Bet Unfair

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So, Betfair have decided to tinker with their Premium Charges yet again, except this time they've really gone for the jugular.  Instead of 20%, they now want 40-60% of your winnings depending on how much commission you generate for them.  The good news? There isn't any.  Your account will need to have a lifetime net profit of £250k (although it's likely this condition will get ditched in the near future) but Betfair are basically saying that if you keep winning you'll pay eventually.
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For those who believe the spin that this only effects 0.1% of Betfair users, you are mistaken.  It effects everyone.  This is the issue.  Betfair have only looked at what it will cost them in losing these 500 or so accounts.  They've not taken the time to fully understand the impact these charges have on those below the 250k 'magic' number.  People aspiring to this level plan their lives around Betfair's charges and as in any line of business will do what they can to minimise the impact.
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The result?  Everyone who's read about these new charges is either contemplating life without Betfair or thinking of a way not to pay.  Eitherway, it's a lose-lose situation for for a company who had huge customer loyalty and market awareness only a few years ago.

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Surely it's time people started walking to Betdaq?  Full details of the new charges can be found here.

Number 2

After what seems like an eternity, I'm chuffed to bits to be able to start telling people that I'm going to be a Dad for the 2nd time!  Nic is 13 weeks pregnant and the big day is predicted to be the 23rd December.  Okay, Christmas may have to be put on hold for a couple of weeks but what a fantastic way to finish the year!?!  After the drama we had with Caden's health, we all have our fingers crossed that this time things will turn out just fine.  Happy days :-)
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Catch The Pigeon

The thrilling T20 contest between Lancashire and Yorkshire last night reminded me of a freak occurrence that happened when these sides met back in 2009.
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On a beautiful barmy summer evening Jacques Rudolph fielded a ball in the outfield and returned a throw to the stumps only for it to connect with a fleeing pigeon.
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There was only one winner, and it still baffles me as to why the Sky producers thought it was okay to show a slow motion replay of the birds demise.  The video is not for the squeamish.

A Few Questions

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It's always nice when someone takes an interest in what you do, so it was a pleasant surprise this week when Ben from 'Sports Trading Life' dropped me an email asking if I could answer a few questions to be put on his site.
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Sitting down and thinking about the answers was fun, so if you're interested in what I said you can read the full article by clicking here.