Close, But No Cigar

To say I am feeling letdown right now would be an understatement.

It's so annoying to be one step close to winning something and then to fall right at the final hurdle.

I was so damn close.

And it's not the first time this has happened to me.

Where do I begin?

Last spring, I was looking at the prices on the 2011 Super Bowl winners and I was interested in three teams - Washington, the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears.

Oh, the Chicago Bears.

They were 40/1 so I had a little each-way bet on them. Only £1 - it was a fun bet.

Fast forward to June of last year and I was given a free ten pound bet on the Paddy Power website during the World Cup.

Instead of placing a bet on the football, I went and did another gamble on the Bears. This time I put five pounds each way on them. Their price had moved to 33/1 everywhere else but they remained at 40/1 at Paddy Power - I found a bargain price.

And then there was just a few minutes ago.

The Bears were in the NFC Championship game and were one step away from making it to the Super Bowl.

One bloody step.

Had they made it past the Packers, I would have made £95 from the free bet. I would have been happy with that.

Winning the Super Bowl would have netted a lot more. Maybe around £330 taking into account the other small stake bet I had placed on them earlier in the year.

My counter landed on the snake in my final throw of the dice.

I had a feeling the Packers were going to win, I felt it in my bones. Hell, I had past history playing on my mind. Whenever I am rooting for something good to happen, another force comes along and takes it away.

Nay, the other force tears it away.

I couldn't watch the game when the Bears were losing 14-0. I knew this would be the way it would end. I turned the TV off. I guess that shows how much I was annoyed.

All is not lost, though.

I'm guaranteed a profit from the Super Bowl regardless of what happens - I just wanted the glory of having picked a 40/1 winner months before the big game. That's bigger than how much I could have won.

With that said, the entire season has not been a failure. I walked away in profit and I very much doubt there will be any major betting going on until September as I am going on my regular hibernation period.

It's a shame that my favourite bet of the year burned out in this manner.

I'll win again. And when I do, I'll grandstand it to everyone who cares to listen because it's losing like this that makes the winning a hell of a lot sweeter when it happens.

Monday morning update - The New York Jets didn't oblige, either. The upcoming Super Bowl is going to be the worst one ever. How am I going to cheer on a team that ruined my bets? I'm sure I'll cope!