October
SeptemberPricewise
One of Australia’s biggest — er, better make that tallest — bookmakers now graces courses with his presence rather rarely, much like the open-mouthed mechanical clowns that appear only at carnivals, seeking suckers to feed them ping-pong balls.
This extremely vociferous and prominent multi-media bookie defends his betting board, Boycott-style, from advancing punters with greater zeal than Leonidas showed against the Persians at Thermopylae.
His tamest (as in losingest) punters are kept very close, but troublesome winner-backers are sent to the far queue.
Many would-be bettors have a better chance of getting on a giraffe than getting on a horse with this prominent alleged bookmaker. And he could be a Test match selector, so quick is he to pick a bowler betting for the barred.
In common with a bookie now "away" on short-service leave, ever extant is a penchant and predilection for publicity.
His mouth guppies at the sight of a microphone in the manner of a dog drooling at the sound of Pavlov’s bell. But two or more mikes or a video camera and his mouth expands to meet them like Jack Styring’s codfish calling its young.
A punter about whom I know a great deal has often had a problem getting set with the above bookmaker’s operation, which for convenience I shall term RatsBet.
Sometimes the punter places bets for one of his syndicates, or friends; sometimes personal, more modest bets for himself.
It became apparent to the punter that his more modest bets with RatsBet attracted the attention of the bookmaker, who would promptly and smirkingly extend the odds for the horse just backed, by for instance taking a $100 bet at a $5 dividend and then extending the odds, to say $5.50 or $6.
This conduct is intended as a conscious slur or insult to denigrate the punter’s judgment and/or the low stakes being offered by the punter, as if being beneath the dignity of the bookmaker to accept or consider.
However, the punter has a very old head, albeit on ancient shoulders, and has seen many times over the generational repetition of tricks, each time thought new.
Approaching an associate who also regularly places significant syndicate wagers on Melbourne races, he asked the associate to tell him what he might be about to back.
At first attracting mistrust for seeking what is after all privileged information, he apprised he associate of his aspirations and quickly gained an ally.
Taking $200 of a proposed $2000 bet for a $3 runner, the old head went to RatsBet and asked for the $200 on the $3 chance.
On being issued his ticket the punter saw the RatsBet bookmaker turn the odds to $3.50 about his choice, and adopted a miffed expression which did not alter when his friend quickly claimed the new and much more advantageous price.
This course of action went on for quite some time, until a penny eventually dropped.
Psychology was never taught at the Rutherglen State School, but it was learned!
Rutherglen (Vic)