We've talked super punter Bill Esdaile, former sports trader, into disclosing all the juicy details of his punting. Join him each week as he shares the best and (very) worst of his spread betting exclusively with you – let's just hope his wife doesn't find out!

Those of you who are regular readers of this column will know that I got what I wanted this Christmas - Madison Du Berlais finished second to Kauto Star in the King George and landed my 9/2 punt. Admittedly, I gave a bit back on some of the other races at Kempton on Boxing Day – I sold £15 of Long Run in his match bet with Tchico Polos in the Feltham at 1 ½ lengths and it made up the full 15 lengths (-£202.50 in monetary terms!).

However, I still finished Boxing Day well up. In fact, if truth be told, I finished the day well… chucking up. Mum didn't give the sausage stuffing the full 90 minutes in the oven it deserved and I paid the price. The morning of the 27th December was spent curled up in a duvet in front of the test match… I was too ill to even have a spread bet!

I didn't back the Welsh National winner (sided with Halcon Genelardais when L'Aventure didn't get in) and didn't even get with Arsenal in their 4-1 demolition of Portsmouth. I did, however, get given a very funny book for Christmas - One Ginger Pele – Football's Funniest Songs and Chants. My favourite chant so far has to be the one that Middlesbrough fans sang when Joseph Desire Job was playing for them… 'One Job on Teeside, there's only one Job on Teeside!'

Nothing to report about New Year's Eve except that I didn't see it in – I just watched 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and went to bed. I did make some New Year's punting resolutions though...

Not to get sucked into any Paul Nicholls trained Handicap 'good things' at the Cheltenham Festival (nine times out of ten they are not!)
To stop buying batsman's runs on poor batting tracks even if they look in great nick.
Not to have a spread bet at Wimbledon this year as I know nothing about tennis.
Not to sell total goals in a football match after half-time.
Not to reverse a position – if it's not going well, just close and don't go the other way!

The first day of the year and Cheltenham survived a few inspections although there were more non-runners than runners. I am pleased to report that my first bet of the new decade was a winner – I bought £10 of Nicky Henderson's Radium on the 12.30pm index at 27, so began 2010 £230 up.

Sadly, even though Double Dizzy jumped the last with a decent looking advantage in the next, he could only muster third and £60 headed back in the wrong direction. Chapoturgeon had the look of a Nicholls' handicap good thing in the feature race of the day, so I obeyed my New Year's resolution even though it wasn't the festival. Instead I decided on a small buy of Psychomodo at 5 on the index… another £50 was lost as he was pulled-up five from home.

I left the other races alone as I was determined to finish the first day of the year up. Anyway, I found another good football chant from my book sung by Preston fans to Cardiff City's Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink… 'Fat Eddie Murphy, you're just a Fat Eddie Murphy'.

Sandown was abandoned because of frost and snow which was really annoying as I really fancied Oscar Whiskey in the Tolworth Hurdle. My two-year-old boy Alfie cannot say his 'S's', so you can imagine how irritated I was to see the first at Lingield won by a horse called Tanley at 9/1! That's what he calls Stanley our Labrador… why do we only spot these things afterwards? I felt really hit (work it out).

Anyway, I got sucked into the Mister Frosty gamble in the 2.00pm at Southwell and bought £10 of the wretched beast at 26. It was the first one ridden along and trailed in 6th. However, what made it even more painful is that I laid my brother (staying with us for the day) £5 on the winner at 3/1. I'm not sure what hurt more, losing £15 to him or £260 on the spread bet.

Left the rest of the afternoon's racing alone and added two more New Year's Resolutions to the list... 6. Don't lay my brother's bets as they always win; 7. Don't bet on the all-weather.

We went out for lunch which made punting on Man Utd's lunchtime 3rd Round FA Cup tie with Leeds pretty tricky. I was desperate to get with Leeds but wanted to know the team news before getting stuck in. We were in the car when the team news came through and I was in the middle of some roast beef when Beckford scored the winner. I missed both and felt sick… magic of the Cup… my arse!

Anyway, I did manage to sell goals in the Arsenal game and Eduardo's late winner cost me £70, but I suppose I'd have paid that to get Arsenal through… guess I just have to pretend I went to the game, bought a programme and had nine hot dogs!

I went to the funeral of a family friend and I'm ashamed to admit I had a cheeky bet in the first at Wolverhampton. I bought £10 of Ella Woodcock at 14 on the index and lost £140 – it was a broken New Year's Resolution and I got the punishment I deserved.

Let it snow, let it snow… let in snow! The snow started to fall heavily from 5pm and by the time the Stoke v Fulham game started, there must have been 4 inches outside. When Sanli scored the opener on 12 minutes (should have backed him to score first as his name is pretty close to Stanley and Tanley!), I decided to sell total goals at 3.2 for £100. When Faye and Sidibe both scored in a three minute period just after the half hour mark, I knew I was in trouble. I closed my position minutes before Duff pulled one back for the visitors by buying back at 4.2, so was thrilled when Fulham added another shortly after. I'm not sure why I was so pleased with myself as it had all still cost me £100.

We woke up to over a foot of snow! Alfie was desperate to go and build a 'no' man so we were outside pretty early. I decided to sell £4 of Arsenal Shirt supremacy against Bolton at 29 as I'm not sure they'll enjoy playing in the snow that much… anyway, the likes of Eduardo and Nasri don't have huge shirt numbers. I hope there are snow goals!

Please note: The content above contains the views and experiences of Bill Esdaile, not Sporting Index Ltd, and should not be viewed as recommendations for future bets.