Is betting a mugs game?

I firmly believe the profit made (if any) would not equate to minimum wage (per hour) given time spent doing due diligence. These days with the sharp practices of bookies eg bet restriction/account closure/price welching I think it's even much lesser now.

The only positive is the buzz, and possibly expectation. Reality-wise usually a major disappointment esp with scratching of selection on antepost bets.

Here is the best post you will ever read.If you are prudent and make strategic selections you will win.
Its that simple.now go and find out the true definition of PRUDENT and STRATEGIC.

"now everyone who reads this thread has the secret."

its only a mugs game if you loose more than you can afford to

sit down have a cup of tea and think about it.its up to you .ITS TIME TO CHANGE HABITS ,AND START WINNING.

Greed.!!  Trying to squeeze a bit more out of a game when you have already made a nice profit.  Then that LATE  goal sinks you.

working class people generally have no additional means of supplementing their income so gambling provides that avenue whether it be bingo or lottery or taking on the old enemy.....bookmakers...the trouble is very few actually invest their wagers wisely looking at favourites or following unfounded tips.....so i suppose it is a mugs game and will remain so until the chances of investing their stakes wisely can be improved....that requires study and the ability to produce predictions/selections that have merit.....of course that does still not guarantee success but if you are any good at whatever avenue chosen you should have more winners than losers.....then its understanding the staking process so correct amounts are applied to stronger or weaker selections......

If you keep winning from the bookies, you get banned says it all really. They only allow mugs to carry on betting. Its up to us whether we can stomach that

I think the biggest problem with gamblers that lose is...........................
they are looking for instant money,
if a gambler would give himself a week to show a profit and slow down ,he would take a lot of pressure of himself.
most try for instant profit.
hope this helps.

Without inside information (cheating) It's incredibly improbable to make money...

But i have so much fun trying...

14 a day more than doable

ok,this is for anybody who is reading this.
"Today is Saturday 27 th of May 2023.its getting close
to 5pm.Give yourself until 5pm next Saturday to show a profit.
it does not matter how much you have in your available to bet balance.
just show a profit on it in the next 7 days.
NOW,OBSERVE THE WAY YOUR MIND CHANGES REGARDS YOU BETTING WHEN YOU GIVE YOURSELF 7 DAYS TO SHOW A PROFIT.

It's called a mugs for a very good reason. I'm sure 'acey' can expand on that! But, take horseracing punting as a game or hobby - not expensive may I add. Otherwise, it can consume you, and you'd end up on the NHS Mental Register.

I think two key factors why people do it esp yours truly. Main one is the buzz - money cannot buy - I do not take addictive/illegal substance; 2nd something to look forward to after a boring/mundane day eg same sh1t, different day scenario.

But did ever notice that it is the Mugs that call it a mugs game.You never hear a professional gambler calling it a mugs game.
And many people win gambling but get chucked out by the bookie,So my point is that if a guy is addicted to gambling its best he learns how to win.

Brassneck was a member of the hole in one gang,was privy to the phone box punt at bellewstown. Owns more that one helicopter. But still trys to help the mugs among us on the footy forum.

a losing bet on the wrong greyhound or horse will close an account so that measure is pointless....

fREDDIE,you forgot to tell them i was/still  is a member of a world famous rock band and you were talking to me on this forum .

I wouldnt say mugs game if you enjoy the buzz and accept you aint winning long term, take the wins as they come but accept its going back in eventually

If you accept that its just a bit of fun you enjoy it far more

Its people who cant accept losing that have the big problems

As for ruining a family holiday… sorry but thats inexcusable, esp if the kids are dragged into it

The classic reply by all non gamblers is,the bookie always wins.,you never see a poor bookie,etc etc.

The biggest certainty in life more than death and taxes is.

If you bet reguarlary,you will 100% win a decent amount one day.if you don’t bet,you won’t.

If you put a Yankee on every Saturday,one week it will come in,

So if you just keep level stakes every week,it becomes a sort of savings plan,you ll lose 11 quid every week for a few years,then win 4/5 figures one day.

The bookie always wins and you will one day win a decent amount are both equally truthful statements.

A professional makes a living from it ie the individual generates a profit stream just like the individual owning/running the corner shop. However, a mug does not - the mug is a loser on a regular basis. Like any profession a horseracing professional can also get bored with going to horseracing day-in, day-end including the trips to the high street bookies assuming the individual is not known or barred.

Sadly, most bookies - online and high street - do not want punters looking for a buzz either. They'd accommodate certain known professionals with faces that fit to promote the sport - these known faces are cheaper than advertising. Us buzz-seekers are immaterial and common.

Another danger for gamblers is that it can control your mood.Some guys go into bad form if the lose and are over excited if they win.But it is a great past time if played slowly,and you learn more about yourself.
you will never win unless you focus on your gambling habits.

I think two key factors why people do it esp yours truly. Main one is the buzz - money cannot buy - I do not take addictive/illegal substance; 2nd something to look forward to after a boring/mundane day eg same sh1t, different day scenario.

Correct especially the boredom part. Following a football team is similar. You want to be part of something. 99% of the time the actual act of players on 100k per week kicking a ball around a pitch is mind numbing. Media hype up transfers to fill in the gaps between games. 99% of which is totally made up.

It's why the Govt were so keen to allow sport to continue during lockdown. If you had banned that as well, I genuinely think you would have seen riots in the streets and mass unrest.

Another danger for gamblers is that it can control your mood.

Spot on as well.

Lack of discipline is a major problem. An inability to accept a loss and move on. I've been in situations where I looked at a days racing, picked out 2 or 3 races and selections. First ends up with a loser and you start kidding yourself into thinking I'll have a small bet on some rag race you never wanted to be involved in to get it back....snowballs and you lose on the day. I've looked back and if I had just stayed disciplined would have come out up a small bit.

I think some people see a small win as bad as a loss.

I get your point Racing Queen. I will be having one bet today on the Weld filly in the Irish 1000 Guineas at the curragh, win or lose that's it.

The temptations are in front of us everywhere, the race is off at 3 50, I can think of three scenarios

1. Will I have a bet on something while I am waiting for the race.
2. If the horse doesn't win will I try and get back the loss,there are plenty of races to come after the Guineas.
3. Oh I'll just have a bet on the football it's the last day of the season.

There are so many snares out there to trap the punter.

Iirc Che Van Der Wheil famously said

TEMPERAMENT BEDEVILS THE PUNTER.

I suppose it is a mugs game, i would say the worst part of it is the time i spend doing it when i could be doing something worthwhile but before i got into gambling i watched alot off football anyhow it just happens im now a fan off most sports going and that is purely because of gambling. So even without gambling id say im watching the football at 4.30 today and if theres european football this evening im tuning in also.

It difficult to beat the bookies elsewhere, The Exchange makes it more possible and a whole lot more interesting eg pitching one's wit/judgement against fellow horseracing enthusiasts. Bookies will ban you even after a small win. Now, The Exchange is more challenging; bookies have infiltrated in droves, and some armed with stable info from unscrupulous trainers/employees/owners eg multiple targets/well-being, etc. 

Betting, luckily for me now, is only on big races, and only a select few bookies sponsored handicaps eg Ebor and Stewards Cup to name two.

How long for? Maybe an allotment is beckoning.

G Hall, Your one bet has to be Mediate or the silly short price on the favorite?

Personally cant go against Mediate with Aiden and his magic carrots kicking in..

Win or lose. Ghall this is a mugs bet

Think we're probably all mugs freddie, just some of us are totally unaware...

Educate me Freddie why was it a mugs bet.

Cause uve been doing bets like this for many many years

I thought that was a solid wager to be fair.

Give up Horse racing, it's attractive to many because it's over in a flash and there's one race after the other making it a bookies dream as it's a magnet for chasing punters, Buzz after instant buzz, loss after instant loss, there's no real edge to be had unless you have inside information, you are just betting on an animal being whipped, worrying about conditions being right and if the jockey isn't too knackered from the daily stress they have to put themselves through, way way too many variables and should only ever be betted on once in a while as a bit of fun and nothing else unless you you're a big timer who can afford big lays otherwise don't bother flicking around fivers and tenners hoping for the best, it'll get you nowhere in the long run.

I prefer Tennis, mano y mano, there's 2 possible outcomes, no draws, and if you watch enough of it, you'll know pretty easily which players carries value going into a match and which player doesn't. If you dream about being a high roller then maybe take a look at Draftkings, fantasy sports betting, particularly if you know about American sports where the biggest prize pools are, you'll need to start with a sizeable bank, and know that you'd have to max out entries every time to compete, the chore of entering teams doesn't give the same buzz as instant betting and betting blindly without much thought, but get it right and it pays big time.

If your mate or the man in the mirror if that's who it is, is a gambling addict hemorrhaging losses, then just take the summer or rest of the year off, sport and betting is not going anywhere but your family will if you carry on, it will make the world of difference as the people who make the worst decisions are poor people, it can restrict abstract thinking, ability to solve problems and identifying problems, losing gambling addicts have cognitive dissonance, they know full well their gambling problem is bad but do it anyway.

I'd hazard a guess the majority of the biggest players started with a big bank whilst beforehand working out a way on the exchanges to make it pay, I remember reading on the golf forum many years ago a posters who said he'd given up his job after studying how to make a living on here, think he's name was total bossman or something. I don't see any problem with anyone dreaming about giving up their shyte job and being a pro gambler, dreaming keeps people moving, it's when the hope is gone it takes away their soul, but don't be one of these sad cases that chases a dream into the coffin with nothing to show for it, it's not worth that much.

Kind Regards.

Anything that's repetitive and with speed is no different to fobt - the crack cocaine of gambling; repetitiveness induces addiction and social and domestic issues.

Ban all forms of gambling advertising on the media, mobile, tablet and computer. They are invasive, incessant and indiscriminating They are also the most productive and effective form of conveying a message to watchers esp the young.

if you take over a price that a selection should be...you will win.
take under a price a selection should be you will lose.

Starship.completely disagree,
You’re basically saying all the bookies odds compilers,connections,many punters who all have assessed the race are wrong.surely if a horse is a big price,there might be a reason.
Surely a horse being lower odds than looks it’s chance,is a give away.

but this just makes it harder to show a profit has the margins get tighter.

The choice becomes a 2/1 winner that’s shocking value or a 6/2 loser that’s great value.you can’t bank value.

Never let price put you off or make you bet,

Value is irrelevant,a winning change is all that matters.

Let's say a hobby golfer, who plays once a week, pays membership of 1K, one round per week at £40, therefore average cost of 3K.

A punter who loses 3K per year is a mug, but the mug punter might derive more enjoyment from his hobby than the golfer.

I haven't heard of anyone described as a mug golfer.

I think the description "punter" usually comes with an unfair and derogatory connotation. It's also generally accepted its association with gambling. And, gambling is frowned upon.

A mug punter is a serial loser in gambling, and probably one who bets on a whim (not knowledge) and on most sports. A hobby is something one does for fun - a recreation; profit is only a bonus, not material

Football is the most popular sport,to follow a team home and away costs anything between 3-10k a year depending on club.

When your team wins a cup,the manager dosent give you any money,

With racing,same cost if go reguarlary,on watch on tv,but it’s the only ,pastime,hobby,interest where you might get a refund occasionally.

So who are the mugs,

You have to have a love of the sport,which justifies the betting losses.

My mate has stopped going abroad,and chooses to go to festivals and race days,same cost but more enjoyment for him.

It’s up to the individual.

Any body who go horseracing will have a bet, even the pundits I believe; horseracing is inextricably linked to betting. On the other hand football might not be. It's more a loyalty thing eg place of birth/home; one's school sports, etc.

The only bets I do on football are FA Cup & World Cup - only a small stake. I do not even do the EPL or individual game every saturday.