You're friend is a bookies dream if he does not SHOP... Here is an article I wrote on the subject several years ago....
Let me ask you a question…When you set out to buy a major appliance such as a TV, VCR or microwave oven, do you normally walk into the first store that you see and buy the item no matter what the price? Or do you spend time shopping around, look at flyers and try to find the best possible value for your money? If you’re like the majority of people, you look around (at least a little), before diving into any major purchase. Hell, many of us wait for gas prices to fall 1 cent and prefer to run on empty for a while before filling up our tanks. It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so careful in their ‘regular’ lives and be so careless when it comes to gambling. The single biggest mistake made by the most gamblers is that once they’ve found a comfortable place to wager, they settle down and stop looking for other places to bet. This is a HUGE mistake and will cost you thousands of dollars over the course of a season. Let’s go back to our appliance example for a second…if it’s logical to assume that you wouldn’t dive into such a purchase without knowing “the facts”, then we must logically assume that the same decision should not be taken lightly when you’re placing a 250$ or 500$ bet. After all, we’re talking about a lot of money - cash that could be used to buy that TV or VCR in the first place!
You have several options when it comes to trying to find a place to play. Of course, every large town has several ‘local’ bookmakers who are more than happy to entertain new clientele. There are many advantages to placing bets with these people; there is a little risk, however which can’t be dismissed (discussed below). Your other main option is to open an ‘offshore’ account. These are legal bookmakers located in the Carribean or in Europe. A third option is to bet legally in Las Vegas Casinos. In the following section we will outline some of the pros and cons of each.
Local Bookmakers:
There are many advantages to playing with local bookmakers, but it certainly should not be considered risk-free. One advantage to local bookies is that they usually do not require that you pay in advance for your bets. This can be a big advantage for the disciplined gambler but can also land the foolhardy gambler in deep water. Before entering into any kind of arrangement with a bookmaker, you must take the time to research the individual to ensure that he always pays on time with the right amount. Bookies pride themselves on being honest and honorable but exceptions do exist. The local bookmaker can offer several advantages: First, you are given the luxury of playing on credit; this can be a useful tool if you know you have the cash and it’s temporarily tied up. It is imperative however, that you NEVER place a wager without first knowing where the money will come from should you lose. It is this type of action that will not only get you into trouble but will also disrupt the chain and could affect your bookmaker’s ability to pay their other clients. Honest bookmakers should not be viewed as seedy characters but more like businessmen who are filling a specific need in the marketplace. Bookmakers rely on their “ins” (money they won) to pay their “outs” (money they lost). Every week, bookies hope their “ins” outweigh their “outs”. When people fail to pay the money they owe, the entire process becomes compromised. Another advantage to playing with local bookmakers is that gamblers may take advantage of the bookie’s ‘soft’ lines. Local bookmakers will sometimes get a set of lines about two hours prior to the start of any given set of games. Once they have the numbers, they will stick with the same set of numbers until the books close before game time. In contrast, offshore or Vegas bookmakers are continuously moving the lines, based on how much action comes in on each team. If the Chicago Bulls’ opening line is minus 10 points and the first 20 people that place a wager bet on Chicago, the bookmaker will adjust his line to minus 10 ½ or minus 11 to try and draw wagers on the other side of the ball. If action continues to come in on the Bulls, the line will continue to move. It is not uncommon to see some lines move by as many as five or six points from the opening line to the time that the game goes off the board. I will continue my discussion of ‘Offshore’ and ‘Vegas’ bookmakers in the next section.
Casinos
Las Vegas Casinos are the safest way to successfully wager on sports. Anyone who decides to professionally handicap or wager on professional sports should either live in Las Vegas or have runners in the city who are able to place bets for them. Please note: I am not trying to say that one must have access to Vegas Casinos to become successful at sports wagering. For those betting several thousand dollars a game, however, or for those of us who are looking to sports wagering as more than just a hobby, the advantages of living in Vegas cannot be overlooked. Living in Las Vegas means that you have access to all types of lines. A player has the option of wagering in any sportsbook in town and may also have phone accounts with offshore bookmakers (explained below). These serious players may also have accounts with local books in nearby cities such as Los Angeles or Phoenix. There are also local bookies in Vegas who are an easy phone call away. Another obvious advantage to wagering in Las Vegas is that it is completely legal and the risk of not getting paid is minimal (unless of course the casino goes bankrupt overnight-I think the odds on this happening are about 2 million to 1). Another advantage to betting in Vegas is that millions of sports betting dollars pour into Las Vegas every day. More often than not, the betting public tends to wager on the same side of a particular game. This means that line movements (explained below) in Las Vegas tend to be more drastic than with local or offshore bookmakers. Savvy gamblers will be able to attack these movements and learn to profit from them.
Offshore and Internet Bookmakers:
An offshore bookmaker is a bookmaker who has set up shop in a location where sports gambling is legal. Companies in the Caribbean pay local government officials for the privilege of setting up their bookmaking company on the island. The idea works because the bet is placed over the phone at a location where gambling is legal. Therefore, the bet becomes legal. In the last five years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of offshore books. They are usually established in the Caribbean islands or in England. The advent of the Internet has also brought gambling to the forefront. It is now possible to place a wager on any sport, at any time of the day by opening up an internet account and punching a few keys on your home computer. Opening an offshore account is an excellent alternative for those who are worried about using local bookmakers or for those who simply do not have access to them. Since there are so many, however, it is important that you research the company you plan on using. It is wise to use only the companies who have been established for a number of years and have developed a positive reputation. Many gamblers hesitate to use these bookmakers because they ask their clients to send them funds in advance. Some offshore books will offer a 10% bonus when opening an account to encourage new customers. You should know that at the time of writing, legal issues surround internet and offshore gambling by Americans living in the U.S. The United States Senate has introduced the ‘kyle bill’ which is a bill attempting to establish a law making this type of gambling illegal. The ‘kyle bill’ was defeated in 1998 but has since been re-introduced. At the time of printing it has yet to be finalized. Anyone can voice their disapproval or disagreement with the ‘kyle bill’ by calling or writing their local senator.
hanging out, right? They do that because their marketing department concluded that that would bring them more business. They've been doing it for a while so we can conclude that it's effective. Now do you really think Fishhead or anyone else who swears by having multiple outs uses big 
