h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have bever really worked out how to spell Middlesbrough. Should it be middles-borough, or middlesbro, or middlesboro, or..

Anyway, 1-1 result against Arsenal. This was at odds of 11/2. NOT at 33/1. I'm just mentioning that for the benefit of people that think that if they get a patently wrong price written on a betting slip, they will get paid out at that price. From now on, I will be writing 1/100 on all of your bets, but still paying them out at the correct odds.

How can this be? Any price written on a betting slip on fixed odds football is for information only. That is what 'FIXED ODDS' means. If you cannot understand that simple fact, please don't bet.

This works both ways. If I the correct price is 11/2, I will settle at 11/2 if your bet says 33/1. I will settle at 11/2 if your bet says 1/2, 2/1, or in fact _anything_ else. That it what we call treating customers fairly.

Anyhow. Where were we. Oh yes, Middlesbrough. Portsmouth 8/11, Middlesbrough 3/1, the draw is 12/5. Pompey are odds on. Many people will think I have written those odds around the wrong way. Those people will be suprised to hear that they are, as of Friday night, correct, and as is the nature of fixed odds betting, will still be the case tomorrow unless some major technical snafu is uncovered.

One of these days I will be back in my shop. I have had two matches in the past 7 days, and will have another two over the next eight (Sat, Wed, Sat, Sat). After Middlesbrough is Sunderland. Could this be the start of Pompeys meteoric rise out of the drop zone, or is the draw of the fizzy league (and Southampton FC) too strong to resist. Only time will tell.