Tennis/Golf wagers - be careful.......

PatrickMcIrish · Jun 24, 2003

I have noticed a large increase of disputes on these sort of wagers. Often the decision falls in a gray area which makes it worse. They aren't as cut and dry as most cases when dealing with long established rules such as football, bases etc...

Because of that I urge both sides to check the way they are doing business in regards to these wagers. Books need to make sure they have the proper people in place who are familiar with these sports to hang proper lines and update them as they need to be. Make sure your lines are accurate. I am tired of hearing about how those were "bad lines" when a book takes a hit and loses. Also make sure the lines come down when you no longer want to accept wagers. For the players use common sense. If the price is -250 everywhere else and you find a +200 than don't bet it. All the force and intimidation in the world is not going to get you paid. Yes the book has made a mistake but don't try and compound it with taking a shot at them. Why not call and let the book know? Same with a line that is still up where the match has started, don't try and bet it give the book a call. Often these matches are played in different time zones throughout the world and rules are unique to these sports, make sure you are familiar with all the rules when wagering on these sports.

Anyway not calling any book or player out in particular, just pointing out there seems to be a lot of discrepancies on these wagers right now. Some gamblers have good insight on these sports and I hate to see the problems continue. It is in our best interests to make these wagers as painlessly as possible for both the book and players. Any other suggestions on what way to avoid these things would be appreciated.

go2guy · Jun 24, 2003

McIrish good write up but one thing I've noticed before is even when you call to confirm that the line is correct, half of the time you'll get a sure from most likely a clerk and not a linesmaker or manager. It still may get cnacelled and the book may very well deny that they told you it's ok or pass the buck to the "uninformed" clerk. It seems somewhat silly to call them to let them know is this line right when it's two tennis players most people don't even know. What are they going to ask you, "well what does Pinnacle have up?"

TIGER · Jun 24, 2003

But if you insist you can talk to a supervisor, confirm your wager and remember that they record everythin...so you got a double back up!

jwunderdog · Jun 24, 2003

You laugh, but that is one way to check, pinnacle very rarely hangs a bad line, If they have the same prop as you are looking to play it is not a bad place to check your books #.

go2guy · Jun 24, 2003

Well Tiger think about it who has access to those tapes. You don't think a book has used the lost tape excuse before? As far as Pinnacle who says anything as far as laughing, I was using Pinnacle as the measuring stick. I've never seen Pinnacle get wrapped up in any of these silly matters (bonus scams, bogus bad line excuses or etc.) as long as I've been around in the forums. My point is do it right or don't do it at all!

areeff · Jun 24, 2003

The reason there are so many "problems" it seems right now is bball and football and hockey are "DONE". Even soccer is effectively "over"

Tennis/Baseball/Golf is whats to bet on right now and you can add auto racing in there too. Of course there will be more "problems"

PatrickMcIrish · Jun 24, 2003

Areeff - it goes beyond simply these are the sports being bet right now. Baseball is active right now but it is rare we have a beef over a dispute in bases. I don't have any stats to support this but we have a much greater % of disagreements on golf/tennis wagers than we do the other major sports. I believe generally speaking both the gamblers and the books are not quite as familiar with these sports as other major sports. They are very comfortable in football but not so much in these. I think more attention needs to be directed by both book and player when it comes to these sports. Make sure everything is being done correctly from the books end and make sure the players read all the rules before they bet. Way too many "misunderstandings" at this point in time IMO.

max1234 · Jun 24, 2003

Pat,

If we all look for prices that are "in-line" how will Railbird keep posting those beauties he always seems to find?

PatrickMcIrish · Jun 24, 2003

BEANTOWNJIM · Jun 24, 2003

MCRUBBISH WHAT RULES SPORTSBOOKS WRITE THE RULES BUT THEY DONT FOLLOW THEM THIS IS ANOTHER CUT AND DRY CASE.THEY PUT UP A LINE AND LOST NOW PAY UP.PATRICK WHY SHOULD A PLAYER BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT LINE A BOOK GIVES ITS THERE MISTAKE SO IN LIFE YOU PAY FOR YOUR MISTAKES,UNLESS YOUR ME I PAID FOR CASCADES MISTAKE

max1234 · Jun 24, 2003

I hear Madjack's calling Beanie for his next vacation.

Railbird · Jun 24, 2003

Tennis and Golf are now 2nd and 3rd behind NFL, these american books better get use to it. Nobody cares about the america past its time outside of eastern usa. Hockey is 4th.

max1234 · Jun 24, 2003

Damn, and here I thought some people bet the NCAA BB tourney and also NCAA FB. Silly me.... I wonder where those two sports rank??????

Just when I think he can't type something more stupid than the last time he goes and shows me he can.

soccerbob · Jun 24, 2003

go2guy said it all. It's about time the books did their job and did their homework. This isn't brain surgery. Put the prices up and book the action. That's why it's called gambling. The supervisors, linesmen and clerks need to get with it and do their jobs. If they can't or won't, then they need to find other employment.

I would be the first one to bring an obvious mistake to their attention but what has occurred far too much lately is a book will decide to take a stand on an event and shade the price to be totally different than every place else. If a tennis match, for example, is pretty much between +200 and +230 all over the layout and a book decides to use +300 well then who do they think everyone will bet? They get popped on it and then decide it was the wrong line. Bullshit. You posted it. You booked it. You pay it.

Railbird · Jun 24, 2003

you cant blame it on clerks and supervisors it starts with the owner.

max1234 · Jun 24, 2003

So, Rail, do you really believe tennis and golf generate more action than NCAA BB and FB? And if you do believe something as asinine as that would you be willing to lay a little wager on it?

go2guy · Jun 24, 2003

I remember this past football season I was playing with a new local who had some experience. He would let me buy a 1/2 point for 10 cents. One game was sitting on 3 and I asked him if I could buy off the three and he said yeah. I asked him are you sure that seems weird because most places wouldn't. He said you're fine. Well 15 minutes later a few minutes before the game he made it his business to call me back and notify me that I couldn't buy off the 3 and had to adjust the wager to my liking. He could've tried to weasel an extra 10 cents (would've been 25 bucks in this case) and see which way the game went but he was responsible enough to see he made an error (when he called it in) and notify me like a real man. I could've easily have been phuck you, you book it, it stands (in the streets we had a valid wager and he would've had to eat it) but how can you be an ass like that when someone is on the up with you. I wish more offshore books were this honorable???

GamblersAvenue · Jun 24, 2003

McIrish,

I saw this post and had to respond to it. You make a great and very valid point. We give all players a free $25 for pointing out bad lines to us and some of the posters on this forum have collected on it. If you see an obvious bad line at ANY book, you as the player should really let the book know and if the clerk seems to be blowing you off ask them to transfer you to a supervisor. I can tell you that sort of thing goes a long way, at least for me it does.

What would you rather have:

1.) Free $25 and a good rep
2.) NO ACTION on your bet and have a flagged account.

Just some food for thought.

Cordially,

Mike Silver

NATE · Jun 25, 2003

I'm with Mike from GA. Anyone who reports a bad # on the board is rewarded-a Bonus Play, and a decent one at that, and an honest thanks, and a mark in their account that they did so.
Folks that take shots at backwards numbers are, IMO, thieves. And not only should they not expect to get paid, but they're marked as shot-takers, and in a future issue (and these are the folks that have issues) There is no way they will get the benefi of the doubt, when it comes to confirming an incorrect readback, or other such.
Be honest guys, we uphold our end of the deal, I don't fee I'm asking too much by expecting you to do the same.

PatrickMcIrish · Jun 25, 2003

I always wondered if books made any sort of notation that you called in a bad line. They don't always give you anything but I'd rather have a note on my account and a sincere thanks any day. Is that pretty standard? I know whether or not a book gives you anything is completely up to them. I have called in and recieved responses like I was wasting their time and have also revcieved $50 parlays. No matter what you get just much easier to do the right thing IMO.

Thanks for the feebback guys.