To be fair any professional gambler isn't just playing to pass the time. Not to say that any gambler with an ounce of success doesn't have a fascination if not undying passion for their subject matter. You know something, the best gamblers don't rely on luck.
How do I know this? Because they would never have got to the point of winning without that motivation, which, for me goes beyond money. Psychologists call motivation the why of behaviour.
''Why do you gamble?''
My interest in horse racing originated from my Dad's love of the Sport of Kings. He wasn't a big gambler. He wasn't the best at analysing the form. He certainly wasn't a favourites man. But he enjoyed horse racing because, I guess, it added a little bit of enjoyment to his working day, weekend, or family holidays at Caister-on-sea when attending Great Yarmouth's Eastern Festival. Three days of betting on the horses, drinking a pint or two of beer and even going for a meal at a restaurant called The Savoy, which sat a long way from the Strand in London.
Every September the sun shone.
The smell of the sea air captured our imagination. A week of freedom. Dad made the most of a life that would, one day, be cut short.
I wish I could go back in time and say: ''Forget work today, let's go to the races.''
I like to think I learned a lot from my Dad. A good, kind, decent, loving man.
I'm sure many of you would be first to say he didn't do his children any favours introducing them to gambling.
And that's where you would be wrong.
Because not only have I made a living from my knowledge about horse racing and met many amazing people along the way I have also become a wiser man for understanding what gambling brings to the table.
For many non gamblers [I respect your decision] you simply don't see what you can learn from being a cut above the average. To be a successful gambler you don't bet for fun. It's a learning experience which takes years to master. In instills an approach to life which is methodical - finding answers to questions. It breeds a rare understanding of what it takes to be a winner.
My knowledge far exceeds any degree.
How do I know?
Because I have one of those too.
To be successful at anything you have to want it more than most. You have to live and learn, disappointment becomes your fuel to progress forward and the reinforcement of positives leads to the opportunity to understand at a higher level.
Your everyday punter fools themselves they are at the finishing line when they hit the first hurdle.
My good friend once asked a friend: ''How he picked a horse?''
He said: ''Like everyone else!''
That answer may seem reasonable if not logical to a non gambler but to someone who has been chiseling away at the cliff face for decades it's almost comical.
Knowledge brings understanding and that understanding reveals insight you never knew existed.
You are blind, unable to see the path which stand before you, because you simply cannot see the truth.
Gambling isn't just about money. In fact being good at gambling has nothing to do with money at all.
It is secondary to knowledge.
Because without the former, you could have all the money in the world.
And you'd still be a loser in the gambling stakes.
Don't bet - Invest.
Photo: Pixabay free for commercial use and no attribution but given
