Reporting from Bet Chat HQ, Northern Ireland…
Hi,
It’s the Snooker Shootout this week which, for those who aren’t aware, is the ‘fun’ event in the calendar.
Matches are one frame only with a 10-minute maximum time limit and a 10 second shot clock for the last five minutes. The crowd get boozy and are encouraged to barrack the players and, all in all, it makes for good viewing, both on the TV and, especially, in-person.
You can watch it live on Eurosport over the rest of this week, and I’d thoroughly recommend it, even if you’re not into snooker.
It’s also a fun betting heat, with the pre-tournament favourite available at a mighty 18/1. I’ve personally spread 50 quid around 14 players (all each-way), and I usually do quite well, bagging the winner, Mark Allen, last year.
That said, today’s email isn’t about winning, it’s about the importance of fun.
It could change your life
There are many great reasons why – as well as trying to profit – you should never forget how important fun is when betting…
Here are three of them:
1. Fun relieves pressure.
Betting to make money can be stressful, especially if it’s one of your main sources of income. Having a few pokes at bigger odds bets which you expect to lose, but which can really boost your bank balance if they do win, is a great way to inject a bit of fun into your day.
If you’re having a really bad run, why not take a break from the heavy stuff altogether for a few days and instead stick a couple of small stakes accas on, before returning to the daily grind refreshed?
2. Fun bets can be life changing.
While you should never expect a 5000/1 acca to come in, just as you should never expect to win the lottery, it’s a strange truth of betting that dumb luck is far more likely to land you a one-off mega money win, than a well-researched single bet with a clear mathematical edge.
I mean how many times do you see a Scoop 6 or ITV7 winner popping up on TV saying they picked the horses based on their names? As annoying as it is, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!
3. Fun bets are great for bookie accounts.
I currently use a couple of bet365 accounts. Both have shown a four-figure net profit over the last 12 months for some time now, but both remain unrestricted. I think a big reason for that is I make a habit of placing fun football accas.
I actually have a decent record with them (especially in international football and European club competitions) but, win or lose, they do look muggy and can really help to disguise big value bets on, say, player pass markets, or ante-post horses.
Go Go Power Snooker!
The precursor to the Snooker Shootout was an event called Power Snooker, which myself and Andrea went to back in 2011. In keeping with today’s fun theme, I’ll close out this email with a couple of pics of our much younger selves with some famous faces. Name them all and you’ll win…
Absolutely nothing.
After all, it’s the fun that counts, not the winning!
