Are there any real bookies left in SA

Just had a look at the betting at the Vaal tomorrow. 9 races and rounded %'s on the races are 157%, 153%, 149%, 138%, 146%, 138%, 147%, 138%, 137% respectively. Brave stuff boys, more ammunition for the tote only lobbyists.

they are obviously on the road to self destruction.

Hah... wait until you do the maths for PE racing.... is like punting geared instruments..

I don't think they quite realise how much this makes their survival less likeily!

It is true that the opening-betting % is ridiculous. However, this did not prevent a few intrepid souls to claim about 7 or 8 horses thus far. Surely these punters are at fault, and not the bookies.
If you were a bookie, would you rather lay 2/1 or evens about a horse?
The bookies are dependant on the punters for their livelihood, and not the other way round.
If everybody waited until the betting settled at, say, 120% before betting their “sure thing”, these brave layers would never price up at these ridiculous odds.

Hollywood price up 9/10 each of two and 16/1 the draw (110%+) on rugby handicaps for as long as they have been online. They must have a captive audience of mugs somewhere backing their fancies at these prices, or they would not bother even pricing up.

I have always wondered about that - my guess is that most of their rugby betting is taken by telephone or in their branches and very little online

No. The majority of punters do not know how a 'book' is made up... and if that is all that is on offer... they will take it. For most it is about having a bet...value or not.

what would you have Hollywood bet to? 111.1% isn't a bad book in a country where punters expect a stretch. if you started at 19/20 each team and 25/1 the draw (106.5%) you've priced in the stretch and there's nowhere to go.

Lets be fair AB with a tyre you have a material cost a labour cost a mark up and a fixed price that will give you a S.P. and a profit margin.

With a bookie, it must be difficult to price a market based on form books, not sure which way the market will go? Its only the weight of money that will determine the SP and personally, I would be a bit scared "pricing up".

I do think the early betting % are poor, but its the end % that tells the story, whether it be 116% or 105%, punters must be sharp and look for what they think is a good price?

imvho

Are you trying to tell me that holly will lay me a stretch if I phone them?
Too much trouble - evens each of 2 at BetX and 20/1 the draw (less than 105%)- or World of Sport evens your pick at the 1/2 point handicap.
My point is exactly that - punters in this country are totally mathematically challenged and will simply back their fancies irrespective - it does not help blaming bookies for diabolical %, if the punters keep on backing at these %.
But would the bookies be as arrogant with no one rushing to back at these prices?

how can WOS offer evens on the 1/2 point handicap? surely bite their arm off: they're betting to 100%. even if they lay a perfect book they'll make nothing.

scotia is right - the punter needs to look for the right price on his fancy, regardless of the percentages. WOS may be betting to 100%, but chances are they've got the handicap slightly wrong. if so, then one of their bets at evens has got to be a sitter.

if the percentages are totally out, then the punter will never bet, but somewhere in there the bookie must give himself some margin in order to stay in business.

World of Sport have a 1 unit gap eg 1/1 +14.5 and 1/1 -15.5 so thats their margin (both lose on 15 points exactly). I have considered whether this approach is good or not and as someone who shops around with bookmakers I like the variation - in other words if others have 14.5 9/10 the pair I will back the plus with WOS but rather take the minus elsewhere than get evens -15.5.

Back to Hollywood and Greenbooks first post backs up my theory that Hollywood do most of their business in their rooms and over the phone where they will no doubt give stretches.

Looking at it from an online punters point of view though you would need to crazy to take say -14.5 at 9/10 tie you lose than the same handicap and same price at Betxchange - tie no bet.

Fingers I believe your theory on some punters being mugs is correct but I believe that there are less mugs online where comparing handicaps and prices is so easy.