Reason behind alias: Snyena is a cross between snake and hyena. There is no deep meaning behind
the alias.
So this betting thing then. Why? I regard betting as a tool to make some (or a lot of) money if wielded
right. It is just a step toward other things, albeit an interesting one,
where you can learn useful things and meet people you grow to like.
How did you start? I had been placing the occassional mug bet at various Slovak bookies since I
was 15. My first proper attempt at on-line betting came in 2003 when I tried
to follow my friend's succesfull model and earn money via arbitrage betting.
Needless to say it went wrong due to my inexperience and I had to resort to
"normal" betting. Luckily for me, I found many articles about the principles
of profitable betting written by knowledgeable punters and those inspired me
to start taking my betting seriously.
What's it like betting in Slovakia? Since the fall of communism in 1989, betting has become extremely popular
here. The country's population is only 5 million but there are six major
bookmaking firms on the Slovak market and their networks of betting shops
cover all cities and towns, even a number of larger villages. Football, ice
hockey, and tennis are the most popular sports to bet on; there is no
tradition in betting on horses whatsoever. Most punters bet in shops but
some of the industry's global players are on the verge of entering the
market, where they might have to face the competition of those Slovak
bookies that understand the Internet's potential.
What are you betting on now? Mostly European football, from EPL to various obscure competitions. Intraday
FTSE bets and various forms of in-running betting have been profitable for
me as well and I intend to look into them more closely when I have more
time.
Your finest bet: A fairly large bet on Motivator to win the 2005 Derby priced at 15/1 was my
biggest single win and this bet will always remain very special. However, it
was a tip I received several months before the race. I hope that my own
finest bet is yet to come and it will probably be a massive 1.01 lay on the
FTSE intras. :-)
Your worst bet: One of my losing bets from the times when I used to chase losses using
inadequately high stakes.
Best piece of betting advice you've ever received: To be patient.
Best piece of betting advice you can give: Treat your betting as a long-term project, understand value and learn to
find it (devise your own methods or follow profitable tipsters), use sane
money management, and you will be rewarded.
Best bookmakers: CentreBet, Bet365, 10Bet, Gamebookers, Expekt, NordicBet.
Worst bookmakers: I try to avoid the bad ones, so I have no first hand experience to talk
about. BetAndWin are annoying with their limits but they also have a few
positives for my special purposes.
Name one thing that would most improve the quality of your betting life: Not having work commitments.
The worst thing about betting is: The risk that, in the end, it might take more from your life than it gives
back.
The best thing about betting is: The vision that one day I'll be able to say: "I've made it in betting, where
do I go from here?"
Any last words? Thank you for reading this.
BBC
