Wiseguys and sharps

[stardust]

OK,

I been watching the epic struggle here about wiseguys and sharps. Far as I can tell, a wiseguys is one who wins too often and I have no idea what a sharp is.

Can anyone tell me what defines these species of sports bettor?

As always - good Luck,

Sonny

[Ronbets]

Stardust Sonny,

I'm not sure either. Bobby Siller, former FBI boss LV area and now gaming board member seems to use the term wiseguy synonymous with illegal bookmaker. The Board also continues to propose a $330 cap per sports bet and a maximum of $1320 per day you can legally wager.

According to Webster's Dictionary(US version) they define a sharp as someone that's clever or schrewd. Well let's confuse the issue even further and merge the two and call them wiseguy sharps. Illegal bookmakers that never lose and never get caught.

[OZ]

Why don't you just call anybody who makes a living betting on sports or racing a professional punter

A wiseguy bring up a imdges of someone who is crooked

[freewilly]

i'm not sure what the books' definitions are, but i always thought a wiseguy was a good handicapper who WON using fair lines, while a sharp was someone who WON by shopping lines. either way both species beat the bookmakers.

just my 2 cents.

[Jeff]

The two are one in the same. Just different terms for the same type of player.

If you want to split hairs, you could say a wiseguy makes his living strictly off sports (and not from just handicapping) and a sharp is ANY player with a brain, getting the best of it.

The both "shop".

[DoggieStyle]

Stardust,

I didn't know their was a struggle between the WISEGUYS and SHARPS.

The struggle I think is between the WISEGUYS/SHARPS and the new DON BEST SHARP BOOKIES who don't want to have to work or think.

Just a little joke.

The term WISEGUY would refer to the players who can only make money if they are taking advantage of lines they can scalp or middle. These guys will bother you all day trying to get numbers. They will ask you for extra half points or an extra penny or 2. You will get some of these players who will never bet a game straight up in their lives. They could care less what sport it is and just want to grind out a profit. WISEGUYS are the players that cause the most problems. They are the players that most bookies will say "They need us more than we need them!" They are the ones who are being thrown out of books the most.

The term SHARPS is for the player who can play the games and come out ahead. A PLAYER! This player will also get good numbers, but not like the WISEGUYS. These players will play bad numbers every now and then, but will always win more than they lose. The SHARPS are the ones that when books put up PROPS they will be the ones betting on them. They will eat books alive on PROPS. Unless a WISEGUY has other books that have that same PROP they will be clueless and won't even ask for the line.

SHARPS don't need to see other lines before they start making plays. Most WISEGUYS need to see 4 or 5 lines before they start their day. WISEGUYS will also use SHARP BOOKS to give them ideas on where the numbers are going.

WISEGUYS can't gamble. SHARPS love to gamble and will gamble on almost anything.

The bottom line is this: If the player is sharper or wiser than the manager of the book he is betting at, Then he is a WISEGUY/SHARP player.

Example: THIS IS A JOKE!

Reporter asks DEL MAR Book manager about the WISEGUY/SHARP player problem in his office.

DEL MAR MANAGER: Yes we have a COUPLE of them, but their no problem. We respect them more than the others, but hell we know we have the right numbers here at DEL MAR and if they want to play they can fire away. We will just move the number. We know who is playing the game and that helps our opinion about that game. We would not want it any other way. We wish they would play every game. Do you think they can win if they play every game?

Reporter ask the Same question to 85% per cent of the other BOOKS and their who knows where they came from bookies.

LAZY BOOKIE: The WISEGUY/SHARP player problem is killing us. They come from everywhere. We can't stop them. You just can't be a lazy idiot and put up a bad line. They will eat you alive. We throw them out, but then another one comes. Their has to be some kind of law that will stop this out and out Stealing! We just wanted to book the losers, don't the WISEGUY/SHARP players know that! DON'T THEY KNOW THEY ARE NOT WANTED! Isn't that what being a sharp bookie is all about. BOOKING ONLY LOSERS. It's just not fair that a handicapper can get serious and can study the games and THEN BET US.

Brave new world of booking is getting closer and closer.

[stardust]

I said there was a epic struggle ABOUT, not between.

Thanks for the input to all.

As always - Good Luck,

Sonny

[Fred]

Good definitions DoggieStyle

But i had them round the other way as freewilly suggested.

[reno]

"Sharp" and "wiseguy" are interchangeable terms. In the glossary of his book "Sports Book Management," Michael Roxborough, my hero only because he shares my love of beautiful young Asian women, defines a "sharp" as a "wiseguy." He also uses the term "triple sharp" to describe someone who is "the sharpest of the sharp." And he also notes that that there is no such term as "double sharp."

[stardust]

DoublePlusGood as they say in newsspeak.

I guess that books just don't like consistent winners.

As alwasy - Good Luck,

Sonny