Time for some Christmas shopping

With the weather closing in and playing havoc with race meetings I think the time has come to get a few things sorted. Today Ayr is off, Catterick and Fairyhouse delayed and that's going to play havoc with the card, volume, everything. The first race at Catterick saw seven horses pulled, some in quick succession, good luck if you tried trading that!

For me, winter is about taking what opportunities you can get. There are always plenty in the summer where you can pick and choose but little in the winter. Today I'd rather avoid the chaos and do some more research, practice some techniques and generally keep my nose clean. I may even venture to the stores to try and kill of the remaining shopping list.

A frustrating day!

Another sports exchange slips away

On November 18th, 2008, it was announced that TradeSports would cease operations and expire all open contracts. Tradesports was similar in concept to Betfair but it was run along more typical stock market trading lines, with contracts bought and sold. Like other exchanges and models, I had an account early on with Tradesports but I must admit I never really used them.

It was founded by John Delaney in 2000. Located in Dublin and by 2005 it reported 50,000 members and an average monthly volume of around four million trades. Now they will need to find another home to trade on.

One thing TradesSports did do for me was sell my email address. Each week I now get deluged with tipping services and fast buck systems. Not great, but that said, it is quite amusing to see what I get sent several times a week.

In hindsight

In hindsight, I'd use hindsight a lot more!

But seriously, after Newcastle was called off, the weekend didn't go too badly afterall, the week wasn't terrible either. It was a lot less than last year for sure, but I am sure many would be happy with what I considered a poor week. I think maybe the one mistake I made was being too cautious.

If you look at my P&L for Friday the total was ok but there were no standout results in there. I'd recommend consistancy for a beginneer but for for an experianced trader a little more risk is typically the order of the day. I think, in hindsight, after taking a battering in the Wetherby cock up by Betfair, I'd reverted to a more confidence boosting style. I am back to form this week however and I am looking forward to the Tingle Creek at Sandown this weekend.

China allows betting for first time since 1949

Betting on horse races is back in China. The government allowed betting to take place this Saturday, the first time it has allowed this since deeming horse bets illegal in 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded.

Full story here

That's blown it!

Noooooooooooooooooooo. After what can best be described as a "tricky week" the best chance of a really good day has gone. Newcastle races are off due to frost. This would be bad enough on a normal week but with the late start of the Kempton races, it has torn a knife through the card today. I just have to hope that the others races can deliver something so I can salvage something on the year on year comparative totals. I estimate that is around the 16th meeting lost to the weather this year. It has not been a good one from that perspective.

Have a tipple with the Hennessy

Saturdays card sees a couple of interesting meetings. The Hennessy at Newbury and the Fighting fifth at Newcastle. I have fond memories of the big race at Newbury, it has treated me well.

Two years ago I stood up at the IX investor show at Olympia in London and traded it live, definitely a pressure moment for sure! I didn't need to worry, as I did OK on the day and completely trounced the big race of the day. I earned £250 for less than ten minutes work on the race with a bank of only £1k, much to the astonishment of the audience. It wasn't the result that was satisfying but more the fact that yet again, after several similar events, it was defining proof that I don't wasn't talking rubbish! In a world fill of charlatans and fakes it proved hard to convince people that trading on horses was viable, especially to an audience of investors. Thank fully after lots of live trading, countless magazine articles and appearances across the world the message was sinking in and this was more icing on the cake. Each year I have done better on this day that previous years so today I face another pressure moment as I attempt to beat last year. It's going to be a tricky task.

Remember though it's not just the big races that throw up opportunities. Keep focusing on every race as an individual opportunity as good trades can strike at any moment in any race as this image shows. Good luck this weekend!

Lay the draw - Does it work?

Probably like yourself, I get a dozen systems drop into my mailbox each week from the snake oil salesmen. Often they go along the lines of if you do this and that, at this time then you too can make millions like me. All for £37, but hurry I am only selling a small number.

One of the most popular soccer systems out there is the lay the draw system. Lay the draw and back it after the first goal goes in or vairents thereof. But does this work?

Lots of debate has raged about this for ages but here are a couple of things that can clearly define in your mind whether or not it works.

First, I can predict the price of a draw to an accuracy of 99.9%, I only need a margin of 0.10% to break even over the year. I owe this accuracy to my, ultimately successfully, quest to win the football pools many years ago. I still continue to push for a higher percentage not just on the draw but on all aspect of the soccer market.

Second, Soccer Mystic encapsulates years of research into a simple tool. It can give you a very good guess at what happens when a goal is scored and when, in terms of minutes. This sort of shifts the argument of whether something works or not to match specific criteria and this is where Soccer Mystic really shines. Fire it up, point it at a match and it will take into account all of the subtle variations that occur from one match to another and how they influence what happens when the match gets underway. In short, if you are trying to implement a strategy in a match Soccer Mystic is the only tool available in the world that will help you frame your risk and reward.

I design it to help people really understand the potential risk and reward they would get trading on soccer matches. It can forecast match odds, correct score and over / under markets and is a must for anybody straying near these markets.

Here's the punchline, for a limited time only we are giving Soccer Mystic away for free to any trialist or subscriber to Bet Angel. It's a very clever and unique product and for free, when combined with our competitive pricing on Bet Angel, it's a no brainer.

To learn more about it, click here and to download it click here