SBC: Thanks for agreeing to the interview – first of all, can you explain why you decided to start following tipsters and more to the point – why you decided to write a blog about it?

MPP: For years I was your standard punter, firing on daft accumulators while watching the scores on a Saturday or throwing on a random lucky 15 at the racing, with no success whatsoever….a donation to the bookies every week.

I then became aware of the SBC about five years ago which was when I realised it was possible to turn myself into a profitable punter by following tipsters. I started blogging in the hope it would force me into being more disciplined with outside eyes looking on, while also giving me the platform to share my experiences with others who may be doing the same thing. These types of blogs have been incredibly useful to me in the past, so hopefully one or two others find mine of use.

Onto your 2019 performance and how about some headline figures to begin with. Exactly how much did you make in 2019 before and after any costs?

The final total was £10,886.57 profit although after you deduct the subscriptions (£3,540) the final figure was £7,346.57.

How many hours a week do you think it took to run your ‘portfolio’ and would you say it was worth the time and effort you put into it?

I’ve actually managed to reduce this considerably in the past few months as a result of account restrictions forcing me onto the exchange. It’s hard to put an exact figure on it but i’d estimate I used to spend about 8 hours a week with that time mainly taken up by shopping around trying to secure the best price as soon as bets were released. Now with little accounts left, i’m forced to use the exchange close to the off which has freed up a lot of time. I’d estimate i’m down to about 3 or 4 hours per week now so definitely worth the effort.

Onto your portfolio itself – how did you choose the tipsters to follow?

In 2019 I had six tipsters – three racing, two golf and one football. The SBC tipster profit reports and magazines are my first port of call to identify potential tipsters and ensure they suit my personal circumstances. I then narrow the list down by conducting my own analysis to double check the ones that will suit me best which also usually highlights areas where I can tailor each service to either increase ROI or ROC or simplify the way I follow a service i.e. potential for placing bets later in the day.

Digging into your results last year – Who was your best performing tipster in 2019?

Best performing was a service whom I refer to as Racing Service 3 (the tipster in question likes to stay out of the limelight) who generated a profit of £9,216.77 at 10.1% ROI and 92.2% ROC. The Value Bettor is also worth a mention since he’s only in action 5 months of the year and managed to produce a profit of £5,674.07 at 22.7% ROI.

What was your biggest win or success story?

My biggest win was back in April when I had £100 on a 33/1 winner, but i’d say the biggest success story was the number of times I managed to recover from substantial four figure drawdowns.

Of course we should never forget the downside of betting either and the losing runs we all go through at times. What was the biggest issue you faced and what was the worst bad beat or bad luck story of the year?

The biggest issue I faced was the volatility of the portfolio. I felt as though I was always on either a huge drawdown, or on a big winning run, there seemed to be no middle ground.

Back luck wise was probably back in March when I was only able to place half my usual stake on 28/1 and 33/1 winners due to the odds disappearing as I was splitting my stakes across a number of books. If I managed to get the full stake down then i’d have been £3000 richer.

What would you say to anyone wanting to copy you and what they should be prepared for?

It may seem like a get rich quick scheme but it’s far from it. It isn’t as easy as just picking a tipster and placing the bets, as if you don’t have a disciplined approach then you will be up against it. Even the best of tipsters go on losing runs so you need sufficient betting banks and the mentality to absorb the losses. Would you keep placing bets if you had lost 50% or more of your bank?

In 2019 I endured four losing runs of more than £5000 but kept at it, refusing to reduce stakes in the knowledge that the tide would turn. I’d guess not a lot of people would be willing to see out the dark days, which is why so few make this work. The pressure you feel under when you have no idea where the next winner will come from is pretty intense. Those who don’t know how to lose, will have no chance of winning in the long term.

Finally – how can people read more from you (besides your 2019 report!?)

I make regular updates on the blog at http://makingpuntingpay.blogspot.com where you can subscribe to receive updates via email. I’m also on Twitter @MakePuntingPay