroughly entertaining betting and gambling talk and stories that made us chuckle from both sides of the punting fence. What was clearly apparent was that both bookmaker and punter alike, a love of racing and the betting game was clear and obvious and set the tone for what was to come.
It was a shame to see a number of delegates take an unscheduled break for refreshments as the second panel took the mic. This was a discussion around governance, legalities, affordability checks, etc. There could be a fairly robust argument that these topics are the most important facing serious bettors today, and yet it was a little difficult to escape the notion that maybe some are sticking their heads in the sand and hoping the problems might just go away. A call to collective arms to seek representation for punters within the corridors of power was a powerful message to take away. Will this happen? I guess only time will tell.
Further panels covering gaining an edge over the golf markets, the psychology behind the players and the role of analytics in golf betting was genuinely fascinating, as were the afternoon sessions dedicated to subjects such as effective staking from WinnerOdds, emerging technology and the use of crypto (very thought provoking), betting syndicates, and how to profit from using the Exchanges.
Thanks to a number of people who said “Hello”, and especially to Derek who remembered something I’d written within the Bet Diary a couple of years ago about cricket tipsters. Derek, if you’re reading, thank you for the insight…and even just for remembering. Oh, and Up the Hatters! 🙂
To sum up then, there was a huge amount of excellent stuff to learn through the day. Like most things I find with betting, a lot of information is to be mulled over, pondered upon, and thought through. You can take bits of knowledge learnt, and see how they might benefit you, or not, as the case may be. But I’d much rather have the knowledge and separate what is worth trying from what is not, depending on personal circumstances, than not having the knowledge at all. And for this, the Smart-Bash was exceptional.
The only way I can think of a way in which it might be improved for next year, is to maybe try hosting at the Emirates, North London. But then, I would say that, wouldn’t I? 😉
