How do I begin to tell the story of how I became, firstly, a 'failed' gambler, a researcher, then finally a developer of an application which would completely and utterly drive my way of life for more than three years to date? Well of course the obvious answer is.....start from the beginning. So I will.
Although I may have skimmed over my interest in horse and horse racing just over three years ago, things have moved on somewhat. An acquaintance I made here in Cyprus over six year's ago, who by chance happened to own five bookmakers, suggested I looked into horse race trading (Arbitrage trading) to make extra cash. Very basically a punter can back or lay a horse (Back against it winning) on countless online exchange bookmakers. I researched the idea for a few days and it fascinated the hell out of me. A few weeks later I opened an account with the company I decided gave the best odds return and the best liquidity (Cash flow) There are oodles of exchange bookmakers to stay well clear of, as they are robbing bastards! I only wish I was able to name them but I would be at great risk of going bankrupt!
I paper traded backing and laying horses (i.e. I didn't put real money on) for another few weeks, feeling quite confident I could handle it. Could I hell! As soon as real money was involved it became too stressful and after a few hours I threw in the towel as my blood pressure shot through the ceiling ending in outer space! The truth, if I am honest and I am for my sins; my brain was just not fast enough and could not communicate fast enough with my refresh finger! But the bug had bitten and a void appeared which needed to be filled. Besides, I love a challenge, hate losing and giving in is not part of my make-up. I then went back to basics and did much trolling of the internet. I thanked my lucky stars I stopped when I did. I found out that over the last seven years, because every Tom Dick and Harry jumped on the bandwagon. The bottom had simply fallen out of the market. Some punter's who had made millions over the year's 'trading' were losing it all and taking their own lives! I actually knew a person who made over a million pounds in less than two years and lost it all in one afternoon! Sad, very sad but even sadder for his wife and three children!
On a brighter note. Having decided self destruction was not my cup of tea, I went back to basics. For six months I studied everything one can imagine to do with horse racing. Form, leading trainers, riders, the list just goes on and on endlessly. One of the first things I learn't, countless times the hard way, was if there are ten or even 40 or even more horses in a race (As per the Derby) Any one of those brave jockeys and up-for-it horses can and more often than not do win. Even a long in the tooth fourteen year old hag, ready for the knacker's yard can and does win! The last thing I learnt, was that the 'form book' can be thrown out the window, as form stands for nothing. Really, believe me. If only horses could talk, tipsters, form books etc would not be worth a jot!
Horses have a mind of their own and if it is not in the mood on the day, or decides the fence fastly approaching does not appeal, the jockey is helpless in changing the horse's mind and just has to accept the consequences. I have to add that horses in general will take the fence in it's stride and really are up-for-it, as there is nothing a horse likes doing more than jumping fences. Unfortunately I found out to my cost many years ago, that even if YOU have no intention of jumping an obstacle, an excited horse in race mode has no brakes and will go for it! And, if in mid flight it happens to change it's mind, pray! But that is another story and one that will be told in my second (Second of three dramatised memoirs) which I have been trying to finish for over four years. Bit of a plug here: Boy to Man by Nicky Lee is available as an Ebook on Amazon.co.uk and other Amazon sites around the world.
Horses have a mind of their own and if it is not in the mood on the day, or decides the fence fastly approaching does not appeal, the jockey is helpless in changing the horse's mind and just has to accept the consequences. I have to add that horses in general will take the fence in it's stride and really are up-for-it, as there is nothing a horse likes doing more than jumping fences. Unfortunately I found out to my cost many years ago, that even if YOU have no intention of jumping an obstacle, an excited horse in race mode has no brakes and will go for it! And, if in mid flight it happens to change it's mind, pray! But that is another story and one that will be told in my second (Second of three dramatised memoirs) which I have been trying to finish for over four years. Bit of a plug here: Boy to Man by Nicky Lee is available as an Ebook on Amazon.co.uk and other Amazon sites around the world.
Back to post: There are many downsides to betting on the in-play betting exchange markets. The actual in-play page which lists the runner's, odds etc etc is monotonously slow. For a start there is an imposed two second in-play delay imposed by the site to prevent 'foul-play.' So if you are watching the race on your TV, or any other media providers screen, the exchange screen goes suspended (Race over) while the race is still in progress on screen! The race can be won or lost in a millisecond if a horse wins by a nose. Figure that. So, after considerable practice of getting it wrong, ones brain begins to adjust to the in-play delay, then another drawback becomes apparent. There is just one screen refresh setting (The amount of times the odds are refreshed) which if memory serves me right is five seconds! (Correction: The fastest refresh setting is one second but considering a horse in full flight can cover approximately seventeen yards in one second; so yet again, figure that!) The site is kind enough to provide a refresh button, which can be pressed as many times as you are able to in one second. So once you acclimatise to that, you need to take a visit to your doctor to get an appointment for physiotherapy treatment because you have repetitive strain syndrome! (I know, you see a lot a exclamation marks but believe me when I tell you, there are still nowhere near enough!) I remember how painful ones wrist becomes, as many years ago I was treated for months on end to get rid of the ailment! There was no way I was ever going there again! As lovely as most of the physiotherapist ladies were. Mind you some of the men were nice too but I'm not that way inclined, if you get my drift.
After a few days of pressing that dreaded refresh button, I thought sod this! There had be a better way of doing things and so there was. So, after more internet searches, I discovered there are countless third party software around which, for a price of course, can be customised to ones own preferences. I also came across a very interesting article about racing BOTS (A program which monitors and sits between the third party software and the betting exchange site, scraping data via the third party software)
Phew! It's not easy trying to detail the pitfalls of online in-play betting. My brain hurts! Therefore I think this is a good place to take a welcome break. Besides, if I have not lost you, or bored you brainless, you just may return and read the next installment.
After a few days of pressing that dreaded refresh button, I thought sod this! There had be a better way of doing things and so there was. So, after more internet searches, I discovered there are countless third party software around which, for a price of course, can be customised to ones own preferences. I also came across a very interesting article about racing BOTS (A program which monitors and sits between the third party software and the betting exchange site, scraping data via the third party software)
Phew! It's not easy trying to detail the pitfalls of online in-play betting. My brain hurts! Therefore I think this is a good place to take a welcome break. Besides, if I have not lost you, or bored you brainless, you just may return and read the next installment.
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