Then Why so Little Action!
The 2005 PGA Tour is getting underway with the Buick Classic, and every year it
amazes me that the soft-clapping mafia we call golf fans do not bet their favorite
sport more enthusiastically.
Golf fans, while mild mannered in appearance, tend to be rabid in appreciation of
and dedication to their sport. Betting on the golf course is as common as hitting
out of a bunker. Yes, golf and betting go together like gin and tonic. Combine that
with recreational factors such as being able to watch the two rounds that really
matter on the weekends when not at work, and that virtually every tournament is
televised should be enough to have the bookies swamped right? Wrong.
We really don't see that much golf action, but the action we do get is hot! Players
who may be 45% handicappers in the NFL may very well hit 65% in golf -- and those
are recreational players. It's true!
The first problems encountered by the bookmakers are the lack of quality lines and
ignorance of the sport on their part. The handicappers who specialize in selling the
opening golf match-ups to the sportsbooks tend to specialize in betting it as well,
which make their lines suspect from the get-go!
Then you run into ignorance on the bookie's part. Most likely you know more about
golf than he does! Odds are that if you bet golf, you play golf, you follow golf and
you love golf. The offshore bookmaker simply does not have time to handicap dozens
of golf match-ups every week, much less be on the links playing frequently!
As cosmopolitan as the offshore bookmaker lifestyle may seem, the average bookmaker
spends his day poring over injury, weather, winner and loser reports, as well as
making phone calls with a quadruple greasy cheeseburger in one hand and a cigarette
in the other.
As a long time bookmaker, I never enjoyed booking golf match-ups. It took hours of
man time to enter all the match-ups, post the lines, and double check all the lines.
And from time-to-time, we would get the wrong side favored. And unless it was a big
name golfer, we might not even know to ask our handicappers if they were sure about
that specific line.
We rarely took action on the odds to win, except for the majors -- and the match-ups
were horrible. In over 10 years booking offshore I never had a season booking golf
that warranted the time and effort. I offered it, and we offer it as an
accommodation to our regular customers. It is also very hard to keep a high hold
percentage on the golf match-ups, which many bookmakers make their yearly bonuses
on.
So therefore you must ask yourself these very important questions:
a.. Why won't my sportsbook let me parlay golf match-ups if parlays are supposedly
'sucker bets'?
b.. Why are sportsbooks who regularly take five figure bets reluctant to take more
than $250-$500 on golf match-ups?
c.. How long would I last at most sportsbooks betting golf match-ups and nothing
else?
The answer to all three questions is that the bookies lose, and you win!
Golf, like NASCAR, boxing and other obscure sports, are becoming an 'accommodation'
wager. And these are accommodations that you should be taking advantage of! Given
that the throughout the football and basketball seasons, the grind you are under
requires you to hit 52.5% of your bets at -110, why wouldn't you get every edge
available? If you know and like golf, you could be beefing up your bank roll right
now!
More about Betcom.com is a leading online sportsbook and
casino, based in San Jose Costa Rica and has been in business since 1997. Betcom is
known as an industry leader in providing a multitude of sports, news, financial,
entertainment and political wagers such as the 2004 Presidential race,
State-by-State electoral vote winners, the J.Lo - Marc Anthony's marriage, and
reality shows such as The Apprentice and Survivor. Its popular online casino offers
BlackJack, Poker, Roulette, slots, craps and other fun casino games.
The 2005 PGA Tour is getting underway with the Buick Classic, and every year it
amazes me that the soft-clapping mafia we call golf fans do not bet their favorite
sport more enthusiastically.
Golf fans, while mild mannered in appearance, tend to be rabid in appreciation of
and dedication to their sport. Betting on the golf course is as common as hitting
out of a bunker. Yes, golf and betting go together like gin and tonic. Combine that
with recreational factors such as being able to watch the two rounds that really
matter on the weekends when not at work, and that virtually every tournament is
televised should be enough to have the bookies swamped right? Wrong.
We really don't see that much golf action, but the action we do get is hot! Players
who may be 45% handicappers in the NFL may very well hit 65% in golf -- and those
are recreational players. It's true!
The first problems encountered by the bookmakers are the lack of quality lines and
ignorance of the sport on their part. The handicappers who specialize in selling the
opening golf match-ups to the sportsbooks tend to specialize in betting it as well,
which make their lines suspect from the get-go!
Then you run into ignorance on the bookie's part. Most likely you know more about
golf than he does! Odds are that if you bet golf, you play golf, you follow golf and
you love golf. The offshore bookmaker simply does not have time to handicap dozens
of golf match-ups every week, much less be on the links playing frequently!
As cosmopolitan as the offshore bookmaker lifestyle may seem, the average bookmaker
spends his day poring over injury, weather, winner and loser reports, as well as
making phone calls with a quadruple greasy cheeseburger in one hand and a cigarette
in the other.
As a long time bookmaker, I never enjoyed booking golf match-ups. It took hours of
man time to enter all the match-ups, post the lines, and double check all the lines.
And from time-to-time, we would get the wrong side favored. And unless it was a big
name golfer, we might not even know to ask our handicappers if they were sure about
that specific line.
We rarely took action on the odds to win, except for the majors -- and the match-ups
were horrible. In over 10 years booking offshore I never had a season booking golf
that warranted the time and effort. I offered it, and we offer it as an
accommodation to our regular customers. It is also very hard to keep a high hold
percentage on the golf match-ups, which many bookmakers make their yearly bonuses
on.
So therefore you must ask yourself these very important questions:
a.. Why won't my sportsbook let me parlay golf match-ups if parlays are supposedly
'sucker bets'?
b.. Why are sportsbooks who regularly take five figure bets reluctant to take more
than $250-$500 on golf match-ups?
c.. How long would I last at most sportsbooks betting golf match-ups and nothing
else?
The answer to all three questions is that the bookies lose, and you win!
Golf, like NASCAR, boxing and other obscure sports, are becoming an 'accommodation'
wager. And these are accommodations that you should be taking advantage of! Given
that the throughout the football and basketball seasons, the grind you are under
requires you to hit 52.5% of your bets at -110, why wouldn't you get every edge
available? If you know and like golf, you could be beefing up your bank roll right
now!
More about Betcom.com is a leading online sportsbook and
casino, based in San Jose Costa Rica and has been in business since 1997. Betcom is
known as an industry leader in providing a multitude of sports, news, financial,
entertainment and political wagers such as the 2004 Presidential race,
State-by-State electoral vote winners, the J.Lo - Marc Anthony's marriage, and
reality shows such as The Apprentice and Survivor. Its popular online casino offers
BlackJack, Poker, Roulette, slots, craps and other fun casino games.
