Sky Bet changes

MAXALLY

Sky Bet have just changed their Best Odds Guaranteed policy. It is now not applicable on extra place races or cash back races.

I had a '16/1' winner yesterday, and realised I only got 15/2 return on it as that was the price when I placed the bet.

In your honest view, is this good for the industry as a whole......better for the everyday punter......or somewhere in between?

I have not really made my mind up yet (ie. not clever enough to crunch the numbers), so will welcome your feedback.

NChanning

Hi Maxally, nice to play with you Friday. BOG, extra places and cash back are really massive loss-leaders that are probably too generous to punters. I know many people in the industry think inventing BOG was a massive mistake but they have to keep it as their competitors do. I could see it disappearing in the next few years. I guess other industries usually have small print on loss-leader offers saying "can't bge used in conjunction with other offers" etc. Some of the extra place races are not as great as they look, getting 1/5th 12345 is nowhere near as good as 1/4 1234 and 1/5th 123456 is about the same as 1/4 1234. I think if you could just have one you'd do better with BOG in the long run. The cash back things are generally really good although often it's money back as a free bet.

From an industry point opf view I guess BOG is worse because it's just great for everyone. Some people make mistakes with free bets using them on odds-on chances or forget to use them at all. On extra place races people sometimes are encouraged by races where it doesn't help much. If the loss leader involves startegy from the customer some people will use the wrong strategy.

MAXALLY

Thanks for the reply Neil. I am just a fun punter, but what you have wrote, makes sense even to me.

Goody_Ace

The best thing to do is open a few betting accounts.
There are often better deals on the same race with different bookies.
Especially if the odds are fluctuating.
If I fancy a horse, I have 3 betting accounts open at the same time.
Sky have a nasty habit of changing the odds as you try to bet and mostly to a worse price.I
It's half the fun grabbing the best deal

MISTY4ME

With the newly introduced 'No B.O.G. on extra place races' on SKYBET, (I first noticed it 3 or 4 weeks ago), and as I tend to bet each way on bigger priced horses, the extra place races suit me, but SKYBET are usually a point or two shorter (though Bet 365 extra place odds are very similar)..... so I now wait 'til a lot nearer to the race 'Off Time' when SKY's odds usually drift out to match the other firms.

Oddschecker.com (which is part of the FLUTTER Group I think) is also a great tool for checking the odds

gpc70

MISTY4ME said:

With the newly introduced 'No B.O.G. on extra place races' on SKYBET, (I first noticed it 3 or 4 weeks ago), and as I tend to bet each way on bigger priced horses, the extra place races suit me, but SKYBET are usually a point or two shorter (though Bet 365 extra place odds are very similar)..... so I now wait 'til a lot nearer to the race 'Off Time' when SKY's odds usually drift out to match the other firms.

Oddschecker.com (which is part of the FLUTTER Group I think) is also a great tool for checking the odds

Don't forget they may be paying extra place ie 4places instead of 3 if 10 or more run but its a fifth of the odds not a quarter so if you say sky are poor on their prices your best to look elsewere.

MISTY4ME

gpc70 said:

MISTY4ME said:

With the newly introduced 'No B.O.G. on extra place races' on SKYBET, (I first noticed it 3 or 4 weeks ago), and as I tend to bet each way on bigger priced horses, the extra place races suit me, but SKYBET are usually a point or two shorter (though Bet 365 extra place odds are very similar)..... so I now wait 'til a lot nearer to the race 'Off Time' when SKY's odds usually drift out to match the other firms.

Oddschecker.com (which is part of the FLUTTER Group I think) is also a great tool for checking the odds

Don't forget they may be paying extra place ie 4places instead of 3 if 10 or more run but its a fifth of the odds not a quarter so if you say sky are poor on their prices your best to look elsewere.

Yeh I always check the terms and odds. Obviously 10 and 11 runner handicaps only pay 1/5th odds for a place anyway.
I'm usually happier to have the extra places because of the amount of times my bets have sneaked into that extra place or places

Goody_Ace

What has happened this week with the money back as cash offer - if your horse loses?
last year it was a maximum bet of £20 on the first race each day at Cheltenham.

I made a killing with the 'no risk betting. £20 each day bet on that race, 2 winners, I netted £180

This year maximum bet £10, 1 winner 1 loss £15 up but today that offer is unavailable.
instead it's 2nd 3rd or 4th????

I'm sure they were advertising the offer for each day (or was it clever word play)

tai-gar

A notable exception today. I agree offer as it stands not so appealing so I won't be bothering with it.
However, grateful for the free bets on the first 2 days.