All professional gamblers share one common goal: winning money from bookmakers. However, their strategies and philosophies can differ significantly. Let’s delve into the thoughts and tactics of three notable gamblers from past to present—Jack Ramsden, Alex Bird, and Harry Findlay—to uncover what makes a successful bet in their eyes.
Jack Ramsden: The Stockbroker-Turned-Professional Punter:
Jack Ramsden left his career as a stockbroker in 1980 to pursue a full-time career as a professional gambler. His success, like many other top punters, was built on analyzing speed figures and race times.
Ramsden had a clear stance on each-way betting: avoid it. He once reflected, “I analyzed my betting a couple of years ago and found that if I had doubled my win stakes instead of placing each-way bets, I would have been much better off. I think all punters would benefit by cutting out all each-way bets and sticking to singles.”
Ramsden was unique in that he employed his own bookmaker, Colin Webster. This partnership was unusual; Webster paid Ramsden £5,000 annually for his advice and also handled the task of placing bets with other bookmakers. Ramsden also had a fondness for multiple bets, viewing them as an extension of his strategy to target large prices. On four occasions, he won over £200,000 on multiple bets.
Alex Bird: The Original Professional Gambler:
Alex Bird is often regarded as one of the first professional gamblers to make a fortune at British racecourses after World War II. Initially working for his father, a bookmaker, Bird soon realized that the real money was on the other side of the betting ring. He developed various techniques to beat the bookmakers, but his most famous method involved betting on photo finishes.
In the days when photo finishes took around five minutes to develop, there was often an active betting market on the outcome. Bird observed that an optical illusion made it appear as though the horse on the far side had won when the horses crossed the line together. To counter this, Bird would stand at an elevated position near the winning post, close one eye, and create an imaginary line across the track. Using this technique, he reportedly placed 500 consecutive successful bets.
Bird also manipulated the betting market to his advantage. If he wanted to back a horse but found the odds too short, he would place a substantial bet on another horse in the same race, leaking this information to influence the odds. As the price of the horse he truly wanted to back drifted, his team would place bets across the country, maximizing his profits.
Here are Alex Bird’s Golden Betting Rules:
Avoid betting when there’s a change in the going—nothing disrupts form like a change in track conditions.
Be mindful of bookmakers’ overrounds—don’t bet when the odds are heavily in their favor, especially at smaller meetings.
Exploit each-way betting—focus on races with 8-10 runners that aren’t handicaps, oppose the favorite, and place each-way combination bets on the second and third favorites.
Look for promising apprentices—a good apprentice with a 7lb claim can be invaluable.
Never bet on the first show—most horses’ prices increase; taking second show prices can boost your winnings by 10% over a season.
Avoid betting in handicaps.
Steer clear of 3-year-old maidens, particularly those limited to fillies.
Harry Findlay: The Flamboyant High-Roller:
Harry Findlay is known for his bold, no-nonsense approach to gambling. He achieved fame and success, notably as the owner of Denman, one of the most talented novice chasers of its time.
On the nature of gambling, Findlay remarked, “If you look up gambling in the dictionary, it doesn’t say ‘this means a sure way to make a steady profit over time.’ It says ‘gambling: a form of interest that can either ruin you or make you a fortune,’ and that’s the way it is.”
Findlay was unapologetically direct about his approach to odds: “There’s no difference between getting 1-2 about a 1-4 chance and getting 4-1 about a 2-1 chance. People who say ‘I won’t bet odds-on,’ they’re just idiots. When you want to bet an odds-on shot, you can get on—when you want to bet a big-priced one, you can’t.”
On the subject of hedging, Findlay advised against it: “When you pick a 20-1 shot to win the Grand National, don’t have £200 at 20s and then go and lay £600 at 5-2 and, when it wins, get £2,500. If you believe in that 20-1 shot, have £200 at 20s, then another £300 at 14s, then £400 at 10s, and if it goes off at 5-2 or 11-4, don’t hedge if you still fancy it.”
These insights from Ramsden, Bird, and Findlay offer a glimpse into the diverse strategies that professional gamblers employ. Whether it’s Ramsden’s disdain for each-way bets, Bird’s meticulous photo finish strategy, or Findlay’s aversion to hedging, each has found success by following their unique approach to betting.
Photo: Freepik
Harry Findlay is a British professional gambler and racehorse owner whose life and career have become a symbol of both the highs and lows of betting. A larger-than-life character with a fearless attitude towards risk, Findlay’s rise to fame was not only due to his success in gambling but also his willingness to bet on anything, from horse racing to rugby, tennis, and even dogs. His story is one of remarkable wins, crushing losses, and an unrelenting passion for the thrill of the gamble.