The Rules of Accumulation

The Rules of Accumulation are a fictitious set of 'rules' used to increase a gambler's chances of winning an . They are commonly comprised from superstitions and/or past experiences of different gambler's and their creation can occur when a gambler wins/loses a bet and puts this result down to external factors, usually seemingly irrelevant, but occasionally with logical reasoning behind them. There is no specific set of rules and they can vary greatly from person to person, however, it is widely believed in urban areas in the UK (such as Bristol) that there is a core set of rules to be followed:
Rule 1
Rule 1 is widely regarded as the most important and most established rule of accumulation betting. It states that 'One should never place a bet on one's own team.'. This rule is derived from many a football fan's superstition of jinxing their own team (team they support) by showing such faith in their team that they are prepared to stake money on the outcome. This rule is an example of how the brain can work irrationally when one's supported club is playing, and this is perhaps why rule 1 is considered to be so important.
Rule 2
Rule 2 states that 'One should never bet on Scottish Football'. This means that unless extreme circumstances deem it necessary, one should never involve any games from any Scottish football league or cup games in an accumulation bet. It is widely believed that this rule was derived after a string of seemingly 'predictable' Scottish football games were incorrectly predicted. For example, .
Rule 3
Rule 3 says that 'One should never stake more than 50p on an accumulation bet'. This rule is based on human superstition and religious beliefs, as some gambler's believe it is 'tempting fate' to bet more significant sums of money, as the God's of gambling are more likely to twist results against your favour to take the gambler's money. It is this rule that influenced the famous gambling motto 'Keep your stakes low and your chances high'.
Rule 4
Rule 4 dictates that 'One should never bet on a team who has just won a cup final'. This rule was derived in the 1950's when the term 'Cup Final Hangover' was coined. It is a pun on the term hangover, where a person's ability to function after a drunken night out is severely impaired the day after. This is analogous to football as after a team has won a cup final they are on an immense high, but in their next game they may not be able to function to their full potential.
Rule 5
Rule 5 suggests to gambler's that 'One should always accumulate as part of a team', meaning that it is suggested to go to the bookies together with friends in order to increase the chances of winning the bet. This rule is related to the theory of team morale, as it is believed by many gamblers that a group of friends can help to improve the accuracy of predictions and provide extra information on current form and results.
Rule 6
Rule 6 states that 'One should never read the return until one has left the premises of the gambling establishment.' In dense urban areas, the recommended 'safety distance' is two shop windows in either direction upon exit. Nb: If, by chance a bus stop lies directly outside the doors of the bookmaker It is traditional for the first lady to arrive at the bus stop to have first glance upon the return of the bet. It is thought that this rule is derived from the early 1930s during which time it was widely appreciated that the accumulator slip should be blessed by the kiss of a woman.
Rule 7
Rule 7 is perhaps the most philosophical of the rules of accumulation, as it states that 'When one adheres to the Rules of Accumulation, "Gambling" is no longer a "Gamble"'. It is based on the theory that when the rules of accumulation are applied to a bet, it will all but guarantee that the gambler wins their accumulation bet. However, this rule has two fundamental problems. Firstly, the Rules of Accumulation are not known to be complete, and so they cannot be used in full confidence yet. Secondly, as the discovery of new rules is an ongoing process, this pinnacle of optimised gambling is perhaps an unrealistic target, with many experts in betting believing that there will never be a specific 'formula' that can guarantee a winning bet.

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