A booze enduced conversation…

I wasn’t planning to update again before my holiday, but a chat the other night with my mate Rich at the pub has inspired a quick post!

Somehow, our conversation turned to the fact that some supermarkets sell milk at a loss. I recalled a documentary explaining that this tactic draws people into the store for milk but often leads them to spend much more, sometimes even doing their entire weekly shop. Rich added an interesting point: have you ever noticed the alcohol is always located furthest from the door in nearly every supermarket? This setup exploits the shopper’s journey, making them walk past numerous other tempting items—twice!

The strategy is clear and extends to Clubcards, Nectar points, etc.—all designed to maximize revenue from the ‘majority’. However, there are always those who enter the store, buy what they need at great value, and leave without extra purchases. This, to me, parallels trading races. While I trade them all, I recognise certain races where the ‘value’ really lies, much like knowing where the ‘value aisles’ are in a supermarket.

Many traders act like the ‘majority’, forgetting the adage: “Wherever the crowd goes, run in the other direction.”

Trading on Betfair is no different; it reflects typical human behaviour.

So, think of your trading strategy as navigating a supermarket. Identify where the ‘milk’ or ‘alcohol aisles’ are (the races with real value), and approach the day’s trading cards sensibly until you reach these high-value spots. That’s when it’s time to ‘load up your basket’. This approach requires knowing your preferred trading styles and possibly experimenting by skipping some races. This is the number one issue people mention in emails to me—trading 10 races well in 7 but losing more than they gained in the other 3 because they treated each race the same.

I’m off for a week’s break now, so I’ll resume posting when I’m back. Happy trading!