Hard not to see Brazil go through to the final, Argentina should be their sternest test and if they take that scalp, the final is theirs. Mbappe should also power France through England unless Kane, Saka, Bellingham bring their best, but up next is Portugal have finally wisened up and are warming up to the idea of not starting Ronaldo. It allows for a very different, very dangerous Portuguese side -- I see them as French equals on the field in that case, but only if they find a way to take Morocco out first. They're the best European team to do it because they know how.

I don't think it's as hypothetical a situation as you imagine. I did get into Bitcoin in 2016, so had about a year and a half to accumulate before Bitcoin reached ATH. But it wasn't like I was buying Bitcoin, merely getting paid in BTC. And if you're getting paid in it, you're selling most of it anyway (since it's your income). I was saving into the hundreds of thousands and millions -- was not at my dream 1 BTC by the time ATH hit.

Today, we're not too far away from post-2017 prices.

You can still adopt now as if you were 5 years early.

I do know potential investors seem to see fractions as a problem, but adopters aren't bound by that mindset, in my experience.

Nice. I see the main character looks a lot like Sweet Tooth (graphic novel I bought for kids just last year).

Question: yeah I think Bitcoin users are bad ass, and those success stories (financially) are really bad ass too. I do know of one but a question first: you only take positive stories? We also have probably plenty of terribly bad stories which can also be really cool as comics.

Something dumb but semi true:
After being told he's a loser for posting his Bitcoin address as a QR code in reddit on memes, guy keeps doing it, getting banned, but somehow continues to receive small tips from fellow incels and randos.

Yeah same here, I tried not to react but I did when the ball hit the back of the net, and with replays I hoped he was somehow still in his half but it was so offside I laughed. The last corner too, I said if he scores, I'm going to not shit on him so much.

Well done, though, I want you to win it all so I can say you knocked me out

Yeah, which is why I asked. The case study does seem to have conflicting scenarios of common Bitcoin use, which suggests a high level of financial tech proficiency... yet at the same time archaic banking (SMS from the bank to confirm settlements instead of instant settlement from regular fiat). Even in Iran where the systems are completely closed off from the outside world because of sanctions, their internal banking has instant settlement as you might expect, Bitcoin is just a way to accept payments from the outside world (or send outside).

Yeah, and thanks to Morocco's incredible win, I'm now level on points with Woodie, with just Ronaldo left to decide our tie (Woodie, you worried yet, haha). I can't ever in my life remember ever even betting on Ronaldo to score, but when I made the pick I hadn't even read the news, didn't realise he'd managed to make even more drama with Portugal. Hope that fires him up to get some assist at least, as that's all I need.

Come on, Santos, sub Ronaldo in fast, and Fernandes, let Ronnie steal your goal. Or let him take a penalty haha (Bruno's Portugal's pen taker, is he?).

Alternatively, 0-0 also lets me win as I picked 21 goals max.


Looks like you and me both survive until the final game on Morocco and 0-0, and both don't mind another 0-0 pen shootout. I'll probably only return here to gloat/congratulate tomorrow.

Whoa, Morocco keeper has just dislodged Croatian keeper as most valuable player. Cool as a cucumber, and kept his goal intact (though should say he should also thank his goalposts for saving him so many times).

Spanish born player to knock out Spain and ensure Morocco progress to their first-ever quarterfinals.

Didn't get points, and 5 of you picked draws (not bad, respect) but no one predicted 0-0.

Wow.

Well, what can I say? Morocco are doing what everyone expected them to do, and Spain are labouring more than I expected them to. Didn't actually take a bet as I thought odds were too poor, so a draw is what the Africans would have loved, even if both sides could have won it at the death. Now we got 30 more minutes of extra time, expect this to be incredibly dull or incredibly exciting. Now the World Cup is feeling a lot more familiar haha.

Man, that's a lot of customers in such a short time -- they come and ask because of your Bitcoin sign or you talk to them about it? Because that's some amazing numbers, no other way to describe it, considering you're not advertising digitally for a digital payment method.

Curious to know where, if you can share? -- because reading about delays in bank confirmations and needing to wait for SMS to confirm settlement, feels like it's a bit behind in fintech.

@igehhh @Harkorede yeah, I'm about to join you. Only Morocco knocking Spain out will save me, but even then I need Ronaldo to score AND my Spain lineup to be correct, I have faith still, but I might have run out of luck. Definitely joining you guys to banter anyway, maybe we should take sidebets on the QFlists heh.


Sportsbet Clubtalk regular, he bets like he picks, it seems like, more like France maybe? Ha

15, yes

Count me in as another Saka on the bench (first MD I subbed him out, dumb, now he's left on the bench, what a waste of points!). Mbappe took me my haul but only because I used Boost (otherwise would have captained Messi).

Also, Pickford on my sub and Alisson conceded. I don't know what I'm doing...


My exact thoughts seeing him start the game... why start a guy who knows how to blaze down tired wings? Still, if he hadn't started, Japan might not have played as bravely as they did. I actually still thought my ticket had a great chance but once they took him out it was clear penalties were on everyone's mind.



You can count on it, immediately after Croatia went through, p2p markets on my p2p book gave 65/10 odds on Croatia (full game outcome) but some guy matched the entire market (only 0.1 BTC haha) immediately so odds wiped out to 56/10, which is still pretty good, so I already took it with winnings from Brazil last night.

Of course, FT result of 94/10 which is on Sportsbet now is my normal bet, but knowing the Vatreni way, I'm avoiding that haha.

Think I used to be able to do specials paired with regular markets, but I never tried more than 2 legs. Haven't been able to do that (otherwise would definitely go for some BTTS specials like today as they had really good boosts) but knowing myself, I'd have bumped up a big special with losing games.

WC definitely not good for me, but that's my fault for overcommitting too early in the group stages. Should have stuck with my underdog strategy on singles.

Not against Brasil later though heh.

6

Breathe easy, Cro2. Took a scare and penalty disappointments from Japan to get you through but you live another day. Was very hopeful my 2:1 would get ticked but by the time the game entered late, seems like both teams were happy to go to penalties. Quite a few 1:1 picks in the pool, well done there. Want to pick S Korea but need Neymar and gang to progress. Now on to Brasil!

Nice find, I don't mind DW half the time, it's like BBC, gotta know what to watch and what not to!

You might mean Cypherpunks though (don't worry, common confusion, also happened to me when I first came across the term). Unfortunate they get mixed up a lot with cyberpunk... which probably explains quite a lot of mainstream media Bitcoin mixups haha.

Definitely in parts of Europe privacy is sacrosanct, but also in some parts, interest and significance is waning.

New specials out, there's a bunch to choose from!

https://sportsbet.io/sports/sportsbet-specials/daily-specials/fifa-world-cup/matches

Ritsu Doan's been my main guy for Japan and he's got a special on today (first or last goal for 9/1) but he's a supersub usually, so can't really see him sandwiching goals. The VAR cancelled goal is extremely tempting, as we've had none so far in 4 games... and Brazil the likely winner here...

Thoughts for today?

I'm definitely losing this one, I think, Woodie got a fantastic headstart, and I looked very quickly, need to get the goal count right and Ronaldo to score to get back on level terms but if he gets Spain lineup right, I'm out. He went for a full European progress too -- and I need 2 to crash out, and I thought England would be one. Japan and Morocco have to save me (yeah right).

Doesn't matter, of course, I got some heavy hitting bets lined up so am more concerned with that. No specials, and I can't watch this game, good luck Cro2... you'll be happy to know my money's on Japan, so it should mean I lose.

Hard to convince people who can't see the proof in the poisoned pudding. Greed dampens the small voice in the back of their heads telling them it's a game they're eventually going to lose.

High returns with no effort. Lock in periods. Referral fees. Guarantees of profit (even SBF in his pitches used phrases like "risk free" and "zero risk"). Classic ponzi schemes.

Years ago I read research about triad gangs in Southeast Asia, same circle of people running relatively low value ponzis like this. HYIP rings and money doublers. I saw them myself in the late 1990s, mid-2000s. They don't end up taking much but they just run multiple sites, rinse and repeat, so stay below the Madoff radar.

Used to be cash in mail, internet and PayPal was next, then digital payments like e-gold, not Bitcoin.

^Yeah my brain said it's an England no-brainer but I went for the upset in the pool... all favourites through in the end. They grind out a win, or overpower with many trying to counter from Senegal mistakes, or take it to penalties, all routes showed English superiority and it ended up to be so. Hope England play like this against France, no older enemy than them to get motivated! Bellingham's game, first half at least.


I don't like it too, and since they made the keeper moving off his line a bigger deal in recent years, feel like penalties more than ever put the taker on the advantage (as, I guess, it should be).

I suppose some people playing in different cultures wouldn't mind it (and I'd never have guessed Lewie does it), but yeah I feel like you got to put a limit on it, some moves border on unsportsmanlike conduct.