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I have always been a casual/mug punter from my early days. But there somewhere two years ago, an idea crept into my mind that I would be ultra careful for a year, really look for value and find out if if i could make some real money from it. Anyhow, from betting mainly on big races, I found that over a year i secured about 3000 profit from a usual bet of 50 quid.
On one hand I was delighted…but I figured I couldn’t make a living out of only betting on prominent races so I stepped things up and started to chase after more. The result was that I lost two thirds of my money in two months. I switched strategy again to money arbitrage, low returns on a regular basis (made possible by the fact that my employer has nothing for me to do for a few months). Anyhow the result was a consistent return of 50-70 pounds every day for a month. I was arbitraging everything from the trotters in Aus to late night American racing. So basically I had it licked, would never make a fortune from it but could readily make some surplus income.
Then I lost a couple of hundred on one bet, lost my discipline for the first time in over a year (cant explain) and blew it all on three reckless bets in two days.
I was astonished at the power of losing that money had in making me chase. I cant describe it …its like somebody injects you with idiot juice. I then cant describe the feeling of worthlessness that followed. A couple of days to waste the price of a small car, money that I had built up over a year.
However having given up betting for a while, it is only now that I see that even when i was winning some money, i felt strangely anxious all the time. I seemed to have stop progressing with other facets of my life, even when the time was there for other things, my mind was away with the gees gees. Permanently distracted, I was either cranky or on a high. I also noticed that my diabetes (type 1) was behaving very oddly. On top of that, i didn’t feel productive any any stage of the progress.
I know that on this sight there are some people who bet regularly, and make a living out of it or have tried. Im just wondering how many people found it to be a bit depressing.
SHL
Betting is a mere consequence.
The problem was already there.
IMO
Are you suggesting that people who are depressed are more likely to turn to betting to begin with in the same way that some might turn to alcohol. Not sure I could agree with this.
My overall feeling is that continual betting, even if you could make a living out of it is naturally hard on the psyche.
SHL
SHL,
I’m in my 23rd year (more hobby now than living as my pension takes care of the essentials) and I don’t think I’ve ever been depressed. Annoyed and dispirited after a bad run certainly, but essentially I love racing and gambling, so combining the two has always been more pleasure than work.
But I would agree it hasn’t been as much fun since it changed from on course to computer and TV around the turn of the century, and I’m quite happy to be able to pass on the daily grind of churning cash on Betfair. The last time I worked all through the summer doing afternoon and evening meetings, I felt like death by the end of August and vowed not to repeat the experience.
But if you have the discipline to treat it like any other job and limit the hours you dedicate to it, it’s not a bad life.
For a bleaker view, you ought to read this tale written by the much missed Maxilon5 on his experiences:
Betting is a mere consequence.
The problem was already there.
IMO
Are you suggesting that people who are depressed are more likely to turn to betting to begin with in the same way that some might turn to alcohol. Not sure I could agree with this.
My overall feeling is that continual betting, even if you could make a living out of it is naturally hard on the psyche.
Not necessarily.
To paraphrase an American stand up comic, "There’s no such thing as addiction. Just things you enjoy more than life."
I’m merely stating that habitual (or otherwise) gambling
can
act as a comforting blanket that cloaks over matters you’re subconsciously trying to avoid.
Not knowing who you are or how you conduct yourself in the outer world, it’s impossible for me to
suggest
anything. All I’m doing is offering an opinion, based on my personal collected observational experiences, which is yours to take or leave as you wish.
Betting is a mere consequence.
The problem was already there.
IMO
Are you suggesting that people who are depressed are more likely to turn to betting to begin with in the same way that some might turn to alcohol. Not sure I could agree with this.
My overall feeling is that continual betting, even if you could make a living out of it is naturally hard on the psyche.
Not necessarily.
To paraphrase an American stand up comic, "There’s no such thing as addiction. Just things you enjoy more than life."
I’m merely stating that habitual (or otherwise) gambling
can
act as a comforting blanket that cloaks over matters you’re subconsciously trying to avoid.
Not knowing who you are or how you conduct yourself in the outer world, it’s impossible for me to
suggest
anything. All I’m doing is offering an opinion, based on my personal collected observational experiences, which is yours to take or leave as you wish.
Ok, no offence taken or given.
AP, thanks for that article. I have to say but in a micro way, I could very much recognise little things in there. I guess that there are some (rare) people who are just better suited to the lifestyle than others.
SHL
For a bleaker view, you ought to read this tale written by the much missed Maxilon5 on his experiences:
How was Max doing when you met him recently? Must say I was concerned about him when he disappeared overnight from TRF, though did later discover he’d resurfaced on Twitter/Facebook
Ok, no offence taken or given.
No harm, no foul.
Hope you reach the bottom of your preponderances.
Hi Drone,
Max was fine – working in Nottingham, still living in Southwell. We swap emails two or three times a week on the racing, football (he remains loyal to County) and the foibles of the world at large.
We had a very pleasant afternoon at the races and were impressed with the first race maiden winner Sacred Path, who will hopefully repay our diligent paddock watching with a win at Sandown tomorrow. He certainly wasn’t fully fit or expected to win last time.
AP
Betting regularly…….Is Depression inevitable?
. Not the best worded title but there is no question that there is a link with Gambling and depression but like everything thats risk taking the more you ‘overload’ something the more likely it is to break.Nobody is immune to Depression like Nobody is immune to Strokes or Cancer,we should wake up every morning and feel blessed we can enjoy our sport.We can all ruin that feeling by overdoing it,just like everytime we get P*ssed and the hangover that subsequently comes from it gets the ‘Never again’ feeling,albeit till the next time.Moderation is the Key to surviving lifes demons and Gambling is one of lifes biggest,trouble is Human nature is like a stick of Rock,the White bits Self preserving but the Pink bit running through its Self destructing.
Thanks for that link, AP. I’m sorry Max had left by the time I joined here; he writes superbly and the Post could have used him as a counterweight to Steve Palmer. I don’t know Max, but if you’d kindly pass him my best wishes for his future, I’d be grateful.
I’m convinced, as a quite a few are, that a good living can be made from punting if you are willing to sacrifice most of the hours in the day, and you have the discipline never to judge yourself win or lose. I believe that if you win a million or lose it, you’d need to have exactly the same look on your inner and outer face as Leighton Aspell did after the National.
I’d never try it. I don’t have what it takes.
As for a link to depression, I suspect with many – and I am one – it does have some connection, perhaps subliminal, to self-worth. If so, there might be a depressive factor there somewhere for the day-to-day punter.
As for addicts, there’s no question it’s a mental health issue. I haven’t read one piece of research that suggests otherwise.
When you finally conclude that betting, particularly in horseracing, is a complete and utter waste of time and money, a weight is lifted from your shoulders. You realise that your losses are not the result of some deficiency or lack of application on your part but due rather to a skewing of the sport to the detriment of punters who cling to the archaic belief that form study can result in profit. It may have been possible to thus prosper in a less crooked age when racing meant trying to be first past the post, it’s a little more complicated these days. I view racing today as a form of comedic entertainment at the antics of some cheeky chappies known as trainers. I know that form readers, a diminishing body of head scratchers, are deserting the sport in droves and finding themselves in a better place mentally and physically.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life, abandon those who conspire to depress you.
"I view racing today as a form of comedic entertainment"
Thats a coincidence, I view your posts in the same way.
When you finally conclude that betting, particularly in horseracing, is a complete and utter waste of time and money, a weight is lifted from your shoulders. You realise that your losses are not the result of some deficiency or lack of application on your part but due rather to a skewing of the sport to the detriment of punters who cling to the archaic belief that form study can result in profit.
How then do you explain that some people make a profit from betting on racing – pure luck?
When you finally conclude that betting, particularly in horseracing, is a complete and utter waste of time and money, a weight is lifted from your shoulders. You realise that your losses are not the result of some deficiency or lack of application on your part but due rather to a skewing of the sport to the detriment of punters who cling to the archaic belief that form study can result in profit.
”some people make a profit from betting on racing ”
Are they form readers or are they party to information from connections>
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