I have been betting on horses since 1967. I got involved with a less than honest organisation called the Big Brother Movement and ran away from home (Somerset) at the age of 16-years old to become a jackaroo (young or inexperienced stockman) to the outback of Australia. Dreams were soon bludgeoned by reality and four months later I found myself, quite by chance, bunking down next to Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. It was there that I first watched racehorses exercise early in the mornings and inevitably I fell in love with the sport of kings!

From then on I rarely missed a meeting at the Sydney racecourses and I also enjoyed travelling to the provincial tracks. On many occasions I worked as a bookie’s runner and quickly learnt the importance of fractions, percentages and gaining the best prices. Any money made in those days determined how well I ate that week.

Back in the UK many years later I was trained by Ladbrokes in betting management. Compared with today the teaching was first class and I honed my numeric and settling skills, to this day my mind sees everything in percentages versus probability. I gained much valued experience working for them.

Yours truly...

Like most punters (hate that word) I have suffered the ups and downs of gambling. Without realising it and over a long period of time my betting evolved into something more mathematical and mechanical. My strike rate improved even more when I chartered written criteria that must be met before placing a bet. Finally I was able to control everybody’s arch nemesis – I managed to shackle the emotional and disciplinary aspect of betting. I use the word shackle because it never goes away – it is always there lurking and waiting to grab you!

How you deal with the emotional aspect of betting bridled with money management determines how successful one is at betting. During my long apprenticeship at the school of hard knocks I learnt that alcohol, guesswork, laziness and misinformation have no place in a bet – they are saboteurs. These days I never place a random bet!

Much later in life I understood the true meaning of value and that it could be found in a 4/5 favourite or a 16/1 shot. I have also learnt that although form is very important the profile of a horse for a particular race on a particular day was more so! It became apparent that I should only look for one result at a time and one day at a time. With so many unknown variables my brain no longer accepts the concept of ante-post betting and I ignore it completely!

The next winning bet is of primary importance though record keeping of past bets (win or lose) are an invaluable source of information and a road map of where you have been. Memories tell lies so all professionals keep honest records. Because I have the confidence of winning over a period of time losing bets still hurt but no longer damage me emotionally and certainly never affect my next investment! In the cold light of day I analyse my investments continually looking for errors or if able to spot a trend.

Many things puzzle me but one is the casual way punters place their bets whether in staking or the timing of them. Working for bookmakers has shown me the mindless sheep mentality of the average punter. Most do not know what an overround is and who would play a game with money without knowing the rules? Furthermore there are those who still bet with those who do not pay best price guaranteed! If this applies to anyone reading this you should not be betting and I advise you to stop?

For four years now I have been privileged to write for Betfair on many sporting subjects including horse racing. The experience has been fantastic! It has opened the doors for me within the racing fraternity whilst giving me the confidence needed to express myself. Thankfully they have revolutionised and changed the face of betting for good and my association with this company fills me with pride! If you would like to view my work for Betfair then please visit:

 http://betting.betfair.com/authors/paul_moon/index.html

I would be delighted to discuss the mentality and various angles of betting so please email me if anything I have said is of interest to you. I promise to value your comments and not abuse your trust and will email a reply the very same day - Paul Moon