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In this post, I will focus on the subject of steam movement. I will divulge who generates the big steam moves and explain what the ramifications of these moves are. First, however, some historical background may prove useful.
When I arrived in Vegas in 1983 or 84, there were not that many sportsbooks in town--maybe 10 or so. The Strip was not yet fully developed, and empty lots were still available along it. Places such as Little Caesar's and the Mirage were not yet a reality. Also, many casinos, such as the Frontier, Tropicana, and Desert Inn, to name just a few, did not yet have sportsbooks.
The Computer Group (Billy Walters) was just emerging as the dominant force in sportsbetting. Sportsbettors quickly realized that that Computer Group plays won, and many of them jumped on the bandwagon. As a result, and because there were so few sportsbooks available for getting down, incredible steam movement was created. For example, I remember basketball sides commonly moving more than 5 points.
Although there had been steam moves before--generated by touts and from back East--the Computer Group dwarfed all of that and established a New Order in the sportsbetting world.
Since the Computer Group could not get down the desired amount of money on games at the original lines--since everyone else jumped on their games as soon as they were alerted--they turned to organized money-moving/middling operations, which were just emerging at that time, to help them. Not only could these operations, via runers, place bets at the sportsbooks, they also had access to numerous private bookmakers throughout the country. In essence, a nationwide network was established, the result being that virtually every Vegas sportsbook and large private bookmaker was hit simultaneously when an order on a game was given by the Computer Group. This ensured that the Computer Group would get the lion's share of original lines on the games they bet. The Vegas money-moving/middling operations would keep a share of what they bet for the computer group, and usually come back on the other side and try to middle the games. That's what the two groups I worked for did, and that's what my group did. My group didn't work directly for the Computer Group. We worked for them indirectly through a big Eastern contact, a guy named Bernie who is now deceased, who fronted us a couple hundred dimes for money-moving purposes.
Billy Walters, as far as I know, is still the largest money-mover in sportsbetting. However, it would be a misnomer to now call him the Computer Group. Over the years, he has diversified, acquiring a stable of top handicappers in the various sports. He pays these handicappers $200,000 in cash for their picks in a particular sport. Regarding this, I have to tell you a story regarding one of these handicappers.
The handicapper decided to get his $200,000 offshore. He had his partner drive his car with the money hidden in it, to Florida, where, according to plan, the partner would, in increments of just under $10,000, get the money offshore. However, the partner suffered a heart attack while driving and crashed the car. Unconscious, He was taken to a hospital. When he recovered and went to the junkyard to find his car, the money was gone, never to be recovered.
As far as I know, the biggest generators of steam movement in baseball are the Kosher Boys, Billy Walters, and the Las Vegas professional poker players, who also fancy themselves as sportsbettors. In addition to indirectly moving money for the Computer Group, my operation also used to move money directly for one of the poker players. Billy Walters probably bets the Kosher Boys plays in baseball and also may have his own handicapper for the sport. I know the guys in Vegas who are the national money movers for the Kosher Boys. In fact, one of them used to work as a runner for my outfit, and the ******* still owes me 3 dimes. Anyway, the Vegas Kosher contacts place one call--everyone who moves money is on a group cellular--digital, of course,--and virtually every sportsbooks in Vegas and offshore is then hit simultaneously. How much is bet and how much the line will move depends on how highly the play is rated.
Do the Kosher Boys always win and are they worth following? The Kosher Boys do not always win. They have had losing seasons where they stop playing before the season ends. In the long run, however, they do win. In my opinion, their edge, as pointed out by Don Best, is so small that jumping on the bandwagon only makes sense if you bet large amounts and can get the original line.
Good luck!
Last year, the Koshers were really hot for a few months, and the sportsbooks lost. A shortsighted and greedy sportsbook that negatively reacted to this short-term trend by going to a 20-cent line was Carib.
Before the digital age, we used to scan the airwaves and listen to everything that came across on voice pagers in Vegas. That way, we knew virtually everything that was going on. Digital, of course has changed that reality. If OJ had had a digital cellular phone, he might still be down in Mexico. Digital has been a godsend for the privacy of sportsbetting money-movers.
Is big steam movement, whether generated by the Kosher boys or others, always intelligent. If you believe this and are a bandwaggoner, then this ol' sportsbetting guru has a mantra for you: Rocky Coppinger. Repeat "Rocky Coppinger" continually-- whether you are sitting, standing, walking, or lying; whether you are awake, sleeping, dreaming, or even sleep walking--and you will eventually, if not in this present lifetime, then in a future incarnation, attain sportsbetting Enlightenment: the profound realization that steam can be stupid.
A couple of weeks ago, the Minnesota Twins, a crummy team featuring a quality pitcher, Brad Radke, were playing at Baltimore. Baltimore, a crummy, over-rated team, was starting Rocky Coppinger, a career minor leaguer, who, in his one start had generated a 13.00 + earned run average. The game was around pick. Sure enough, the steam, in pure stupidity, came on Coppinger. Naturally, Minnesota won. After the game, Rocky Coppinger's ERA was over 30.00, and I don't think he's started again.
But all is not lost. Dr. Reno has a cure for this stupidity: a pre-frontal lobotomy-- that he will perform for free. And, if by chance, the Kosher Boys originated this move, Dr. Reno promises to cover up the cranial operation scars with yarmulkes.
When I arrived in Vegas in 1983 or 84, there were not that many sportsbooks in town--maybe 10 or so. The Strip was not yet fully developed, and empty lots were still available along it. Places such as Little Caesar's and the Mirage were not yet a reality. Also, many casinos, such as the Frontier, Tropicana, and Desert Inn, to name just a few, did not yet have sportsbooks.
The Computer Group (Billy Walters) was just emerging as the dominant force in sportsbetting. Sportsbettors quickly realized that that Computer Group plays won, and many of them jumped on the bandwagon. As a result, and because there were so few sportsbooks available for getting down, incredible steam movement was created. For example, I remember basketball sides commonly moving more than 5 points.
Although there had been steam moves before--generated by touts and from back East--the Computer Group dwarfed all of that and established a New Order in the sportsbetting world.
Since the Computer Group could not get down the desired amount of money on games at the original lines--since everyone else jumped on their games as soon as they were alerted--they turned to organized money-moving/middling operations, which were just emerging at that time, to help them. Not only could these operations, via runers, place bets at the sportsbooks, they also had access to numerous private bookmakers throughout the country. In essence, a nationwide network was established, the result being that virtually every Vegas sportsbook and large private bookmaker was hit simultaneously when an order on a game was given by the Computer Group. This ensured that the Computer Group would get the lion's share of original lines on the games they bet. The Vegas money-moving/middling operations would keep a share of what they bet for the computer group, and usually come back on the other side and try to middle the games. That's what the two groups I worked for did, and that's what my group did. My group didn't work directly for the Computer Group. We worked for them indirectly through a big Eastern contact, a guy named Bernie who is now deceased, who fronted us a couple hundred dimes for money-moving purposes.
Billy Walters, as far as I know, is still the largest money-mover in sportsbetting. However, it would be a misnomer to now call him the Computer Group. Over the years, he has diversified, acquiring a stable of top handicappers in the various sports. He pays these handicappers $200,000 in cash for their picks in a particular sport. Regarding this, I have to tell you a story regarding one of these handicappers.
The handicapper decided to get his $200,000 offshore. He had his partner drive his car with the money hidden in it, to Florida, where, according to plan, the partner would, in increments of just under $10,000, get the money offshore. However, the partner suffered a heart attack while driving and crashed the car. Unconscious, He was taken to a hospital. When he recovered and went to the junkyard to find his car, the money was gone, never to be recovered.
As far as I know, the biggest generators of steam movement in baseball are the Kosher Boys, Billy Walters, and the Las Vegas professional poker players, who also fancy themselves as sportsbettors. In addition to indirectly moving money for the Computer Group, my operation also used to move money directly for one of the poker players. Billy Walters probably bets the Kosher Boys plays in baseball and also may have his own handicapper for the sport. I know the guys in Vegas who are the national money movers for the Kosher Boys. In fact, one of them used to work as a runner for my outfit, and the ******* still owes me 3 dimes. Anyway, the Vegas Kosher contacts place one call--everyone who moves money is on a group cellular--digital, of course,--and virtually every sportsbooks in Vegas and offshore is then hit simultaneously. How much is bet and how much the line will move depends on how highly the play is rated.
Do the Kosher Boys always win and are they worth following? The Kosher Boys do not always win. They have had losing seasons where they stop playing before the season ends. In the long run, however, they do win. In my opinion, their edge, as pointed out by Don Best, is so small that jumping on the bandwagon only makes sense if you bet large amounts and can get the original line.
Good luck!
Last year, the Koshers were really hot for a few months, and the sportsbooks lost. A shortsighted and greedy sportsbook that negatively reacted to this short-term trend by going to a 20-cent line was Carib.
Before the digital age, we used to scan the airwaves and listen to everything that came across on voice pagers in Vegas. That way, we knew virtually everything that was going on. Digital, of course has changed that reality. If OJ had had a digital cellular phone, he might still be down in Mexico. Digital has been a godsend for the privacy of sportsbetting money-movers.
Is big steam movement, whether generated by the Kosher boys or others, always intelligent. If you believe this and are a bandwaggoner, then this ol' sportsbetting guru has a mantra for you: Rocky Coppinger. Repeat "Rocky Coppinger" continually-- whether you are sitting, standing, walking, or lying; whether you are awake, sleeping, dreaming, or even sleep walking--and you will eventually, if not in this present lifetime, then in a future incarnation, attain sportsbetting Enlightenment: the profound realization that steam can be stupid.
A couple of weeks ago, the Minnesota Twins, a crummy team featuring a quality pitcher, Brad Radke, were playing at Baltimore. Baltimore, a crummy, over-rated team, was starting Rocky Coppinger, a career minor leaguer, who, in his one start had generated a 13.00 + earned run average. The game was around pick. Sure enough, the steam, in pure stupidity, came on Coppinger. Naturally, Minnesota won. After the game, Rocky Coppinger's ERA was over 30.00, and I don't think he's started again.
But all is not lost. Dr. Reno has a cure for this stupidity: a pre-frontal lobotomy-- that he will perform for free. And, if by chance, the Kosher Boys originated this move, Dr. Reno promises to cover up the cranial operation scars with yarmulkes.
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