Whats the fair expectation of alerting a book to their bad line?

[LegitBet]

Today two hours before Cubs start one of our A+ books had the first inning run score prop mistakenly inverted, with the YES as the fav -135 and NO +115.

I made a small wager on NO, and shortly after realized line was upside down and called the book, spoke to the sports wagering manager and told him line was posted wrong, and no problem to cancel my wager, still a couple hours before game start. I was truly thinking i was really 'doing the right thing' as my wager was a little joke i do with every cubs day game out of stupid superstition, so it made no diff to me to cancel.

I didn't push it with the manager, and he ended up telling me he'll let my bet stand as a favor back to me.

Ended up a losing play anyway, but should I have pushed for a free play, or anything?
Play was so small they would not have canceled it so this is not a freeroll question either way.

Advice?

[FreeFall]

You shouldn't have pushed for anything. The best you can do is alert them and let them decide how they want to treat you for doing their job.

[Chopsticks]

You should not expect to get anything. Just take the line and hope for the best.

[HedgeHog]

You should do the right thing w/o expecting the reward. That said, they should have tossed you a $25 FP.

[John Dough]

You should not expect to get anything. Just take the line and hope for the best.

Terrible advice. Don't bet into a bad line (on purpose), nothing good can come from it. At best, you slip one by them... at worst, they freeroll you and/or possibly take action against you for trying to take advantage of them.

Either notify them (if they thank you with something, great, but you're not entitled) or just ignore it.

In this case, since it was an accident on your part, you did the right thing by notifying them and they rewarded you by letting the bet stand.

[yisman]

You should not expect to be given prizes for notifying them.

Once in a while maybe a book will do something for you, but usually not.

[in play, run(s)]

When I see a bad line, I occasionally bet $1 on the other side, just to see if it would have been cancelled

But regarding your question, I think you shouldn't expect a reward.

[LegitBet]

i must say i am very surprised by these responses, like we are all one big happy family with the books.

i feel the relationship between a player and book is a weirdly pseudo friendly/truly adversarial one.

I know Vegas casino hosts, some who earn on a player's theoretical and others who are in for a % of actual losses.

who do you think the authentically friend relationships are really with?

i would not think it was over the top for the manager to thank me, and throw a few dollar free play in my account.
i should not have hung up feeling like i was taking up his precious time on the phone.

all in all certainly no biggie, but well worth the cheap lesson (which i still don't know what i learned :-) )

[in play, run(s)]

"i should not have hung up feeling like i was taking up his precious time on the phone."

I get your point, that sucks. But you also said:

"I didn't push it with the manager, and he ended up telling me he'll let my bet stand as a favor back to me."

Isn't that some kind of reward after all? You could even hedge the other side somewhere else for a small profit.

[John Dough]

"i should not have hung up feeling like i was taking up his precious time on the phone."

I get your point, that sucks. But you also said:

"I didn't push it with the manager, and he ended up telling me he'll let my bet stand as a favor back to me."

Isn't that some kind of reward after all? You could even hedge the other side somewhere else for a small profit.

Exactly, letting the bet stand was most definitely a reward. The book could have easily just said "thanks" and cancelled the bet. Be glad they gave you anything.

[LegitBet]

Exactly, letting the bet stand was most definitely a reward. The book could have easily just said "thanks" and cancelled the bet. Be glad they gave you anything.

I hear you guys crystal clear..i get it.
perhaps i should share the actual amount of the wager, thus my feelings may make more sense. This was as i said a silly superstition with me, the bet was for $5.00.
that's not slang for a nickel it was 500 pennies.

him telling me "if i cancel it you'll have to lay -135" made me actually laugh on the phone.
Remember this was the sports manager, so first i had to call the main sports wagering number, give them my account info and verify my password, then wait on hold, intro myself to the manager, explain what he had up was bad, blah blah--you get it i'm sure.

so when what should have been a two second thanks alot guy, i appreciate the heads up, became closer to a joke insult.

that's all...rarely ami in this situation, so i appreciate veteran guys input

thanks

[lukahh]

When I see a bad line, I occasionally bet $1 on the other side, just to see if it would have been cancelled

But regarding your question, I think you shouldn't expect a reward.

interesting.
do they usually cancel it?

[Bill Dozer]

Today two hours before Cubs start one of our A+ books had the first inning run score prop mistakenly inverted, with the YES as the fav -135 and NO +115.

I made a small wager on NO, and shortly after realized line was upside down and called the book, spoke to the sports wagering manager and told him line was posted wrong, and no problem to cancel my wager, still a couple hours before game start. I was truly thinking i was really 'doing the right thing' as my wager was a little joke i do with every cubs day game out of stupid superstition, so it made no diff to me to cancel.

I didn't push it with the manager, and he ended up telling me he'll let my bet stand as a favor back to me.

Ended up a losing play anyway, but should I have pushed for a free play, or anything?
Play was so small they would not have canceled it so this is not a freeroll question either way.

Advice?

Depending on how much you bet letting the bet stand is a big bonus in itself. I'd suggest a thankyou email, win or lose.

[Ibrakadabra]

When I see a bad line, I occasionally bet $1 on the other side, just to see if it would have been cancelled

But regarding your question, I think you shouldn't expect a reward.

That´s an interesting idea, I´ll try that too

Generally speaking it must be in the interest of the bookies to show they appreciate customers helping them. Might prevent them from different kinds of problems. Because of that the wise thing to do would be to give something back, isn´t that common sense?

I´ve alerted several bookies, usually without getting anything. And since I have better things to do than to help those who doesn´t show appreciation I won´t do it again. Obviously they prefer it that way...

[yisman]

Bill, he only bet a few dollars.

He should've thanked the poster, but letting the bet stand is thanks as well.

[wisky]

$25.00 free play

[BranchDavidian]

I bet into a couple bad lines early on in my sportsbetting career. I have learned that the hassle involved is not worth it. Usually the bet gets cancelled after a few minutes to a few hours, and since I do a lot of scalping, this can cost me a lot of money. So, I began calling in to alert books to bad lines. At first, I would get a thank you from most books, after spending several minutes explaining, usually more than once, to the clerk that I believe they have a bad line posted. Sometimes the clerk would brush me off, thinking it seemed that a customer couldn't know that the book had made a mistake ( new clerk probably). Sometimes the clerk would go ask a linesman for guidance, sometimes I would have to suggest this option, and a couple of times the clerk actually told me to go ahead and bet it without any input, as they believed it would be OK ( when, in fact, it was a bad line!) I did get annoyed at some of the books after reporting bad lines, because of the lack of appreciation shown at some books, especially when a clueless clerk keeps implying that I am probably an idiot for questioning his superiors work. And, at this point, as the clerk finally goes to ask a linesman, I have been on the phone way too long already at a busy time. However, two books have rewarded me with freeplays, Justbet for $50 and I can't remember the other one. And, recently, either Diamond or BetonLine let a $500 bet stand after I called in to see if the line I had just bet was bad ( I new it was, but couldn't resist ). Naturally, when they let me know the bet stood, I bet the other side at another book and made about the same as I would have on a $50 freeplay. I have had another bet at Diamond recently into a reverse run line at -225 when everyone else had the other side at +285 or so. An obvious bad line. But I bet into it anyway, around noon, for a 9 o'clock game. I didn't call in because Diamond seems to honor bets once accepted. Of course, then I had to constantly check to see if the bet was going to be cancelled. A couple of hours later, the book realizes that it's lines are wrong, and takes the game off the board. I check on my bet, and it is still pending. And remains pending right up until game time when I bet the other side, which has now gone up to +320. I wish I would have kept better records of how I was treated at different books. I have seen a lot of bad lines that I didn't bother to report if it is a busy time for me after receiving little positive feedback from a few clerks. But the books that show appreciation, even if just a thank you from the clerk, should get a call.

[clowncar]

If the line is bad, neither bet it or let them know about it.

[justonetime]

I have let books know by just sending a very simple e-mail. Never have received anything but a simple thank you.

[me-first]

yeah, if you're looking for a reward for alerting a book about a bad line, forget about it..not many shops will give you more than a "thanks" anymore..some will even make it seem like they're doing you a favor by correcting their mistake, which seems like the attitude they gave you here..

[HedgeHog]

If you hadn't already bet into the bad number, your chances for a reward may have been better--who knows for sure. Still they let you keep your +Ev bet, so that may have been your reward in their mind.

[hhsilver]

i've called 3 times. The first was Betjam. I wasn't expecting anything - just being a good guy trying to save them the hassle of canceling a lot of plays. After being told to hold on the clerk put a manager on who asked for my acct and told me they were giving me a $50 free play. It was a pleasant surprise and appreciated.

the other 2 were WSEX ( this was a few years ago when i was still there) and matchbook. After the Betjam experience I was kind of hoping , but not really expecting. But in both cases , hardly a thanks.

Betjam = 1st class. I'm glad to see so many here agree about Betjam.

[Stumpage]

My experience is to treat them like plutonium and get as far away as possible. Like John Dough noted above, nothing good can come from it. Over the years I've notified books on several occasions that their lines were screwed. Usually there is a thank you and things move on. Occasionally, there is the bonus of being given a free play (Sportbet and Bowmans come to mind). But wagering on it, even for a tiny amount as somebody else stated, is a very bad idea as many books have absolutely zero tolerance for shot takers, regardless of the fact it's their mistake to begin with.....

[djefferis]

alert them, if they allow bet to stand..there is your bonus.

if not they should reward you, say with a juice free bet up 2x your avg bet amt. 5d has done this many times for me. Others give $25-50 freeplay which i usually shoot on a 3 teamer

[BranchDavidian]

I just notified BetChuckNow, a new start up, about a line error. Even tho I only deposited $300 for a 125% free play, I was rewarded with another $50 free play.

[PAPAGUNNZ]

lol this whole "bad line" crap is ridiculous...if you walk into a walmart or any other reputable store/business and the price tag says $1.00...guess what..you get it for a dollar!! doesnt matter how much the item really cost..they fuked up...so they eat it...its called good business ethic...which obviously sports books dont have...its THEIR jobs to make sure THEIR line is correct..and if they fuk it up...then THEY should pay the price...there is absolutely NOOOOOO stealing on the players part in this case!!!! bottom line!! its a travesty that this kind of rule is aloud to exist...and when you break it down, the book is stealing from the player in ANY "freeroll" situation...either the bet stands as was accepted..or refund the bet win OR lose!! any other action is pure horseshitt

[LegitBet]

Thanks all
So this is my new stategy:

Keep a real good eye out for any bad line on anything.
Don't bet into it, instead call wagering ask for the manager , (they will usually eagerly get them when all I tell the clerk is he made a mistake and I would like to help him not lose his job.)
Then let the manager know that I play with them because they are the type of book that would good faith honor the bet, but instead I decided to save him a whole bunch of headaches.
Then if needed a can simply add "and since I know you appreciate so much that I called you right away during my very busy day, I feel comfortable letting you know that a $40 or $50 free play would make my day."

[milpet]

The sportsbook must give you a bonus, they earn so much and you save them so much hassle so a small bonus is nothing for them. Just an act of goodwill.

[Ibrakadabra]

lol this whole "bad line" crap is ridiculous...if you walk into a walmart or any other reputable store/business and the price tag says $1.00...guess what..you get it for a dollar!! doesnt matter how much the item really cost..they fuked up...so they eat it...its called good business ethic...which obviously sports books dont have...its THEIR jobs to make sure THEIR line is correct..and if they fuk it up...then THEY should pay the price...there is absolutely NOOOOOO stealing on the players part in this case!!!! bottom line!! its a travesty that this kind of rule is aloud to exist...and when you break it down, the book is stealing from the player in ANY "freeroll" situation...either the bet stands as was accepted..or refund the bet win OR lose!! any other action is pure horseshitt

You are perfectly right but this should come as no surprise since sports books have som many rules that would seem absolutely bizarre in any other business...

Like... You can only buy one Snickers because you are YOU. The next customer can have three if he likes. If you want five you´ll have to pay a lot more.

Or even, "Hey, you don´t seem to be a complete idiot because you buy things that are actually worth the price, GET OUT OF MY STORE!!!!".

I´ve never understood how we, who are placing bets, have come to put ourself in a situation where sports books can do pretty much whatever they want whenever they want and they´ll be covered by rules we, more or less, have been forced to accept.

[odysseus]

I've reported several bad lines but TBO for selfish reasons, if they tell me it's OK and let the line stand, then I want to hit it. I never bet it first though.
I got a couple of small free plays, the only one I remember was from Bet911, they were good at stuff like that but we all know what they weren't good at!
I reported a couple to thegreek and was just told they would refer it to the "linesmen", no thanks or anything. One I remember was still there hours later then was corrected just prior to the game but some just disappear from the board fairly soon.
Incidently the only time I've ever had a bet palped was at thegreek and it didn't really look that "bad" at all!

[ICE-BLOOD]

the book should give a 25$ freeplay or a juice free bet

the alert to them of a bad line can save them alot of money or hassle

[RickySteve]

Your options:

-You can bet it, it might get graded fairly, it might get graded unfairly, your account might get closed or limited.

-You can tell them, they might give you a bonus, you will waste your time and alert them at no cost that you're a customer that knows a good line from bad.

-You can ignore it.

Having gone through all of these scenarios many times, I generally recommend the last option.

[soxwin1917]

I think it's admirable to tell them about a bad line, and in years past you certainly would have been given some sort of freeplay. I say keep up the honesty, Lord knows we need more people to take the honest road these days.

[LegitBet]

I think it's admirable to tell them about a bad line, and in years past you certainly would have been given some sort of freeplay. I say keep up the honesty, Lord knows we need more people to take the honest road these days.

Soxwin, very nice move. You're a classy guy.

I am surprised how many replies this post got, and the overwhelming majority all seem to say the same thing.
"Hey, bookie, I know we have this weird business/adversarial relationship, but even though you dropped the ball, I'm helping you out and picking it up for you, and you don't give a damn".

[skrtelfan]

Your options:

-You can bet it, it might get graded fairly, it might get graded unfairly, your account might get closed or limited.

-You can tell them, they might give you a bonus, you will waste your time and alert them at no cost that you're a customer that knows a good line from bad.

-You can ignore it.

Having gone through all of these scenarios many times, I generally recommend the last option.

Exactly. I've never once received a bonus from a book for alerting the book to a bad line and there were times the clerk actually acted annoyed that I was bothering him, not to mention that I was wasting his time, so I've given up on trying to do any favors for books, not to mention the issue of alerting the book that I know a good line from a bad one.