Full Time Matched Bettors - Day to Day life

[Dopple]

Hopefully I put this is the correct forum..

I've been doing matched betting for about 7 years now (and casino offers longer than that).
I went full time a couple of years ago.
I was making more money at it then my part-time data input job, but was getting bad eye strain
doing both, so packed the job in.

I'm finding it a bit strange though, and my moods tend to swing
from feeling very lucky that I can make a living doing this and
not stuck in a office bored out of my mind, to feeling quite isolated
with the lack of social contact and some days I can't be arsed to do anything.

I wondered if other members here have been though this?
Cheers.

[wessnipes]

For me this was an interesting post mate.

I have definitely been through/ am going through this to some degree. I was working in China as an English teacher until this summer and came back to move to London. I've only been doing this 1.5 years but I can get by well on it and have been having to due to the lack of work opportunities in the field I have experience in.

At times I'm glad not to be working as its great being able to do what I want, especially when there is lots to do where you live. I do get jaded at times. I have friends who AP so I can talk shop to them, but they are purely recreational and view me as a complete degen, so its usually purely for their humour. I guess my major worry is the future/'real career', but I have a very laid back girlfriend and no kids/mortgage so at the moment its OK not to think about it too much, although it does niggle.

The times I feel the worst are when I'm lazy. I would definitely recommend just a short run or walk every day to think and get away from the PC. The beauty of AP for me is the opportunity you have to grow other things with your extra time. I regularly do open mic comedy nights which I always wrote for but never attempted prior to this, I'm looking at other businessy type opportunities now which will never make me rich or probably match AP but I'll enjoy more than a regular job if it happens. I got back into martial arts to feed my competitive streak and I can play poker (which is another love of mine) until any hour I want at the casino. I'm also looking to do a class to learn a new skill (Documentary making) which I hope will enable me to meet new people.

The added bonus of the above is that you have things to talk about with regular working people. I never really now what to say when asked what I do for a living. Having a few sidelines covers that at least and makes for more interesting convo.

However, I am also good at taking weeks off all of the above and that's when I feel like a loser again. I am lazier than most and its really easy to let things slide. I'm getting much better at snapping myself out of it though and know that the cold hard fact is that you have to keep evolving and doing things no matter how much you want to stay in and perform one more check of oddsmonkey.

So yeah I feel the same at times but outside interests and exercise help. Although I am also very much work in progress in that regard.

[Dopple]

Thanks for the reply.

I do make a point of getting out and about a couple
of times during weekdays.
Normally going to the local cafe for breakfast etc...
But sometimes that makes coming back to the PC
even harder.
Most days I'm OK though, and still feel I'm better
off now than working 9 to 5.

[shanezer]

Hi,

I used to do this fulltime made quite a bit travelled the world and now am back working fulltime.
You need to have a routine in life I found. I think you need to also set times that you do it and treat it like a job. 9-10 research for the day break to go to gym back at it for 12 for the racing finish at 4 and take the rest of the day off. Shop arbing also quite good. There is a promotion about where first goal scorer doubles up if he scores twice and triples for a hat trick in my town. If you can get the odds to match this is very lucrative. But this is just bonus money and only pays out if they score again after the first goal as you would be laying first goalscorer and crossing your fingers. If you want to take it to the next level you can also be an external consultant and start people up in it taking a percentage for yourself. I dont really want people to stamp on that one and start going on about tax, thats up to you if you want to go down that road.
I would welcome anyone to address some more profitable ways of making money through this, a part time job alongside this does help though.
But if you were serious about doing this you need to routine and you need to not sit at the computer for hours on end wasting time set out your day and stick to it.
Wooooo there is my pennis worth anyway!

[Mariner13]

As most of you know, i too do this full time, and dont have any other income source. I can certainly equate to what both Dopple and wes said above, about feeling lazy / demotivated / generally fed up.

I think the key things to try and stop / avoid this is to get into a routine, set daily targets (just daft stuff you wanna get done), and definitely get out the house at least once a day every day. I go running 4 or 5 times a week, and try to walk to the shops as often as i can rather than drive. I also have a wander round town once a week, where i can do a bit of shopping, call into the library (i joined it when i started this f/t) and of course pick up the bookie coupons. It's also nice to treat yourself now and then, even if it's just something small, so maybe a pint in Wetherspoons, after i've got the coupons. I've also started going swimming once a week, and continue to play pool for a team, and badminton for a laugh.

Having said all that, i have been feeling a bit fed up over the last few weeks, although i always tend to get like that this time of year - i hate winter time, and am not even that fussed about Xmas - would rather it was summer all year long! Think last week was worst, because i kinda got out of my routine due to the lack of proper football (i hate international breaks) and seemed to end up spending most of my time mouching around the internet.

Whenever i am a bit fed up, i do try and remind myself of how bored i used to be when i did work, and was stuck in an office 9-5 all through the week. The problem is that feeling has become a bit of distant memory.

I do think it's important to not try and overdo the APing. Everyone doing this full time should know how much money they need, and spending extra time, scratching about for a few quid more than this is probably not worth it. I try and plan my week around when all the sport is on, and AP when i can make the most, but don't bother when there's not much action.

Definitely an interesting thread, and funnily enough having a good relaxing day today - been for a run, have defrosted my freezer (daft daily target done) and even spent some time sunning myself in the garden in shorts and t-shirt - in November!

[shanezer]

Mariner13, Would you have any tips for your regular income without giving away too much?
There was a thread on Trading horses using Best Odds Guaranteed on this site I do this regular and the EV is quite good.
I think a thread with a few more tips for people would be quite good. I dont really bother with the if bets.

You need to reward yourself with some nice treats every now and again to remind youself of the good time you are having matchedbetting lol

[Mariner13]

I reckon most of my profit at the minute is coming from arbs, and have started doing a bit of sharbing, although should do more. I do a few "if" bets if i can get on them at minimal loss. Try and do the odd new sign up too, and use a few phone bookies, although thats less since Turf stopped phone betting and McLeans limited me to £25!

[11gaz11]

Great thread. Always enjoy reading about APing from a full timers point of view. I have a newish mortgage, family car on finance and 17 month old. My missus brings in about £600ish a month working part time as we wouldn't get by on my wage alone. We get by relatively comfortably at the moment but certainly aren't in a position to be swanning about spending money on luxuries left, right and centre (although my missus does a good job at trying to do this!) I'm certainly in no position to AP full time but it would be something i would be interested in if i was mortgage free/kids flown nest/near retirement etc. Whether AP or something similar is around at these points in the future is another thing!

Hat goes off to anyone doing this full time though. Must be fantastic not having to go in to work 9-5 in to a "proper" job although the flipside would be the stress i guess. It can be stressfull enough doing this as a hobby so god knows what its like when you need to make sure you hit a certain amount each month to pay all your bills and get by.

Good thread though. I'll be interested to see what any other full timers put.

I'd be interested to know if any full timers are married/living with partner (more so long term perhaps?) /have kids. Not that there is anything wrong with being single (a lot of the time i wish i still was ) I've just got it in my head that most if not all the full timers will probably be single and possibly kid free around the home which would arguablly mean more spare time to AP and less responsibility. Like i say, don't want to offend anyone, thats just the thought i've got in my head.

[LFC81Eoin]

Married with one kid , was working full time then went on a 4 day week taking son out of creche for one day and then I moved to a 3 day week , I have Monday and Tuesday off I leave my son into creche for half day on Monday and I often go for a swim or a run. You can forget about betting trying to mind a kid its just not possible . Even if I was to try and bet its not fair on a child sitting there looking at you on a laptop so we go the park and do other things .

I make very little from betting now as I generally dont do anything Monday and Tuesday and Saturday and Sunday I mostly spend my days with the family . Its suprising though an hour or two a couple of evenings a week just doing whatever is hot in the forums or a new sub here and there and its enough to pay for the 2 days off .

If I was to do this full time I would have to get full time child care which would be an extra expense . I'd have to also factor in losing accounts more frequently and been limited everywhere and eventually not been able to get a decent bet on anywhere to make it worthwhile.

[11gaz11]

You can forget about betting trying to mind a kid its just not possible . Even if I was to try and bet its not fair on a child sitting there looking at you on a laptop so we go the park and do other things.

Absoloutley spot on Eoin