09 March 2011
The one thing that every bookie fears is all of the action coming in on a single game with the same line. Even if everyone is interested in the same game, line moves can often persuade some players to turn the other way. If a bookie is using bookies line control software, they can move the line at will and keep their action under control.
A service such as www.realpriceperhead.com is a great example of a pay her head with lines control. Bookies have both Internet and mobile access to their accounts and can change lines at any given time. If they suddenly see action coming in heavy on a given game, they can attempt to adjust the game to either shut down the rush or promote action on the opposite side. Two-way action is ideal in the fact the bookie makes a profit on the vig with no actual risk.
Regardless of the size of someone's book, PPH with lines control can play a large part in keeping the book profitable. There are two things that every bookie is susceptible to in regard to players betting one side of an event: service releases and pack betting. When either of these events takes places, bookie lines control is an absolute must.
Service Releases - when players get desperate, they end up picking up the phone or getting online and subscribing to one service or another. Yes, they are all frauds, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and again. Somewhere, someone is offering a play of the week, play of the month, or play of the year just about every weekend. It is important to find out what these plays are and use bookie lines control to move the line and penalize them for taking these picks. Even if the release wins, a bookie may find that it fell right on the initial line and the adjustment turned what should have been a winning pick into a loser.
Pack Betting - this is common for bookies that have a lot of friend's all using the same bookie. They get together over a beer and the next thing you know, multiple bets are made all going the same way on a single game. If a bookie knows who is in this little group, they can monitor each player's action and make a line adjustment as soon as the first bet comes in. However, it is important to avoid adjusting the line too much so as not to invite players trying to middle the game. All a bookie is really looking for here is a small advantage. If the line is falling on an exact number, adding a hook may be all that is needed to turn a few winners into losers.
Adjusting the line is a major part of running a successful bookie operation. While all online bookie services generally offer automatic line movements, that is usually based off a feed. This is more than likely created and monitored via the overall action from a major sportsbook. The only way to control the action that is coming in is to subscribe to a pay per head with lines control.
