Regarding horse racing; no mechanical system, or versions or variations thereof, has ever..... not once........produced a *genuine*, *permanent* and thus verifiable profit. Never, ever, over the past few hundred years. ALL seemingly profitable systems eventually collapse into loss.
Yet every day someone, somewhere, claims to have cracked the safe that delivers the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Mostly it's just the casual punter boasting of his skill to his friends and acquaintances.
However, right from the beginning, there's been crafty people who fully understand all this: So they develop a "system", a system that shows past paper profits; they market the system and very cleverly walk the legal highwire that enables them to advertise in certain ways. They of course "charge" for their "profitable" methods.

Can even one person out there tell me why someone who knows of a "genuine, permanent" profit making method of punting would tell ANYONE about it? And then proceed to ask money for it?
We really know the answer to that don't we.......... or do we? There's still millions of desperados the world over who live in hope of finding a winning method. If it wasn't for these naive individuals, hooked on gambling, the horse racing industry would collapse overnight: The owners, trainers, tipsters, racecourses and everyone who makes a living out of the industry knows it.
So nobody, absolutely nobody, who is involved with running the various sections of the industry is willing to educate and counsel the punter......... they rely on naive punters who think they can win.
And those my friends, are the cold, hard facts of life.

Are you a punter Guitar?
If so, why?
If not, why in the name of fortune are you in this forum.

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Jose'.

To answer your 3 questions:
(1) I have a history of punting. But I'm not one of the professional .01% who actually win. I don't bet anymore, but maintain an interest .
(2) I answered your second question with my above sentences.
(3) To witness how the naive masses, after centuries of losing, still maintain hope....... it's a poignant representation of psychology, and determination in the face of unbearable odds. It's fascinating. It's sad. And it's very, very human.

You must be at about the same stage as myself.
Try as I might I couldn't seem to get on top of the punt, from buying oil to setting up my own ratings to testing systems and back again.
I am now just happy to have my $20 or $30 dollars spread around on a saturday afternoon and write it off as entertainment.
Still love the challenge of it all though.
Good on the lucky few who can make a go of it though.(barring the bookmakers of course)

__________________
Jose'.

I think I better shut up now. I've probably offended a few punters with my views. I don't really want to start a war of words so I'll just butt out on this topic now. If anyone wants to comment on this subject, or criticize my views, please do so if you wish.... or just totally ignore it, but this is the last word I'll post on the topic. I think I'm probably coming across too strongly and you guys aren't here to listen to that sfuff.

Initially I thought you might just be 'slumming it' Jim but I've read few of your posts [more positive ones] and you seem genuine enough to me and even half decent !! You might just be right about systems, but might also be wrong. Your logic on the matter would stand up to any opposing logic but proof either way of course is impossible so it's a mute point.

Perhaps you have recently had a bad day on the punt[?] We all have those and boy, it's a lonely game punting, especially on a bad day. We all visit that place.

.01% ???? I honestly believe you'll find it's higher than that.

Na, your it Mark [rolling in our losses]. Mr .01% !!!

In regards to point 1...
Do you not think that this is a complete contradiction to your initial post.?

Here you admit that people win on the punt. Yet your first post says that this is impossible.

Also, another thing I would like to comment on.
"(3) To witness how the naive masses, after centuries of losing, still maintain hope....... it's a poignant representation of psychology, and determination in the face of unbearable odds. It's fascinating. It's sad. And it's very, very human."

Are you talking about yourself here? Or what is it you wish to achieve by visiting a forum like this?
Are you here to preach to us? Or are you here to maintain hope, with the rest of the naive masses....?

hey jim i've read your posts and jim jim jim jim jim if you have done your nuts on the punt mate you really are in the wrong place to be telling us who bother to read and post on here becouse i think you might find that some of us are doing A. O .K so i think you should do alittle bit more homework and you might stop losing and your world might be a lot brighter than it sounds..cheers..gaz..