Whether to ask for the line

[sportshobby]

Since I don't follow steam, I typically assume that I can get any number shown on the Don Best feed. So I save time by just spitting out what I want, along with the odds shown. This generally very well.

But just in the past week I've had two "errors" on the screen at Olympic. I know they were typos because I checked their website. But the bad numbers just stayed there for over an hour.

Then there have been two incidents this week, also at Olympic, where I've spit out my play, heard the clerk yell it out (without specifying the odds), see the screen change, then have the clerk read back the play to me at the CHANGED screen odds. I declined the wagers, of course.

I'm not rushing to blame Olympic, since I'm not really an old pro at all this. Perhaps some others of you (who are) can shed some light. I'm interested in who asks for the line, vs. those who try and save time ilke myself.

[Boomer]

It's been happening to me EVERY time I call in whether there's steam or not. If everyone is at -120 and I want to bet Olympic's line that's been sitting there for an hour at -115, I'm not getting it.

Olympic, fix this problem, either update the Don Best feed better or honor the line on the screen. It looks like your "shading" your lines.

This is not up to to your usual exemplary way you conduct yourselves and the high regard I have for your book.

[ajax50]

If the game you want is early(1st or 2nd) in the schedule rundown tell the clerk to run the games and stop him/her right after the clerk spits out the line.Works for me.Some stores this is unneccessary as they never jerk you around.

[reno]

I had the same problem at Olympic last baseball season. And that problem, along with perpetually busy phones at crunch time, finally caused me to close the account. Olympic is super solid and pays super promptly. It is a shame they can't get it together with the phones and betting lines. If the Greek gets it together, I'll re-up for baskets.

[JohnnyDeMarco]

I have heard also that Olympic will not honor the line on the Don Best screen. People that call my 900 number have said this 8 to 10 times this baseball season. I imagine that all so-called squares are treated the same at Olympic. You know if they treat the high roller wise-guys like that, the squares are going to get crushed too.

[sportshobby]

Thanks for the inputs. Suppose I just ask for the line on a particular game. Will I get the posted numbers quoted to me?

[JohnnyDeMarco]

If you play favorites all the time they are more than likely going to jack up the favorite price.

[Boomer]

This problem happened to me again tonight and it just didn't make sense. Olympic has shown nothing but pure class in all my dealings with them.

I spoke to the owner and we got to the bottom of this: it was a computer glitch which was not updating Don Best and he has his technical department working on it as we speak.

By checking the time the line changed tonight on the Giant/Cub game, he had the line change a full 45 minutes before I made my bet on the Cub total.

Olympic is one of favorite outs and this problem just didn't make sense as they know they'll get kicked off the feed if they don't honor the published line. Besides they're one of the good guys and they wouldn't play games like this. I should have called in a week ago and it would have been resolved.

Now I have to pray the Cub game doesn't land exactly on 11 and cost me 6 dimes.

[sportshobby]

Boomer, I hope you're right and that they get the problem corrected.

It seems that there might have been two different problems, though. The one you're talking about is just a bad number that sits there for a long time, not being updated. I've experienced that, too.

The other is the case in which I've called in the play, heard the clerk call it out to the bookmakers, then the line changes, and she reads back my play at the NEW number. I think I'll just stick to asking first for the line when playing there.