Anyone here use to cap in the "stone age"

[Pistol Pete]

Talking to my brother today and he does not bet big just likes to have little action, about 20-50 bucks. But anyways he does not have cable or internet, he uses the newspaper and books to help him cap games.

So I started thinking wow imagine how hard it would be to cap games like that. Im in mid 20's so never had to do it without internet so I consider myself lucky but curious if anyone has been gambling this long where internet was not out? Were you doing better then pickin games or now?

[Mudcat]

Oh my gawd, young 'un!

The internet still feels like a fresh new development to me. So many stories I could tell that relate to this. It used to be that when I had a gambling hypothesis I wanted to research, I would spend hours at the library microfiche checking old lines from newspapers and scratching out my notes with pencil and paper.

I used to arb over the phone. I had 2-3 books and I would drive their CS people nuts constantly looking for line updates. I had special forms and shorthand I had created to record all the data.

That probably sounds inefficient today but at the same time, the books weren't comparing notes between each other as much so there were often BIG lazy arbs to be found close to game time. The first few weeks of baseball every year was a goldmine.

That line variation was also good for straight gambling of course, not just arbitrage.

I remember spending entire days walking the strip in Las Vegas until my feet were ready to fall off, comparing lines between the sportsbooks, learning how to line shop.



In answer to the question, I am better now than then but there are reasons for that which have little to do with technology. My work habits are better. Back then you had to pick 52.4% winners to break even. Now with reduced juice and easier line shopping, 51% will do.

But having the books not comparing notes so closely among themselves back then was a very good thing. I can only dream how well I would do under those old circumstances if I knew what I know now.

[jjgold]

You do not need the net to be a good capper, its called being well read and watching games, stats mean zilch and do not tell half the story of a game as oppssed to watching them.

[bigboydan]

lots of changes over the last 20 years. way back when you needed to put in alot of time in order to find that edge. way back then there was no air conditioning in some of those old arena's, and you could find a great edge betting on over/unders.

[jjgold]

Only way to have an edge is WATCH games, nothing else.

It tells you everything

[Brick Tamland]

I would gladly go to only betting by phone if everyone else had to and the books couldnt see other lines either.

Mudcat...
what books were calling?? bowmans and wwts? cris?

[Mudcat]

Mudcat...
what books were calling?? bowmans and wwts? cris?

Yup, Bowmans and WWTS. There was a third one I used sometimes in the early 90's and I'm trying to remember who they were. I don't think it was CRIS. I think they were in Panama.

I just got lucky with my sportsbook choices because back then I didn't have SBR telling me who the stiffs were - but I never had payout problems.



PS - It is not necessary to watch games to cap. That's a myth. I hope that myth never dies because guys placing bets based on what they've seen (or think they've seen) are the ones losing the money that keeps the industry afloat. But I'm just saying.

All you need is science.

[pags11]

I'm not sure how anyone truly handicapped a game without internet and satallite TV...

[bigboydan]

I'm not sure how anyone truly handicapped a game without internet and satallite TV...

it wasn't easy pags, but it could be done.