Gearoid

Aye, the three guys who got through the final appear to have absolutely no concept of value. I'd have had Gearoid odds-on to find at least three of the five wrong prices!
 
Couldn't understand why they picked the winner after he'd done significantly worse in the final trading session.
 
Go easy lads, I'm good mates with the winner and the lad who came third

JC is a really intelligent fella who was instantly given a full time job in there [it was only meant to be 6 month trial ]and is doing brilliantly at the moment

Gearoid came across best in the first interviews though, I'm shocked he didn't make it through
 
Hmm, I'm leaning towards the editing of the program not exactly doing them justice then. Just to explain my comment about value to those who didn't see it - there was a task set for the three finalists where they were given a sum of money to bet on a football match, along with a comprehensive set of priced-up markets . What they hadn't been told was that there were five prices in there that had been purposely made too big by PP. What surprised me - and I could be wrong here, the program didn't dwell on the task - was that none of the three appeared to have looked at the prices in such a way as to look for these mistakes; it seems to me that that's the kind of process they should have been following even without knowing that there were purposely mistaken prices in there.

Anyway, glad to hear the winner is vindicating the decision.
 
A later edition of the programme was filmed somewhere where I work and they do film an awful lot of stuff pointlessly - I honestly don't know how they edit it all but it certainly could lead to error

I think the point about the final task is that essentially it's a risk depending on one game. Thankfully they didn't just go with who did best because freaky things can happen on a once off, it was about measuring who would do well over a long period of time and they consistently pointed out that JC's prices were close to what theirs would have been,

Also, from knowing the fella very well, it's obvious why he won. He's a complete anorak about football [is actually also a qualified referee at eircom league under 21 level] and would be just as capable of giving odds on games at any level across Europe as he would be a glamour game like those involving Liverpool which would give a more level playing field for those with limited knowledge.

Secondly, he studied Maths in college and is an absolute genius with figures. When it comes to compiling stuff on the spot and in a split second, he's your man.

It would be hard to demonstrate all of that accurately in such a short show but I have no doubt that these were all the deciding factors in the actual final decision.
 
Yes - apart from, bizarrely enough, when he used to be chief heckler and choir leader in his younger days when he attended football games
 
Oops more here on the competition thread. What came out of the programme, as Garney said, was that the finalists had a very poor concept of value. Maybe this is a false impression conveyed due to the editting, but I will say that I did a masters degree in what was essentially Maths loaded with probability. There were people in the class that could work out the most complicated mathematical models, that could tell you the probability of there being six people in a supermarket queue at 2.30 on a Friday afternoon, but still had no real intuition as to what a 40% probability meant. The latter is the more relevent to the position being offered.
 
I can see that point and, as I said, I thought that Gearoid should have blitzed through the first interview. Really surprised by that. He should have been in the final three and given the chance.

But I think that those who made it through underwent a lot more scrutiny with what was a painstakingly annoying camera crew - and time has proven that it has worked out very well for Paddy Power. The winner is not a numptie, and I'm not saying that just because he's my mate. I've spent days in the bookies with him and he knows his stuff.
 
The big surprise was seeing Gearoid. I had expected to see a wild-haired, six-foot-four fighting Irishman but he turned out to be a prim, precise, pixie-like creature.
 
My only regret from the show is not getting a chance to show what I could do in the last 3. If I go through and lost I'd be content that I gave it my all but I wasnt afforded that oppurtunity. I think it was simple, Paddy liked me, John didnt. I think enough of my posts on here show I can tell a value price. I'm certain I would have picked up 3/5 of the ricks.

As for the editing. I was Katie's favorite and she wanted me to win it. She had a hand in the editing and promised me I'd come across well on the show.

Anyway, the phine hasnt stopped ringing all day. I got a call from Ladbrokes area manager, hes beside himself that I'm working for them (as a deputy manager) and who knows I might get a chance to be a trader yet.

Brian, I'll send you a copy when I get my hands on it.
 
Well done Gearoid. B) It sounds like you have got yourself "known", even if you didn't actually win.
 
well done geroid.Monaghan man myself, seen it last night, my bro was on it at an early stage, but didnt make it through to the final 6.he was on it at the first stage of interviews.wish i had have given it a lash, looked good. you came across well, thought youd have a shot after the interview, couldnt believe you didnt get through.
best of luck with the career, hopefuly youl get a break somewhere along the line.Its everyones dream to work in something you love..and get paid for it!!
 
Who was the bloke that admitted to losing 12 large on a football match-he would have been better off claiming to have won it.
I thought Gearoid came across as the most passionate about oddsmaking but I think they wanted someone with a maths qualification.I thought the final 3 were good but they were all number crunchers(not a criticism)Gearoids passion for the game would have been a nice contrast.
 
Will it be shown on the UK? It would be good to see it!

Well done Gearoid, that's great that the programme has generated such positive interest. It's always nice to be praised, or have people interested in you! Great work, all the best!
 
Originally posted by Shadow Leader@Mar 10 2006, 05:20 PM
Will it be shown on the UK?
Click to expand...
No. I think that programme planners feel that we already have enough reality shows of our own...

(Others might think too many!)
 
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