Automatic Exchange Betting, Colin Magee

I got it a fortnight ago or so, when I saw it mentioned on bf forum.

It provides a gentle walk through building a simple bot. I read it cover to cover, and it was ok, though I certainly wouldn't recommend it to any experienced bot writer, as you won't learn anything new.

I was reading away thinking it's going to get to the exciting bit soon, it never did though! Upon reading certain bits I found myself thinking why on earth would I want to do it like that?

It was refreshing in the fact that all software used was open source. MS Excel didn't get a mention in the whole book :)

Fred - As I am an open source fan. Which software did it us ? I might give it a spin.
Also what was/is the logic the simple bot ?

Brendan

Brendan, the book recommends the use of linux for stability, and the example bot is written in perl, and uses mysql. It demonstrates using information from the racing post postdata table to roughly rate and price up horses and then bet/dutch at the business end of the market.

Thanks Fred. Saved me the cost of book purchase. Perl - hmmm, what ever rows his boat. Not something I would use anymore.
Linux can be very unstable, badly configured, (this is from the man that only has GNU/Linux machines).

The database is a fundamental. Mysql/sqlite what ever is easier to use for scripting language.

My main problem at the moment is I can not get my database to consistently tally with my status of my actual position of open/closed bets. I suspect that I may be getting inconsistent replies from betfair api. Its now a case of slowing logically stepping though my code. At the moment one inconsistency can wipe out all of my profits for weeks.

I have bet which I think have successfully concelled (and hence removed from Database) - later being matched bets. LOL - the old programming trick of explaining the problem to a 3rd person - I now have a idea of how to solve my problem. DO NOT removed the bets - at least for a while.....

Brendan

Fred, is that the only strategy covered in the book? Not sure if it's just me, but for £40 I would expect a bit more...

I think I paid £30 for it. As I said, not much use to any experienced bot writers but probably of interest to beginners. Basically, if you have succeeded in satisfactorily gathering prices, applying strategy, and placing bets, you won't need the book - but that said, who knows, the text may inspire your next fabulous moneyspinner...

I don't think there was too much more in the way of strategy, without looking at it again I couldn't say for sure. The book was well padded with the PERL examples.

Where did you buy it from? Cheapest on Amazon seems to be £39.89. If I could get it for £30 that might sway me to buy it. I will probably regret it, but it has piqued my curiosity!

http://www.highstakes.co.uk/shop/product.php/12204/0/

Yes you'll probably regret it, but curiosity has to be satisfied :)