I’m not a betting kind of person. I’d hate to put any money on anything. But, thanks to an amazing initiative by a friend at our company, we have a world cup betting contest on that has lead me to follow the results of every game. It is very exciting as the betting process is very simple. We just place a score prediction and are awarded points based on how accurate it is (4 if we get the exact result, 3 if we get the goal difference i.e. if we predict brazil win 2-0 and the result is 4-2) or 2 if we predict just the winner..
A few life learnings from this experience –
-> Betting is NOT only about luck. It becomes about luck when we bet with our emotions. Otherwise, it’s just careful preparation with an understanding of what you are betting for.
-> Careful prep and a football understanding doesn’t ensure that we’ll win every bet. But ensures we’ll get most about right. Over the past 4 days, the top 4 have been relatively unchanged as the climbs have been consistent.
-> Don’t mix up emotions. This is a big one. I had decided that Mexico would beat France day before. But as both predictions for South Korea and Greece didn’t go my way, I chickened out and did the conventional – went for France. And guess what happened..
-> Go with your gut.. Another big one!
-> Have fun.. That’s what it is about. I can see how this can become an obsession. Self control, as always, is everything.
-> Bet on a fixed investment. The moment there are stakes, I can see there could be trouble.
I’d like to see how this turns out. I can see that this will greatly help any team bond and maybe it is something to try out in the future with family and friends! :)
A Learning a Day 