Friday 20 November 2009

Hold The Cigar


It's probably not too often that you end a session in which you layed a losing team at 1.38 for a sizeable amount, and come away feeling disappointed. That was the case in the early hours when I layed the Phoenix Suns as they made a poor start in New Orleans, but when they recovered and started to trim the deficit, I locked in my profit. It's always seems to be the way with these decisions that if you let the bet run, it goes pear-shaped, and if you lock in your profit, the initial bet proves to be a winning one. Annoying on one level, but in the long-run the decision to even up was the right one.

I then followed this with a lay of the San Antonio Spurs who looked poor from the start at home to the Utah Jazz. Now as I'm sure we are all aware, Utah hadn't won in San Antonio since Bill Clinton was President, nor had the Jazz yet won consecutive games this season, and the Spurs are usually a good home team, so when the Spurs staged something of a comeback, again, I took the profit, influenced by the aforementioned factors no doubt. However, in this case I was so convinced that the Spurs would go on to win, that I gave up the profit and more for a big payout on a Spurs win. Of course, again, the initial lay went on to be a winner, and I ended the session in the red once again.

So what could, and should, have been a stellar night turned out to be something of a disappointment, but at least some of my decisions were proved correct. I think sometimes one can try to hard. On another day, perhaps in the middle of a better run, decisions may have been different. They shouldn't be, but as I mentioned a couple of days ago, taking the emotion out of it in the heat of battle is the hardest part of it.

The ever-wise voice of reason JPG left a positive comment that is appreciated. Essentially, adopt the mindset that every bet has value, and not to worry or care if it loses.

Anyway, it is said that you learn more from losses than you do from wins, and so it's onward and upward, except for the fact that I shall be heading to Las Vegas and California next week for Thanksgiving with my fiancee's family and a little rest and relaxation. Probably a good time for a break and some sunshine.

Premier League predictions in a few minutes.

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