A bit of a flutter!
September 15, 2013 11:13 AM   Subscribe

I'm in London again, and having a whale of a time thanks to all the advice I garnered last year. One new thing I want to try this time is having a little flutter-I want to place a small bet on something. I don't expect to win, but would like to know how to bet intelligently so as to improve the odds.

1. Which agent is the best to use? I see betting stores everywhere but have no idea how they differ, if at all.
2. What's good to bet on? I was going to go for horse racing as a perennial classic, but what else might be good?
3. What kind of bet to make? I hear things like win or place et al, but the lingo is largely beyond me and I don't know which are best/safest/etc.
4. Any other advice? Please avoid advice of the "Don't bother, you won't win" variety. I've very little notion of winning, it's just a little flutter for fun, I just want to make the best little flutter I can.
posted by L'Estrange Fruit to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Greyhound racing. Only one place left to do it, Wimbledon. Find out why they call it going to the dogs.
posted by criticalbill at 11:19 AM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


Best answer: 1. For the purposes of a flutter, they're all the same. They're all incredibly depressing places.
2. If you're guessing/going by which name you like best, yes, horses.
3. I think it's more common to be "each way" in Britain. That means you're effectively placing two bets, one to win, and one to place (i.e. finish in the top X, where X is determined by the size of the field), and if your horse wins then both bets pay out. For the purposes of a flutter, each way or place odds are probably more tedious and complicated than you want.
4. Don't bet in a booking shop. Spend an evening at the dog track. Much more fun.
posted by caek at 11:24 AM on September 15, 2013


Betting shops are awful, depressing, soulless places. Going to the dogs is an evening out. There isn't much in between.

I'm aware that you say you're in London now, but if you're going to be in the country any time from the beginning of December then you should try to get to a point to point—all the horse-racing without the glitz or the high prices, and all the betting action too, from official bookies to men standing in front on blackboards updating the odds by hand. Tictac is pretty much a dying art, but all the rest of it is alive and well, and vibrant and fun.
posted by Hogshead at 12:42 PM on September 15, 2013


Best answer: Adding a voice to the greyhounds. There are three active stadiums in London: Crayford, Romford and Wimbledon. Several more just outside the capital.

Going to the dogs is cheap. Here are some types of bet; at most tracks, the cheapest bet is 50p. For beginning, advise a bet on each race, and also an accumulator bet or two - with these, you e.g. make a selection in each race and you need them all to win. Only a remote possibility, but if you do win, then the odds can be very good.

Admission is cheap at Greyhound stadiums; most are also close to public transport. Food is hmmm cheap (unless you go for a posh menu), but it'll be standard fast food out.

To add some element of skill, check out the form of the greyhounds. Depending on what data the stadium show on their racecards, what placings the greyhounds made last time, and their times over specific distances. Pretty much the same goes for racehorses (flat racing does not have the random "falling over a fence" element of steeplechase racing); Timeform has one of the more credible systems if you want to look at horseracing betting in an involved, mathematical manner.

As ever, bet responsibly. Before starting your evening out, assume all your bets will lose and decide how much money you can afford (both practically and emotionally) to lose. Put this money to one side and do not be tempted to add to it at any point; if you do, then gambling may not be for you. Treat winning bets as a pleasant surprise.

Other forms of betting. Many Brits play the lottery, despite the ridiculously long odds. Betting shops are a lot better than they used to be. However, the recent trend is for them to install hideously expensive to play hi-tec gambling and slot machines. If you are ever tempted to play one, then watch someone else and see how quickly / at what rate they put their money into the machine. As ever, the machines are fixed to make a profit.

British people also place bets in large numbers on a few horse races every year, usually the Grand National and the Derby. For these races, betting shops are set up to help casual, once a year, gamblers. The rest of the time, betting shops are geared towards hardcore gamblers.

Note also that sports have varying degrees of integrity, especially when it comes to gambling. Greyhound racing in particular has a bad reputation. However, as a fun night out, greyhound racing can be done very cheaply, even with a few bets. You may even strike it lucky (emphasis on 'lucky').
posted by Wordshore at 12:42 PM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I would also recommend going to the dogs, though I've never been to Wimbledon - it's a fun evening.

Maybe you could also think about attending a football match and placing a bet on the match on the onsite bookies? caek is right, high-street bookies aren't a lot of fun. Mind you, you're not going to be in one for long either, so perhaps it doesn't matter.
posted by calico at 12:45 PM on September 15, 2013


Response by poster: Thanks everyone! It looks like I'll be going to the dogs, as they've always said I would. ;)
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 2:43 AM on September 16, 2013


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