General question about middling

[TheGeneral+]

If one chooses middling as his sole baby and the number does not move, will he/she keep the one sided wager or write it off as a vig loss wagering the opp? What if it moves a few points the wrong way?

Thanks

 

[Chadster]

most folks who middle only "Scalping" can look at a number and tell you if it will move enough to start the scalp process. but then others have screens upon screens upon screens showing all the numbers thus showing scalps as well.

 

[noamchom]

There are lot of precuations that can be taken to minimize the risk-- most importantly, I would never middle unless both parts were already in place (the process should not take more than 30 seconds if you have money in both accounts and both screens are up)-- but, if the second line changes at the last second, I cut my losses. I would rather eat the vig than risk a wager I would not have made otherwise.

 

[wilheim]

Hows everything over at Harvard?



wil.

 

[Jazz]

eat the vig

 

[noamchom]

It's M.I.T., not Harvard.

 

[wilheim]

So Noam, how are things over at M.I.T.?

wil.

 

[DarrylParsons]

Whenever I middle I make sure to take the side I like better first, so if the line changes in the 30-second interval I can keep a net bet on the side I prefer. If my normal bet is 1 unit, I would try a middle for 4 units and if the line changes I take the other side for 2 units leaving me with 2 units of eaten vig plus a 2-unit bet on the side I prefer.

But usually I don't do the middle thing. I like to think the side I prefer has an advantage and the other side has a disadvantage, despite the middle. To make it worthwhile you have to make really big bets and that draws attention to yourself, gets you banned etc. Not worth it IMO.

 

[noamchom]

I agree w/ betting the side you like first, but my first consideration would be to take the line that is the biggest abberation. I never middle a game if I like one side strongly enough to bet. That may be vain, but I can't stand the idea of getting nothing from a bet I would have won. I have only been busted once, but, as a general rule, you're right, middleing, or any other form of arbing, for that matter, is more trouble than it is worth.

 

[TheGeneral+]

Thanks for the replies.

Who has the biggest clone fans base? Meaning which book has the most shops copy(clone) their numbers?

 

[PatrickMcIrish]

Eat the vig rather than gamble. Also although it only takes seconds bet the "off" number first. That is the key to the whole process so make sure that one gets in.

 

[Jazz]

General - true story, I ate the vig today on Pitt - 8.5 and Alabama +9.5, was wrong on what I thought was a sustained move - saw the score about 10 minutes ago, paid 20-1. So sometimes a blind hog roots out an acorn every now and then.

moral: sometimes you eat the vig, and sometimes you don't

 

[PanchoSanza]

Way to go Jazz.

Funny how that shit works out sometimes.

 

[TheGeneral+]

Jazz,

You say you ate the vig? That confused me Sir. Did you get the middle win?

If so.

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

General bet the weaker number and be done with it.

Ever hear of Walters, Baxter, Tiger, Magic or any of the other 3/4 dozen originators middling or scalping?

Hell no, figure out which number is weakest and bet.

 

[PatrickMcIrish]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The General:
Jazz,

You say you ate the vig? That confused me Sir. Did you get the middle win?

If so.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

General, I don't think he won. I think he did the correct thing and got off the play (ate the vig). Yes it would have won in this case had he stuck with it but if you play Q9 enough hands that will win a pot here and there too.

 

[RIOSHILL]

A good rule of thumb would be to not middle. Ever since Don best came along, and everyone knows what the current worldwide line is in "real time", big variations are nonexistent. Trying to middle today is virtually futile. All of the old time middlers out of Vegas have gone on to new ways to make $$$$$$$$$. (They simply tap Billy Walters' phone).

 

[Jazz]

Rio: with all due respect, and I will NOT expand on this in further posts, SOME people who know how to middle would totally disagree with you - me included.

However, please propagate that myth, it can only help.

 

[Jazz]

General and Pat:

Sorry for any confusion - thought I was clear. I simply meant when I covered the -8.5 with the +9.5 that I THOUGHT I was eating the vig on that - I certainly didn't expect them to cover by exactly 9. Meaning, I had no intention of keeping the -8.5 uncovered - at the time, I simply accepted the probable loss and 'ate the vig'. But when they did win by exactly 9, I won both bets, which surprised the shit out of me but was also a nice surprise.

 

[SubZaero]

Hey Jazz what happened?? Were you posting this when the site went down? Did you really wait two whole days to answer??? You really wanted to say this huh.