And I think you are in a minority as this thread proves, people on here are fascinated to hear about other user's profitability and what they have been through to achieve it.  I am, I think it's a great thread and Dr J, if anything, is a little on the humble side considering his achievement.

Some people clearly are fascinated and therefore this thread is clearly a good one.  I accept that but I can't understand it.

However, in replying to this thread with interest certainly does not mean you are in the majority of people.  You may be in the majority of gamblers.  Most of those are not like myself.

GGL - you appear to be a LAY person.........................therefore as a person more interested in BACKING..................I view your opinion as not of "interest" in any way what so ever!

LAYERS are the "enemy"!....................You appear to just another layer.............run of mill person!

Apparently the OT is also same .......so well done...........as LAYING ain't easy!......However BACKING is where the knowledgeable ones re horse racing are.........and they ( not me ....YET!) are the ones who are superior to layers !

I am very interested how some people find it harder and harder to win money on here as mug money disappears etc.

Edges dry up in gambling, it's always been a rather annoying fact as long as I've been doing it (1993 ish).

As far as I can see there are two real options (and various combinations of both)

1) Absolutely hammer your current edge while you can.

There are some downsides to this in a lot of cases. One of the best fruit machine bugs of our time was good for about £1000 a week in each casino in the country until one kid got greedy and decided to batter one machine for £13k in a day. Cue instant recall of chips.

Sometimes there just isn't the liquidity to hammer the edge, and sometimes hammering the edge would alert the market makers to the fact that it exists.

2) Work on the next big thing while you're doing what you're currently doing.

As said previously, I can't emphasise enough how certain it is that your current edge will either vanish or diminish severely. There's always someone out there as clever as you are and with more motivation - no matter how clever or motivated you believe you are.
Start work on finding what you're going to do next, now.

Sometimes finding that new thing will mean you can do both your current thing and the new thing at the same time but however you choose to use it, it's great for the peace of mind to know you're still unearthing new stuff.

Any premium charge this week Dr J. I just paid £306

My lifetime profile stands at 26.85% so I'm safe from the PC for the time being.

The sums you, The Investor and some of the other long-termers pay do seem scary though. How do you cope psychologically? Do you try to see the PC as a badge of honour, a tax on your success? Or do you take steps to avoid it at all costs (if such steps exist)?

Gerry Gows Lad
I said I wasn't interested about the profitability of strangers.  I am interested in their views.

Surely profitability is the most important factor when deciding whether to listen to someones views?
Enough posters will talk the talk but their account doesnt match their online betting guru persona.
Your opening post questions his lack of awareness/figures irrelevant but without any numbers nobody would have any awareness of the point of the thread.

If Dr J's profit is x then 27% of x is more than 22.5% of x Lori.

It's not really a relevant figure though is it Feck. Most people don't make a profit so measuring commission based on lifetime profit is ridiculous anyway. The losers should have to pay some as well.

It's not really a relevant figure though is it Feck.

It's more relevant than your figures Lori. A forum newbie who was up 60K net might end up apologising for only having paid 40K commission to someone up 77.5K net having paid 22.5K commission if he took these pc calimero threads at face value.

Why do you think that it's a relevant figure Feck?

I've never understood why you believe that percentage of winnings to date is a fairer way to pay commission than a simple percentage of turnover.

I don't think it's fair that losers don't pay anything, surely they're clogging up the system as much as anyone else.

I don't quite follow your point here.

Clearly that's agreeing that winnings are irrelevant which I didn't think was your position.

Paying a percentage on turnover would be fair under that statement.

Turnover works just fine at the other place.

You take 1% (or whatever) of the lowest figure, so if you back 100 at 1.01, you only pay 1p commission 100 at evens is £1. The layer would also pay 1p

The numbers can be faddled with a bit of course if those 1ps didn't add up enough (It's £1 on an evens shot though), they could have different bands per price.

Taking money from someone because of their historical results however is not much fun. I only pay PC occasionally these days, but it does mean that I'm careful not to bet too big and find myself winning enough in one go to end up back in PC territory. It's happened twice this year and frankly doesn't seem very fair when you back a 50/1 winner and have to give 20% of it back the next week for being lucky enough to back a winning longshot.

How's it going Feck? Are you all set up for the forthcoming flat in june?

I know the feeling Feck. I haven't had a bet since the the 18th of march, although I've picked out many winners since, (natuarlly). I can't complain too much as with the last 14 months profits from punting, (not all BF) I've managed to get a new fitted kitchen, bathroom, and an 'Italian' leather suite. Also I paid off the shortfall on my endownment for my mortgage. If you think the banks are bad, these insurance companies are parasites sucking the blood from parasites.


Having said that, febuary and march this year have been the most suicidal run I've ever had. I'm to embarressed to tell you how many losers I backed in a row. If I had personal contact with you and shared it, you would shake your head in disbelive.


In my defence, there was one particular day I backed 9 in a row due to getting 'involved' in the pub with a few friends and having too much to drink.

I may start up again mid june and see how things pan out, and I may have a monkey on a beast in the Derby that I fancy. (not the FAV)


Anywats Feck, all the best if you do decide to get up and running again, and if you do, let me know if you got that **K back.

I was just wondering what strategies people have to cope with the PC.

Coming on here and whinging about it from time to time is the only real strategy there is for me.
There's no way I can get anywhere near 20%.
Most winning weeks I'm under 5% and I have very few losing ones.

After a good Eurovision and American Idol I'm on course to beat last years profit again, so can't complain too much.

I do feel it damages befair though.
Online Poker sites encourage and reward winners.
Betfair seem intent on punishing them.

You can win £,10,000,000 on BF every year and never pay the PC charge. Not a lot of punters know that.

You just have to lose 9 million too

Dr J, paying the premium charge really messes my head and your right pyscologically it does really bother me. I had a big winning week so rarely pay that much. I would rather be profitable and have to pay it rather than struggle and win nothing in the week. It has to go down as the most horrible invention I have ever come across.

I make it about 55m won and 45m lost, although sadly it has been a long time since I did my o-levels.

I assumed 2% for both comm and implied comm

Ah, yes.  Give me a minute....