Eurosport and scoreboards

Daily Result: £4.76

Not so much a reflection of a poor day's trading but rather a day of not trading.

Just decided to give it a break for the day after seeing the kind of "coverage" Eurosport were providing. Shocking, yet again. For god sake, it's the French Open. What is the point of flicking from game to game to game to game ad nauseam. Just pick a fucking match and show it. Or how about some interactive coverage? When you consider the costs of the rights to screen this event the coverage being served up by British Eurosport is nothing short of Grade A bollocks. Right, rant over. Sorry!

I realise many on Betfair trade on the scoreboards and I have found this profitable in the past. But this is a dying art as technology improves and is utilised by more and more. The result is I tend not to get involved now.

However, I see an interesting thread about scoreboard operators deliberately delaying or putting up false scores to cash in. Whether this goes on or not I simply don't know. But it is just one of several possible ways I could think of of using an unfair technological edge. What I do know without doubt is there are people court side trading in serious volumes. This is a without doubt, gold plated, sing it from the rooftops cast-iron 100% FACT. These people will beat delayed tv pics and the sometimes smaller delayed scoreboards and do pick off those with slow fingers. It really isn't rocket science. What it is is profitable for those willing to do the research and work out how best to maximise the potential.

The whole situation brings to mind the book Bringing Down The House about one of the many MIT Blackjack teams. (A cracking read for anyone looking for a book btw) An individual can trade courtside and make a profit of course, just as any cardcounter at Blackjack can. But for those with the intelligence, time, resources and organisational skills a team of tennis punters, just like a team of card counters, can rake it in. And I'm sure they are. And best of luck to them I say.

If I was younger and in a position to do so I would do some serious research on this with a view to doing it myself. It's like arbing. So many people say on Betfair it isn't possible to make decent money from arbing. In fact they deride those who claim they do. It's laughable. The fact is it is possible. The reality is not everyone has the resources and aptitude to do it. I've made some serious money arbing in the past. It isn't easy, but it is possible.

Anyway, as it is it's also still possible to make good money trading on tv pics. And seeing as I might not have a wedding to save for if I disappear to the follow the tour I think I'll stick to them!!