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There are many great sportsbooks that post their limits, both large and small. And then there are those just refuse to tell you how much you can wager. I believe that this latter policy is designed to give them several added edges and increase their profits.
This is similar to dealing different sets of odds to different customers, in order to increase their profits. Players with a winning profile will get lower limits; and if they are generally ahead of moves then the limits will be lowered further. Furthermore, the player in many cases has to state his play BEFORE he is told the limit. So the sportsbook gets to see all the facts, including which side the player wants and how their sportsbook's lines compare to others, before the player is told the limit. This, along with stalling and putting the player on hold (to observe line movement on the screen prior to taking the wager) really mounts up to significant increase in the house advantage.
But there is another really negative effect of this policy (not to post wagering limits): it wastes of a lot of time and energy for both the player and the sportsbook.
Here's the scenario: Sportsbook XYZ advertises that they are solid, great, dependable, etc and Joe Schmo is looking for a place to play. Now Joe likes to play more than a few hundred per game, and also bets totals; so he often has to play more than one sportsbook to get the amount he wants to wager. So if XYZ Sportsbook only takes $250 as a maximum wager, then it would be a waste of his time. So he asks, "what are your limits?" to which the sportsbook replies "it depends, give us a try." Joe goes through all the hassle of signing up, filling out forms, sending in money, learning the rules, etc and tries to make is first wager, and it goes through for $500. After a couple more wagers he is "profiled" as having the possibility of winning, so his limiit is cut to $200.
So Joe calls in and asks about the limits, and he is told that he is a sharp player and should call in his bets for a higher limit. How much? It depends. So Joe calls and asks for his play and for the amount that he can play. The clerk is of course not authorized to determine the limit, that has to come from the "trading floor". So Joe is put on hold or transferred to a supervisor, who often has to check with someone else, to decide what is the limiit. By this time Joe could have made the same play at two other places and been on down the road. Now Joe realizes that he has wasted not only his time, but the time and money of XYZ Sportsbook, so he withdraws his money and moves on.
What's the moral of the story? Post your danged limits! Sure, you may sometimes allow a higher wager in some situations if the book can use it to balance action. Sure, there will be "circled" games in which the limit is smaller for various reasons. But Joe Schmo knows (a) if it is worth his trouble to try and play at your place, and (b) when he calls or punches in his play he knows what bet amount he can expect.
This situation is not from a recent thread or directed at any one sportsbook - there are unfortunately several that fit this description.
This is similar to dealing different sets of odds to different customers, in order to increase their profits. Players with a winning profile will get lower limits; and if they are generally ahead of moves then the limits will be lowered further. Furthermore, the player in many cases has to state his play BEFORE he is told the limit. So the sportsbook gets to see all the facts, including which side the player wants and how their sportsbook's lines compare to others, before the player is told the limit. This, along with stalling and putting the player on hold (to observe line movement on the screen prior to taking the wager) really mounts up to significant increase in the house advantage.
But there is another really negative effect of this policy (not to post wagering limits): it wastes of a lot of time and energy for both the player and the sportsbook.
Here's the scenario: Sportsbook XYZ advertises that they are solid, great, dependable, etc and Joe Schmo is looking for a place to play. Now Joe likes to play more than a few hundred per game, and also bets totals; so he often has to play more than one sportsbook to get the amount he wants to wager. So if XYZ Sportsbook only takes $250 as a maximum wager, then it would be a waste of his time. So he asks, "what are your limits?" to which the sportsbook replies "it depends, give us a try." Joe goes through all the hassle of signing up, filling out forms, sending in money, learning the rules, etc and tries to make is first wager, and it goes through for $500. After a couple more wagers he is "profiled" as having the possibility of winning, so his limiit is cut to $200.
So Joe calls in and asks about the limits, and he is told that he is a sharp player and should call in his bets for a higher limit. How much? It depends. So Joe calls and asks for his play and for the amount that he can play. The clerk is of course not authorized to determine the limit, that has to come from the "trading floor". So Joe is put on hold or transferred to a supervisor, who often has to check with someone else, to decide what is the limiit. By this time Joe could have made the same play at two other places and been on down the road. Now Joe realizes that he has wasted not only his time, but the time and money of XYZ Sportsbook, so he withdraws his money and moves on.
What's the moral of the story? Post your danged limits! Sure, you may sometimes allow a higher wager in some situations if the book can use it to balance action. Sure, there will be "circled" games in which the limit is smaller for various reasons. But Joe Schmo knows (a) if it is worth his trouble to try and play at your place, and (b) when he calls or punches in his play he knows what bet amount he can expect.
This situation is not from a recent thread or directed at any one sportsbook - there are unfortunately several that fit this description.
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