Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Walker explains the ‘Moneyman effect’
Ben Walker was in his late 20s when a TV documentary prompted him to consider the impact of the “Moneyman effect”.
Like many punters, Mr Walker had heard about the benefits of being a “moneyman” – betting correctly.
At the time he was working in the gambling industry as a fraud investigation solicitor in Norwich.
A fresh look at his expertise led him to become a TV commentator, with his transformation into a gamblers’ champion followed by two other commentators.
The Moneymaker Effect is now a staple of BBC coverage.
But what, exactly, does the Moneyman effect refer to?
In plain English, it refers to the excitement it creates when gamblers anticipate the outcome of a particular hand of poker, as opposed to another bet – even if their bets are exact the same way.
Although it is said to be responsible for boosting bookies’ takings, some critics would say that it is a means for bookies to extract more money from punters in the hope of regaining the money lost in underperforming games.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ben Walker is part of The Moneymaker Effect
An obsession
The Moneyman effect has been described as the obsession of professional players who bet each other.
It is most commonly described as a surprise or outcome that gambling fans can’t get their heads around.
Critics of the Moneyman effect say that it is a form of psychology so complex that a person would need to have an IQ of 170 to think it through.
It isn’t perfect.
Mr Walker and his friends think that the effect can be confusing for gamblers.
“Anyone who tries to extrapolate it in a truly rational way will find it quite hard,” he says.
“My bet is, the next guy will develop a machine that will figure it out, and I’ll probably be doing it as a hobby.”
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ben Walker gives a speculative play byplay commentary
Mr Walker says he is always a little surprised by how the effect works in the house.
“I know that it is definitely affecting bookies’ takings. It is happening so much that they’ve been forced to put up signs and put it on the airwaves. It’s really easy to get excited about if you’re a gambling fan.”