ZEALOT. Your selections are not important. The market already knows everything and has factored in everything (in the long run). You can wiin a few, but in the long run, you can't get ahead for long.

ZEALOT - I don't mean that these markets be always unbeatable in th' short term, but they be in th' long-term. Th' odds be stacked against ye findin' such value day aft day.

gvl that is a very good post mate. Also the poster who said win small and often. Two very valuable pieces of advice to whoever reads this.

For me I lost discipline to start, bank quickly went down to £775 with £75 exposure, so down a ton and a hlaf basically. Betting on a range of sports I had no interest in.

Thankfully that exposure was mainly on england to win the ODI which they did. Since then I've been steadily increasing to the bank, with a current streak of 17 profitable trades in different markets, all on one sport.

Whilst they are only small profits they are off a starting stake of between £7-15 (with a £5 top up on a couple). This must be the way to go adn shouldnt see me back to the £700s again. As long as I can stick to it.

Thanks for the advice guys.

PS not back to parity yet but bank at £938.39 with £24.50 liability.

Let me tell you a true story.
I was down close to 50,000 pounds before I turned it around.
Have a plan
Know your edge
Stick to the plan
If you feel you're about to chase log off
I never watch or listen to the races now, I'm never looking at my P&L until the last bet has been run.
These methods helped me return from what seemed an impossible position to winning consistently.

In the immortal words of Captain Kirk

There's only one kind of woman...or man, for that matter. You either believe in yourself or you don't.

Betting for a wage stick to one job ....... when you had one job .. nothing else counted ...... forget all the games you can play in ....... play in the one game your good at ....... my game is horse racing ... i dont do darts .. football . snocker ... poker ... cards .. greyhound racing ... last goal fist goal .. who will win come dancing .. need i go on ... you only need to be good at 1 subject

£25 down :)

My first post.

In my personal opinion I think that £1000 as a starting bank for someone who finds disciplining themselves hard is a big mistake.

If you are going to do small bets then why would you need soo much? If you make your bank smaller then it makes you think much harder about what you are betting on.

jurassic. thinking exactly the same thing myself. why a grand? you are right, but now it is in there i am finding it a very psychological figure. my largest exposure to date has been £75 on england in the cricket. Once I get back to and over the grand I'll start withdrawing a bit and upping the stakes a little.

Re test cricket post - yes a good one. I know a lot about test cricket and will be betting on tests a lot. But sticking to a rule of never betting before I can see where the game is heading. For eg backing the draw at Dunedin after day 2 at 1.73 and the first test at Ahmedebad at 1.85

I'm withdrawing all money I make every monday over and above my basic balance which always stays there. That's my strategy to not wasting money on stupid bets.

bloody hard work this lark! up now a little, upped the stakes a little but now laying off for the same amount, ie less risk.

ps another target i am working at...raising money for charity (cot death) by doing the marathon

www.justgiving.com/rwkmarathon ;)