blonde poker forum

http://www.bettingexpert.com/blog/bookmaker-challenges

Interesting article on betting expert got me thinking about which online bookies I use the most, I have accounts with most of them but really only use a few quite often, of course I'm always looking for the best price and that is what pushes me towards one or another. Recently I was told I must get a Pinnicle account, although upon registering you have to send them ID, which ordinarily would not be an issue but my scanner has broke and I haven't got around to replacing it ( on the list to do before xmas) anyway here is the list in order go who I tend to use the most

Betfair
Betvic
B365
Paddy (restricted so using less and less)
William Hill
Sky bet (best odds has helped)
Coral (can be difficult logging in)
Stan James
Sportingbet
Ladbrokes (usually have issue with their site so try and avoid)
888
Bwin

Other than these I really must get the Pinnicle account, in general it's really only Ladbrokes that usually gives a really bad experience so it doesn't surprise me that they are potentially in trouble. Interested to hear other views on this and also if there are any other accounts that are worth getting.

What is wrong with Coral?

I have problems logging in. Oddschecker bets rarely pull across, and lots of time on the site I have to use the Ipad to bet as on the lappy, it doesnt get to the betslip.


I recently opened an 888 account and for the first couple of weeks they chucked tenners galore at me which was fun. You cant get any sort of bet on doubles and upwards, but they seem to often be top price on stuff I want to bet. Not for much, but enough to make me happy. Slow on payout by an extra couple of days, but I can live with that.

Always amuses me that you make a deposit from your bank, and it appears straight away, yet when you withdraw, it take 3 days to appear in my account, yet I am sure they all have more money than me!

888 are possibly the slowest payers in history but they do pay and as adz says they are quite often standout on all sorts of markets

It's a sad state of affairs when every bookmaker on your list has either closed or severely restricted my account with them. (even Betfair fixed odds)

Ladbrokes iPhone app and online software are awful. You can't find what you want, it constantly freezes and some important things are even not available in the app. They closed my account after 20 years without even telling me and when I called them they refused to discuss it.

Coral site is awful too. I often have to switch browsers and it often takes 5 times longer than it should to get a bet on. When you ask them about it they refuse to acknowledge a problem and make it out that it is just you having issues.

Sadly VC closed my account fairly recently. It's a shame as they are very competitive, usually lay a decent bet and their app is just the best there is. it allows you to move sideways to account and bet slip and the menus are easy to use and the software is quick. They wrote to me and said ' a decision was made by our senior traders that they no longer wished to accept your bets . Shame... ;-(

You are correct Omm Pinnacle really are a must have on your list. They don't close winning accounts and they lay decent bets but most important of all they bet to much tighter margins. For example on a typical NFL handicap most high street firms bet 10/11 (1.909) each of two. Pinnacle usually bet 1.952 each of two. Every £100 bet on a winner with Pinnacle is worth an extra £4.30 on your bankroll. They also offer many Asian handicap markets that high street firms don't.

You do have to scan id and front and back of your card used but it only takes a few minutes and you only have to do it once. If you don't already have an account Neil and I would be grateful if you opened it here;

http://www.bettingemporium.com/pages/view/free-bets

The deposit timing issue is *usually* down to the bank. When you deposit they won't actually get credit for your money for 3-5 days but they credit you straight away because they want your action. Most firms *process* withdrawals immediately and when they do it then takes 3-5 days to get to your bank. If any firm is delaying that process by taking time to initiate it then that is very bad.

I see what you mean about Pinnicle Joe, I was just comparing some prices on the handicaps on the NFL for Sunday a couple were 2.02 and 2.01 were as my normal route are showing 1.91 and 1.95. Big difference over a period of time. Looks like i will be going to get a new printer this afternoon, of course i will sign up through you guys as an affiliate. Probably the least most of us can do for the service you and neil provide.

I've got accounts with all the Oddschecker bookies, but am now somehow restricted on several...

Boyles offered me 2pence on a golfer @ 25/1 last month.

Sporting Bet 40p on a 6/1 horse, but that was only because their min bet is 50p!

I was restricted on Paddy after a couple winning NFL bets a couple years ago, then after hitting them on their own First TD promotion I lost all privileges on the account.



The Coral problem is annoying, but can be resolved in a couple seconds by logging in and out of the account.

Another thing about Pinnacle is that they process your withdrawals quicker than any firm I know.  i use moneybookers a lot and if I make a withdrawal from Pinny the money is in my account within 15 minutes normally.  With other firms it can take days.  i have no connection with them but they are so far ahead of other books it is unreal.  Betfair should look at them and see what they could have become if they hadn't got bogged down trying to be a cross between Paddy Power and Bald Fred.

Do Pinnicle charge you for making withdrawals? All i can see is that you can take money out for free once per month after that they charge.

tbf 365 get withdrawals back to moneybookers within 30 minutes max

Ok ok i no 365 are no good to most but there a fair few on fred that are still going with them fwiw

I sent them an email to ask and they said:

Each client receives one free withdrawal per calendar month.

All additional withdrawals during the calendar month, for any amount using any withdrawal method, incur a fee. The fee is based on the withdrawal option selected.

So I guess if you are the kind of person who deposits and withdraws with every bet you need to manage the account in a different way to usual. I suppose also that as Pinnacle will very often be best price anyway the need to move money between bookmakers is lessened to some degree.

Think your second point is really key, not really a need to move the money if they are giving the best prices. Have been playing with their website today, really like it, some of the prices are great can't believe I haven't got an account before. TFT really needs one.

I can't believe how bad Ladbrokes app and website is, it's terrible and as mentioned above there seems to be no improvement with the app!

Furthermore, some new bookies coming out. I am restricted with Paddy and Ladbrokes, that is obviously saying something. I can get anything I want on with Hills though, whilst Corals seem fair.

Ladbrokes have gone from major firm to laughing stock, got abs chimps putting out prices these days and will just restrict or shut you down if you show any kind of ability, in fact you don't even need to do that these days. Take 14/1 about summat that goes of 8/1 a few times and that might do it win or lose.

This a market they had out this week, it is one of the worst lists I have ever seen. Anyone with just a smidgen of NFL knowledge can spot the huge errors in this and which selections are far too big, yet they are paying an NFL guy to put lists like this out, the problem is you can barely get a bean on before they shit themselves and change the prices, one of these selections went 11/4 from its original price so someone there actually had a look at the market after taking some bets but still couldn't be bothered to do it properly.

First Minnesota TD scorer

Selection   Odds
Adrian Peterson   
23/10
Jerome Simpson   
7/1
Greg Jennings   
13/2
Rhett Ellison   
9/1
Toby Gerhart   
7/1
Matt Cassel   
14/1
Jarius Wright   
9/1
Cordarrelle Patterson   
13/2
Jerome Felton   
14/1
Chase Ford   
25/1
Any Other Minnesota Viking   
8/1
No Minnesota Vikings TD Scorer   
7/1

Game is in pieces these days.

There was a time not so long ago when if laddies were ducking one in a race it wasn't a bad move to bet it.

Nowadays they virtually duck them all.

Omm when u say u have to scan stuff, is taking a pic with an iphone and emailing that any good? All I've ever done for poker sites.

U guys say u use moneybookers, should I be doing same. I have a lot of transations to and from my hsbc acc from bookies, been told they might get fed up of that or eventually close my bank acc, should i use moneybookers instead?

I once had neteller but it got hacked, they changed the password ans security question and not only could I no longer access, they won't investigate it as I'm not the acc holder any more. I only had a few quid in there so I didn't chase it, but it's made me wary of using those type of businesses.

I got the no offers, no BOG, no promos email from laddies yesterday, god knows how much they've had from me just in poker rake over the years, be a weird one to close me down

My average bank statement is 3 pages :D

Still haven't got a printer so think I'll give this a try Jaffa, worse they can do is not accept it! I looked into Skrill ( money bookers) account this week after one of the guys mentioned it in a post, seems like the direction to go in, especially when completing my Pinnicle account.

Also not sure if others have experienced this about Ladbrokes, but you can only use one card at a time when using online, I needed to make a quick deposit to get a best price, had to use a different card and they would not allow it.

I think moneybookers is a good option if you have a betting bankroll and can avoid it going to and from your account Jeff.  I do a bit of both in reality but try and use Moneybookers and they have a card you can get if you are ever likely to need the money in a rush.

As for Ladbrokes I am afraid they have become a bit of a joke online.  Their prices are either uncompetitive or joke bad.  If you spot one that is bad they just shut you down to nothing.  The irony is you can always get on in the shops if you have that as an out.  They have joined Betfair as a firm that are a shadow of their former selves.  Incidentally Betfair sportsbook were today offering 17/20 both sides in the NFL today which is just absolutely laughably bad.  If you can't win booking the NFL at 10/11 then you really need to fire every member of your trading staff especially when they have direct access to the cards fo some of the best punters in the world.  It actually frightens me to think quite how bad they must be.

Thanks Red, I'll look into Skrill. I've never really bet enough to have separate rolls but u boys on TfT have lured me in.

Ladbrokes is a sad sad tale, they coulda had it all. In better news I do have a branch 2 mins walk away, and 3 on my road oioi

Looks like Ladbrokes have a new app for their mobile site, had to download it again from the App Store for iPad, also available on Android. It is not an update of the old one so make sure you download. Also code Match10 should be for a free £10 bet when you bet £10.

Let's hope this has improved the site.

Lots of names on Oddschecker I do not bet with & curious to know if it's even worth it with this lot:

888
winner
betway
unibet
32red
youwin

A few years back I opened a new current account and use it solely for poker/betting type stuff.  Partly as an organisational thing so that I didn't mix "real" money with gambling money, and partly because I wanted to keep all the betting stuff away from the main account ready for mortgage review time.  Had heard that it doesn't look too good having statements full of Ladbrokes and Coral transactions!

Never heard a squeak out of the bank (Lloyds) about them not liking it despite them being the only ins and outs that ever happen.

The only one i got out of those is 888, i would say its worth getting one with them. They very often have the best price on Horses and Greyhounds, sometimes i think they are just very very slow at adjusting the price and other times it seems they just plain get it wrong. The night of the Laurels/Oak Greyhound finals i managed to get 3 dogs who were heavy odds on with everyone at odds against with 888, alll three won and they paid out. Same thing happened with Hurricane Fly, everyone had long since got rid of the 6/4 but i managed to go back in with 888 because they still had it at least 10 mins after everyone else.

GHavent got an account with any of the others.

888 and unibet are the same firm

888 have had lots of seemingly obvious palps the last few weeks that plenty of people have reported getting paid out on

no idea what there strategy is but as Omm says they are very very slow adjusting to anything it seems

I've just remembered about my 888 account, yeah definitely slow to update prices. Derby was best priced 7/4 for promotion a couple of weeks ago & 888 still offering 7/2, was able to get a ton on, although just hating the bet.

 ;bigadz;

My old man can't get a horse bet on with Boyles, and he's not even won on the account :D

neither can tikay ..........  ;thankyou; im here all week.