Is admitting you're a poor punter the thinking man's route to betting success?

They say there are two things you'll never hear. The first is a man leaving a betting shop at the end of the afternoon and saying: "Today, through a combination of my own poor judgement, shoddy preparation and lack of discipline, I lost money."

The second is one middle-class parent, holding a school report, saying to their spouse: "Actually, darling, I think our child may just be a bit thick."

These are fine examples of things none of us wants to say, because they reflect things we'd rather not admit to, at least as long as there are perfectly good excuses to tide us over.