[marke4]

I have been reading about players getting banned from online sits or having all bonus dollars revoked from their accounts because they have been labels as a "Sharp Player" and their site does not welcome "Sharp Players". Does anyone know what they mean by sharp action or sharp Players?

[TLD]

There are individuals and groups of individuals who are able to win at levels significantly above chance. In order to play at places that have banned or restricted them, or in order to circumvent bet maximums at places they are still allowed to play, they make use of beards, often in large numbers.

When these syndicates of successful bettors and their beards or employees put their bets in, they will typically try to get as much down as fast as they can before the sportsbooks can react by moving their lines. There will then be a brief period (generally seconds or minutes) where books are scrambling to adjust as all this unbalanced action (called “steam”) hits them. Even books that have not yet been hit will monitor how everyone else’s lines are moving, and will often move theirs in anticipation of the hit they now know is coming.

Meanwhile there are countless players who watch lines all day looking for just this kind of movement that indicates a syndicate is putting in large bets on a game. They then try to pounce on that same side at any book that has not yet reacted by moving their line.

The upshot is, when “steam” hits, books can get massively one-sided action. If they move their lines too little or too slowly, this will only exacerbate the problem as all these chasers pile on that same side. If they move their lines too much, they open themselves up to being scalped or middled as players—sometimes the same ones who bet before the line move—will now hammer the other side.

Bookmaking would be much easier if books could just count on roughly equal action on both sides of every game, and they just collect the vig. But that’s an ideal that can’t be counted on.

So all books have to choose how to manage the potentially very one-sided “steam” that is created by betting syndicates, as it can obviously be quite volatile to the bottom line. They vary in what countermeasures they will take, and how broad a segment of the betting public they consider sharp enough to be dangerous to their bottom line. The most risk-averse such books are sometimes now described with the euphemism “recreational.” They will do just about anything to make sure they don’t get stuck with customers who might actually win.

Consider the following an overly simplified list, in descending order, of the types of players a book may deem “sharp.” (The higher you are on the list, the more books there are that will in some way restrict you if not try to get rid of you entirely. The closer you get to the bottom of the list, the more wimpy and unprofessional a book would have to be to take such countermeasures against you.)

1. The handful of professional gambling syndicate heads who come up with these plays.

2. The much larger number of beards who try to get down all their extra action for them.

3. The massively larger number of “steam chasers” who watch for these line moves so they can jump on the bandwagon.

4. Any other players who have established enough of a history that one can say they are more likely in the long run to win than lose against the book. (This can include those who are adept at maximizing the value of bonuses and reduced juice and such, not just those who seem to have some handicapping prowess.)

5. Anyone who is winning, especially a lot, regardless of whether there is any indication it is skill rather than temporary blind luck.

If you’re winning, you probably know which category you fit into. Just remember you’ll be hassled the most the closer you are to the top of the list, and least likely to have a problem with most books the closer you are to the bottom.

[SBR_John]

Great post TLD. If we had a post of the year contest I would nominate yours!

The part of your post I would highlight is:

Meanwhile there are countless players who watch lines all day looking for just this kind of movement that indicates a syndicate is putting in large bets on a game. They then try to pounce on that same side at any book that has not yet reacted by moving their line.

MOST players get booted because it is obvious to the books they are only betting and scalping soft lines. These players are not capping games and betting their picks. They are looking for value that they can bet at book A and bet opposite at book B.

Its very rare that a player is booted from any book where he is playing his own capped picks.

[TLD]

Bump for Louis.

[Ira Wilton]

TLD,

That was one of the best, most informative posts I have read here. Thank you.


I have one related question. What is shading? Where does it fit into "sharp action". Maybe someone else could respond since TLD spent so much time crafting his articulate answer...

[primo_skillz]

Very informative post TLD. Thanks a lot; clears up any questions I would have had.