How To Spot A Bad Bookie

Long before Al Gore invented the Internet to streamline the distribution of porn and gambling and even before sports betting was legalized in Nevada, there was the ‘local bookmaker’. The size, scope and nature of their operations may vary but the ‘local’ is still in the game. They may outsource the actual betting component of their business to a ‘PPH service’ but at their essence they’re still serving the needs of the wagering public at the grass roots level.

The biggest downside with local bookmakers is that all things being equal, the average player is better off betting elsewhere. You’re a lot more likely to get a fair shake throughout the process by betting at a legal sportsbook in Nevada or at a reputable offshore sportsbook. Nothing personal against bookies—it’s just business. The Nevada sportsbook industry is backed by large, publicly held companies. Most of the better offshore stores are also well financed and—in the case of many European facing books—are also publicly held corporations. In both cases, competition requires that they deal fairly with their clients—otherwise, the clients will play elsewhere and tell others about their bad experiences. A lot of people are leery about offshore sports betting, but if you do some homework and exercise good judgment about where you bet you’re just about as safe as you would be in dealing with a Nevada based book.

If a bettor has a good relationship with a local guy there’s no reason not to use him. A well established bookmaker with a solid track record is still in business for a reason. Stiffing clients and treating them badly isn’t a path to longterm success, even in the bookmaking business.

Some people, however, continue to play with a ‘local’ out of ignorance, laziness or a combination thereof. Either they don’t know, or haven’t taken the time to learn what else is available to them. Gambling in general, and sports gambling in particular, is not a discipline that suffers fools gladly. If you don’t work to get the best of any particular wagering situation, you’re undermining your longterm profitability. As with most other disciplines, education and information are power. If you don’t know whether or not your bookie is giving you a fair shake, he’s probably not. Like the old poker saying goes, “if you can’t spot the sucker at the card table, it’s you.”

This article will highlight some of the most outrageous examples of bad bookie behavior—things that books offshore or in Nevada could never get away with but that local guys have tried to put over on their unsuspecting or uneducated clientele. Like a contractor that wants you to pay for the entire job up front, these are all “red flags’ that should immediately indicate that you should take your business elsewhere.

Be Careful With Credit: You should not bet sports with money you don’t have. It clouds the judgment necessary for sound handicapping, leads to irresponsible money management and can cause a host of other problems. While the old school “collection” techniques of illegal bookies are, for the most part, a thing of the past I wouldn’t want to be down $10 grand to a pissed off bookmaker.

Unfortunately, men have a bad habit of ignoring the more obvious of life wisdom which is why they persist in dating strippers among other things. If you’re going to bet on credit, it’s even more important that you’re confident of the veracity of the bookmaker you’re dealing with. A good bookie doesn’t want you to get in “over your head” any more than you do. Like any businessman, he wants his operation to run smoothly and being owed debts that he can’t easily collect is certainly not in his best interest. For that reason, you should avoid like the plague any bookie that offers credit terms that appear too liberal.

Readily available credit is a competitive advantage that local stores have over Nevada and offshore books. Good bookmakers use this wisely, but if a bookie is too loose with his credit it could be because he’s hoping you’ll lose a lot because he has no intention of paying you, or needs a big loser to pay off his winning bets. In any case, it’s not a good sign.

The Vig is 11/10 on straight bets. No ifs, ands or buts!: For as far back as there has been sports betting, the standard odds on a straight bet has been 11/10—meaning that you bet $110 to win $100. This means that if a book is balanced, he can pay off the winners and make a profit regardless of which side wins. There is only one reason a book deals 6/5 odds on straight bets—greed, and lack of respect for his clientele which he assumes won’t know any better.

In fact, many offshore books and some Nevada books offer “specials” where they reduce the vig on certain games, or on bets placed at certain times. Other books operate exclusively on a ‘reduced juice’ basis dealing -105 lines on straight bets. This is a function of competition, and something that you won’t see with your local bookie.

It is worth noting that you’ll occasionally see a pointspread bet with a moneyline attached on a sport that is typically a 11/10 bet. For example, you’ll see a book move a football game getting one sided action at –3 to –3 –120 rather than move the game off the key number of 3 to 3 1/2. This is a completely legitimate bookmaking practice, and doesn’t have anything to do with shysters dealing 6/5 lines. Think about it—in this case if you take the dog you’re getting it at +100; with a 6/5 bet you’d be laying –120 on each side of this proposition.

Dealing different lines to different players: Some books deal different numbers to different players—for example, the Stardust in Las Vegas for years gave “wise guys” the first crack at their opening football numbers. Some offshore books “unofficially” offer different lines for “sharp” players than they do for “squares”. This sort of thing has its own set of issues, but it’s not what we’re talking about here.

For example, if your bookie knows that you usually play favorites and always gives you a line that’s a point or two higher than anywhere else. Or if you always bet on your favorite team, and your bookie makes you pay a premium of a point or two to do it. Maybe you always ask for the lines the same way—“give me the number on the Clemson game”—and this tips your man off to which side you like. This is a highly unprofessional practice and one that will end up costing you money in the long run. One way to prevent it is to always keep your bookie guessing as to which side you like, or whether you’re betting a favorite or dog. Don’t let him take advantage of your betting tendencies by inflating the line in reaction to your bet.

Better still, don’t deal with a book that does this sort of thing. If you think your bookie is inflating your lines arbitrarily based on your betting behavior, take your business somewhere else.

Once again, this sort of “line inflation” shouldn’t be confused with legitimate bookmaking practices. If you live in Chicago and want to play on the Bears with your local guy, you should expect to not get the best price available. Chances are most of your book’s other customers are taking the Bears too, and he’s just moving the line to reflect the money coming in on the game. In this instance, however, you should have the option of getting a better price on the other side and everyone is being offered the same number.

If, however, your bookie is singling you out and adjusting “your” line to exploit a tendency in your betting behavior, take your business elsewhere.

“Pick’em means pick’em”: The practice of dealing games as “pick minus one” does seem to be on the decline, even among local books. What this means is that to play a “pick’em” game you have to lay a point on either side. In other words, if you bet on a team at “pick minus one” and they win by one, you push. If the game ends in a tie, both sides lose and your bookie wins big.

Simply stated, “pick’em” means “pick ‘em”. A wager on one team to win should cash if that team wins by any margin, and a tie game should be a push. If your bookie is dealing “pick minus one”, chances are he’s doing other things that are unfavorable to the player as well. Find another bookmaker at once.

Office Hours: Your bookie probably doesn’t keep bankers hours, but he shouldn’t be hard to get a hold of. If you have trouble getting in touch with your man—either to arrange a payment or place a bet—it’s not only very bad business on his part, but a very bad sign in terms of his veracity. It’s inexcusable for a bookie to be hard to reach on game days, and even when there’s no action you should know how and when you can get a hold of him. If he’s a hard guy to reach, chances are if things get tough he’ll be difficult to get a payment from.

This is one of the many areas where technology has solved at least part of the problem. Bookies that outsource their betting logistics to a PPH service allow clients to place bets 24/7 via several different methods.

Payments and Privacy: Your bookie shouldn’t talk about your wagering habits with others that aren’t employed by him. He’s like a priest, a doctor or a lawyer—his professional responsibilities dictate that your dealings remain anonymous. If he’s got a big mouth, take your business elsewhere.

Finally—and most importantly—if you have trouble getting paid leave at once. This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, but its also important that you pay attention to other signs that your bookie may be under capitalized If he lowers your limits when you’re winning, chances are he’s worried about paying you. If he makes other strange requirements when he owes you money—you have to bet more, for example—you should leave at once.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The competitive reality of the sports gambling business is that most local guys can’t offer the player what the books offshore or in Nevada can. If you do play with a local guy, however, remember that he’s not your buddy—he’s a businessman and you should expect him to conduct himself in a professional manner. If he doesn’t remember that you have options and don’t hesitate to take your business elsewhere.