(no subject)
1)France to go out in the first round @ 5-2
Yeah. Weak, divided team in a tricky group. Relatively stingy odds reflected the predictability there.
2&3)Mexico to win Group A @ 7-2
Mexico to reach the Quarter Finals @ 11-2
Quite, quite wrong about this one - Uruguay had more steel about them and beat Mexico to top the group. Although the group winners did go on to the quarter-finals and beyond, so my suspicions about this side of the draw weren't wildly off the mark.
4)Ghana to be best placed African team @ 4-1
The only (potentially) better African team were Ivory Coast, who were shafted by a tough draw. We all know how well Ghana can play. Finished a comfortable second in their group and battled past the USA to reach the quarters.
5)Germany to reach the Semi Finals @ 5-1
Deutschland were a grand team and looked impressive even in their warmup games. The length of the odds probably reflects the opposition they were likely to face along the way - but they swatted England and Argentina aside to finish third (after being completely neutralised by Spain, but never mind).
6) Denmark to reach Quarter Finals @ 6-1
Like I said earlier, this was a hedge - wasn't sure who'd finish second in Group E, but they had a decent chance of 'only' having to bear Paraguay to get to the quarters. Not a great bet.
7)Holland to reach the final @ 5-1
The longest-priced of the favourites trundled through the early rounds and scuffed their way to alternately exciting and hilarious (though technically poor) victories over Brazil and Uruguay. So that's another win. Not claiming to be Doris Stokes on this one - it's a bet that I'd only have placed based on the odds available.
8&9) Paraguay to win Group F @ 10-3
Paraguay to reach the Quarter Finals @ 6-1
I just realised that I described a game against Japan as 'not the tallest order'. No dubious joke intended there (ie if I am racist, it's only subconsciously so, which is reassuring). Paraguay did the business before succumbing to one of those peculiar Spanish non-events in the quarters.
10) Honduras to reach the second round @ 6-1
Honduras were grim. Fuck knows what I was thinking of there.
So there you have it. Six of my ten hypothetical bets came off, and with a stake of £10 on each one, I'd have walked out with £318 (£218 pure winnings). I'm alternately chuffed at looking like some kind of 60% reliable Nostradamus, and dismayed at not having the actual money.
Concluding predictions: For Euro 2012 I'll certainly place some bets, and at some point after 2012 I might end up in a debtor's prison.
Yeah. Weak, divided team in a tricky group. Relatively stingy odds reflected the predictability there.
2&3)Mexico to win Group A @ 7-2
Mexico to reach the Quarter Finals @ 11-2
Quite, quite wrong about this one - Uruguay had more steel about them and beat Mexico to top the group. Although the group winners did go on to the quarter-finals and beyond, so my suspicions about this side of the draw weren't wildly off the mark.
4)Ghana to be best placed African team @ 4-1
The only (potentially) better African team were Ivory Coast, who were shafted by a tough draw. We all know how well Ghana can play. Finished a comfortable second in their group and battled past the USA to reach the quarters.
5)Germany to reach the Semi Finals @ 5-1
Deutschland were a grand team and looked impressive even in their warmup games. The length of the odds probably reflects the opposition they were likely to face along the way - but they swatted England and Argentina aside to finish third (after being completely neutralised by Spain, but never mind).
6) Denmark to reach Quarter Finals @ 6-1
Like I said earlier, this was a hedge - wasn't sure who'd finish second in Group E, but they had a decent chance of 'only' having to bear Paraguay to get to the quarters. Not a great bet.
7)Holland to reach the final @ 5-1
The longest-priced of the favourites trundled through the early rounds and scuffed their way to alternately exciting and hilarious (though technically poor) victories over Brazil and Uruguay. So that's another win. Not claiming to be Doris Stokes on this one - it's a bet that I'd only have placed based on the odds available.
8&9) Paraguay to win Group F @ 10-3
Paraguay to reach the Quarter Finals @ 6-1
I just realised that I described a game against Japan as 'not the tallest order'. No dubious joke intended there (ie if I am racist, it's only subconsciously so, which is reassuring). Paraguay did the business before succumbing to one of those peculiar Spanish non-events in the quarters.
10) Honduras to reach the second round @ 6-1
Honduras were grim. Fuck knows what I was thinking of there.
So there you have it. Six of my ten hypothetical bets came off, and with a stake of £10 on each one, I'd have walked out with £318 (£218 pure winnings). I'm alternately chuffed at looking like some kind of 60% reliable Nostradamus, and dismayed at not having the actual money.
Concluding predictions: For Euro 2012 I'll certainly place some bets, and at some point after 2012 I might end up in a debtor's prison.