by mighty_tiger_79 » Mon May 11, 2009 6:26 am
Revenge of the bagmen in Round 7
Jon Anderson | May 10, 2009 11:30pm
Have your say!Add your comments or read what others are sayingEmail Article Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Post to NewsVine Post to Facebook What are these? Printer friendly Text size+- MARK down Round 7, 2009, as the round bookies took their revenge on football punters. It all began on Friday night when faltering premier Hawthorn was backed like there was no tomorrow to beat a depleted Essendon.
TAB Sportsbet held a staggering $1.6 million on the game. With the Hawks $1.20 into $1.12 and Essendon $4.20 to $6, you can see where the money went.
"The Bombers blew like Puffing Billy because nobody other than the team itself gave them a chance without Fletcher, Hille, Lucas and McVeigh," Gary Davies of TAB Sportsbet said.
It was the same deal at Sportingbet Australia, beginning with a $100,000 multi on Hawthorn-Geelong-Carlton.
"We put $1.22 about the Hawks at halftime and punters came with a rush, although there was one smart operator who had $500 on the Bombers at $26 to win by (more than) 40.5 points," Michael Sullivan of TAB Sportsbet said.
But punters are starting to ask themselves if Hawthorn's poor form is terminal. The Hawks are around the $8 mark for the flag and need to get a hurry on to make the top four. At that price they are probably under the odds.
Sportsbet's Phil Hannah had more tales of bookie delight, with the big money coming for a variety of teams.
"We took a bet of $100,000 on Carlton at $1.92 to win by more than 23.5 points, $100,000 on Port Adelaide at $1.92, $90,000 on Richmond at $1.92 and $80,000 on Sydney at $1.92 to get within 37.5 points of Geelong," Hannah said.
But there were winners, with $200,000 on the Cats at $1.14 (to win $28,000), $20,000 on North at $3.20 to win $44,000 and $15,000 at $4 on Freo to win $45,000. But the award for smart punting goes to the bloke who had $5000 at $6.35 on Essendon, netting him a tidy $26,750.
Norm Short of Flemington Sportsbet agreed it had been a weekend for the bagmen, although he said there were always winners.
"There has to be, otherwise nobody would bet. We took $20,000 on Essendon at $1.95 to get within 35.5 points of Hawthorn, but there was $20,000 on Richmond at $2, and $10,000 on Carlton at $1.30," Short said.
"What we are finding is punters want to back kids in the NAB Rising Star, possibly because Brownlow betting is in a holding pattern.
"We took $2000 on Daniel Rich at $2.50 and there is plenty of interest in Jack Ziebell and Taylor Walker."
Alan Eskander of Eskander Betstar reported more joy for the bookies, beginning with multis into the Hawks.
"We wrote two $50,000 multi bets starting with the Hawks and took a straight-out bet of $25,000 at $1.22. Nobody wanted Essendon."
Eskander Betstar was hit for a succession of bets on the Demons against the Eagles. The first was $4000 at $4.75, $3000 at $4.75 and $4000 at $4.45. And there was money for the Roos, with $20,000 at $2.92.
"Punters don't want to know about Port on the road," Eskander said.
TAB Sportsbet took a stack on the Tigers, with the largest bet $60,000 at $2. It also took a much smarter wager of $50,000 on Freo at $4.
Matty Wade is a star and deserves more respect from the forum family!