Post here if you will never be a sbr pro

[SBR_John]

SBR John will poker on SBR will be only for pros?

The big free money games will be for Pros. The freebie games will be for everyone.

Maybe I should quickly explain that it is much easier for SBR to get sponsors for real players. Like the first Pro poker game in August. We approach the book with a proposal to fund a game with real money players. The books can then factor out the freeloader factor and put a nice chunk in so they can market to real players.

We don't want to exclude anyone, thats not the deal. We just want to reward the real players and give the books the demo they are looking for as well.

[OmgUrMom]

are the free money games the games for sbr points??? or are their literally fake chip games? Will you have "cash game" style sbr point games?

[sickler]

Actually, the more that I think about the point that you're making - that 'seasoned' gamblers are laughing at these penny points - the more that this is making me laugh as well.

I'd be curious to see a list of those deemed 'seasoned' by you and what they have done with their points. Do they use them for anything other than the casino? I know you do LB. If you don't have a book funded already and can't be bothered, then fair enough. But if someone does and they don't spend 2 minutes to sign up because they're 'laughing' at the points yet they're using them to purchase things from the store anyway, that seems like a ridiculous move on their part.

Not so much laughing at the points as laughing at the importance many put on them. Don't get me wrong, the introduction of the points system was great for SBR. It increased membership and added incentive to post and participate.

Shari, a good number of hardcore gamblers are here for the Sportsbooks & Industry section and to a lesser extent, the Think Tank. I would think these are the ones who don't put much stock in points. For you to say a non-pro member isn't a serious gambler is absurd. Some people do have money, going from 20 cents/day to 40 cents/day in points isn't going to change their life.

[poker_dummy101]

john you got complaints from everyone

[THE PROFIT]

I for one really like the points, although they don't really mean shit, it's nice to be able to play the contests for points & stuff like that when you want some action but don't wanna play real money on it! The only thing I play any large amount of money on is football & college hoops, so its nice to play points in the summer & get something from the store

[Grandmaster B]

Why should this be the downfall of SBR???

Free rollers will still earn points just not as many as those of us who give the books that offer the freeplays a a reason to sponsor SBR.

It is likely that SBR has worked out a deal for more money with their sponsors under the new point system and should also save money long term because they will not be giving out as many freeplays.

I think the biggest misunderstanding around here is this "SBR needs us" mentality when it is real "we need SBR" Trust me SBR gets more money from its sponsors than it receives for having a lot of traffic from degenerate jobless gamblers who are only posting so they can get a few points to blow in the casino hoping to earn enough points to buy a measly $50 freeplay.

sharp post from the man they call Sharpcat

[Fishhead]

Seriously, this is really UNreal

It's 200 BUCKS...........WTF????????


It actually should take 2500 to be PRO

[shari91]

Not so much laughing at the points as laughing at the importance many put on them. Don't get me wrong, the introduction of the points system was great for SBR. It increased membership and added incentive to post and participate. Shari, a good number of hardcore gamblers are here for the Sportsbooks & Industry section and to a lesser extent, the Think Tank. I would think these are the ones who don't put much stock in points. For you to say a non-pro member isn't a serious gambler is absurd. Some people do have money, going from 20 cents/day to 40 cents/day in points isn't going to change their life.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the laughing at the importance people put on points. I personally have given away more points than I've ever earned and have never purchased a thing from the store. On top of that I've made I think a total of 6 small bets in the Sportsbook and have played in the casino a grand total of 4 times, only losing any points once. So it's not like I'm even using the points myself to their full advantage.

And I didn't say that non-pro members are not serious gamblers. I said it will 'somewhat help me to determine' who is serious about gambling. I go to the Think Tank and I'm on the forum every day. I think I have a pretty good handle already on who actually makes a bet or two and has a clue when it comes to gambling. My point was, there are a slew of people on this forum every day spewing stats and talking like they're a seasoned gambler. I personally will put a little more stock into what they're saying if I know they are at least able to fund a book until I can make more of a determination about them through time. Yes it's not fail-safe but it's something I plan on utilising to see how it pans out. That's all.

Join or don't join. I don't really care either way as obviously if someone like an LB/MonkeyFocker/Sharpie/Mathy etc... never becomes a pro that doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to stop putting any stock into what they say. I would be a bit curious as to why they weren't joining though because the value is there if you're already logging in regularly and collecting and using points.

[OmgUrMom]

FISH U FOKKER. 200 IS A LOT OF COIN IN THIS ECONOMY MAN

[Robber]

i post here because it's a fun forum. probably not a pro.

[THE PROFIT]

give me them points then, Shari! I'm points poor, but will have A LOT after the first month of football.

I used to laugh at people for begging for points, I thought hell, just enter a contest & win a bunch. It was easy in the fall & winter for me, I won or placed in a lot of the weekly ones, but bases is a different story for me!

[shari91]

give me them points then, Shari! I'm points poor, but will have A LOT after the first month of football. I used to laugh at people for begging for points, I thought hell, just enter a contest & win a bunch. It was easy in the fall & winter for me, I won or placed in a lot of the weekly ones, but bases is a different story for me!

I actually made a decision a couple of weeks ago that I'm silly not to utilise points to my advantage and am determined to at least buy SOMETHING with them at some point. I come here every darn day and collect the things and I'm being given something for free so why not finally start to appreciate the fact they have value? I get so excited when I score $20 off a pair of shoes even if the damn things still cost me $400 so I may as well apply that to my gambling as well.

[tunaguitar76]

I said it will 'somewhat help me to determine' who is serious about gambling

sure, i suppose to some degree but, you can generally tell by the quality of the post far more than if it says "pro" by their name. Let's be serious.. in the US.. the amount of people that put $200 into a book during the NFL season is in no way related to the amount of people that take gambling "serious". Also, $200 isn't exactly "serious" money is it? That's a fraction of what people make a week from their normal jobs.

It's also possible, hopefully unlikely but a person could also view the $200 as being serious about just points too.
If they were "points crazy" before, why wouldn't that be incentive to deposit money to double their points? Apparently the pro status is good for a year. I'm sure some people could rack up more than $200 worth of points in that time and still have their $200 to do what they want with.

I go to the Think Tank and I'm on the forum every day. I think I have a pretty good handle already on who actually makes a bet or two and has a clue when it comes to gambling.

exactly, the pro program is good for SBR as well as users but it really doesn't seem to be any way of determining who is an actual "pro" or not.

[Ace_of_Spades]

I don't know, i may do it, i may not. Double points doesn't exactly wow me. Maybe 25 ponts a day for being pro, but 12, just hasn't got me in yet. Maybe i'm just too lazy.

[ttwarrior1]

wow i didnt know sbr was only for serious gamblers, wow

[ttwarrior1]

bodog already has 5 grand of my cash throughout the years and now i can't play at bodog because i havent deposited in months and 0 balance

[shari91]

sure, i suppose to some degree but, you can generally tell by the quality of the post far more than if it says "pro" by their name. Let's be serious.. in the US.. the amount of people that put $200 into a book during the NFL season is in no way related to the amount of people that take gambling "serious". Also, $200 isn't exactly "serious" money is it? That's a fraction of what people make a week from their normal jobs. It's also possible, hopefully unlikely but a person could also view the $200 as being serious about just points too. If they were "points crazy" before, why wouldn't that be incentive to deposit money to double their points? Apparently the pro status is good for a year. I'm sure some people could rack up more than $200 worth of points in that time and still have their $200 to do what they want with. exactly, the pro program is good for SBR as well as users but it really doesn't seem to be any way of determining who is an actual "pro" or not.

And that's why I said 'somewhat' and acknowledged that it won't be a fail-safe method of determining someone's seriousness when it comes to gambling. But I'll still try to use it to my advantage. And yes, I realise $200 isn't a consequential amount of money to most working adults, but it's at least something. Oh and just to clarify - to me personally, 'seriousness' does not equate to the $ value you bet. It equates to actually placing bets and doing research behind them.

Where I'm coming from is this: I equate this situation to a tennis forum I belong to that requires a paid membership to view certain features of the site. You receive nothing extra for joining ie points, and the price is a lot less than $200 for a yearly membership. However, I weigh those opinions more highly than I do at another tennis forum because I can make an initial assumption that those who paid are demonstrating a level of interest in capping the sport. This doesn't mean that those at non-paid sites don't have meaningful opinions - not by any means as I realise they may not see value in the same site that I do - but I do admittedly always go to the paid site first to gather opinions/advice before I go anywhere else. Yes, there are people at the paid site who may have been gifted a membership or have money to throw away so they bought one but don't have much of an interest in tennis capping yet they still talk a decent game. As I'm sure we'll find here with people who only deposit to rack up points. And so be it. But with time, I determine who those people are to the best of my ability and until then I'm still willing to put a little more weight in what they're saying than someone at a non-paid forum until I have managed to get a handle on those posters myself.

[Fishhead]

Shari..........are you related to PATRICK MCIRISH ?

[sharpcat]

wow i didnt know sbr was only for serious gamblers, wow

I do not think SBR is only for "serious gamblers"

I do think SBR has a target audience of "gamblers" though

Gambling -the wagering of money or something of material value (referred to as "the stakes") on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period.

$200 dollars I would think is the minimum amount of cash that even the smallest gambler would look to invest. In order to gamble you have to put something up and if you are not gambling than why are you hanging out at a gambling specific chat forum?

The general idea behind a company (in this case company meaning SBR sponsors) investing money in advertising is to draw in new customers not to hand out free money to freeloaders who do not intend to be a customer.

[tunaguitar76]

And that's why I said 'somewhat' and acknowledged that it won't be a fail-safe method of determining someone's seriousness when it comes to gambling.

I understand and agree with 99.4% of what you are saying. I am just suggesting the "pro" program is more about SBR and their business than it is actually about determining how serious a person is.. as it is marketed. It is good for SBR and they have provided plenty of incentives for us to join. I agree if a person is logging in everyday and plans to do something with the points, it makes no sense to not become member. I'm just not sure it's going to sway my opinion on a post all that much... if it says... "cowboys a lock to win by 54"... the whole "pro status" is not going to matter to most people either way.

Where I'm coming from is this: I equate this situation to a tennis forum I belong to that requires a paid membership to view certain features of the site. You receive nothing extra for joining ie points, and the price is a lot less than $200 for a yearly membership. However, I weigh those opinions more highly than I do at another tennis forum because I can make an initial assumption that those who paid are demonstrating a level of interest in capping the sport

Sure, but that is not how this program works. I agree, I am and have been a paid member to other more specific non gambling sites as well. Like you said, you generally get people who are serious about capping or are just extremely involved in the sport with no gambling interest. Again though, I feel these things can usually be determined by the actual post or post history than the word "pro" next to their name. LB and Paco are perfect examples... when the NBA rolls around... I could care less what the pro status of LB is.. I have seen enough.. I'm aware of his status.

I'm sure you realize if SBR wanted to become a "pro" type member website, you just made a pretty good case for SBR to do away with the points system all together. Like I said though, the number of people in just the US willing to deposit at least $200 during the NFL season is staggering... there is just too much money to be made. I seriously doubt they randomly picked this time of year to determine who is "serious" or not. Hey, this is good for SBR and good for the users... but if it was really about people being "pro's" the system would be completely different is all I am saying.

[shari91]

I understand and agree with 99.4% of what you are saying. I am just suggesting the "pro" program is more about SBR and their business than it is actually about determining how serious a person is.. as it is marketed. It is good for SBR and they have provided plenty of incentives for us to join. I agree if a person is logging in everyday and plans to do something with the points, it makes no sense to not become member. I'm just not sure it's going to sway my opinion on a post all that much... if it says... "cowboys a lock to win by 54"... the whole "pro status" is not going to matter to most people either way. Sure, but that is not how this program works. I agree, I am and have been a paid member to other more specific non gambling sites as well. Like you said, you generally get people who are serious about capping or are just extremely involved in the sport with no gambling interest. Again though, I feel these things can usually be determined by the actual post or post history than the word "pro" next to their name. LB and Paco are perfect examples... when the NBA rolls around... I could care less what the pro status of LB is.. I have seen enough.. I'm aware of his status. I'm sure you realize if SBR wanted to become a "pro" type member website, you just made a pretty good case for SBR to do away with the points system all together. Like I said though, the number of people in just the US willing to deposit at least $200 during the NFL season is staggering... there is just too much money to be made. I seriously doubt they randomly picked this time of year to determine who is "serious" or not. Hey, this is good for SBR and good for the users... but if it was really about people being "pro's" the system would be completely different is all I am saying.

And I agree 100% with what you're saying!

SBR is a business and I'm definitely not naive enough to believe that they're concerned if little old Shari uses this new system for anything other than being another number to deposit at a sponsored book. But I always like to see how things will positively affect how I go about things and I feel this system will provide some advantages to me personally beyond just doubled points and access to Pro only promotions. Maybe the potential advantages I perceive now will end up being a bust and amount to nothing but I'm still going to give it a try. And I would find it hard-pressed to believe that at least a few other people won't take a look at someone's 'status' when they're reading a post from someone they're not acquainted with already and make some sort of quick determination based on that. It's human nature and in fact is a popular topic in psych classes.

And as John stated last week, there are no plans within the next 5 years to become a paid site so there's no concern of that happening.

I guess I just don't understand all the bitching and uproar. SBR wasn't founded as a points site nor under the premise of giving free stuff away just because we deem the forum worthy enough to grace with our presence. And it's not like anyone is being forced to participate in the Pro Program in order to prevent their privileges being restricted. Those who can fund $200 in a book will be rewarded at a different level than those who can't or choose not to participate. Even if you are perfectly content with the books you currently use for gambling and see no need for a new one, if you utilise the points system already then I see it as a positive addition. Just fund the $200, bet what you would normally bet anyway and cash out once you've rolled over the $200 if you want nothing more to do with the book. Hell, they've even made it easier by saying you can work your way up to the $200 through earnings. Deposit the minimum book requirement and try to grind your way there if you'd rather do it that way.

I must admit though, I have already found just the introduction of the program alone somewhat useful by seeing the people who are bitching about it at all. Not bothering to participate is one thing, but acting like you're being robbed of something that was never yours in the first place is something else altogether. So in that aspect alone I could say it's already provided me with some value and I'm not even a Pro yet.

[Slainte]

The pro idea is ok, that's how sbr makes their money, even if not a pro you still get some stuff you won't get in any other forum.

[tunaguitar76]

I always like to see how things will positively affect how I go about things and I feel this system will provide some advantages to me personally beyond just doubled points and access to Pro only promotions.

That's great.There is no question there are advantages and incentives to the new program.

I would find it hard-pressed to believe that at least a few other people won't take a look at someone's 'status' when they're reading a post from someone they're not acquainted with already and make some sort of quick determination based on that. It's human nature and in fact is a popular topic in psych classes.

Again, I agree... to some extent. I'm just not sure the "pro" status is going to be #1 #2 or #3 on my list of how I determine how much merit I give to any certain post.

I guess I just don't understand all the bitching and uproar.

Agreed... I mean hey... all they are really saying is... if you would like more points and more incentives that we already give away for FREE... do this... you won't find a much better offer than that.

[jennysu]

i shouldn't be but i am

[muldoon]

Holy bajeebuz. SBR comes up with a points system (as opposed to sites like thedrugstore and nose-on-betting) that rewards anyone who posts on a daily basis. From what I can tell, you can get free g-damned pizza or more just by chatting about sports.

To parse down the posting population into "who is valuable to offshore" vs. "bets with a local", they offer a small increase in points to those willing to prove they are betting offshore (they don't even require you to set up through their affiliate link)

It's a cool idea. The potential is amazing. Auctions, points poker, donations etc.

Unreal how people who are given something free, feign outrage that a website actually tries to act a little like a business.

Is it the fact you won't get the "pro" part what is driving you nuts? I don't think they ever said it meant you weren't a pro gambler. Could have called it "Elite Player" or "SBR-VIP" or anything, makes no diff.

[jjgold]

SBR does have to have incentives to get people to post up in books also

I think maybe too many people were just betting points and not posting up, SBR still gets the traffic numbers though even on that.

I think $200 is fair number and if you cannot afford $200 it is best your not gambling anyway and practicing with the points book

I think the enrollment rate will be high eventually. It really is not that much and if you really like points I would do it.

[Joe Dogs]

If your going to gamble why not earn points on the side?....For most people who gamble, I think $200.00 is an easy criteria.

I don't see any down side to the Pro program.

[SBR_John]

And I agree 100% with what you're saying!

And it's not like anyone is being forced to participate in the Pro Program in order to prevent their privileges being restricted. Those who can fund $200 in a book will be rewarded at a different level than those who can't or choose not to participate.........................

I must admit though, I have already found just the introduction of the program alone somewhat useful by seeing the people who are bitching about it at all. Not bothering to participate is one thing, but acting like you're being robbed of something that was never yours in the first place is something else altogether. So in that aspect alone I could say it's already provided me with some value and I'm not even a Pro yet.

Excellent write up. Agree or disagree, we can all agree Shari91 can write.

[SBR_John]

Holy bajeebuz. SBR comes up with a points system (as opposed to sites like thedrugstore and nose-on-betting) that rewards anyone who posts on a daily basis. From what I can tell, you can get free g-damned pizza or more just by chatting about sports.

To parse down the posting population into "who is valuable to offshore" vs. "bets with a local", they offer a small increase in points to those willing to prove they are betting offshore (they don't even require you to set up through their affiliate link)

It's a cool idea. The potential is amazing. Auctions, points poker, donations etc.

Unreal how people who are given something free, feign outrage that a website actually tries to act a little like a business.

Is it the fact you won't get the "pro" part what is driving you nuts? I don't think they ever said it meant you weren't a pro gambler. Could have called it "Elite Player" or "SBR-VIP" or anything, makes no diff.

Welcome buldoon!

I think its the dog days of summer. A few complained about the free football contest yesterday. Its all good. Once this heat breaks and the pig skins start flying we will all feel better.

[excel]

I like the theory of "we will know who the pros are." Actually I think we will only know who didn't have any money in the sportsbook. We will know who most likely has a good/decent job. Since 98% of us are not professional gamblers. This has promotion for losers written all over it. SBR is gonna take advantage of hundreds of degenerate gamblers for free money.

I bet they are getting at least 20% of each 200$. If this place is so great and only needs sponsors to run why milk the traffic that made it great? Obviously the question is answered for us... raise after raise in the point store and now they are basically accepting donations to become a "pro."

I also have to wonder what happens after they blow through the 20% they made off all these posters? Will they have a become a super pro donation option? hahaha

[Fishhead]

Excellent write up. Agree or disagree, we can all agree Shari91 can write.

How can a woman write so much on a subject that ............

1. Doesn't care about points.

2. Doesn't have 200 bucks in a sponsored sportsbook.



I smell something "McFiddlish" here, and speacking of such, have still yet to hear whether this gal is any relation to PATRICK McIRISH.

[jjgold]

Some people just do not care about points therefore have no need to join program. Of course some that do not join are here just for points and are broke.

[Fishhead]

Some people just do not care about points therefore have no need to join program. Of course some that do not join are here just for points and are broke.

So let me get this straight


There are posters here, and quite a few it appears that..........

1. Don't care about pts and.....

2. Don't have at least ONE sponsored book with a measly 200 bucks in it............



SBR must be some entertaining site.

[tunaguitar76]

How can a woman write so much on a subject that ............

1. Doesn't care about points.

2. Doesn't have 200 bucks in a sponsored sportsbook.

#1 She seems to care more about the actual information gained from the site and applying it to wagering on things other than points... seems to make sense, no?

#2 she did say...

Believe me, this is a pain in the ass for me too after JJ screwed my PayPal and now it turns out, my MoneyBookers account. But I'm still going to do it.

[Wrigley]

Its a great program