TAB review Jan 4

[dave nz]

the week's big bets

A variety of different sports to bet on in the late stages of 2010, and the early days of the New Year, and punters had mixed fortunes.

As always, American sport, particularly football, was popular with our clients and this time of the year is big in the college game with a number of Bowl finals. The biggest bet of the week was $30,000 at a lay price of $1.55 on the Missouri Tigers to win the Insight Bowl. However, they missed out to the Iowa Hawkeyes and the bet was lost. One punter left it very late in live betting and jumped on the Seattle Seahawks to beat St Louis in the NFL. The win duly came and the $21,500 at just $1.02 was a winner. Another college football wager of significance with $10,000 at $2.25 on the Wisconsin Badgers to win the Rose Bowl. The game was won by the TCU Horned Frogs, narrowly.

Cricket has been prominent in recent times with the Ashes series in Australia, the start of Pakistans tour here, the HHRV Cup, and also women's international cricket. Pakistan gained some respect from their 20/20 series by easily winning the final match in Christchurch, however the Black Caps won the series 2-1. In that final game we took a bet during live betting of $10,000 at $1.05 on the tourists. Earlier we had $5,000 on New Zealand at $1.62. The Auckland Aces deservedly took out at the HRV Cup but they only just got home against the Central Stags in the final. It went to the very last over, which would have made the punter with $20,000 at $1.03 on the Aces, very nevous. Before the match we took $5,000 at $1.87 on the Stags. In the women's 20/20 international, narrowly won by Australia, we had a wager of $20,000 on New Zealand, in live betting, at just $1.13. A couple of bets to keep an eye on , as yet, unresulted. $10,000 at just $1.04 on Michael Hussey being Australia's highest run scorer in the Ashes series, and $10,000 at $1.25 on England or the draw being the result of the Sydney test.

As you would expect, racing, in all three codes, is big at this time of the year and the fixed odds punters have been very active. There have been some successes, and some failures, so lets start with the positive, from the punters point of view. $10,000 at $2.25 on Madisonz Luck to win the Cambridge 2200, $10,000 at $1.90 on Kings Rose to win the Royal Stakes, $10,000 at $1.60 on Big Quick to win the Tauranga Livestock 1400, and $10,000 at $1.90 on Dynamo Jack to take out the TAB Racing Maiden. Now the failures : $10,000 at $1.80 on Sleepy Tripp to win the Manukau Summer Cup and $10,000 at $1.70 on Ireby Gus to win the Rangiora 2600.

Meanwhile football pools is jackpotting along nicely and this week we concentrate on the third round of the English FA Cup. There are 5 options available on each match, home team by 1-2 goals, or 3 goals or more, away team by 1-2 or 3 or more, and the draw. This week we estimate the jackpot will reach $27,000. Well worth trying to crack either with skill or asking for an easybet.