Sharp Bookmakers are less common for general public, for normal people that placing bets for fun. Usually they see at TV or on a stadium, commercials for soft bookmakers like Bet365, WilliamHill or Bwin and they use those for placing their bets or accumulators.
On the other hand , Sharp bookies are most used by serios players and high stakes bettors.
What is a Sharp Bookmaker ?
A Sharp Bookmarker is company , a sportsbook that is targeting high-rollers and professional bettors that are looking for different things that soft bookies cannot offer : higher betting limits and better odds. So Sharp bookies prefer to have a different business model : very low margins and high turnover .
To make a easy to understand explanation about the difference between those two types of bookmakers categories, soft and sharp :
Soft bookie is someone that prefer to sell 10 cars with 10% profit on each car, and give sometimes bonuses (like a free oil change or a full tank of gas) to new customers. Also , sometimes, soft bookies will limit how much you can use your car (they limit accounts)
While Sharp bookies is someone that prefer to sell 100 cars with 3% profit on each car. And they will never limit how much you gonna use your car (they don’t limit accounts) .
Sharp Bookmarkers Margins
What this means for bettors ?
This means more profit for players. Also, this means the odds prices offered by sharp bookmakers is more fair, more correct. Their odds are close to the true probabilities of that specific market’s outcome, and very close to odds found on betting exchanges.
How Sharp Bookmakers set their odds?
Sharp Bookies use more sophisticated mathematical methods and complicated algorithms to decide their odds, than soft bookmakers. Also, their are quickly to react to market variations or sport news. In fact, that’s why they are called “sharp”.
Another factor, very important in my opinion, that contribute at the fact that their odds are the most accurate, is because their system is created to modify the prices real-time, as the amounts of money comes as bets or different outcomes. And this is a result of the fact that they welcome bettors that are using huge stakes (high rollers) . This is in fact the same case as in exchanges marketplaces, where supply and demand can give specific trend to an odd price, up or down.
Odds differences between soft and sharp bookies
But exactly those differences in how soft bookies and sharp bookies are calculate their odds prices, makes possible opportunities for different strategies. Strategies that are so hated by the soft bookmakers, like arbitrage betting strategies, or value betting. Sharp bookies don’t care about those type of bettors, they do not limit their accounts.
When the odds differ quite a lot, sure bets opportunities appear between soft and sharp bookies. Scanners will pick up those differences and bettors will place a bet involving two bookmakers (one sharp and another soft bookie) managing to cover both outcomes of a betting market, obtaining this way a sure bet.
Sharps bookmakers even welcome arb and value bettors, because exactly those players by noticing odds differences, errors, value bets, can regulate a specific market simply by betting on that market outcome.
Sharp Bookies – are they licensed ?
When it comes about the regulatory aspect of their business, sharp bookmakers are not licensed by the biggest legal authorities from important countries. Why ? There can be a lot of explanations, but the main one is that sharp bookies don’t really like to share all the informations with legal authorities like : their profit and/or data about their high rollers customers.
Personally I think that is one of the reasons Pinnacle leaving the UK betting market some years ago. For example bettors who live in UK cannot use Pinnacle service anymore. Well, in fact they do, by using VPN (Virtual Private Network) or using a Betting Broker Service, and I created articles for each of the two options.
Anyway, Sharp Bookmakers are still having licences in countries from Asia, where a lot of sharp bookies are coming from. Also, a lot of other sharp bookies are having their business situated in Gibraltar and licenses from Curacao, Malta, Cyprus or Costa Rica. It is also the case of Pinnacle, with headquarters in Gibraltar and licensed in Curacao.
Can this affect me ? Well, not really. Because of the complexity of a sharp bookie business model, they don’t appear so many overnight , like soft bookies do. Sharp bookmakers are well established business 10-15 or even 20 years old. They are here to stay and make profits, not to run with your money. For example I use a PS3838 account for over 4 years now, using a betting broker. You don’t want to know how much money i bet with them in this period. And not even one time they delayed my withdraw payment, or asked for additional KYC documents.
Sharp Bookmakers – Pros
Now let’s talk about pro and cons. Honestly, as a professional bettor, I can see only pros , but they have also bad things.
1) Low Margins.
Low margins from bookmaker translates into better odds for their clients. This is the main advantage in my opinion, as this will help all professional bettors getting the best odds (including for arbitrage and value betting) . This can lead to only one thing : Better return profits for serious punters.
2) They welcome winners and don’t limit accounts.
Sharp bookies welcomes winners, and sometimes the even promote themselves or even mention this in their Terms of Service. So, unlike soft bookies, your account will not be gubbed (limited) if you are using different strategies (like value betting or arbitrage betting) on their platform. Exclusions and bans are very rare and they are mostly related with money laundering or using fake data or ids when creating accounts with them.
3) Higher Betting Limits.
Sharp bookies accept larger wagers on their markets than soft bookmakers. This allow high rollers and professional bettors to place more money on their predictions or on their strategies.
4) Efficiency of the market.
Because they accept high stakes , based on supply and demand market reaction, their odds are more accurate and competitive. Bettors will benefit from this, by increasing their revenues from betting. But also, soft bookies sometimes use odds from sharp bookmakers as reference. Sometimes they will modify their own odds based on the sharp bookie’s odds.
5) Simplicity.
Sharp bookies prefer to develop and invest into other aspects of their business , rather than producing flashy websites. They platforms are simple after you get used to them, without unnecessary casino ads or other things that can distract user’s attention. In fact , when you first look at their websites it looks like you are back in time, and see a 2000’s website.
Sharp Bookmakers – Cons
Now let’s see what we consider to be the sharp bookies disadvantages, when you betting with them.
1) Complex UI/UX .
As you can see in small screenshot above, their interface differ a lot from classic european soft bookmakers. Require some experience or time to get used to it. Find a specific market to bet on also can be challenging some time.
2) Fewer betting markets / options.
3) Fewer or absolutely no promotions.
Compared to soft bookies, sharp sportsbookies may offer fewer promotions, bonuses, free bets or loyalty rewards. Also, in rare cases, they give bonuses for new customers. This is because they are targeting professional bettors that are looking for best odds, bettors that don’t care about a 100 euro bonus at registration.
4) Fast odds adjustments.
When market shifts on trends, sharp bookies are quick in adjusting their odds. This require fast decisions from bettors. Value betting opportunities don’t stay too long in the market.
5) Lack of betting accumulators
Some of the sharp bookies don’t offer possibility for bettors to use this method to place bets. Some offer this possibility but with some limitations (you can select only a few markets, you can select only from big games, or you cannot place accumulators with more than 2-3 selections on it) . However, this is not something that can bother professional bettors, as they don’t bet on accumulators anyway.
6) Minimum stake
Yes, you did read right ! As I explained, sharp bookmakers prefer high rollers, so some of those sharp bookies have MINIMUM STAKE on their markets. The minimum stake can differ for pre-match fixtures or for in-play events. In this screenshot you can see the minimum bet is 17 Euros, for a LIVE bet, and max bet is almost 2700 euros on odd 3.6:
7) Access to sharp bookies can be tricky sometimes
If you live in specific countries from Europe, accessing them and registering with such bookies can be harder. However, you can bypass different restrictions by using 2 methods:
– Using a VPN provider to get an IP different from your location.
– Using some Betting Brokers Services, who will grant for you access to lots of sharp bookmakers and exchanges
Examples of Sharp Bookmakers
The number of sharp bookmakers is considerably smaller than number of soft bookies. New sharp bookies don’t appear like mushrooms after the rain, on daily basis. usually they are old-established business, often from Asian Countries.
- Pinnacle
- 12bet
- DafaBet
- Betonline
- Cloudbet
- BetISN
- 188Bet
- 3et
- SingBet
- SBOBet
- Cloudbet
Final saying about Sharp Bookies
If you read it all, I hope you understand what are the advantages and disadvantages when using a sharp bookie when placing your bets. They are targeting a specific kind of players professional bettors and high stakes punters.
Having an account with Sharp Bookmaker is a MUST for every serious bettor. It is a MUST for any strategy exists. If we talk about arbitrage betting strategy or value betting, than you need to use sharp bookies. One of the main advantage when placing bets with them, is that Sharp Sportbookies never limit winners.
To be able to choose the right category of bookmakers for you , it’s better to read our descriptions and recommendations for each one category :
Soft Bookmakers – Fully Explained
Betting Exchanges – Detailed Explanation
Betting Brokers – Become a High-Roller
Asian Bookmakers – Another side of betting
Crypto Bookmakers – The Future Of Betting
