[TheGambler]

Since joining this forum a few months back, I have read a few posts on how to claim as much of the free play money as possible. From what I understand, you have 2 options: play a long shot and then bet on the favorite somewhere else or play the various 3 team parlays. Both of these giving back about 75% return. I have a lot of money in free plays right now and I was just wondering if books expect players to play it like this or if they frown upon anyone who does this. afterall, it is money they gave us so we should be able to do what we want. I just don't want to piss off any books and then not ever get a bonus again. any suggestions?

[djmixerchris]

hey bud this is what i do is take the biggest underdog of the day with the free play ie....royals +250 vs white sox-280 but a 1000fp on the +250 1000fp to win $2500 and hedge it with the -280 risking 1840 to win 657 and either way the game goes you get like 65% of the fp guaranteed....free money

[TheGambler]

that's what i do as well but i didn't know if the books look at that as bonus abuse. i haven't had any problems yet but a lot of books are going to this "free play" and i just want to make sure that is an acceptable way to try and claim it. the last thing I want to do is start pissing off books b/c i tried to claim a free play using some sort of scalping method.

[JoshW]

As long as you aren't playing both sides at same or affiliated books I don't see them having a problem with it. If they don't want FP bet on big moneylines they can list it in their terms (some books do).

[rolemand]

65% is horrible.

[justbet]

ok so i am a little confused on this match play thing. i understand how it is beneficial to arb the money out so that there is no risk. however, wouldnt it be smarter to just bet the free play on your picks? for example, i make about 3-5 bets a day on bases. if i have a $500 freeplay, i could just bet all 5 of my games at $100 each. this way if i lose, no big deal, and if i win, i get just as much as i normally would have. this sounds to me like i would be keeping 100% of the matchplay (of course, there is some risk involved). is this the better way if you are making your own picks and dont mind the risk factor?

[BigDaddy]

ok so i am a little confused on this match play thing. i understand how it is beneficial to arb the money out so that there is no risk. however, wouldnt it be smarter to just bet the free play on your picks? for example, i make about 3-5 bets a day on bases. if i have a $500 freeplay, i could just bet all 5 of my games at $100 each. this way if i lose, no big deal, and if i win, i get just as much as i normally would have. this sounds to me like i would be keeping 100% of the matchplay (of course, there is some risk involved). is this the better way if you are making your own picks and dont mind the risk factor?

no heres why with my example maybe someone else can explain better

say you would bet your 5 games all at even money you have to go 4-1 to get $400 if you bet the 8 way 3 team parlay you would get $375 locked in as long as you make sure use all 1/2's in the parlays so no chance for any pushes

now take that locked in $375 the next day and find your 5 games you like all at even money and go 4-1 you would now have $600 by going 4-1 instead of $400

[pags11]

8 three team parlays is how I do it...converts a $100 free play into $72.50 cash I believe...

[Ganchrow]

ok so i am a little confused on this match play thing. i understand how it is beneficial to arb the money out so that there is no risk. however, wouldnt it be smarter to just bet the free play on your picks? for example, i make about 3-5 bets a day on bases. if i have a $500 freeplay, i could just bet all 5 of my games at $100 each. this way if i lose, no big deal, and if i win, i get just as much as i normally would have. this sounds to me like i would be keeping 100% of the matchplay (of course, there is some risk involved). is this the better way if you are making your own picks and dont mind the risk factor?

BigDaddy explained this well, but it might be even easier to understand by just looking at a single straight bet.

Betting a $100 freeplay on (say) a +100 money line you keep $100 iff your bet wins.

If you first convert your $100 free play into $75 cash and then make the same bet on a +100 line, you keep $150 iff your bet wins.

[Ganchrow]

8 three team parlays is how I do it...converts a $100 free play into $72.50 cash I believe...

A 6:1 3-team parlay would convert a $100 free play into $75.

Bet $12.50 of the free play on each of the 8 possible outcomes and no matter which is realized you receive $12.50 x 6 = $75.

[Ganchrow]

Of course if your only concern were the proportion of the free play you converted to cash (having no problem putting up additional funds to actuate this) then your best option is taking as large a dog as you can find at the book with the free play and betting the opposite side if and only if the fave/dog line set satisfies the following inequality:

F > 100 - ⁴/₃ x D      where dog odds, D ≥ +100 and fave odds, F < -100

If the inequality is not satisfied then you'd be better off using the 3-team parlay method.

To give a specfic example: let's say the book where you have your free play is offering a dog line on a particular game at +500. If you can lay off your risk at better than 100 - ⁴/₃ x 500 ≈ -567 then that would be a better option than the 6:1 3-team parlay.

---

So this implies that with a dog line as high as +210, you'd still be better off taking the 3-team parlay than you would using your free play to scalp with a -181 fave.

With a +150 line at your free play book? You'd need to find a +100 on the other side to justify the free play scalp.

The moral? In general, don't scalp favorites or small (< +300) underdogs using a free play. You'd just be throwing away your money ...

[pags11]

ganchrow, I believe most books only pay 5.75 to one on three-team parlays (which is why I factored in $72.50 instead of $75)...I could be wrong since the only time I bet parlays is with free play money in situations like these...especially since you're the numbers guru...

[Ganchrow]

ganchrow, I believe most books only pay 5.75 to one on three-team parlays (which is why I factored in $72.50 instead of $75)...I could be wrong since the only time I bet parlays is with free play money in situations like these...especially since you're the numbers guru...

Numbers guy or not, I am quite frequently wrong.

But in this particular case ... 6/1 on 3-teamers is really quite standard offshore ...

[Ortho]

Are there any books that regard doing all the combinations of the 3-teamer to lock in a profit as abuse of the free-play?

[cdsmoney]

Just as an FYI - Betmania has a payout of +628 when you use the internet to place the wager. Not sure how you would put in all the plays via the internet but that does increase your return.

Also, if a book offers a cash and free play bonus would you recommend just rolling the cash into that amount and splitting that amount by eight or just using the free play?

[Ganchrow]

Are there any books that regard doing all the combinations of the 3-teamer to lock in a profit as abuse of the free-play?

No doubt there are -- especially among the lower tiers. My advice would be that if you're unsure of how a book might react to your doing this, just ask. It's not like books are unaware of this particular exploit.

<!-- snip nonsense -- thanks to rolemand -->

[Ganchrow]

Just as an FYI - Betmania has a payout of +628 when you use the internet to place the wager. Not sure how you would put in all the plays via the internet but that does increase your return.

It certainly would. Betting all 8 sides of the parlay at +628 would increase your take from 75% of the free play to 78.5%. A +628 3-team parlay, in case you're interested, corresponds to individual game lines of roughly -106.6.

Also, if a book offers a cash and free play bonus would you recommend just rolling the cash into that amount and splitting that amount by eight or just using the free play?

If a book were to simultaneously offer you both a free play and a cash bonus, then under normal circumstances there would not be reason to also bet the cash bonus on the free play parlays.

[RickySteve]

I've never had a freeplay where I couldn't find an 80+% return with minimal effort. 100+% returns are not uncommon.

[rolemand]

If a book indicates they have a problem with players doing this then (as long as you have additional funds at your disposal) you could always bet a single 3-teamer a the book in question and the other 7 3-teamers at Pinnacle. For a 6:1 parlay, for every $100 worth of free play money risked at the book in question you'd risk $75 on each of the 7 other parlays.

Your profit from liquidating the free play in this manner would of course be the same $75.

I don't think the math works out on this.

100 fp to win 600
$75 to win $450

if 1 of the 7 wins you win $450 and lose 6 bets of $75 ($450) = no profit.

[pags11]

the whole reason I don't try to do the moneyline deal is that the three team parlay's just so painless...more time to cap and enjoy games...

[cdsmoney]

I've never had a freeplay where I couldn't find an 80+% return with minimal effort. 100+% returns are not uncommon.

RickySteve,

Are these methods as painless and effortless as the 3-team parlay mix or is it bascially good capping and/or arbitraging?

[cdsmoney]

It certainly would. Betting all 8 sides of the parlay at +628 would increase your take from 75% of the free play to 78.5%. A +628 3-team parlay, in case you're interested, corresponds to individual game lines of roughly -106.6.

If a book were to simultaneously offer you both a free play and a cash bonus, then under normal circumstances there would not be reason to also bet the cash bonus on the free play parlays.

Ganchrow,

Thanks for the reply. I couldn't find a reason to not also throw the cash in and treat it all as a freeplay. Betmania offers a 15% cash/15% freeplay, which is why I was asking.

BTW, are you in possession of a statistics background? If so, I'm sure my future questions to you will skew more along the lines of academia, as I'm preparing to begin an actuarial certificate program at UVA this fall.

Thanks again for the reply

[pags11]

cdsmoney,

I'm about to teach a course called capping 101 in the football forum...feel free to join us...just call me professor pags...

[Ganchrow]

Thanks for the reply. I couldn't find a reason to not also throw the cash in and treat it all as a freeplay. Betmania offers a 15% cash/15% freeplay, which is why I was asking.

Assuming your goal is not just to breeze through your wagering requirements, then blindly including your cash bonus in the 8-way 3-team parlay would just be throwing away vig. Or have I misunderstood your question?

BTW, are you in possession of a statistics background?

I do try to mind my n's, p's, and q's ...

I'm preparing to begin an actuarial certificate program at UVA this fall.

Enjoy.

[Ganchrow]

I don't think the math works out on this.

100 fp to win 600
$75 to win $450

if 1 of the 7 wins you win $450 and lose 6 bets of $75 ($450) = no profit.

You are of course 100% correct.

I need to remember ... think first and then post. How embarassing.

What say we just pretend I never wrote that?

[cdsmoney]

cdsmoney,

I'm about to teach a course called capping 101 in the football forum...feel free to join us...just call me professor pags...

Now, this is the kind of class I needed in college. I'll be there professor. Is this that class with all of the hot chicks (women who enjoy a few wagers are definitely hot )

[pags11]

cdsmoney,

yes, women who enjoy wagers are hot...I leave the dating advice to my associate, Dr. Tom Leykis...he's a professor of poon...see you in class soon!...

[TheGambler]

Put my dumb ass on the enrollment form also!!!

Thanks for all of the info guys. It is obvious that you guys have been doing this for a long time and that definitely helps out the newbies.

Can't wait for the first day of class! Professor Pags11

[pags11]

it's gonna be a lot of fun gambler...

[Ortho]

n/m. I answered this question myself.

[degenerate#1]

I've never had a freeplay where I couldn't find an 80+% return with minimal effort. 100+% returns are not uncommon.

hi, i was just wondering how you do this. thanks in advance.

[DrSlamm]

me too.. pls enlighten us idiots

[pags11]

as stated before by myself and others, the best way to do this is the 8, 3 team parlays, paying out 75% cash...it's painless and doesn't take much time so you can spend time handicapping other games...

[ourbet]

I've never had a freeplay where I couldn't find an 80+% return with minimal effort. 100+% returns are not uncommon.

hi, i was just wondering how you do this. thanks in advance.

I'm still wondering along with you too degenerate#1. Would really appreciate your further advice then RickySteve!

[Ganchrow]

I've never had a freeplay where I couldn't find an 80+% return with minimal effort. 100+% returns are not uncommon.

hi, i was just wondering how you do this. thanks in advance..

I'm still wondering along with you too degenerate#1.

Plug a freeplay line and a hedge line into the freeplay calculator. If the lines satisfy the formula:

F > 100 - ⁴/₃ x D      where dog odds, D ≥ +100 and fave odds, F < -100

as explained in this post, then you'll have a 75%+ return.