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Longevity is not usually a word readily associated with tipsters and with good reason, as many have a reputation for packing it in as soon as a bad run of form hits.
Therefore, one of the key qualities we look for in any tipster is their ability to stick around and be consistently good. To treat losing and winning runs as level-headed as possible and to offer a well run but most of all profitable service (Its one reason why the average age for a service we place in our Hall of Fame is well over 4 years!)
One notable long-running tipster service goes by the name of Winning Racing Tips and has been run by Paul Ruffy since July 2006. We have been tracking it ourselves since 2007 and updating SBC members on its ongoing profitable performance ever since then.
In recognition of this longevity, we recently sat down with Paul as part of our ‘How I Make Money Betting‘ series – to try and tap into just how he has been so successful for so long.
Below are a few excerpts from the interview…
Hi Paul, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by us. Can you start off by telling us how you got involved in the betting world?
I knew from the moment I watched my first horse race that it was my destiny!
Just Kidding! Really I was interested in the biz-op world and escaping the rat race, having my own business. Racing Systems and betting got my attention through the usual ads.
You mention on your website how you left your 9-5 job back in 2005 to become a professional gambler. What inspired you to take the plunge?
Well I was determined to escape the daily grind of working in the office; I wasn’t one of these guys you hear about that was raking it in. Those guys are very rare and things don’t usually last for them, certainly they aren’t interested in setting up a tipping business, at least not the kind that’s going to help other people. I had sampled what the industry had on offer and I knew I could do better, and I wouldn’t be ripping people off like so many of the services out there.
What mistakes (if any) did you make when first betting? Were there any lessons you quickly had to learn that you can share with SBC readers?
In the early days long before WRT I made the usual mistakes, fell for the slick marketing, lost. Followed a decent service, lost again as I over-staked (read “got greedy”). It took years to realise what “long term” really meant. It means years – not days, weeks or months.
In terms of building a portfolio, as opposed to just betting, I would say do your research, do more research and then do some more. You’re half way there with SBC already! But when you’re betting I would say a lot of people fail through lack of planning rather than anything else. Discipline is key of course, but you only know what you should be doing if you have a plan. Betting is unpredictable and you need to lay yourself down some ground rules, and have a plan for exactly how should run your portfolio. Just “seeing how it goes” is not a plan. I’ve written more articles on this on my blog if you want further reading let me know!
Does being relatively well-known as a shrewd gambler see you blacklisted by bookies – perhaps quicker than other punters?
No I really don’t think bookmakers care much for who you are nowadays, unless you bet regularly in the hundreds of pounds or more which I don’t. Or have selections which maybe see several tens of thousands of pounds on them (from followers), which again I don’t, as the service isn’t for people that want to bet hundreds of pounds a bet.
In terms of your service Winning Racing Tips, what is the secret behind your longevity? Some tipsters struggle to last 7 months, let alone 7 years!
Well the key things for me (aside from the fact that I use an angle that has a clear edge!), are taking a long term view of things and not letting results get you down, it’s taken years for me to fully get to grips with the job. You have to remember to put perspective on things, its only horse racing and its only betting, there are far more important things in life. You’ve also got to have faith in what you are doing, and be prepared to carry on learning as you go, trying to pin point errors and areas where there is room for improvement. I’ve learned to roll with the punches and I don’t experience the lows I used to on a losing run and likewise I don’t get over excited on a winning run, both scenarios can lead to impaired judgement going forward which is where I think a lot of people fail.
How about the psychology of what makes you a successful punter – How do you handle the ups and downs of betting such as long losing runs? Any tips for readers you can share?
Well if you’ve got your staking right then losing runs aren’t a problem, from a tipster’s point of view they are worse as the pressure is greater, which ultimately I think has lead to me being more thick skinned and less reactionary to bad runs or good runs. I look at each race as a standalone entity and try and imagine having lost the bet and asking myself was I happy with it beforehand. Once I’ve satisfied myself that the bet is a good one I virtually never look back in anger and curse myself, even if the horse is last.
Do you find it difficult to watch a race where you have a bet? Many punters recommend not watching an event live as they become too entangled in its outcome.
If I’m around I’ll watch, if not then I’ll get the result later and may watch or may not depending on my interest in the race. If you’re feeling too emotionally involved you’re probably staking outside your comfort zone or putting too much expectancy in how results are going. One result is never make or break.
Finally, with so much involvement with racing and betting on a daily basis, do you find it easy to switch off from it all at the end of the day?
Well this one is more to do with working from home than anything else, your working life and personal affairs get entwined, but I’ve a separate office so I can’t complain!
Read The Full Interview And Save 20% With SBC
If you enjoyed this article, you can read the full interview with Paul in SBC Issue number 85, which we released in December 2013. In the very same magazine you can also read a full re-review of his Winning Racing Tips service, including how you can save 20% on his service as a Smart Betting Club member.
Click here to sign-up as a Smart Betting Club member today.
