General Betting
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Remember all the topics started over the years on the pros and cons of going 'full-time' on here.Unfortunately,don't expect to see such topics started in the future.Wonder how many did take the plunge and what happened to them?
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Replies: 47
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why won't there be more in the future?
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Well, I want to 'go pro' as soon as poss and I'm hopefully steadily working towards that long-awaited day.
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I'm going to find meself a job, this pro lark aint all its cracked up to be..
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i'm 20 and i wana be a pro in next five years. Got today and tommorow off work and being stuck being a laptop all day is pretty lonely and the unsociable hours at weekend when the footballs on is a killer.
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The lack of work colleagues is certainly a problem for most people. I'm as anti-social as it gets, and even I occasionally (but only occasionally!) wish there was somebody to talk to during the day other than my stuffed bird. I can see that a more socially well-adjusted person than I am (which is essentially 99% of the population) might find it a little bleak. Being 'pro' certainly isn't the panacea many assume it to be.
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cheers for the insight cooee appreciated. is their anyone on here who is pro but lives an outgoing lifestyle?
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What, you mean people who trade markets on their laptop while simultaneously skydiving or driving their Ferrari at 150mph?
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yeh well maybe after a good days trading people have a good few bevvies with mates and perhaps go on holidays with their profits
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I know several people who work freelance (in journalism rather than betting, but the same things would apply) and spend much of their work-day alone with their laptop. Many of them have partners and/or go out in the evenings, but they still find the working day rather long and lonely - particularly once the appeal of having their own space has worn off.
Also, depending on which sport/sports you do, you may find you're having to be stuck in front of the laptop working at exactly those times (the weekend and evenings) when your friends are available and raring to go. |
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What, you mean people who trade markets on their laptop while simultaneously skydiving or driving their Ferrari at 150mph?
 Had to laugh at that Mr Bobbin, very good.I worked for years freelance/self employed in front of a computer at home so it was no big deal for me to switch and my partner works from home mainly so I do have someone to shout at me occasionally but it's an often heard complaint - the lack of interaction with colleagues etc. I would think it's the hours as Mr Bobbin says that would effect anyone who enjoys socialising, you are often free when others are at work but I see that as a positive mainly. (again as said above sport dependent) |
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what an odd thread. you make it sound like it's just something anyone can do if they feel like it. i'd say it's as rare as making it as a professional footballer.
i'd like to be full time, and wouldn't mind the lonley hours. the downside is i have no idea how!! jeez. oh yeah and good post Bobbin |
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How is it odd Paul, smithy91 said he didn't fancy being stuck on a laptop all day etc the answers were in response to that.
Regarding yourself why not start a thread about the strategies you are testing or thinking about and have researched and you may get serious responses. I see you start plenty of threads about other forumites - who's this/that/ are they banned? where did they go? etc etc..... If I recall correctly Bayes said he'd stick around and answer a few of your questions the other night and you asked him how old he was, did he give his family money and do his friends know what he does and that was it. I think you may be approaching the thing in the wrong manner but thats just my opinion. |
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Lack of colleagues and the complete lack of all the b*llshit that goes with working in an office is a huge bonus if you ask me.
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And the freedom to surf internet porn all day, if you want too. Just tell the missus there's a test match on and you get 5 days peace and quiet. Almost worth losing for a job like that
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BACK STABBING AT WORK
 now you would miss that |
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Lack of colleagues and the complete lack of all the b*llshit that goes with working in an office is a huge bonus if you ask me.
agree. Shane - are you pro on here? |
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I would think that being on the dole is excellent preparation for the budding Pro.
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It is possible, though to re-create work scenarios while trying to turn pro at home, if you are worried about loneliness or just missing the 'craic'.
Last night I issued myself with yet another final warning for foolishly trusting Barnsley enough to lay Millwall (Millwall won an away match for the first time in about 23 years and actually scored not one goal, but three - two of them in about the first 10 mins). As a result, I was forced to work overtime today backing goals in the three live televised games to make up for my misconduct. Nah, but what could be better than watching your favourite sports, in the peace and quiet of your own home, and actually winning some money and making a living from it? No angst about late trains, cancelled buses, smelly, ignorant passengers, invasive mobile phone conversations that never end, work colleagues who spend the day talking about Eastenders, X-Factor and BB, incompetent management and no promotion prospects? |
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The biggest problem is that one get bedsore and such a terrible stiffness in the back of the head.
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I do like being able to spend the whole day strolling around in my dressing gown, that's certainly true!
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the lifestyle obviously suits plenty on here that dislike both other people and doing stuff other than watching sport on your todd....i'm afraid i like both socialising and doing other stuff, so would say there are definite downsides to being pro (Fri/Sat in summer in particular, when there is good evening racing on Fri and upto 5 quality meetings to prep for on Sat)....ideally you have to be disciplined in where you allocate your time, which is easier when things are going well for a sustained period.
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I'm lucky in many respects in that I mainly work from home, and for myself, so can tailor my real working hours to fit around the various sporting events I like to watch and possibly get involved in betting wise. If cricket is on durign the day, I work in the evening. I'm a night out anyway.
The problems come with global time zones, like this Tuesday/Wednesday for example. Aus v India starts at midnight UK time, with Pak v Eng beginning at 6.00am. With the best will in the world, we won't be able to keep a close eye on both matches for their duration and my body clock will be smashesd to bits as it is! I find watching a Test in Aus disrupts the routine but it's something you have to try and adapt to. In the first Pak v Eng test, I know that if I hadn't made the effort to get up at 5.30am and witness the early carnage the Pakistan bowlers inflicted on England's top order, I wouldn't have place dthe bets I dod not won as much as I did. You have to put in the effort to have any hope of long-term success and make sacrifices. Be prepared to watch six hours of Test cricket and not see too much happen by way of excitement, but learn from what you see - be it the skill of an unknown bowler or the technique of a little known batsman. It can often make you better informed and therefore influence your future betting. Socially, I have a large group of friends, all of whom know I like a bet, so that's not a problem either. I see no reason why anyone should feel any shame in wanting to make money from gambling, especially if you also happen to enjoy what you bet on. In fact, it's easier for me to meet up with mates at any given time (Friday evenings)than it is for them, because they have set working hours and, as commuters, are also at the mercy of British transport and road traffic delays. I'm 50+ and with a long-term girlfriend (she also approves of my betting), so Friday nights out with the lads is enough for me, plus a few pints at and after watching live football every other Saturday. I couldn't imagine, though, spaneding hours and hours betting on sports or events I am just not interested in. |
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Sorry for the terrible typing in that last post!
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I couldn't imagine, though, spaneding hours and hours betting on sports or events I am just not interested in.
_____________ you don't have to watch the game to bet on an event - esp soccer where most games tend to end 0-1,1-0,1-1 or 0-0 ---so i listen to music instead ,or watch a film,read a book etc - i will watch 1 in 6 soccer matches for example,i maybe listen to 1 in 4 via the radio in patchy intervals (for the games that are eventful ) - it may cost me a little more in missed opps,but it's still worth it to release free time and not be tied to something i don't want to be doing . Failing this ,have vision on and sound off so you can glance . |
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Each to their own way, Coach, but only two of last weekend's 10 EPL games finished in one of those results you put forward as most likely, so I wouldn't be putting me cash down and moving too far from the screen. Especially, as I bet mostly in-play.
With big interest in football and cricket mainly, plus the major golf and tennis tournaments, I have no desire (nor time) to go in search of other sports betting opps. |
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Plechy - this weekend was an exception - what i was trying to illustrate really was that soccer is a very low scoring game
With Tennis or Racing you HAVE to pay attention - with football i frequently - Bath Walk down the shops for milk etc Shave Cook dinner and still come back knowing that i haven't missed too much By reading and watching TV you can still keep abreast of things by scoremaster or sound down on Sky sports report |
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It entirely depends on your strategy and your personality.
If in a job, you have to socialise with people that irritate you or you are branded unsociable. The politics of a job are a huge toss, personally I can't stand all of that and the way they treat you like you're in kindergarten. The last boss that told me off for being late after I'd worked many hours unpaid overtime, I quit on the spot and he was amazed. BTW I was 5 minutes late. So I dumped the bullshit and started my own business. Ten years later after it started to become a joust of money between myself and Delhi, I wound down the business but kept a few clients who had become friends. I moved on to Betfair then. I'm very sociable, but only when I want to be. I don't want to work with idiots or be forced to be sociable with muppets. I don't give a toss about office politics. But there are people who couldn't stand to be alone for a portion of the day, I understand that. I'm lucky that I'm not a trader, 80% of my strategies are automated, so I take an hour of setup and research a couple of times during the day and night and the rest of the time I'm involved in other projects. In the summer I like to go walking on the beach and have lunch with a few mates. Maybe I'll just take a walk to the shops and talk to the guys there. Yesterday I went to my old school barber and we talked racing for a few hours as it was quiet for him. Some days I go fishing or visit friends or family. I think it's important to have a balance, or you'll become stale, irritated and lose your sharp mind. When I come back, I'm invigorated. I can't think of anything worse than trading all day and eating crisps and drinking coke, where the only time I go out is to get thicker glasses I would suggest that anyone who feels they spend too much time alone, take a couple of days a week just to do something else they enjoy, not chores or shopping with the wife, but playing golf or whatever floats your boat. It doesn't have to be lonely. |
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Beat The OverRound
When: 24 Jan 12 15:20 [...] I think it's important to have a balance, [...] Yes I agree BTO. It's important to have a big balance on here. |
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I would recommend that you try to automate as much of the trading as possible. Maybe you can't do everything systematically as BTO does (did?) but I would guess that a lot of strategies can be reduced to a set of rules and in fact automating them may help improve self discipline.
The other way to increase your face-time in the pub could be to invest in an iPad or tablet and manage some trading on that. You might have done most of the work beforehand and then head off to the pub for kick-off with your eye on how a couple of positions play out. If the loneliness of working alone on a laptop is the biggest hurdle to going full time then you are well ahead most other punters on here. |
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Why not form a Lonely Pros Club and you can Skype each other and offer emotional support and virtual hugs when the going gets tough.
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I think I've posted about my thoughts about going pro a few times 2/3 years ago. I delete my posts periodically so its not there now. I did decide to go pro more by no alternative rather than choice but I wouldn't change it for the world now. I was coming from a base of making money semi-pro effort for many years so I knew I could do it so my situation is very different from those who suddenly think they can make it pay. As for it being unsocial, no doubt it is and its also hard work doing the analysis and keeping your brain alert but the pluses far outweigh the negatives.
No commuting, no office politics to deal with, no having to suck up etc. the list goes on and on. Also from a financial point of view tax free income, no commuter cost, lunches it makes a lot of sense. The biggest downside and this applies to anyone working from home is that people assume that because you are at home you are free to run errands, chores etc. Basically I'd recommend it if you know you can make it pay and have the experience of making it pay for 2 years. There is definitely an upturn in profits once you devote all your efforts towards it. Also for me I bet only 7 months of the year so the balance between work/relaxation/pay is good overall even though the 7 months betting period is very tough on me physically and mentally. |
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Interesting, how do you delete your posts? I've found threads where you've been quoted and you're right your posts have indeed been deleted!
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Does he report himself???? There must be a name for that...
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I just e-mail them and tell them to delete my posts - the can't delete specific posts but can delete the lot. Think I've done it 2/3 times. Anyway I'm well pleased I didn't get offered the creating a sportsbook for a lottery corp now. Think I'd have earnt a third of what I make thru betting and would have worked 12 months rather than 7.
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Cheers, thought it must be something like that.
Nice to know the option's there, although I'd hate to have to recreate some of the older ones I sometimes bump :) |
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My ex can delete or change anything she has said in the past as she is the self appointed official custodian of all records of our interactions, which she keeps securely in her own head.
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I wish there was the equivalent of a Sky+ box for conversations. So many times I'd like to wind back and show people that they said the thing that I said that they said, and that I didn't say the thing that they said that I had said. I know I'm always right. It would just be nice that they knew I was always right too!
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Getting back to the thread topic here, I notice that many of the people who have replied are successful pros who apparently can afford to take off two days out of every five, or have almost half the year as holiday. To read this thread, you'd think that anyone who goes full-time is likely to make huge amounts of money and will, therefore, have considerable flexibility concerning how they spend their time. However, nice though that all sounds, not everybody will be in that high-earning bracket - full-time trading simply isn't that easy!
I suspect there're plenty of people who make enough to live on as a pro, but only just. For them, the work week is quite possibly one long grind. They have to spend many hours in front of a laptop (whether trading or doing research) just to make enough to pay their bills. I imagine those are the people who might (depending obviously on their personality) struggle with 10 hours or so of isolation. |
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That's why I could never be a trader.
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