Back in the 80s there was a real buzz about Big Deal.
I’m sure many gamblers remember this TV program that appeared on our screens from 1984 – 1986 starring Ray Brooks, Sharon Duce and Lisa Geoghan. In fact, it had an excellent cast and a fine production by the BBC.
The theme music was on point, performed by Buck’s Fizz member Bobby G.
It was created by Geoff McQueen and written by David Crane. It was released as a comedy-drama but it really captured the lifestyle of a gambler and Robbie Box was a character many would-be professional gamblers could associate.
I looked forward to watching the three series with my Dad.
The storyline followed the ups and downs of small-time London gambler Robbie Box and his long-suffering girlfriend Jan Oliver.
His addiction to poker made for an incredible watch.
The three series of 10 episodes each started on the 14th October 1984. I would have been 14-year-old at the time and had aspirations of being a gambler myself and I know Dad would have loved to have given up his business to bet for a living.
Each episode lasted for 50 minutes.
The start, finish and end was something to be savoured and I loved every minute and couldn’t wait for the next instalment.
The last episode in series 3 titled: ‘Innocent, OK’ was a fitting end to a superb drama. Ray Brooks has a long and varied profile as a brilliant actor from the Ken Loach directed Cathy Come Home to the voice of Mr Benn.
I think Big Deal was one of his most enjoyable roles he played, the cast seemed very much like a family.
It was a sad day when the series ended and disappointing that the BBC only released series 1 on DVD (2006).
Luckily, some kind soul keeps putting all three series on YouTube. The picture quality isn’t great, but when Bobby G starts to sing: ‘Gone are the dreams. You had them so very long. Now you’re having a run…’
The Adonis Juvenile
Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 2 hurdle race run over 2 miles at Kempton
Park in late February. As the title implies, the race is restricted
to horses aged four years – or, in other words, aged three years at
the start of the current season – who, by definition, are racing in
their first season under National Hunt rules. Inaugurated, as the
Tote Placepot Hurdle, in 1965, the race was elevated to Grade 2 from
Listed status in 1991 and renamed to its current title three years
later.
Despite the obvious
differences between the right-handed, flat hurdles course at Kempton
and the New Course at Cheltenham, which is left-handed, undulating
and features just two flights of hurdles in the final three-quarters
of a mile, the Adonis Juvenile Novices' Hurdle is considered a key
trial for the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. The
most recent winner of both races was Zarkandar, trained by Paul
Nicholls, in 2011. Indeed, more recent winners of the Adonis
Juvenile Novices' Hurdle have a less-than-stellar record in the
Triumph Hurdle. Since 2011, eight have attempted the double, but none
of them has troubled the judge at Cheltenham, despite being well
fancied more often than not.
Nicky Henderson, who
saddled Katarino (1999), Punjabi (2007), Binocular (2008), Soldatino
(2010) and Fusil Raffles (2019), and Alan King, who saddled Trouble
at Bay (2004), Penzance (2005), Master Blueyes (2017), Redicean
(2018) and Tritonic (2021), are jointly the most successful handlers
in the history of the Adonis Juvenile Novices' Hurdle with five
winners apiece. Looking ahead to the 2023 renewal of the Adonis
Juvenile Novices' Hurdle, scheduled 1:50pm on Saturday, Februrary 25,
punters may like to note that seven of the last ten starting price
favourites have won.
Even though it dates back to 2007, that episode stuck in my mind for many reasons. It was a surreal experience to see a selection of gamblers basically lose their cash. In fact, ironically, the only person who seemed to win was Louis Theroux. I’m sure you can remember Alan the Canadian high-roller and multi millionaire ‘The Mattress Man’ who couldn’t lose his money fast enough, at one point playing two high-limit slots at the same time. The man who sold mattresses for a living said: ‘I think in a lifetime, everyone’s a loser.’
Without doubt, The Mattress Man was a bit of a loser. A Whale, as they call big gamblers, and by the end of the program he was feeling blue. In fact, there are online articles which suggest he went through his cash and now a taxi driver.
But what are high-limit slots?
For those, like myself, who have no idea what limit is a high limit. I’m having flashbacks to Louis chatting with Dr Martha Ogman, a retired dentist who lost millions on the slots. She seemed to think it was humorous spending her son’s inheritance and spoke in glowing terms about the casino who paid for her husband’s funeral and wake.
I needed to investigate high-limit slots and learn more.
I headed straight to the YouTube channel Raja Slots, who have 63.4K subscribers. The video titled: $5,000 Spins! Must See High Limit Slots (Over 15 Jackpots). Those words were printed in caps lock but it was too heavy on the eyes.
The video has 251K views.
If you ever wanted to know how long it takes to lose $250,000 then the video lasts 24:09. I’m not sure who the gentleman is playing the slot but his accent has a southern drawl which reminds me of a character from the Simpson’s cartoon. I can’t remember the name. [Moe from Moe’s Tavern.]
I couldn’t help but imagine one of Moe Szylak’s most relatable quotes: ‘Hey Homer. I could hear your pathetic rationalizing through the door.’
The slot was at the Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas.
The man playing, let’s call him Moe, seemed emotionless and relaxed about gambling such a vast sum of money [$250,000]. It was clearly a stunt to get people watching the video. I questioned if it was real. I couldn’t help but wonder where the money had come from. Whose pocket? The whole situation seemed surreal. In a world where children are starving to death it made for an uneasy watch. I thought, thank the Lord that’s not my money tripping the light fantastic. I had vision of Hunter Thompson’s Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.
Didn’t he blow his brains out?’
The man showed a number of $50,000 vouchers which he pushed into the slot to give credits. He started off at a $1,000 a spin to ‘warm it up a little’. Then after ten spins he started on the big money a $5,000 a spin.
Looking at the YouTube transcript it was ‘50 spins at $5,000 a spin’.
Playing the Black Widow slot.
The money went down much too fast and by the time the $250,000 had been spent the total ‘winnings’ were about $49,000. So, a loss of $201,000 in just under 25-minutes. The biggest of the ‘15 Jackpots!!!!’ was $15,750.
I loved the way a Jackpot was quickly sent to Snapchat. Social media is clearly king in the world of slots.
Another win of $15,250.
Another win of $10,500.
A few smaller wins.
I was left thinking what really is it all about.
In truth, this was probably a fraction of the money lost by the Mattress Man or Dr Martha Ogman.
It’s only money, hey.
Unless you are betting with a skill based knowledge rather than fixed odds you are guaranteed to lose. Gambling needs to be questioned when you bet $250,000 for fun, entertainment or the glorification of the spin of a reel.
I remember Louis Theroux being in a lift with a couple heading back to their room after a night at the casino.
He asked: ‘How did you get on?’
Reply: ‘I lost twenty!’
Therous: ‘Twenty dollars?’
‘No, twenty thousand.’
I’m sure every casino goer left the casino to the soundtrack of Kenny Roger’s ringing in their ears.
Frankie Dettori, a famous Italian jockey in the UK horse racing scene, inspired Playtech to create Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven Slot. This horse racing-themed game has 5 reels and 25 paylines, featuring bonus rounds that allow players to relive Dettori's memorable victories. With a maximum bet of 1250.00 per spin, this game caters to high rollers seeking a chance to win big with a maximum payout of 7777x their bet.
Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven Slot Bonus Features and Free Spins
Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven has two bonus rounds that add excitement to the game. The Free Games Race is the first bonus round, triggered by landing three magic seven symbols anywhere on the reels.
Players then choose one of three horses and the horse's finishing position determines the number of free spins awarded. If the chosen horse wins the race, the player receives 35 free spins, while a last-place finish only awards 10 free spins.
The second bonus feature is the Mega Seven Bonus, activated by landing the racecourse symbol on reels 1 and 5. Players are taken to a racetrack with 20 sections and must choose a section to reveal a prize. Some sections offer cash prizes, while others increase the overall multiplier. Players must avoid the "collect" section, as it ends the Magic Sevens round.
Conclusion
Franki Dettori Magic Seven slot is one of the older slots from Playtech but it is still very popular among online casino players.
While not every player may enjoy horse racing themes, Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven offers a variety of bonus features that cater to players who enjoy such themes. With a maximum win of 150,000 coins and 35 free spins up for grabs, this game is worth a try for those who can handle the variance.
John Gosden OBE, is a British horse trainer, with over 3,000 winners worldwide. Training at Clarehaven Stables Newmarket, England. He was won prestigious races including the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Epsom Derby, Arc de Triomphe, King George and Eclipse.
The son of John ‘Towser’ Gosden, he started his training career assisting Vincent O’Brien and Sir Noel Murless, in Ireland.
In 1979, he moved to California to become an assistant trainer to Tommy Doyle, before attaining his own licence. Originally, training just three horses, renting individual boxes as he couldn’t afford a yard.
John Gosden is one of the most respected horse trainers and a great communicator.
After studying his two-year-old runners for the last decade, here are my findings.
Over the period of study. Gosden achieved a debut strike rate of 15%. In fact, over 50% of all debutantes have been priced 13/2 and less sp (starting price). Debutantes can win up to 25/1. Percentage wise, he has few first time out winners early season. Surprisingly, 80% of his racehorses win on debut from July – October. Other pointers for betting on horses making their racecourse bow:
Odds on shots very difficult to beat. Generally, a sign of a high-class juvenile who will be racing at Group class.
Best betting guide on debut 13/2 and less sp.
Even horses on debut at speculative odds feature value.
Two year old horses making their second starts Gosden, generally, win at more restricted odds. For example, the number of horses winning at double-figure odds second time out is limited.
Other statistics worth noting for two-year-old horses include:
Now training in partnership with his son Thady, the team have a number of courses where their juveniles excel featuring impressive strike rates.
Newcastle (39%), Yarmouth (34%), Chelmsford (31%) and Leicester (30%) are just a few courses to appreciate with two year olds horses on all starts.
Bobby George, an online slot game created by Playtech, is part of the Sporting Legends series and features 5 reels, 4 rows, and 40 paylines. The game boasts exciting features such as free spins with game modifiers, wilds, and scatters, with an RTP of 95.49%.
The game is based on the popular sport of darts and centres around the character of Bobby George - an English professional darts player turned TV personality, known for his flamboyant entrances as the King of Darts.
The game's theme is dedicated to this sporting icon and features 3D images of the darts legend. The reels showcase standard playing card symbols, as well as thematic icons such as Bobby George playing darts, a candelabra similar to the one he held during his showpiece entrances, a bracelet, and of course, darts.
Bobby George Bonus Features
Bobby George himself is the wild symbol in the game and can appear on any reel. Landing 3-5 of his symbols in a combination can reward you with up to 3x your stake, in addition to substituting for other symbols to help create matches.
The game also includes a Wild Darts random feature, which can reward you with 10 darts turning into wilds on your reels.
The scatter symbol in the game is represented by dartboards, and landing 3 or more of them triggers the free spins bonus. These symbols can also offer instant wins of up to 50x your stake. The free spins round begins with 6 free spins, and 3 darts are thrown to choose the modifiers that will become active during the free spins.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bobby George Sporting Legends slot by Playtech is a fantastic tribute to the legendary darts player. The game's special features, such as the progressive jackpot and the bonus round, add an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay, giving players the chance to win big while playing.
In the rich history of the New Zealand national rugby team, the All Blacks, one name shines brightly as the youngest player ever to make their debut: Jonah Lomu. At a tender age of 19 years and 45 days, Lomu donned the All Blacks jersey for the first time on 26 June 1994, facing off against France. Little did the world know that this young prodigy would go on to leave an indelible mark on the sport and etch his name in the annals of rugby greatness.
Born in Tonga in 1975, Lomu's journey to rugby stardom began when he and his family relocated to New Zealand at the age of 10. His exceptional talents on the rugby field quickly became evident, earning him a spot in the New Zealand under-19 team in 1993, followed by selection for the under-21 team in 1994.
Lomu's debut for the All Blacks against France in 1994 was nothing short of remarkable. Displaying a blend of power and speed, he scored two awe-inspiring tries, propelling the All Blacks to a resounding 22-8 victory. The world took notice, and Lomu's name echoed through stadiums as he became an overnight sensation. His meteoric rise was further acknowledged when he was crowned the International Rugby Board's Player of the Year in 1995.
Over the next eight years, Lomu continued to astound audiences with his prowess on the rugby field. He represented the All Blacks in two Rugby World Cups, contributing to their
historic triumph in 1995. Lomu's impact transcended mere statistics; his immense physicality and unrivalled speed forever changed the way the game was played.
I must confess I didn't tune in this year, as to my mind the format is getting a little long in the tooth. However, I'm well aware that some still enjoy watching and indeed placing a wager on acts in this still popular ITV show.
This year's winner Viggo Venn, certainly wouldn't have been on the radar of many, since funny as 'novelty' acts are they typically don't actually end up winning. Before he won his heat he was 150-1 with bookmakers, before dramatically shortening after.
In any case without further ado, here are the series voting percentages by show, and including the grand final. A relatively easy win by all accounts:
Vote 1
Musa Motha - 38.2%
Amy Lou - 18.3%
Abi Carter-Simpson - 16.6%
Enzo Weyne - 10.0%
Parkour Collective - 7.5%
United 2 Dance - 4.3%
Gamal John - 4.1%
Ichikawa Koikuchi - 1.0%
Vote 2
Viggo Venn - 43.7%
Johns' Boys - 16.4%
Olivia Lynes - 13.3%
Nathan & Joanne - 7.2%
Lewis Fuller - 6.8%
Yo Highness - 5.1%
Tia Connolly - 3.9%
Andrew Stanton - 3.6%
Vote 3
Ghetto Kids - 39.7%
Travis George - 19.4%
Harry Churchill - 9.5%
Notorious - 8.0%
Toy Toy Toy - 8.0%
Dylan B - 7.5%
Miki Dark - 5.1%
Markus Birdman - 2.8%
Vote 4
Malakai Bayoh - 27.5%
Duo Odyssey - 21.8%
MB14 - 13.1%
Felix Clements - 10.0%
Noodle & Tom - 9.0%
Chickenshed - 8.6%
Boycanto - 7.2%
Kimoon Do - 2.8%
Having come through
their first major test to secure UEFA Champions League football,
thrashing Brighton 4-1 at St. James Park, Newcastle now face a
desperate Leicester side looking for points. The Toon have been one
of the most spoken about teams in English football this year for
various reasons, but another win more or less seals their return to
the top echelons of European football. Can they overcome a Leicester
side fighting for their dignity?
Newcastle United News
While the injuries are
adding up – Jacob Murphy, Joelinton, Matt Ritchie, Sean Longstaff,
Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krath, and Joe Willock are all out –
Newcastle know they are in good enough form to see this out
regardless. They have built an exciting team that can go and get the
job done; the only question is whether the lack of bench depth might
hinder them as the afternoon carries on.
Leicester City News
The Foxes are being
hunted, and they are arriving into this game with some major misses
from their squad. Kelechi Iheanacho will miss out, as will James
Justin and Danny Ward. Other players who look doubtful to get on the
pitch include Caglar Soyuncu and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Verdict
Newcastle win. Despite
Leicester still having some threatening attacking players, they lack
the quality needed defensively to win a tight game. And Newcastle
have enough goals to overcome a shootout with relative ease. Expect a
comfortable home win, and more or less confirmation of UCL football.
As far as games go,
this is one of the biggest remaining in the season for both teams.
Formerly a bogy team of Man City, the Citizens now regularly hammer
the Toffees. Everton need points to try and guarantee survival, but
are they likely to get anything at home to the champions elect?
Everton News
Everton come into this
one off the back of a roaring 5-1 win against Brighton and Hove
Albion. It should be enough to help them stay up, but the Blues are
only a couple of points off being back in the bottom three. They are
going to be without a few important players, too, including Seamus
Coleman who is out for the season and Ben Godfrey who is unlikely to
get back before the end of the year.
Manchester City News
City are coming into
this one after an engrossing draw in Madrid, and will be sure to rest
players ahead of the return leg at the Eithad. Only Nathan Ake is
ruled out, but expect some rotation given that Guardiola made no
substitutions in Madrid. Rotation should see some squad players come
in, with the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne almost
certain to be rested.
Verdict
A tough one for City,
one of their tougher games left given Everton’s need for results,
but we cannot see anything other than an away win. City are on a
10-match winning streak in the league, and show no signs of letting
down as they push for a historic treble to match that of Manchester
United’s 1999 team.
The Liverpool Hurdle is
a Grade 1 hurdle race run over 3 miles and 149 yards on the Mildmay
Course at Aintree in early April. The race is open to horses aged
four years and upwards and is currently scheduled for the third and
final day of the Grand National Festival.
Inaugurated, as the
Long Distance Hurdle, in 1974, the race was originally run over 2
miles, 7 furlongs and 118 yards at Ascot before being transferred to
Aintree in 2004. At that stage, it was renamed and the distance
extended to its current yardage. The Long Distance Hurdle was
promoted to Grade 2 status in 1991 and the Liverpool Hurdle was
promoted again, to Grade 1 status, in 2010.
The Liverpool Hurdle
often features horses that contested the Stayers' Hurdle at the
Cheltenham Festival. The prolific Big Buck's, trained by Paul
Nicholls, completed the Stayers' Hurdle – Liverpool Hurdle double
four years running, in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, while Thistlecrack,
trained by Colin Tizzard, also won both races in 2016. Long after his
retirement, in 2006, Martin Pipe remains the most successful trainer
in the history of the Liverpool Hurdle, having saddled Pragada
(1992), Sweet Glow (1994), Galant Moss (1999), Maid Equal (2001) and
Deano's Beeno (2003) for a total of
The result of the
Stayers' Hurdle will, no doubt, influence the ante-post betting
market for the Liverpool Hurdle. Looking ahead to 3.35pm on Saturday,
April 9, 2023, last year's runner-up Flooring Porter – who has won
the Stayers' Hurdle for the last two seasons – is an obvious
starting point, while the likes of State Man and Blazing Khan, to
name but two, are promising, young horses whose best days are ahead
of them.
Registered as the Spa
Novices' Hurdle, but sponsored by 'The Potato People' since 2008, the
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle race run over 2
miles, 7 furlongs and 213 yards on the New Course at Cheltenham in
March. The race was established, as a Grade 2 contest, in 2005, when
the Cheltenham Festival was extended from three to four days, and
promoted to Grade 1 status three years later. Previously, the longest
race for novice hurdlers at the Chelteham Festival was the Ballymore
Novices' Hurdle, a.k.a. the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle, over 2
miles and 5 furlongs.
Of course, the Albert
Bartlett Novices' Hurdle is restricted to horses, aged four years and
upwards, who start the season without a win over hurdles.
Consequently, the leading 'bumper' performers from the previous
season – who have demonstrated ability, but remain unexposed over
obstacles – typically feature highly in the early ante-post lists.
The 2023 renewal is scheduled for 2.50pm on Friday, March 17 and the
bookmakers currently bet 10/1 the field; American Mike, trained by
Gordon Elliott, who finished second in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper
at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, heads the market.
Obviously, no horse can
win the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle more than once, but the most
successful winner, subsequently, was Bobs Worth, trained by Nicky
Henderson. The stoutly bred son of Bob Back justified favouritism in
2011, but returned to the Cheltenham Festival to win the RSA Chase in
2012 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2013. County Carlow trainer
Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of the
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle with three victories, courtesy of
Penhill (2017), Monkfish (2020) and The Nice Guy (2022).
Given both clubs are
now managed by two of the best coaches in Europe, you would expect
both teams to be flying. That is not the case, though, with Tottenham
looking a tired side sitting in fourth by the skin of their teeth.
Wolves look energetic and aggressive under Julen Lopetegui, but they
do have some crucial issues in scoring goals still. Who comes out on
top here?
Wolverhampton Wanderers News
For Wolves, sitting
15th place is a decent position given where the club were
when Bruno Lage was sacked. However, they come into this one with a
big injury list. The likes of Hwang Hee-Chang, Sasa Kalajdzic,
Chiquinho, and now likely Hugo Bueno are all long-term injuries.
Matheus Cunha is likely
to miss out, too, removing another attacking option from the Wolves
managers arsenal. Wolves are light on numbers, creating a forced
consistency in selection that might not benefit them as much as some
would assume.
Tottenham Hotspur News
Spurs are missing a few
players too, with the midfield duo of Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves
Bissouma out for the season most likely. They will also be missing
full-backs in Ryan Sessegnon and Emerson Royal. The latter has been
improved in recent weeks, and his energy will be a miss on the
right-hand side.
Spurs will also need to
make do without Hugo Lloris, who will struggle to come back this
season after injury.
Verdict
Both teams are in a
tough spot in terms of form, but Spurs do have the firepower of Son
Heung-min and Harry Kane to see them through. Having not lost at
Molineux in some time, too, Spurs will be confident of getting
something from a Wolves team who are just happy not to get relegated
after a toxic summer.
As we move into a key
part of the season, more and more teams are beginning to push hard to
get results. This has seen teams that might have expected a
comfortable season – like West Ham – see a slow start catch up to
them. With that in mind, can the Hammers come out the other side of
the relegation zone by defeating a Nottingham Forest side that have
shown impressive mettle in recent weeks?
West Ham News
Injuries have been a
killer for the Irons this year, and the fact they are likely missing
the quarter of Maxwel Cornet, Kurt Zouma, Jarrod Bowen and record
signing Lucas Paqueta are signs that the injury crisis is not yet
over. Manager David Moyes will have seen reports that this is a
do-or-die game for his reign, despite the lack of obvious
replacements on the market.
This could see West Ham
set up in a more defensive, counter-attacking style as they look to
play on the youthfulness of Forest.
Still, they have found
some decent form recently and could arrive at the London Stadium keen
to make a point after some other less than impressive away results.
Forest have stemmed the flow of goals in their games, though, so
could be looking to turn this one into a war of attrition.
Verdict
For both teams, not
losing would be a decent result. This could see West Ham set out to
get a point as opposed to go for all three, which is the nature of
Moyes. Forest will come to play, but the sheer volume of players
missing could see them play out a rather tough to watch draw with the
Irons.
The Champion Hurdle
Trial is a Grade 2 hurdle race run over 1 mile, 7 furlongs and 144
yards at Haydock Park in January. Open to horses aged four years and
upwards, the race was inaugurated in 1981, but was elevated to Grade
2 status in 1992. Since 2018, the Champion Hurdle Trial has been
sponsored by online gambling company Unibet and, since 2019, has been
run as The New One Unibet Hurdle in honour of the horse that won four
consecutuve renewals in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Nowadays, the Champion
Hurdle Trial is the penultimate leg in a season-long series of six
races sponsored by Unibet and hence known as the 'Unibet Road to
Cheltenham'. The series starts with the Elite Hurdle, run at
Wincanton in November, and culminates with the Champion Hurdle
itself, run at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The New One aside,
Nigel Twiston-Davies also saddled Mistinguett (1997) and Ballyandy
(2020) to victory in the Champion Hurdle Trial and is the leading
trainer in the history of the race with six winners. Other notable
winners of the race include Granville Again (1992), Flakey Dove
(1994) and Rooster Booster (2004), all of whom won the Champion
Hurdle – although only the second-named did so in the same year as
her victory at Haydock Park – together with three-time Stayers'
Hurdle winner Inglis Drever (2005) and three-time Aintree Hurdle
winner Al Eile (2006).
If recent seasons are
anything to go by, the likes of Constitution Hill, Honeysuckle and
State Man, who currently head the ante-post betting market for the
Champion Hurdle are unlikely to run at Haydock. Nevertheless, recent
trends suggest that a likely winner of the Champion Hurdle Trial will
be aged 7 years and upwards, rated 150, or higher, and possess
recent, preferably winning, form.
