Gambling Blog

While the main reason for gambling is to try and beat the odds, for many people gambling is more than just a sport, it can often be a social event.  We have seen a mass of syndicates appear, taking in areas such as horse racing, football and even bingo to name a small selection.  So why has gambling become such a socially acceptable event after years in the wilderness?

As the number of sports covered has grown and grown we have seen the customer base for bookies, casinos and other gambling organisation mushroom.  While competition is still difficult for the companies involved, the social aspect of the sport has also grown, with very much an us and them attitude amongst fellow gamblers looking to either get “one over” on the bookies or engage in some playful banter playing their friends and colleagues.  But is it always friendly?

Like an event where money and pride are at stake there can often be a little friction and things can often get quite heated, but surely this is all part of the thrill? Pushing you opponent to the edge, taking the bookmakers to the cleaners, or all doing you home work and finding a mis-priced outside bet which comes home.  Many people work best when there is something at stake, whether this is £1 or £1,000, it is very often the pride factor which can kick in.

Gambling is one of the only sports in the world which you can play online 24 hours a day 7 days a week, where you can find your favourite sport “in-play” anywhere around the world, and where you can pit your wits against man and machine.  However, as they say “pride comes before a fall”, so do not let your pride get the better of you and learn to realise when you are beat – leaving something for the next time!

While the term “gambling” is a fairly ambiguous term, it is actually defined as “wagering either money or something of material value, on an event of which the outcome is uncertain”. So in effect it can cover any event where the outcome is in any way, shape or form, uncertain.  Here below we list some of the strangest bets which have ever been “placed”.

Man Bets Wife In Card Game

While this is probably thought of as one of those “old wives” tales from many years ago, it did actually happen in Russia.  A Poker player ran out of money and in the heat of the moment he bet his wife on the turn of the cards and as you might have guessed he lost.  When his opponent tried to collect his “winnings” the players wife divorced him, went to live with the victor and married him a short time later.  They now live happily ever after.

Man Bets A Boob Job

While this must be perhaps one of the strangest bets ever heard of, it seems to have happened in a US casino, although the exact date seems to be a little shrouded in mystery.  One Poker player seems to have been down on his luck, no money in the pot, but left with what he thought was a good hand.  Desperate to take on his opponents and put himself back in play, he bet that if he lost HE would get a boob job.  Well it seems that he lost, and he had his very own set of man breasts very soon after!

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of examples of people getting carried away in the heat of the moment when gambling.  What seems to be a common factor in these crazy bets is that they must see them through – even though gambling debts are not legally enforceable.  Strange but true – now you know why your bookmaker makes you pay up front!

As more and more people gamble online it is become easier and easier to see a history of your gambling activities, how much you put in, how much you took out and how much you won or lost.  How is your book looking for 2007? Was it a good year? Did you turn it around after a bad start? Or have you been a winner all the way through?

As we knock on the door of 2007 many people are possibly a little afraid to see exactly what they have won or lost over the last 12 months, but how can you ever learn if you don’t know how your have performed? You might even give yourself a surprise and find that you are up over the 12 months!

As you get caught up in the heat of the moment it is very difficult to keep track of what has come in and what has gone out of your “gambling” account.  If like the rest of us you only remember your winners and forget your losers then things may not be too rosy in the garden.  However, one thing is for sure, if you do look back through your gambles for the years – and for some people this may be many – you will see periods, sports and particular sized bets where you did better than average. 

It is possible to use this information to pin point your strengths and ensure that you use them in 2008.  Maybe you lose your bottle when you have a big bet? Maybe you had better keep away from football? Or maybe horse racing is your game, but on the each way field?

It is vital that you use your historic records to highlight areas which you should concentrate on and areas which you should avoid.  Gambling is all about running your winners and binning the losers, but you need to find out which is which.

Following on from our earlier post about some of the big gambles which came off, we hereby list an intriguing story about the infamous Salisbury Hermits who certainly made their mark:-

When No Information Equals Large Prices

Even though it may have been the early twentieth century, the Hermits of Salisbury Plain obviously knew the value of information even then! These horse owners pulled off some of the largest betting coups of all time, taking the bookies for a ride in the process.

This group of horse fanatics owned and trained a number of race horses at their top secret Druid Lodge stables, an area which was cut off from public view with visitors by appointment only.  They were so paranoid about information being leaked to the wider world that they even opened the mail of the stable lads to ensure no tips were being passed on.

The syndicate were rumoured to have netted about £250,000 (£10m in today’s money) when Hackler’s Pride won the 1903 Cambridgeshire race,  with nobody aware of what the horse was capable of before the day.  Their strategy of keeping all horses under wraps certainly paid off!

In the same season they also introduced Ypsilanti to the racing world, with the “outsider” backed from 25/1 to 7/2 favourite on the day of the Great Jubilee at Kempton Park.  While the bookies had learned to take notice of their horses, the Hermits still managed to lock in a profit equivalent to £4m in today’s money after taking the earlier 25/1 odds!

While the bookmaking industry of today seems to have informants every where, the early days of horse racing were often shrouded in mystery.  That is not to say that it is impossible to “hood wink” the bookies in today’s market, but it would be a whole lot more difficult.

We thought it might be interesting to take a look at the more obscure moments in the gambling world which have seen some of the craziest and weirdest gambles of all time bring home the money!

Are you ready ? Let us begin :-

Tony McCoy Keeps It In The Family

In a novice chase as Southwell, jockey Tony McCoy was dismayed when 8/11 favourite Family Business fell during the race.  Sure that his chance of victory had gone, McCoy was making his way back to the stables when he heard news that the other 4 horses in the race had also fallen.  Quick thinking McCoy then re-mounted Family Business, trotting home the only finisher in one of the strangest races of all time.

One hardened gambler in Australia chose to stake £5 at odds of 1,000/1 on Family Business to win, after the horse had fallen and McCoy had dismounted.  This in-play bet sure paid off when the lucky gambler collected £5,000 for his £5 stake, but what about the poor soul who layed the bet, sure that he had £5 in the bag!

The Long Walk Home

In 1836 the famous St Leger race meeting was not quite as sophisticated as it is today, with no horse transport available and all horses having to be walked to race meetings, where ever they may be.  However, when Lord George Bentinck decided to enter his champion Elis into the race the bookies were running scared until they realised that with just a few days to go before the race, Elis was still at the Goodwood stables many many miles away.

Confident that the horse would be in no fit shape to race, the bookies lengthened the odds on the early favourite, effectively deeming the horse as having no chance.  Little did they know that Lord Bentinck had been working on the first horse carrier ever seen, hooking up a number of horses  to the box containing the favourite.  

After being pulled to the race course, Elis arrived in tip top shape, went off 7/2 second favourite and romped home.  Lord Bentinck picked up a tidy amount, having taken the earlier odds when the horse had “no chance”.

More interesting gambles to follow……..

In a move aimed at putting an end to the constant barrage of criticism and rumours of match fixing, the ATP have given all of their members until Thursday to come forward with any allegations or examples of match fixing or illegal approaches. They have also introduced a new rule to the hand book which will force the tennis players to come forward within 48 hours or being approached or receiving information concerning corrupt gambling practices, etc.� A move in the right direction?

The ATP policy is the latest in a long line of attempts by a whole range of sports to clamp down on the corruption which, no matter how small, is having a detrimental effect on sport as a whole, with some sports suffering more than others.� While the moves have been welcomed by many observers, there are some who fear that unless direct action is taken against the culprits then the situation will not improve.�

The 48 hour rule for ATP members in particular is proactive, but the fact that members involved (or aware of) criminal gambling activities have always had a duty to inform the authorities does not seem to have changed.� It is the astonishing cash figures on offer which seem to have turned the heads of the small number involved in these actions, so will the threat of sanctions (which have always been there) be enough to turn the tide?

In reality the only actions which will stem the tide are criminal actions, such as those ongoing and actually in court at the moment.� If the would be �cheats� were to see others hammered by the authorities and receiving criminal records, would this have more of an impact?

There is nothing like the real threat of a prison term, and massive fine, to focus the mind on the job at hand, but will the authorities be able to push through what they believe to be strong cases with regards to fixing claims? Time will tell, but we have been here before on so many occasions…….

While there are many different forms of gambling, it is surprising the similarity in skills required for each one.� Many of these skills are transferable which is why many professional gamblers can adapt themselves to different areas and types of gambling - the building blocks are there it is just a matter of researching the subject matter.

So what are the characteristics which link so many gamblers together?

In summary, we hereby list some of the similarities below :-

� An ability to handle pressure - and in many cases actually thrive off it.�

� An ability to think on your feet and adapt yourself to various situations.

� A good grasp of maths and an ability to spot incorrect odds and prices.

� An interest in the actual event which you are gambling on.� This is more a requirement to know the rules, how it works and the basics of the sport / event.

� Money! While we all hear stories about people winning a big payout from their last pound, the majority of us will need a decent sized fund to be able to make the best out of gambling.

� An ability to walk away if things are not going right for them�� They will not chase their loses, they will just call it a day.

� A gambler will always know the value of money, what is a good win, what should be spent and what should be held.� They may put some large bets on, but in their mind they only do this where there is little risk.

� A good gambler will learn from their losing streaks, and come back stronger and more focused.� Even the best gamblers in the world get in wrong - you just need to live with it!

Gambling is not easy otherwise we would all be doing it, but if you have traces of the above characteristics in your make-up, then you may be the type of player who could do well.� You never know!

The humble dice has forever been associated with gambling, but do you know when the first die were produced and how they evolved? You may be surprised how old the concept is and when the first discoveries date back to.�

The term �dice� comes from the old Latin term datum which translates to �something given or played�, and while the actual item has changed over the years the concept is still the same.� Usually cubic in shape each side of the dice is numbered , or perhaps holds different symbols, which makes the simple dice so perfect for gambling.

Those of you who regularly frequent casino and betting venues will be aware that die usually come in pairs, another way to increase the chances of a potential out come and make the result as random as possible.� Gambling is effectively a game of chance and the higher the odds against wining, the higher the potential pot and the more attractive to the average gambler.

The first discoveries of dice go back over 5000 thousand years with the first ones actually made from the ankle bone of animals, which were multi sided, giving a number of potential out comes when thrown.� The materials then progressed to bone, ivory, wood, metal and stone and quickly became a major part of the gambling community.

History also shows that gambling was a way of life in the Far East many thousands of years ago, and the Roman�s also enjoyed to gamble, confirmed by the discovery of die during a number of excavations.� As you would expect with a product associated so heavily with the gambling industry, there have been many attempts to �tamper� with the makeup of die, effectively increasing the probability of certain results, i.e. fixing the game.�

Thankfully, in the current gambling industry the casino dice are provided by the establishment, and they are perfectly balanced in their structure to ensure a fair game - leaving the result to probability and chance.�

There are few sporting events in the world which can arouse so much passion, so much curiosity and so much excitement.� The Aintree Grand National Steeplechase is one of those rare events which attracts the attention of not only millions of the UK population, but also millions from around the globe.� The �National� as it is fondly known is the oldest horse racing event in the world, dating back to 1836, but why does it still hit the spot with gamblers and non-gamblers of today?

For any horse race owner, any jockey or any trainer, the Grand National is the top league of the sport, the top of the tree, the holy grail of horse racing.� Horse and jockey set against 22 of the hardest jumps in the world, including the �Chair� and �Bechers Brook�, both of which have spoiled the races of hundreds of jockeys as well as millions of punters.� The race itself is steeped in history with so many horses having nearly made it to the line first, only to be pipped at the final corner, the �elbow�.� This is one race which is never won until you are clear across the line!

Not only is the event watched by millions across the globe, it also attracts massive betting, with in excess of �200 million staked on the most recent running.� For many bookmakers this is a way to make up for earlier losses, with so many favourites coming a cropper in what is one of the largest fields in the sport.� Falls, trips, stumbles, refusals and general bad luck, this race has it all, which makes actually winning the event the pinacle of any jockey�s career - a day that will never be beaten.

While the race has changed over the years, with some jumps trimmed and reduced, the general character of the race remains unchanged, as does the appetite of the UK public who flock to place their bets on �Grand National Day�.

For those who have looked at the history of gaming in the US, they will have noticed a marked presence of a number of Indian Reservations.� How and why is there such a clamour for gaming facilities in the reservations?

While the reservations of yesteryear are no longer recognisable, the US government gave these reservations and tribes limited sovereignty some time ago, enabling them to operate outside of many state laws.� The authorities introduced the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, an act which set down the basis of gambling operations in many Indian reservations.� In effect, if anyone in the state were able to operate gambling facilities, then this same right would be available to the Indian tribes - free of state law.

As you might guess, this was the beginning of a massive new area of business, a way for the tribes to make substantial amounts of money for their people, jobs for life and a general increase in living standards for many.� Unfortunately, as with any major business opportunity this there have been a number of scandals with many leading business people accused of signing one sided joint ventures with the Tribal Governments.� In effect they have been able to �buy� the name of tribes, which then enables them to create substantial gaming businesses outside of state control and taxes.

In 2006 the US government introduced another Act to Congress - an amendment to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act - which has limited the ability of new tribes to open new gaming operations.� While some have criticised the move, many of the leading tribal figures have welcomed the amendments and praised the protections that it offers to the genuine tribal governments.

This area of gambling has grown substantially over the last few years and allowed many tribal governments to pay out often substantial payments to their population - a move which has been welcomed by all.