Thanks everyone for the tips. Had an AWESOME trip.
Did the Churchill War Rooms (awesome), went to 3 soccer games including the thriller at QPR with LPool.
Bookies in London are totally confusing to me. They could be so much more - but I understand now what everyone told me ahead of time in this thread. 90% of the bookmakers are video gambling and horses and dogs related, sports has a little corner. No TV's. I just popped in to make a bet and out.
Funny story - first time in William Hill I go in to make a wager on the West Ham / Middlesboro game I was going to that night. Tried to wager what was in my pocket on West Ham to win, which was 1100 pounds. Let me describe the scene - you walk in the door, go down a flight of stairs, and are in a room that couldnt be more than 300 square feet - 3 guys sitting betting a pound or two on dog races - one guy behind counter.
I ask the odds on WHU, he gives me the odds - and I tell him I want 1100 on them to win. He tells me I have to write it down on these bet slips they have - so I write it down - and they do this funky scan thing and I get a ticket back in my own writing that said "West Ham to win" and the amount. No date, no opponent - the guy wrote the odds.
Well - he has to call it in because of the amount - and they say they will only take 500 pounds. 500 pounds was their limit on Championship!! They dont even have asian handicaps (spreads) - but you can bet anything exotic that you want at horrendous odds.
So I bet the 500 pounds - get my scanned handwritten ticket back - and go to the game and they of course draw so my ticket was a loser. But the whole experience gave me a very good picture of these books. Why is it this way? How could they not have handicaps? ManU was playing Fulham, and I wanted to take +1,5 goals with Fulham, but couldnt bet it anywhere.
Anyway - I love England. Saw and did everything in London, and was outside of London for about 6 days. Just fantastic. Cant wait to go back.
Funniest song at a soccer game - Chelsea vs Tottenham - Tottenham is the place where the riots started last year in London - so Chelsea sings "you fucking wankers - you burned your own town...." and it goes on and on. Just great.
Thanks again everyone for the advice.
Thanks everyone for the tips. Had an AWESOME trip.
Did the Churchill War Rooms (awesome), went to 3 soccer games including the thriller at QPR with LPool.
Bookies in London are totally confusing to me. They could be so much more - but I understand now what everyone told me ahead of time in this thread. 90% of the bookmakers are video gambling and horses and dogs related, sports has a little corner. No TV's. I just popped in to make a bet and out.
Funny story - first time in William Hill I go in to make a wager on the West Ham / Middlesboro game I was going to that night. Tried to wager what was in my pocket on West Ham to win, which was 1100 pounds. Let me describe the scene - you walk in the door, go down a flight of stairs, and are in a room that couldnt be more than 300 square feet - 3 guys sitting betting a pound or two on dog races - one guy behind counter.
I ask the odds on WHU, he gives me the odds - and I tell him I want 1100 on them to win. He tells me I have to write it down on these bet slips they have - so I write it down - and they do this funky scan thing and I get a ticket back in my own writing that said "West Ham to win" and the amount. No date, no opponent - the guy wrote the odds.
Well - he has to call it in because of the amount - and they say they will only take 500 pounds. 500 pounds was their limit on Championship!! They dont even have asian handicaps (spreads) - but you can bet anything exotic that you want at horrendous odds.
So I bet the 500 pounds - get my scanned handwritten ticket back - and go to the game and they of course draw so my ticket was a loser. But the whole experience gave me a very good picture of these books. Why is it this way? How could they not have handicaps? ManU was playing Fulham, and I wanted to take +1,5 goals with Fulham, but couldnt bet it anywhere.
Anyway - I love England. Saw and did everything in London, and was outside of London for about 6 days. Just fantastic. Cant wait to go back.
Funniest song at a soccer game - Chelsea vs Tottenham - Tottenham is the place where the riots started last year in London - so Chelsea sings "you fucking wankers - you burned your own town...." and it goes on and on. Just great.
Thanks again everyone for the advice.
I was in this shop. In Chinatown either right on Shaftesberry or very close to it.
While I was in there - a guy punched one of the video machines and cracked it. He calmly gets up and walks towards the door where he is tackled by some other dude who must be security. Funny because I thought of your post right away.
Nice shop - but once again the sports were so limited and they didnt even know what a spread bet or asian handicap was.
I was in this shop. In Chinatown either right on Shaftesberry or very close to it.
While I was in there - a guy punched one of the video machines and cracked it. He calmly gets up and walks towards the door where he is tackled by some other dude who must be security. Funny because I thought of your post right away.
Nice shop - but once again the sports were so limited and they didnt even know what a spread bet or asian handicap was.
This is exactly my experience. The "coupons". If it isnt on the coupon, you have to bet it online (at horrendous odds).
I guess a lot of Brits like to bet on who scores first parlayed with the final score. It is odd to me that this bet is mainstream, and a spread bet or a total isnt. Its easier to bet Rooney to score first along with a 2-1 ManU final than betting over 2.5.
Just strange to me. Im not sure why a real book doesnt cater to real bettors - but maybe if you can bet online anyway with no problems - why would you go to one of these shops anyway? But then again, they are everywhere so someone is using them. Maybe only those horse, dog, and video machine players. Believe me - I definitely got the feeling they would rather have 2 pound bets from lots of people than sizable bets from a few people....
This is exactly my experience. The "coupons". If it isnt on the coupon, you have to bet it online (at horrendous odds).
I guess a lot of Brits like to bet on who scores first parlayed with the final score. It is odd to me that this bet is mainstream, and a spread bet or a total isnt. Its easier to bet Rooney to score first along with a 2-1 ManU final than betting over 2.5.
Just strange to me. Im not sure why a real book doesnt cater to real bettors - but maybe if you can bet online anyway with no problems - why would you go to one of these shops anyway? But then again, they are everywhere so someone is using them. Maybe only those horse, dog, and video machine players. Believe me - I definitely got the feeling they would rather have 2 pound bets from lots of people than sizable bets from a few people....
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