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Virtual Grand National

Discussion in 'Horse Racing' started by Reebok, Apr 2, 2020.

  1. CaptainPops

    CaptainPops Well-Known Member

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    Yeah but where's the fun in that Ron? We always get together for a bet on the national and can still do that whilst giving money to the NHS. We are actually linking up on the house party app to watch it together whilst having a few beers...it will almost be like the real thing if I get quite a few beers down me before it starts. :emoticon-0148-yes::emoticon-0167-beer:
     
    #21
  2. NassauBoard

    NassauBoard Well-Known Member

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    each to their own I guess, but I don’t see the interest in it at all.
     
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  3. Reebok

    Reebok YTS Mod
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    As you say, each to their own. There is always virtual racing on in betting shops, and I wouldn't bet on those even with your money, but as Pops says, when you are starved of the real thing, and when it is a replacement for a great British tradition, then why not. I'm sure most of us are pretty cynical where bookies are concerned, but if they do as they say, then the NHS will benefit, and a lot of the watching public can get behind it and enjoy cheering on their particular bunch of pixels.
    Let's face it, there isn't much else to cheer at the moment! :)
    On the actual mechanics of the thing, you'd have to think that the programers and broadcasters would surely know the result before it is broadcast, and some will find the temptation for a bit of insider trading hard to resist. Maybe stick's tip has come from an insider, rather than The Insider!
     
    #23
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  4. stick

    stick Bumper King

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    The result is already known Reebs but the programmers have been sworn to secrecy
     
    #24
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  5. NassauBoard

    NassauBoard Well-Known Member

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    As stated, my issue is that the bookmakers are giving “profit” to the NHS. Now what does that mean? Is that anything over 100% of their bank going to the NHS? Does it mean they need to cover operational costs? Does that operational cost just include the bets on the market?

    It is a publicity stunt and one that will lead more people to punt on other “events” on the bookmakers sites.

    My view is that it should be something that can be punted on, if it leads to one person getting addicted to virtuals then it’s one person too many.


    Sorry for being a grumpy twat but I think this is an awful idea and one that shouldn’t be put up as a doing good kind of thing.
     
    #25
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  6. Ron

    Ron Well-Known Member
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    Surely you can still have the fun Pops, but rather than trust the bookies to donate some of hard earned cash (having taken out any losses and expenses), just put your bets on the table, watch and enjoy. You could have a virtual bookie and donate any profit the virtual bookie makes
     
    #26
  7. karlos5001

    karlos5001 Well-Known Member

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    The National is watched by about 100 million people all over the world. I know in some countries betting is not allowed, but if the rest all have just £1 on the race the NHS will be better off. No brainier to me. NATIONAL institution :emoticon-0148-yes:
     
    #27
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  8. NassauBoard

    NassauBoard Well-Known Member

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    It would be much better off if we just gave them the pound though. Do you really think the pound will go to the NHS?
     
    #28
  9. karlos5001

    karlos5001 Well-Known Member

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    Nass mate, I do agree with you. If we all gave a quid to the NHS they would be better of. Off course they would. My point is, The Grand National is a race when “most people” have a little flutter. So surely, Virtual or real why not place a bet? I live in the Liverpool area and the cancellation is going to be felt for ages around here, but that’s for another time. Good luck with you bets mate:emoticon-0148-yes::emoticon-0167-beer:
     
    #29
  10. NassauBoard

    NassauBoard Well-Known Member

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    I just think it’s a really bad message to be sending out to people that the money goes to the NHS. A fraction of it will and that isn’t the message that’s being told.

    As Ron said, I’d rather have a sweepstake or similar, then give some/all of it to the NHS/charity

    I’ve got no qualms about people betting on it, but to say it’s for charity isn’t a fair message. As I said, it’s gambling for the sake of it, and if it lures just one person to virtuals and gambling then it’s doing more harm than good.
     
    #30
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  11. Grendel

    Grendel Well-Known Member

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    We used to have a punter who did £100 Patent bets on the Cheltenham Festival races each year but once the virtual racing started up he would come in during festival week and would not touch the real horse racing. Instead he would have two £5 Lucky 15 bets on the virtual racing instead. I asked him why he had changed tack and he believed that the virtual racing odds were an actual representation of your chances of winning, whereas he felt the real racing was bent and offered poor value odds.

    True or not (I must say I am dubious) my mate once said he had £2 on a horse called Sweaty Fanny at Steepledowns. Asking him how it went he replied to me "It got pumped"

    I'll not be betting but for some reason I think Any Second Now wins this.

    The real Grand National is scandalous year after year with the shortening up of almost every horse to ridiculous levels. SP punters were shafted year after year. Bookmakers are supposed to offer odds that give them a 10% profit margin but the SP for last year's race sat at 163% and that is a disgrace. If it were the government pumping you up the fart-pipe like that through taxation there would be an outcry but people seem to bend over and take one for the team year after year.

    How much will be left for the NHS once the greed mongers have massaged their figures?

    It's all for Charridy but I don't like to talk about it.

    https://mediaprocessor.websimages.c...rtialarts.co.uk/Its all for charity mate-.png
     
    #31
  12. rudebwoy

    rudebwoy Well-Known Member

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    taxation , ask amazon etc , they just do offerings to hmrc , talk about up the hoop , corporate tax avoidance dwarfs all other so called fraud into a small pile ......benefit fraud is tiny in real terms but massive in propaganda , whilst the opposite is true of corporations / multinationals ........
     
    #32
  13. Reebok

    Reebok YTS Mod
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    Better not do the Lottery any more then, just give your quids to good causes, but where's the fun in that?

    There's good arguments for and against IMHO - personally, I will have a punt on something that will entertain me briefly and at least temporarily, let me escape from the daily dread of Coronavirus.

    Good luck with what you do or don't do everyone :)
     
    #33
  14. smokethedeadbadger

    smokethedeadbadger Well-Known Member

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    I'm only having a bet because they're giving some to the NHS. Obviously a cartoon race so no point trying to figure it out so had £1.25 ew on numbers 9,10,21,26. Family birthdays, not really looked what the horses or prices are.

    I don't really care if the bookies make money out of it and I don't care how much they donate. Anything at all that they do donate is money that the NHS wouldn't have normally had, so worth it.
     
    #34
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  15. CaptainPops

    CaptainPops Well-Known Member

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    So many people get involved in the grand national every year it's like a British institution. It's what got me in to horse racing...

    I think it's good all round this (yes I don't know how much will actually go to the NHS) but in the grand scheme of things lots of people will have some fun, might even pick up some winnings and some money will go to a service we are really proud of.

    I am actually really looking forward to it..
     
    #35
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  16. CaptainPops

    CaptainPops Well-Known Member

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    For me Ron having a real bet adds some edge and excitement to it rather than small bets in our household £1 to £5. I 'll put a bit more on and hope to best the bookies.:emoticon-0148-yes:
     
    #36
  17. Grendel

    Grendel Well-Known Member

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    None of that excuses what Bookmakers do year after year in the National. A crime is not cleansed because somewhere else, someone is doing something vaguely similar on a bigger scale. That's a straw man argument.
     
    #37
  18. rudebwoy

    rudebwoy Well-Known Member

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    i’m not excusing it , just pointing out bigger fish to fry .......
     
    #38
  19. Steveo

    Steveo Well-Known Member

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    totally agree with you for once.
    Yes it is a virtual race but TV have shown this for the past couple of years anyway (think they used to show it on the Friday night)
    One of the reasons I’m interested is that it is fairly accurate - Tiger Roll won the virtual National in 2018 and was 3rd last year.
    I will therefore spend the morning studying the form like I usually do :1980_boogie_down:
    Second good reason is that of course all profits go to the NHS.

    about the race - I think there are less fallers in a simulation like this and so Tiger Roll has to be a very good each way bet, his odds are interesting. At 5/1 you won’t of course make any money with an each way bet, but you also won’t lose any.

    the race is also unlikely to throw up a big priced winner so for example although I like the look of the bigger priced Mullins runners Total Recall and Acapella Bourgois the more likely winner is probably his other runner Burrows Saint.

    at the moment though my bets are
    Tiger Roll ew
    Burrows Saint ew
    Magic of Light ew
    Ballyoptic ew
     
    #39
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  20. NassauBoard

    NassauBoard Well-Known Member

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    ****ing hell is it April 1st again?
     
    #40

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