I ran into some trouble last night after a pretty decent run the last week.  After my post last night I was continuing to trade and watch over some small bets that I had already placed.  My first bet since then was a small back of Carsten Ball against Juan-Pablo Brzezicki.  Now Ball is nothing special at all ( hence the small stake ) , he is just a big server with no other weapons but I thought this would frustrate the Argentine dirtballer and it did as Ball was a comfortable straight sets winner.

I had 20 euro on Feliacano Lopez to beat Taylor Dent @ 1.5.  He won the first set but then lost the 2nd in a tie breaker.  Now Lopez although a decent enough player with no self belief lets the head go down very easily so when he was broken straight away in the 3rd , I immediately went all red by reducing my exposure by over 50% backing Dent @ 1.6  Sure enough , Dent went on to win the match in 4 and I was happy that I accepted the loss the way I did.

Next up came the former World number 1 Ana Ivanovic against Katreyan Bondarenko.  I was sitting with 20 euro green on Ivanovic who was trading @ 1.03!!!!  Yes, 1.03 and I did nothing.  Whether it was mental fatigue or nerves I am not sure, but my head was saying lay of but my body/fingers would not do it , I was just frozen.  Ivanovic who was winning 62,31 promptly lost the next 7 games and eventually lost in a final set tie breaker depsite having a match point.  I traded or rather did not trade this match very poorly and in the end cost me my biggest loss since I began this blog/challenge.

Because that was technically last night before I went to bed , I had all night & day to mull over it, doubting whether I am cut out for this game, whether I have the balls to lay low when my head is telling me and also afraid of my life that I will start chasing and lose it all.

I then just reminded myself that I am in profit and to just keep sensible and do what I was doing the last week.  I started with a straight 20 euro bet on Gael Monfils to beat Jeremy Chardy @ 1.53 which he did in straight sets.  The rest where all trades , anticapting where the market would go and getting out to take profit which thankfully worked and I am quite please to pull most of that big loss back.

I have included the p/l for the last 3 days as for some reason the markets are getting settled in different days but as you will see from my excel sheet today is still a losing day although a lot smaller!!!!

Regards

Sportslover

Todays profit started after midnight last night and that was why its included today.  The first match came as I decided to trade the Jelena Dokic and Kristen Flipkens match.  Flipkens won 63,64 but was down a break twice in the 2nd set and that was when I was able to green up by trading the breaks of serve.  The next bit of profit came from the Radek Stepanek match v Simone Bolelli.  I thought this might by on the TV as I thought 2/5 was a great price on Radek but alas it wasn’t on so I decided to close the position as the match was starting and he had come in 6 ticks.  I went to bed and saw this morning he won 64,64,64.

The start of today I picked out a straight bet On Gilesa Dulko to beat Makarova which she managed to do in 3 sets but it was another match that saw me in a bit of trouble.  Igor Andreev ( I know I have him down as a mug as well ) was playing American Jesse Witten , 200 places below him in the rankings and hasn’t won a match this year on the main tour.

Andreev was down a double break in the 1st set at 5 – 1, so I decided to back him @ 1.5 for a 100 euro.  My plan was to lay it of as he got back into the match.  He lost the first set 64 but had actually come in to 1.4.  He was then broke again at the start of the 2nd set and I couldn’t believe the scoreboard when he suddenly was trailing 4 -0 aqnd a set down.  I thought to myself my money is gone here , so I checked the market to see how I could reduce my exposure.  Again I was astounded that Andreev was still trading odds on @ 1.9.  I gladly layed 100 euro which left my minus 40 on Andreev and break even on Witten.  Witten went on to win 64,60,62 , a shocking performance from Andreev and I hope for his sake he was carrying some sort of injury!!!!

I then started to trade World Number 1′ s match Dinara Safina who struggled over the line in 3 sets against an 18 year old wild card.  I decided as soon as I started that I needed a break and closed the position for a small gain.

When I had relaxed a bit  I managed to  get some early green in Shahar Peer’s comprehensive 62,62 win over Agnes Szavay.

Jelena Jankovic was broke in the very 1st game of her match against Roberta Vinci and this when I backed her and I let the bet ride from then as she never looked in trouble again in a 62,63 win.

Bye for now

Sportslover

Had a decent day today but have not had much time and with late nights now for the next two weeks with the US Open tennis it will be this way until then.  There is plenty more tennis left for tonight so I will just leave you with my screenshots!!

Best of luck

Sportslover

I am feeling very frustrated at the moment as the 360/1 shot, Heath Slocum, won the golf over in America, holding of Tiger Woods and Co to win by a shot.  Unfortuately I only took 60 euro from the market, where as a few months ago I would have let the bet ride in the hope for a big payday, but I traded as quick as I could for an all green book because of my shattered confidence.  Its amazing how much of this trading lark is in our heads, letting the emotions dictate how we trade.

Ah well , when I get over the intial disappointment , I can look back on an excellent day because the footy bets went well for me all day.  As you can see I kept stakes very small but they all add up to give a good profit on the day!!!  I am of now to study for the tennis which starts tomorrow – the last slam of the year, the US Open.

Best of luck to all

Sportslover

The day ended in profit which is always great, but there was also a lot of positives to take from my attitude to the day and how it began.  The day started with a loss , when in the early German Division 2 kick offs , I layed RW Oberhausen away to Hansa Rostock.  Hansa where beaten 2 nil, a goal in each half and it was here that I decided that I would lay Birmingham for my bank ( yes my whole Bank!!! ) to try get me ahead for the day.  After a few mins, ( it was still an hour to kickoff ) I said to myself or something twigged in my brain that I don’t need to end any particular day in profit, I will get losers and a fair share of them so just keep ploughing away with researched bets and don’t panic.

So, that is what I did although I was very afraid that another loser today will do damage to my bank.  I layed Coventry City away to Blackpool in the English Championship as I felt that Blackpool has became a tough place to get anything in the last few years and with the lay I had the draw on my side, coupled with Coventry being 3.6 on Betfair and in my opinion should have been at least 5 , I was happy with the risk.  Blackpool won 3 nil.

I also layed West Ham away to Blackburn and picked up some green in Man Utd’s win over Arsenal and Real Madrid’s win over Deportivo La Coruna.  Man Utd where quite lucky in there 2 – 1 win over the Gunners as I felt Arsenal played very well.

My tennis profit came from Sam Querrey’s straight sets win over Jose Acasuso, a bet that was actually placed and due to run yesterday but only happened today because of the terrible weather in America yesterday.

So happy that I turned a profit and would be delighted if I can keep the patience and discipline going.  The 2.79 euro from the Golf yesterday is now accounted for.

Good Luck to all

Sportslover

Regards

Sportslover

Well the New Haven semi – finals ( WTA & ATP ) have been washed out at the moment so it was football which I concentrated on this evening.  Both my markets I entered today came from German football, one from the Bundesliga 2nd division matches and one from this evening’s Bundesliga top flight.

In the 5 o’clock game between bottom of the table LR Ahlen and 1860 Munich , I managed to pick up some green in the correct score market in a drab nil all encounter.

Then it was on to the top flight action from Germany between Bourissa Monchengladbach and newly promoted Mainz.  Mainz had a brilliant 2 – 1 victory over the mighty Bayern Munich last week and I feel the market over reacted to it slighty.  I layed Mainz prematch @ 4.1 and they where beaten 2 nil with a goal in each half.

If the tennis gets going I may try and trade a few matches but it will all depend on what time, if any, they get going!!!

Regards

Sportslover

Today’s Profit came again from the tennis with the first of it coming from the women’s quater final between Anna Chakvetdaze & Elena Vesnina.  Vesnina won in straight sets 61,75 with impressive service stats and was also down a break at 54 in the 2nd set before turning it around.  I layed her @ 1.33 when she won the first set and backed her 7 ticks higher to leave just green on her – again didn’t want to leave money in the market long as I try to tackle my confidence ( vesnina actually went all the way back up to 1.9 in the second set!!!! ).

Next I backed Igor Andreev to beat Leonardo Mayer and had intended to leave this as a straight bet.  I backed him @ 1.6 for 2o euro and he took the first set comfortably 64.  He then went a break up in the 2nd set and had more break points for a double break and was matched @ 1.01.  He didn’t take the break points and when serving for the match , he threw in 2 double faults and then lost the set in a tie breaker!!! Here we go again I thought.  Andreev then broke to go ahead in the final set 4 – 2 and it was here I took my stake out of the market @ 1.11.  He served out the match this time though.

Ideally and long term if I can build up a decent bank I want to trade more but the problem is I can’t sit by my laptop for 24 hours and also I seem to just freeze a lot and do nothing, the reason being confidence.  I don’t believe in just leaving in lays @ 1.01  ( as a lot of my selections have hit this lately before either bouncing wildy or losing ) as I think long term it would not be good as ever event is different.  One to ponder and keep an eye on though.  Anyway a day of profit and I will try so hard to keep discipline and keep building!!!

Regards

Sportslover

Next up I backed Jose Acasuso against Igor Kunitsyn , 20 euro @ 1.92.  I felt this was a good price and my intention was to let the bet ride.  Acasuso lost he first set 63 and eventually won the second set after they both exchanged many breaks of serve.  When Acasuso went a break up in the 3rd set , I layed of my stake @ 1.38 again due to my fragile confidence.  He won in 3 so at least it was profit that dragged my kicking and screaming into profit!!!!

Regards

Sportslover

The day got of to a poor start when my first bet went down.  It was a back of Nicolas Almagro against Bjorn Phau in the New Haven Tennis tournament.  I backed Almagro 20 euro @ 1.43 prematch and he won the first set 62 before losing the next 2 sets 63,75.

My next bet didn’t produce any joy either but fortuately it didn’t end in a loss.  I had 20 euro on Philipp Petzschner to beat Fredrico Gil @ 1.8.  He won the first set in a tie breaker after being up a break in the set, lost the second set after first serving for the match and then having 3 match in the tiebreaker before losing it!!!!  The final set saw Petzschner go up a break again and leading 3-2.  He was trading @ 1.2 , so I just decided to take my stake back out of the market.  He then went on to lose the next 4 games and the match.  Mental Midgets or what!!!!!!!

I then got involved in the match between Anna Chakvetadze and Sybille Bammer.  In a topsy Tursy 3 setter which chak won I layed Bammer @ 1.3 when she served for the 1st set and greened up @ 1.52 for an equal green on both players.

My last market of the day was Jeremy Chardy v Florent Serra.  I backed Chardy @ 1.4 and he won the first set in a tiebreaker.  He then went on to serve for the match and he was broken for the first time.  FFS.  It was here @ 1.19 that I took my stake back out of the market leaving a small green on Chardy and no loss on Serra.  Yep , you guessed it Serra went to take the match.

So , 3 of the 4 markets I got involved with today ,  2 of my selections touched 1.01 and lost and the other 1.08 and lost.  I made nothing on these markets, actually losing on one of them, and its long term that I want to be trading instead of trying to run to the laptop when I get a chance.  What a frustrating day , which is also a small losing one.  Oh well I will try keep the head up!!!!!

Also I may as well mention my main betting sports are Tennis, Football, Golf and American Football.

Side Note:  I currently have 3.47 euro on Elena Vesnina to win the US Open @ 1000 and 2.79 on Heath Slocum to win the golf this week @ 360 in the Barclays.  Both these bets where placed prior to this 400 euro challenge so I have basically wrote this amount of to keep things simple.