Saturday 30 July 2011

Barrier To Entry

.
The last month has been a challenge, as wherever possible I've tried to direct my business to Betdaq as opposed to Betfair.  Liquidity for Test Matches has been good but as my income from this form of cricket is small when compared to one day games, for me at least, it's the T20 and One Day International markets that will need to improve.
.
Don't get me wrong - things are much better now than they were, and there does seem to be a concerted effort from disgruntled 'Premium Charge' payers to move, so it just needs certain parts of the jigsaw to come together, and one of these is the availability of a quality API product.
.
For those of you unaware, both Betfair and Betdaq have an API which allows third party vendors to create software to interact with the data from their exchanges.  However, until now vendors have mainly focused on providing users with a better product for Betfair due to the popularity of the exchange.  This is totally understandable as it wouldn't have made sense to invest equally in a product that didn't have an equal demand, but it appears that things maybe starting to change.
.
On the Geeks Toy forum there's currently a clamour for the Geek to develop an alternative, and the good people at Bet Angel have recently upgraded their Betdaq software to include a number of significant enhancements.  These are huge steps showing an intent and willingness for change.
.
So what's next?  Well, it's now up to us.  If the vendors are prepared to go out on a limb then we need to be prepared to follow.  If not, the status quo will remain and the long term forecast will remain bleak.
.
For what it's worth, I can't underestimate how much of a difference using these types of programs have made to my betting over the last 6 years.  I can honestly say I wouldn't have been as profitable without them as they allow me to see the true form of the market and empower me to enter and exit positions instantly, so I'd strongly recommend you visit the following links if you haven't done so already:
.
Geeks Toy
Bet Angel
Gruss Software
Centaur (they include access to their software if you sign-up to their Traders Club)
.
I'm currently reading the book, 'The Newtonian Casino' and as it says at the end of the first chapter - "why would anyone play roulette, without a computer in their shoe?"
.
The same principle applies here.
.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

All that's ever been needed for the customers to transfer their business en masse, is to take that leap of faith. Unfortunately, most of us don't recognize that the ultimate power rests in the hands of 'the little man'.With the increase of blogs urgiing the switch to Betdaq, I am sure that what started out as a trickle, will end in a flood.
Peter
P.S.
Along with Thirteen Against The Bank, you are reading one of my favourite gambling(?) books.

Mark Iverson said...

Hi Peter,

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Yep, agree with everything you say, including 'Thirteen Against The Bank' - great book.

All the best,

Mark

Bet Your Life said...

All we need now (read 'all I need now') is an increase in blogs urging a switch to Linux :)

Chance would be a fine thing.

I agree with you Mark that Betdaq does seem to have picked up. How permanent this is remains to be seen. I fear inertia on the part of users and lack of commitment on the part of Betdaq (as they've demonstrated in the past) may well see the status quo reassert itself.

There are other options of course, with smarkets looking ever more like a viable alternative - especially when their API reportedly coming on stream later this year. Not that that matters to me. With a lack of trading software available for my chosen platform, I'm forced to develop strategies where I can use the web interfaces of each exchange. At least that way, I have a degree of portability when an exchange plays silly buggers, or abuses its position.

Alistair

Mark Iverson said...

Hi Alistair,

Unfortunately Smarkets don't seem to be an option for me as I don't think they cover domestic cricket matches - only test matches.

All the best,

Mark

Tradernomics said...

Hello Mark,

We have just launched our site over at www.tradernomics.net and would be delighted if you would kindly add us to your blogroll.

www.tradernomics.net/blog/

Check the site out and let us know what you think.

Best wishes

Taylor, Jason & Chris
www.tradernomics.net

Mark Iverson said...

Hi Taylor, Jason & Chris,

More than happy to exchange links but I can't see my site on your blog.

Please let me know when you have it set up and I'll add you to my blog roll.

Good luck with the site.

Mark

Mark Iverson said...

Thanks for the heads-up but I'd recommend to all readers that they need to make up their own minds.

I'd never follow someone or sign-up for their emails if I hadn't monitored their results first.

All the best,

Mark

P.S. For the record, I am not following the tipster you mention.

Chris R said...

Does Betdaq take U.S action?

Mark Iverson said...

Hi Chris,

I wouldn't have thought so due to US restrictions. The sooner they relax them the better.

All the best,

Mark

www.stanjames.com