Who are you playing against?

[D ltr]

I'm not sure who I'm playing against in a game on a platform, sometimes it could be that we're only playing against the computer, not an individual, in this case whoever the opponent is in a game on a casino platform, at least there's a rhythm of winning, not consecutive losses. for me

[Sanitough]

Well this is common misconception by some players that they are actually battling with the bookies itself, while the fact everything(odds) is adjusted based on the bets places by people so with those things already we can figure out that we are betting with other player and bookies is just taking profits from their bettors. I guess many people know about this already and maybe there are some people got confused about it.

That’s the evidence right there - the odds and line movements clearly show that bookmakers are just trying to balance the betting. If they can get a 50-50 split on both sides, that’s ideal because the winning bets will still be deducted by the commission.

This is why bookies aim for high betting volume on their platform as it ensures a steady flow of bets on both sides. It’s similar to the stock market, as the lines move not only during live games but even in pregame scenarios. You can clearly see the shifts from opening to closing lines using a website like below.

https://www.oddstrader.com/

[Doan9269]

I'm not sure who I'm playing against in a game on a platform, sometimes it could be that we're only playing against the computer, not an individual, in this case whoever the opponent is in a game on a casino platform, at least there's a rhythm of winning, not consecutive losses. for me

We could actually know whom we are playing against in gambling, this will be known by us from the kind of game we are playing, like for instance, if you're playing sport bettings, then know that you're only playing base on your experience and such is a live event which your input towards football soccer is highly appreciated, if you're playing other virtual games like the casinos, then you know you're playing with the computer, because everything has been programmed on how to function, same appli8to every game we are playing while gambling.

[Solosanz]

Technically we play against other bettors, we can actually bet against other people who willing to bet with us, but it's not that safe since they might disappear if they're lose. Hence, the bookie was created in order to make the losers not just disappear.

This is why some gamblers in sports are waiting for the odds to change that way they could maximize their profits. While the betting line is on, the odds will keep on changing and it's because of the gamblers putting their bets that must be balanced by the sportsbookies.

It's only happen if you bet on live, if you bet on pre-match game, even you bet earlier when the odds is high, the odds will change till the match started. You will see a warning message where you agree the odds will be adjusted.

[freedomgo]

You will see a warning message where you agree the odds will be adjusted.

I’ve only seen this happen in live betting. There’s usually a prompt because, in live betting, the lines change constantly. So, once you click the bet, whatever line you get at that moment is final.

For pregame betting, you just place your bet based on the available line or total with its odds. If those change afterward, there’s nothing you can do. Some bettors prefer to wait until about 5 minutes before the game starts to minimize line movements.

[EarnOnVictor]

Let's discuss the question of who we play against in sports betting and betting in general, that is, in disputes on sports and non-sports events. We are accustomed to thinking that in centralized bookmakers we play against the bookmaker, and on prediction platforms like Polymarket we play against other players. But is this really true?

Yes, it is true, at least for the casino games, we are actually playing against the algorithm that has been programmed to favour the house. There is no way such a system can be beaten by gamblers, we are trying to race towards the possibility of being lucky in such games because as difficult as it seems casinos still give a little room for winning. In summary, the house has an advantage over us.

But for sports betting, it's a 50/50 chance here, we can win and the house can lose, and vice versa. It's still betting against each other but this is fair with no hurt feelings.

[Weawant]

I see it as Indirect play against the team you betting against especially when it has to be that you are staking for a win and not for other activities that happens in the game, but then the casino is basically like a middle man in-between you and the teams you betting against and that point it can be seen that you are a supporter of the team you wish to win for what ever reason, either because they are the better side or they are just your favourite.

[Akbarkoe]

I agree with you. When I bet on sports, I am playing against other players (not the bookmaker).

My winnings depend on how much better my analytical skills are than the other players. Or how much more informed I am than the other players.

In order to win in the long run, I need a competitive edge. In analogy with poker, this is called "picking the right table to play". In order to win, I need to pick a table where there are weaker players than me. If there are stronger players than me at the table, then I am doomed to lose.

Having a bookmaker who claims a commission on each game reduces my potential winnings / increases my potential losings. But I am playing against other players.

Sure, you're playing against the other players. The casino or bookmaker is just facilitating the bet as a platform where it happens. It takes a percentage or cut from every transaction as its take.

It is important to note, however, that even if the casino or bookmaker appears to be "hands off", they are also assuming risk. for instance when there is a confluence of several players winning large bets simultaneously or when an unexpected outcome of a match is in favor of the majority of the bettors. In such instances, indeed a casino or bookmaker can bear a large loss though this seldom happens as they had pegged the odds and commissions in such a manner that risks to such an extent were minimized.

Hence, even as you play against other players, you must bear in mind that the casino still has a strategy in having guaranteed itself a win over an extended period. This would essentially mean that having an analytical and informational edge above the average player would make it extremely necessary if you intend to win consistently.

[Smartprofit]

I agree with you. When I bet on sports, I am playing against other players (not the bookmaker).

My winnings depend on how much better my analytical skills are than the other players. Or how much more informed I am than the other players.

In order to win in the long run, I need a competitive edge. In analogy with poker, this is called "picking the right table to play". In order to win, I need to pick a table where there are weaker players than me. If there are stronger players than me at the table, then I am doomed to lose.

Having a bookmaker who claims a commission on each game reduces my potential winnings / increases my potential losings. But I am playing against other players.

It is already too late once the game starts, how can you know if the player will be a better one than you or the other way? Tell me if j am missing something because you said it is about picking the right table, so how will you pick the right table so that you win?

Playing against other players still have everything to do with luck, just pray that you are matched with someone who have less experience than you and that's all, so far there is nothing in this gambling space that makes winning a easy thing, everything is all about luck and luck only.

It is a complete lie if someone says otherwise, whatever works is the player been lucky.

Choosing the right table is a very difficult task. I read about one successful blogger who played poker well. He won big money playing poker because he involved his followers in his game. His fans were delighted with the thought of playing poker with their idol, and he beat them because he knew from the start that they were not very strong players.

He was a very cunning person and an excellent psychologist. He would never play for money with really strong poker players. With this trick, he made a large fortune.

The same with betting on sports or other events. Let's say there is a person (a sociologist analyst from Biden's or Trump's team). It is clear that he can estimate the real chances of one or another of the two candidates to win the presidential race before anyone else.

Such a person can bet on the outcome of the presidential election, and he will have a competitive advantage over all other players.

[Fortify]

Let's discuss the question of who we play against in sports betting and betting in general, that is, in disputes on sports and non-sports events. We are accustomed to thinking that in centralized bookmakers we play against the bookmaker, and on prediction platforms like Polymarket we play against other players. But is this really true? This is a question that is not discussed enough and not understood correctly by everyone. Imagine a sports match where the bookmaker gives one side high odds and the other side low odds. Most players are confident that the favorite who is given the high odds will win and they start betting big money on this outcome. Very few players bet money on another outcome of the match (let's imagine for simplicity that the match is tennis and therefore it has only 2 outcomes) and the question arises: from what money will the winnings of the winners be paid out if the favorite wins? The bookmaker will basically have to pay out of its own funds. Therefore, he changes the odds to make the distribution of money on the outcome of the match more even. That is, he lowers the odds for the favorite and increases them for the underdog. If even in this case they do not bet money on the outsider, then in this case the bookmaker will have to pay the winnings from their own funds. It turns out that every time you play sports betting, you are not playing against the bookmaker at all, but in some sense against other players. The 20th century bettor J.R. Miller wrote about this well in one of his books. I have already cited his quotes in other topics. This is a fairly long quote from his book, but it explains this thesis in great detail.

This is not completely true and don't assume the a bookmaker has always balanced their book by trying to cover every bet equally on both sides. It's also not even possible, as they will not get interest every time and the price that they want to charge, even in a competitive market they can only afford to move a few points or they'd get flooded by arbitrage plays. Bookmakers use some pretty sophisticated data analysis software that calculate the odds for them based on a lot of historical facts, which may be tweaked a little bit by the in house team based on what competitors are offering. However they might receive a million dollar bet close to play and literally have no means to offset it, but they'd accept the loss and pay out to: 1) keep this mega player happy, the bookmaker will win in the long run 2) they expect to lose occasionally, but well established sites are generally making a large profit each day

[swogerino]

I'm not sure who I'm playing against in a game on a platform, sometimes it could be that we're only playing against the computer, not an individual, in this case whoever the opponent is in a game on a casino platform, at least there's a rhythm of winning, not consecutive losses. for me

Same as me, I always go and play poker now as the only solution to escape casinos cheating through their slot machines which keep eating our money and honestly I don't know who they are, I only see some nicknames and I try to learn their play pattern in order to use it at my advantage. I can say that they do the same with me as I only show a nickname and no country is shown, and even if it is shown wouldn't really change anything, we are still battling out against complete strangers and trying to get their money, at least that is how I look poker which remains the only true skill and patience based game so far compared to all other scam games a casino offers.

[traderethereum]

This may also be true, because now any bot can be programmed to act with delays, as if it were a real person thinking and making decisions, but in fact, if we play online, it will be very difficult for us to understand who we are playing with. It is best to play in an offline casino if you want to see your opponents and study their habits, by the way, even playing poker with friends at a table at someone's home gives more emotions (even if for chips without real money) than playing in front of a monitor.

That is right because we don't know our opponent is bot or human. But we don't have to think much about that and only trying to enjoy the game. If we try to search for that, we maybe difficult because only casino will know for sure about that.

But if you want to beat real people, you should playing gambling in the offline casino where you can meets them by real and play together with them. That may be more fun and interesting because you will see how they reaction if they are almost lost.

[mirakal]

I'm not sure who I'm playing against in a game on a platform, sometimes it could be that we're only playing against the computer, not an individual, in this case whoever the opponent is in a game on a casino platform, at least there's a rhythm of winning, not consecutive losses. for me

Same as me, I always go and play poker now as the only solution to escape casinos cheating through their slot machines which keep eating our money and honestly I don't know who they are, I only see some nicknames and I try to learn their play pattern in order to use it at my advantage. I can say that they do the same with me as I only show a nickname and no country is shown, and even if it is shown wouldn't really change anything, we are still battling out against complete strangers and trying to get their money, at least that is how I look poker which remains the only true skill and patience based game so far compared to all other scam games a casino offers.

Well, in skill-based games just like poker, obviously you are betting against other players, whether they are strangers or not. The more skillful you are, the higher chances of winning. However, luck should still be there. The problem is when we want to have that luck, it’s mostly on the bookie’s side. That’s why we can’t assure consistency in winning, but increased potential losses on our part is much clearer.

[GxSTxV]

Frankly this is an excellent observation and I understand it from my experience. In sports betting, you are not really betting against the bookmaker but against the collective opinion of other bettor. The bookmaker act as a broker for adjusting odds to balance money and ensure their profit through commission. Personally, I find this system a bit complicated because it switch the focus from just predicting match outcomes to analyzing all the data and details and identifying value in the odds.

I noticed that successful betting comes down to being more informed than the average bettor (mostly football for us). It’s not about being smarter than the bookmaker but irs about recognizing and finding opportunities where the odds doesn’t match the reality and chances of that event. This understanding has helped me approach betting more strategically to make us turning it into a game of strategy rather than more about chances.

[AbuBhakar]

Let's discuss the question of who we play against in sports betting and betting in general, that is, in disputes on sports and non-sports events. We are accustomed to thinking that in centralized bookmakers we play against the bookmaker, and on prediction platforms like Polymarket we play against other players. But is this really true? This is a question that is not discussed enough and not understood correctly by everyone. Imagine a sports match where the bookmaker gives one side high odds and the other side low odds. Most players are confident that the favorite who is given the high odds will win and they start betting big money on this outcome. Very few players bet money on another outcome of the match (let's imagine for simplicity that the match is tennis and therefore it has only 2 outcomes) and the question arises: from what money will the winnings of the winners be paid out if the favorite wins? The bookmaker will basically have to pay out of its own funds. Therefore, he changes the odds to make the distribution of money on the outcome of the match more even. That is, he lowers the odds for the favorite and increases them for the underdog. If even in this case they do not bet money on the outsider, then in this case the bookmaker will have to pay the winnings from their own funds. It turns out that every time you play sports betting, you are not playing against the bookmaker at all, but in some sense against other players. The 20th century bettor J.R. Miller wrote about this well in one of his books. I have already cited his quotes in other topics. This is a fairly long quote from his book, but it explains this thesis in great detail.

Your statement is partly true. Bookmaker is indeed getting some funds on other players money but they are using their own funds to pay the winner. Remember that all money considered as loss is already part of the casino bankroll therefore your bets is already against the bookie not the other player.

The odds on centralized sportsbook is fixed during betting time regardless of the bet amount on each side compared to polymarket that odds is in proportion to the bet amount placed on each side. Therefore casino is already gambling their bankroll to fill the imbalance on the bets and relying to their odds placement.

Same idea if you are playing blackjack, Your payment when you win came from the loser money also but that doesn’t mean you are betting against players. Consider poker games as the real game that you bet against players because it’s a PVP not centralized sportsbook with fixed odds.

[Botnake]

Frankly this is an excellent observation and I understand it from my experience. In sports betting, you are not really betting against the bookmaker but against the collective opinion of other bettor. The bookmaker act as a broker for adjusting odds to balance money and ensure their profit through commission. Personally, I find this system a bit complicated because it switch the focus from just predicting match outcomes to analyzing all the data and details and identifying value in the odds.

This isn't hard to understand, our job as gamblers is simply to predict the outcome of a game, while the job of bookmakers is to set the odds for the bookies. In short, we all have different roles to keep the system running. System of the game actually isn’t a secret, if we do our research, we can easily understand the concept behind sports betting. reason why many sportsbooks are so profitable is that they manage to maintain a high volume of bettors, which keeps their business thriving.

Did you know that bookies have limits? Even with those limits, it feels like they don’t have any at all because they can forward bets to partner bookies. This ensures that every bet gets action, keeping the system seamless and profitable.

[AliMan]

You're definitely true mate, that also lingers in my mind that this wasn't putting everything to truth and those nobs players only pick and guess for their team to bet. Nothing more pure nowadays unlike those true fans of the sports team they're betting with.
It's essential to determine how certain is the team you're betting with, and on that scenario you'll be able to catch your target once you hit the marks.

[Gozie51]

This is a question that is not discussed enough and not understood correctly by everyone.

In my view, the bookmakers are just the middlemen who set the stage for gamblers to gamble on the outcome of the games. Despite the odds that they arrange, the outcome is what gamblers bet on and not against bookmakers. I also don't think or believe gamblers bet against themselves, they bet individually for the outcome of the games except it is a P2P bet but for general sports, it is the outcome they bet against. Then regards to payment, the casinos make payment from the accumulation of bets made because more people lose than the numbers that win.

[Tungbulu]

I agree with you. When I bet on sports, I am playing against other players (not the bookmaker).

My winnings depend on how much better my analytical skills are than the other players. Or how much more informed I am than the other players.

In order to win in the long run, I need a competitive edge. In analogy with poker, this is called "picking the right table to play". In order to win, I need to pick a table where there are weaker players than me. If there are stronger players than me at the table, then I am doomed to lose.

Having a bookmaker who claims a commission on each game reduces my potential winnings / increases my potential losings. But I am playing against other players.

What you’ve said is absolutely correct, but I’d rather prefer to look at it in the angle that one’s winning depends not really on how accurate your analytical skills are but on how lucky you are, this is because, you may be competing with people who actually have more effective analysis than you, but they still end up making wrong predictions and end up losing. Yes a gambler’s strategy and analytical skills gives him an edge and increases his chances of success, but luck (especially in sportsbook) plays the major role in ensuring the success of a gambler in his bets.

[m2017]

~snip

Even before I started reading your post (from the topic title), I had the idea that gamblers play against each other on bets. You confirmed my suspicions with your explanation. I have the impression that the bookmaker acts as a "cunning dealer, an intermediary, profiting from both sides of the bets, meanly pitting gamblers against each other" (figuratively speaking, of course). That is, against each bet of one gambler, the bookmaker "places" a bet of another gambler. The bookmaker is not ready to risk his money, otherwise, his business would not succeed. Therefore, he risks the money of gamblers. And this simple strategy brings him results.