Tag Archives: move
Internet Sportsbooks vs Nevada Sportsbooks (Page 1 of 2)
I was lucky enough to have been recently invited to participate in a night school class on sports wagering at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Las Vegas is one of my favorite cities and getting to talk about sportsbetting with a large group was a lot of fun; a big thanks to those who attended and endured my presentation! The topic I was asked to speak on was the difference between Internet sportsbooks and Nevada sportsbooks. I thought that might also make a good Frontlines topic, so here goes
What are the Differences?
The single biggest difference between land-based books and Internet books is that there are no face-to-face transactions over the Internet. That difference is manifested in a variety of ways. First, with internet-based books there are no line-ups. Vegas books can process maybe 20-30 clients at a time, while Internet books can process thousands simultaneously. (Note: I know Vegas is now allowing some Internet betting from within the state, but based on people I talked to there, it has yet to take off.) And because there is no need to have people on hand to personally process every bet means that the Internet books have much lower costs per wager and they can pass this type of savings on in the form of deposit bonuses or reduced juice to bettors.
Second, with Internet books you can shop lines very quickly and act accordingly when you see a line you like. Going from the Mirage to Bally’s to the Bellagio to Mandalay Bay to check lines would take at least an hour, whereas you can check the lines at dozens of Internet books in mere seconds. You don’t have to drive through traffic, pay for parking, walk through the casino maze, and then wait in line to get a bet in. By the time you realize that the line you saw at the first book you checked was the best line after all, it is more than possible that the line has since changed! The Internet makes it very easy for you to get the best line on any event. When you consider that an extra half-point gives you roughly a 2% better chance of covering a football or basketball spread, you can imagine the compound effect of getting an extra half-point or full point on every bet over the course of a full season.
Third, it changes the way lines are moved. There is an old Vegas bookmaking mentality that you never move lines until you write action at that number (unless there is an injury or trade, etc.). For example, if the posted line at a land-based book was -6, they wouldn’t move to -6.5 unless they had action at -6 to justify the move. Moving to -6.5 because other books were moving their lines without action is called “moving on air”. The logic is sound when you can control the number of bets you take at a price. For example, if two bettors bet $1000 on -6, the bookmaker could move to -6.5 and call out the change to those standing in line.
With Internet books, there can be thousands of wagers placed inside a minute so you don’t have the luxury of waiting for action before moving every line. As our head bookmaker puts it, “It is better to move on air than to die from lack of it.” If the line is moving from -6 to -7 everywhere else, staying at -6 is risky. You are presenting bettors the opportunity to play for a side (bet -6 and +7 at the same time and profit nicely if either of those scores lands). Also, you will get a flood of favorite money and dog bettors will be looking elsewhere to get more points, and favorite bettors will see the value in your line. If a book was looking to get favorite action, they could do so with a line of -6.5 so comparing prices is a huge key in setting lines. Vegas books obviously does some comparison-shopping as well, but not with the same sense of urgency (this is changing with the addition of Internet betting though I am sure). This is the reason cell phones and pagers are not allowed in Vegas sportsbooks, they don’t want to facilitate line shopping or syndicate betting (where dozens or even hundreds of bettors bet the same line at the same time to take advantage of a line
a very big reality for Internet books).
Poker Fans Embrace Online Backgammon
Online backgammon is fast becoming the poker enthusiast’s second favorite game. When you start studying the backgammon rules, it is easy to see how this fast-paced and competitive game has won over thousands of poker players worldwide. Combining luck with intellect and skill, online backgammon offers unique wagering opportunities, lucrative tournament action and the social environment poker players are accustomed to.
Learning how to play backgammon is relatively straightforward. The object of the game is to be the first player to move all of your checkers off the backgammon board. This board, which is divided in half by the bar area, is where all the action takes place. It also features four sections containing six triangular spaces known as points which each player will use to move his 15 checkers. A player first moves his checkers toward his home area on the board and then removes them based on the pip count of the dice he throws for each turn.
In a backgammon game, a checker can be moved to any unoccupied point on the backgammon set, a point that is already home to one of your own checkers or to a point. You can also move a checker to a point that is occupied by one of your opponents checkers, which effectively removes his checker and sends it back to the bar. This slows your opponent’s game down as he must now play the checker out of his home board before moving any of his other checkers.
You can choose how you move your checkers as long as the move relates to the pip count of the two dice. For example, if you throw a four and a five, you can move one checker four spaces and a second checker five. Alternatively, you can move one checker nine spaces. If you’re unable to move any of your checkers checkers, you lose your turn.
When played by experienced players, internet backgammon moves at a rapid pace as all players are attempting to be the first to remove their checkers from the board. This is referred to as bearing off in both live and online backgammon. For the purposes of backgammon gambling, your opponent will often try to hit one of your checkers while you’re bearing off. If this happens, you must bring the checker back into the game and move it round the board again before you can bear off your other checkers.
As you can see, backgammon requires discipline, a quick mind and a competitive spirit. It is no surprise then that poker fans the world over are being won over by backgammon online.