SBR changes its mind about intertops and canbet.

lurkerforages · Jan 27, 2004

-01/24 Intertops(SBR rating A-) Web site still sluggish - Players should note this is one of the strongest offshore operations with an unequaled, worldwide loyal following - From a safety of principal standpoint, Intertops is easily a top 5 sportsbook

now

-01/27 SBR Recommended List trimmed to 15, the least number in a year, with recent removals of Canbet(B+) and Intertops(B+)

Intertops has been hanging some opinionated NFL numbers this year as well as some large bonuses.
Is this a warning sign?

Slash · Jan 27, 2004

Intertops was removed (I guess) because of the MLB future bet.

lander · Jan 27, 2004

Nothing wrong with erroring on the side of caution this time of year.

B+ is still pretty good

RPM · Jan 27, 2004

i would expect a little more reasoning behind lowering books of that caliber. but like lander said, i guess b+ is still a good rating. kind of sounds like he lost advertisers to me.

lurkerforages · Jan 27, 2004

intertops goes from a top 5 book one day to off the list another.
Books that start to slide are very high risk in my opinion.
Infact I would guess that books who slide from B to C are much higher risk than books who have been rated C- to D+ for over a year.
My feeling is that a lot of sharp players avoid the C to F rated books so that leaves them with a square base of players.
Where as a lot of the higher profile forum books tend to have the sharper player and suffer problems when they offer too much.
Royal, GA, Bluemarlin, sportsbetingtrivia betpanam have all had major problems.
Considering there may have been only about 20 books advertising over the last year it does suggest a very high problem rate.

Buzzsaw · Jan 27, 2004

LOL RPM...I shouldn't laugh, you might believe that.

Guys,
I think it's just a reflection of that time of year. A Book that makes a slip this time of year will come down. It's a shoot first, ask questions later time of year.

A bit of irony is that the first two casualties are outside of CR(cheers go up from the CR BM's along with a few "I told you so's"). SBR is still focusing on Costa Rican books but even with the tough season the SBR recommended Costa Rican books could stay intact.

kongen · Jan 27, 2004

What is the reason for tops' downgrade?

RayB · Jan 27, 2004

RPM · Jan 27, 2004

ok buzz, then would you care to give some reasoning for dropping the ratings on these books? you said they have "slipped
". what happened?

Buzzsaw · Jan 27, 2004

RPM, as you noted, they are still strongly rated... just off the recommended list for now.

I'tops loves to shoot itself in the foot every six months it seems. SBR would like to see the baseball futures player settled with. In addition to that, there are a few in Antigua that don't think the new mgmt is doing a good job.

Canbet? You will hear more on this in the coming weeks/months. Good shop just not profitable. The recent move hurt their balance sheet and apparently raised their operating expenses. It's apparent with their stock at a new all time low that more bad news is on the way.

I play at both shops and both are long time favorites of mine, I'tops back to 1999. Hopefully they can make it back to the recommended list soon.

scarab · Jan 27, 2004

just want to point out to those who think a B+ is not bad....panam was rated a "B" as late as jan 17.....

PanchoSanza · Jan 27, 2004

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by scarab:
just want to point out to those who think a B+ is not bad....panam was rated a "B" as late as jan 17.....<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And the code for B according to SBR is something like" Excellent, no risk to players funds. Top 10% of all books"

Wonder if people with money at Panam feel the same.

Phaedrus · Jan 27, 2004

Buzzsaw

Any particular reason why you have Gamebookers listed as a D+ ("Poor, some risk to players funds. Poor customer service, ect [SIC]"?) I've used them for over two years; always had quick response from CS, quick payouts, great progressive bonus system, great referral program, huge choice of wagers (the very cool counter on their front page says that at this very moment there are 987 wagers available in 19 different sports, for example) site interface so slick that it makes most other books look like they were slapped together by an autistic child, etc. All-around great out that has served me well from day one -- what gives?

Phaedrus

Buzzsaw · Jan 27, 2004

The ratings on the euro books have been getting updated. There is thin feedback and most of it on Gamebookers is player complaining about shoty customer service.

Pancho, Just like when Moodys had Enron rated A+? Do you really expect SBR to be perfect 100% of the time? You're just pissed because you thumbed your nose at the SBR BlueMarlin downgrades and now you hate the fact that you were wrong.

You are acting just like TA when he was wrong about that option thing against you and wouldn’t admit it. I guess it’s a human nature thing for some..so go on and hate away, you were right and SBR was wrong about everything in your life…feel better?

BigMo · Jan 27, 2004

Taking credit for Blue Marlin, lol.

A cryptic comment on his site without naming a book, and then another one a couple days before blue marlin went down saying they would survive.

what about his most recent ramblings about another costa rica book. Yawn.

Fact is a b book, pan am, is rolling over, you had a new book on your top list.

word is you have a piece of betongames, that's why a rinky dink book gets an a-.

You can call us all haters as your rebuttal, that will not change the facts.

You can claim email complaints every time you torch a solid book, that will not change the facts.

You're bought and owned.

TheGeneral+ · Jan 28, 2004

Even in criticism, it is nice to have Buzzsaw around.

MrTeaser · Jan 28, 2004

Where is the complete ratings list for all the sports books?

PatrickMcIrish · Jan 28, 2004

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by BigMo:
Taking credit for Blue Marlin, lol.

A cryptic comment on his site without naming a book, and then another one a couple days before blue marlin went down saying they would survive.

what about his most recent ramblings about another costa rica book. Yawn.

Fact is a b book, pan am, is rolling over, you had a new book on your top list.

word is you have a piece of betongames, that's why a rinky dink book gets an a-.

You can call us all haters as your rebuttal, that will not change the facts.

You can claim email complaints every time you torch a solid book, that will not change the facts.

You're bought and owned.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

'Nuff said!

I used to respect this guy at one time before he began bartering his grades, even with long time stiff books. Moving an F book over a private deal he had? How do the squares that visit his site know that? Then the famous "I knew the book was going down but decided to not say anything, I knew it to the exact day! I still can take credit for it okay guys"? LMAO! What a card this guy is...

While it is tough to keep up with all these books this guy relies on what the big forums tell him. He's lost other than trying to grind out his money off sheets with books and other ad money he generates off links and other means. Lucky for him over 95% of the players probably don't read the forums and won't know the difference of what sort of crap this guy slings. Heck they may even believe his front page proclamation he doesn't take dollar one from the books he looks over too. Boy is that rich. Funny thing is if he was honest that he's here to make a few bucks out of the industry like everyone else no one would care. Instead he comes in with the Honest Abe holier than thou approach.

To get benefit here you have to be completely clueless to playing off-shore and hope his grades weren't changed for a "private deal" he was brokering.

Buzzsaw · Jan 28, 2004

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> I used to respect this guy... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Boy does that go both ways. I'm very happy that you , MO and the Peeps of the world do not like me. All you guys do is make up lies non-stop. It's hilarious. You tried to say I sell picks, Mo/Peep say VIP owns SBR and now the newest is SBR owns sportsbooks. It never stops at how goofy you guys get. I offer to bet you guys to prove your garbage and there are never any takers.

You guys just keep your goofy envy driven non-sense up and SBR will keep trucking along doing its thing. I'm glad I can provide you haters something fresh to hate.

The players are the ultimate judge of how useful a site is and how credible it is,right?? So bash away, dream up a new conspiracy or sell out again but SBR will continue to send players to the best books in record numbers.

PatrickMcIrish · Jan 28, 2004

I said you sell picks? Where did that come from? Buzz I am just being honest with you, just like you are when you think you are right. The bartering of grades for books and saying you don't take money from books is WRONG in my view. Before I saw all this I used to be a big fan of yours and you know it. I speak what I think, you have slipped a lot recently in all that I have seen. As far as doing well or not I hope you do well, others may wish for you to fail but not me!! If I didn't want SBR to do well I would never say anything about the screw-ups from you. You have the best plan out there right now but you seem to be off your game the last 6 months or so.

What Mo, Peep and others say is between you and them. I have nothing to do with any of that, right or wrong. Good day.