Brent Graham reflects on one of his better years of sports betting but despite coming out well in front, 2011 will be remembered for a couple of heartbreaking losses.

 The Nedbank Golf Challenge turned out to be pretty disappointing for me from a punting perspective. While I made a few good calls such as backing Clarke to finish last my long term punt on Luke Donald was never really a runner and my biggest 18 hole match bet also came unstuck.

 As a punter I am always on the lookout for what I perceive to be betting value. For me value is when I expect the odds to be at a certain level and they are in fact significantly better. This is usually the trigger for me to get involved often with a bigger bet than normal.

 With punting memories of the Currie Cup and Rugby World Cup fading fast I had my first weekend without a bet since late January. There was plenty of sport on the go but once in a while it is good to take a break both to clear the mind and frankly to prove to yourself that you can.

 There are two betting moments which have caused me sleepless nights this year. The one was France’s defeat to the All Blacks in the RWC 2011 final and the other was losing my match bet against Neil Andrews in the Emerald Poker Series back in May.

 I have been betting on sport for many years and I have previously written about how I no longer support any team or individuals but rather follow my wallet so to speak. In fact I have long said that I am immune to the sort of emotions that normal supporters go through and my ups and downs tend to be of a more financial nature than emotional (although I get seriously emotional after a big loss).

 The one thing that concerned me about this Rugby World Cup was the timing of many of the matches. Many of them take place mid-morning and clash with work while others require you to sneak out of bed at 4am without waking the family.

 By the time you read this article the 2011 Rugby World Cup will be less than 24 hours away and the Boks will be just 3 days from kicking off their opener against Wales.