Under starter's orders

Things couldn't really have started a lot worse. I backed 'under 2.5 goals' in the Scunthorpe v Leeds game on Saturday lunchtime, with the intention of laying it off a few minutes into the match for a small profit (to the uninitiated, this is known as a 'green screen' - when price changes have ensured that you make a profit, whatever the outcome). The problem was that as the game wasn't live on TV, it wasn't being traded in play. So I layed 'under 2.5 goals' and accepted a small loss. I blame it on jetlag.

I spent the afternoon trading on the racing and watching that consummate pro Jeff Stelling on Soccer Saturday. It felt like groundhog day as I made a profit on the first 10 races of the day, before the market went against me on the 3.30 at Ascot. Rather than be professional and accept a small loss, I switched the TV over and watched the race. Strategic Mount was treading water at the back of the field, so I laid it at 22, to try and recoup some of my losses. Needless to say which horse won by a neck, costing me a loss of £60.

All my profit had been wiped out in two minutes. And I panicked. I started increasing my stakes and betting when I shouldn't have been. A couple of insignificant wins were interspersed with a couple of heavy losses.

Even Hartlepool's most famous fan's new toy (a James Brown model that he makes sing 'I Feel Good' every time his namesake scores - and he did, twice, in the first 14 minutes) couldn't relieve my depression. Particularly as my fixed-odds bet on the footie was another loser.

The following day, things were very similar. Small wins on most races, wiped out by one bad trade. On one race on which I was going to lose after failing to lay a horse at a shorter price than I had backed it at, I backed another animal in the final couple of furlongs at 1.5. It came second. I also had an 'interest bet' on 'more than 2.5 goals' in the Nottingham Forest v Reading match. It finished goalless.

Not an auspicious start. But as I long as I heed the lessons of the weekend, it will have been worthwhile. Do not have bets for the sake of it (why bet on the first games of the season, when there is no form to go on?), do not be afraid to accept small losses when the market goes against you and don't watch the racing in the hope of back winners. That is gambling - I am (supposed to be) trading.

Running total: £909.07