davidti

Just the final to go now.

Does you World Cup depend on the outcome of the 64th game. Or will it not make much difference to your profit/loss? What markets have you had most success with and what would you do differently.

One bookie told me that it's been the 'Mug's World Cup' in that the man-in-the-pub odds-on backers have had a field day. There's a stat in the Sportsman today saying that you'd be £102.25 up if you'd had a tenner on every favourite.

And finally, how does the tournament rate from a non-betting view. Exciting, interesting, disappointing. And does anyone who was lucky to attend have a different view than us TV watchers?

keyser soze

strangely i didnt make a great deal on it, i say strangely because ive logged every bet and bugger me if i can find the difference.

in hindsight i put too many bets on, but positively ive noticed through logging prices from the start onwards that there is a lot of over-reaction out there that i can hopefully be aware of 2 and 4 yrs from now.

with regards the event, i thought it was poor, i also thought 02 was poor but put that down to time diffs.

maybe its age.

are world cups better when you're young?

i know if i was to rate the 8 WCs i can remember vividly in order they would be top heavy in favour of older ones.

in fact i will

86
90
82
78
98
94
06
02

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"Napoleon was advancing unopposed through the low countries until his army was engaged by Team GB."

davidti

90??? I thought that was an awful World Cup. Argentina were a disgrace, it was the dullest Brazilian side ever seen and I felt absoutely disillusioned with the game after watching the worst World Cup final in history.

78 quite high up there for a Scotsman

keyser soze

i really liked 90 and i know im in the minority.

but i did

78 was fine, even although at 11 YO being told before we left we were going to win was a bit of a culture shock. but life has taught me that was the one and only time whereas for you english it has happened in 82, 86, 90, 98, 02, 06.

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"Napoleon was advancing unopposed through the low countries until his army was engaged by Team GB."

1qa2ws

Only had two small bets on the World Cup - Klose and Pauleta - top goalscorer both at 33's. Sadly I laid off Klose at 4-1 before they played Argentina and have to make do with only a third of the profits if he prevails.

Was trying to get a way to win on 1-0 wins (as it is a proven success in the Group stages) but felt I'd have to spend too much to make a profit.

I've enjoyed the World Cup on the whole. Playacting and kicking the ball out to treat injured? players has been a little annoying, as has the yellow card count, while the wastefulness in front of goal could be attributed to the ball, but I've been listening a lot to 5 Live and really enjoy their analysis and points. Much better than Wright, Bright etc and ITV jumping off for adverts all the time. Think listening to radio and watching the pictures has been a terrific addition.

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Think differently.

Mister Logic

Far, far too many bets, but I will make a very small profit, nothing like value for the hours put in, but it is the World Cup after all.

Of the 64 games, there have only been about six that I haven't bet directly in, and even those held interest because of Top Team Scorer and various Spread bets.

Buying Red Cards @ 18.6 was a good bet, but buying goals @ 160 was not so clever.

Backing a goal to be scored before 70 secs @ 6/4 was a good 'un, and so long as nothing untoward happens in the final, No Streakers @ 11/10 will be a winner as well as a cracker of a bet, even if the stakes were restricted.

As always, I have been like a kid in a candy store when the WC is on and much as I deplore the play-acting that others have referred to, I don't think it is anything like as bad as the media have portrayed.

The things that annoy me are the way the game is going, in four years time it will be a bookable offence to make a sliding tackle, even if the ball is won.

Also the putting the ball out when a player is tackled and stays down bugs me immensely. It became much more prevalent in the Premier League last season and this WC has taken it to even more ridiculous levels. Football is fast becoming a non-contact sport and I don't like it.

And last but by no means least, any grown man that has his face painted should be shot.

Cormack

The longer it went, the less I played. Broke even through my France v Brazil over 90 mins bet, but Mrs Cormack was on France.

However, I'd voice what I said elsewhere previously.

I find the penalties cruel. Not because of the method of resolution, no. Because...

Materazzi - love to know what he said to ZZ to cause that.
De Rossi - love to know how Brian McBride was feeling as he stepped up.
Grosso - love to know how Australia as a nation feel.

Harsh? Yes. But then I think this tournament has been harsh.

To go along the lines of Keyser,

'78 (ten years after, some of us were still hitting free kicks from a mile out and shouting Arie HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!! )
'98 (coverage was excellent and as it was France, only an hour off)
'86 (rivetting final, Elkjaer in the stages, Maradona at his peak)
'82 (well organised, badly executed - poor second group stage)
'90 (bad time for football globally, but Italy took to it well, and again, "local time")
'02 (bad for timings, was in France for a lot of it, too much metatarsal talk)
'94 (USA. Never been happy by a US production other than one for the locals - Superbowl, say)
'06 (ruined by FIFA)

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There is no Devil; just God when he drinks.

Walter

Ante-post brilliant - Portugal backed e/w to make the semi, Klose to be top-scorer, Swiss-France forecast and a treble on Srna, Rosicky and Dindane to top-score for their teams.

Matches were awful and yet had biggest matchbet of the event for yesterday's 3/4 play-off +2.5 goals which cut a big chunk off my losses.

Healthy profit overall.

Spain 1982 is yet to be beaten for me. I think the fact it was the first one I was totally involved in was the main factor. But it had other reasons - close, compact stadiums; many good, tight matches; the last European event broadcast with poor quality sound which paradoxically increased your enjoyment (in much the same way that European football is not as much fun since it ceased to be a rare treat on Radio 2, transmitted via a dodgy telephone line); also possibly the last event before fitness became so important. The second stage was poorly thought out, however. But for whatever reasons my memories of where I was for the matches of that event outstrip every other World Cup put together.

keyser soze

considering you were 9 that must have been living room or bedroom

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"Napoleon was advancing unopposed through the low countries until his army was engaged by Team GB."

Walter

Very clever! I do actually recall that my pyjamas were red and blue at the time. Cotton and they tended to sag a bit so I was pulling them up all the time when Northern Ireland beat Spain.

Cormack

England's kit was desperate that year, too...

Was that the "Narey toe-poke" year as well. Jimmy Hill, you tool...

__________________
There is no Devil; just God when he drinks.