Bad Beats Are Bad For Business
by Bodog Sportsbook

In this business, there is a fair amount of player turnover. Bad beats only complicate and accelerate the process. How many times have you (or someone you know) uttered a phrase like "I'll never drink again!" the morning after a party? Well, we often hear a similar phrase, "I am never betting again!" from players closing their accounts. A lot of players that suffer losses or bad beats don't even get the chance to close their account and cash-out; they simply walk away with no money left in their account. If every player could win their first few bets and get a payout, player retention would be much, much higher.

There is something in the human psyche that causes most of us to remember the tough losses far more vividly than the lucky wins. Every week there are buzzer beaters and game winning touchdowns or field goals made as time expires. Many of these really are tough losses but what turns a tough loss into a true bad beat is debatable. Often, that debate comes with referees being involved. Ask anyone in Buffalo about "The Music City Miracle" or in Oakland about "The Tuck" (or for those of you that remember, "The Immaculate Reception") and you are sure to get an emotional response. In each of these cases, there was debate. Was Wycheck's lateral really a lateral? Was Brady's arm going forward to pass or was he really trying to pull it down? Did the ball touch a Raider defender before Harris caught the ball and ran it in? Depending on which city you are in when you ask the question, you are sure to get a different answer.

The plays I mentioned above are tough for players on the losing end of the score to take. You could also add in Dwayne Rudd's helmet toss against Kansas City or the F1 race where Michael Schumacher won only because his teammate was ordered to pull over and let him win. However, at least in these cases there was no debate as to the final score or how bets should be settled.

Sportsbooks live in fear of such results as anything that causes confusion or anger for our players is ultimately bad for business. The worst case I can think of in recent years has to be Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS. Bottom of the 15th, score tied 3-3 and the bases were loaded for Robin Ventura who hit a Grand Slam. Final score was 7-3. Wait, he never touched third base or home because he was mobbed by teammates. Make the final score 5-3. Phew! With a total of 7.5 and the Braves the 1.5-run favorite, all is well as the Over is still the winner and there is no impact on the runline. Wait, the umpires only saw one runner touch home so the final score was officially 4-3. Now the Under is the winner.