Sportsbook Review: Sirbet (www.sirbet.com)
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR: Low limit players ($1,000 or under) with multiple outs looking for reduced juice sides.
If a player browses sports handicapping forums for long enough, it is a certainty that they will read two important pieces of advice: Bet at reduced juice and bet with multiple sportsbooks to get the best line. For players who keep their wagers to $1,000 or under, Sirbet is a book that fits in nicely with that game plan.
ODDS & LINES
The greatest attraction to Sirbet is low juice (-108) on football and basketball sides and 8 cent baseball lines. While there are some books that offer -105 or -107 as their standard line on football or basketball, very few (only Pinnacle and Canbet off the top of my head) offer 8 cent lines in baseball. This baseball value extends up even to higher priced games, as lines stay to 18 cents up to -199 and 23 cents up to -239. The general rule at many books is to offer 20 cent lines up to -200 and then 40 cent lines at higher prices like -260, so Sirbet is saving the average bettor a little bit of change.
Totals plays and hockey lines are dealt at 20 cents. Hockey lines are offered as moneylines and 1/2 puck wagers. This is standard operating procedure for most offshore books, though some do not have both hockey options. The nice part about it was that I found Sirbet very willing to push the prices on totals all the way up to -130/+110. For those who like to get underdog prices when betting totals, Sirbet is definitely worth a look.
One major issue that has come up this football season with a lot of books is the fact that the moneyline is frequently moved around the numbers 3 and 7 rather than the spread. For instance, this season you are far more likely to see -3, +100/+3, -120 than -2.5/+2.5 for an NFL game. Sirbet does move the moneyline but with the low juice and fewer examples of moving moneylines, I found them to be much more palatable. Their moneylines generally move to -113/-103, not all the way to -120/+100 like most books do. In addition, I saw a greater willingness to move their line to -2.5 if a line move is warranted on a three point underdog.
Lines are generally not available overnight. Sirbet fits into the category of books that tend to put their lines for the day up at 9 a.m. PST. The majority of offshore books tend to operate this way.
Parlay odds on football are low. You can find ?real? parlay odds at a number of offshores, while Sirbet only offers the Vegas standard of 2.6/1 two teamers, 6/1 three teamers, 11/1 four teamers, etc. Parlay odds for moneyline wagers in all sports are done with ?real? odds.
Teaser odds are fairly standard. -110 for 2 teams/6 points, -120 for 6.5 points and -130 for 7 points. 3 team/10 point teasers and 4 team/13 point teasers are available for -130. Basketball teasers are similarly standard. I do know that some books offer lower juice on teasers, but the great thing with Sirbet is that by moving their lines rather than the moneyline on NFL games, you often get better teaser value. For example, a person who likes a -2.5 point fave gets them at +3.5 in a teaser at Sirbet rather than +3 in a teaser at a book where the line is -3, +100. Obviously the difference between +3 and +3.5 can be huge, especially in teasers where a single push voids the bet.
Prop bets are generally dealt on a 28 cent line, which is better than the standard 30%. Prop options are somewhat basic, as 10 props for a high interest game is about what the player is going to get. Futures have a house hold that is somewhat high, but when I was comparing future priced I found a number of lines that were extremely strong when comparing Sirbet?s lines to lines at books with smaller house holds. Several strong NBA teams were priced at very good championship odds compared to other books so futures bettors should like Sirbet very much as an additional out.
European soccer wagers are dealt with about a 9% house advantage, which works out to the same hold for the book as if they were dealing -120 on sides and totals. This sounds bad, but in browsing their soccer lines I found tremendous value in some lines compared to the larger soccer books, especially English Premier League draw bets.
LIMITS
Upper limit information is not posted on Sirbet?s website, except in saying that all players? limits shall be set by Sirbet. Lower limits on wagers are $1.
After calling Sirbet and speaking to a customer service representative, I was told that internet limits for sides and totals in all sports is $500 and phone limits for sides and totals in all sports is $1,000. This is somewhat on the low end of the scale for offshore books. For low limit players this is a non-issue. For higher limit players, Sirbet can be a valuable out for low juice lines on their smaller wagers. Obviously for folks who play over a dime per wager, there are better options than Sirbet.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Sirbet payment options for deposits and withdrawls are somewhat limited in their options, but exceptionally strong in their fee policies. Neteller, credit card, bank wire, Western Union and a cashier?s check are the funding methods. With additional options like Prepaid ATM and ACH payments available at some books, Sirbet ranks in the middle of the pack in payment versatility.
Where Sirbet ranks near the top is in its fee schedule. Neteller Instacash transactions have all fees reimbursed and regular Neteller transfers are free. Western Union and cashier?s check deposits via FedEx have fees reimbursed on deposits of $300 or more. Bank wire deposits of $500 or more have fees reimbursed. Credit card deposits are also free and they recommend that those are dome through Firepay.
Essentially what all of this means is that most bettors will never pay a deposit fee. Most bettors will also never pay a withdrawl fee because Neteller withdrawls are free once a week (compared to once a month at many books) and all Firepay refunds are free. Cashier?s checks will be sent free via FedEx when withdrawing just $500 or more (withdrawls under $500 cost $35). Essentially only Western Union withdrawls are paid by the player, which is in line with industry standard.
BONUSES
Sirbet?s bonus policies would be described as standard. There is a 10% bonus on initial deposit of $300 or more. Initial deposits over $2,500 get 10% on first $2,500 of initial deposit and a 5% bonus on any amount above $2,500. The rollover requirement is 30 days and a five times rollover before bonus & initial deposit can be withdrawn. If you want to get out your initial deposit before 30 days you can, but then the bonus money will be forfeited.
There are also two disclaimers in their bonus policies. For bonuses over 10% (I assume this means special seasonal offers), no withdrawls will be offered for 14 days. Also, bonuses are intended for ?recreational players?. I did a search of a couple of gambling message boards recently and there were no complaints about Sirbet confiscating bonuses, so most likely the latter disclaimer won?t be an issue.
SOFTWARE
Many players will recognize Sirbet software as the same engine used by VIP Sports and Game Day. Those of you with long memories will remember my praise of this software in my review of Game Day three years ago.
This type of gaming software is one of my favorites because it allows multiple wagers with multiple options to be placed at varying amounts all at once. For instance, once I decide on my NFL wagers for the week, I simply navigate to NFL Wagering on a drop down menu. From there I can buy points and enter ?to win? or ?to risk? amounts on all of the sides and totals I plan on playing. With a single click after that, a confirmation screen comes up for all wagers. A single mistake can be easily corrected without having to redo every wager by simply clicking a ?cancel? checkbox beside each individual wager. As an added benefit, parlay players will like the fact that a quick parlay bet is offered every time multiple straight bets are made.
Site navigation is also enhanced with the use of drop down menus. Basically every area of the site can be reached very quickly by using one of four drop down menus (Wagering, Horse Racing, My Account and Site Navigation) that reside at the top of the screen at all times. The only drawback is that bonus and limit information was a little tougher to come by than at most books.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
I only made one phone call to Sirbet, but the customer service was superb. I made it a point not to inform them that I was doing a review of their book so that I would get an untainted view of their customer service.
The clerk spoke English clearly (this is a problem at some offshore books) and answered about a half dozen questions succinctly and with great patience. I even tried to be a little difficult in asking complicated questions about hockey lines and rollover requirements and she stayed very friendly and never was short with me. To be quite honest, the only time I?ve experienced stronger customer service was at Australian-based Canbet.
CONCLUSIONS
As a handicapper that places line value atop his list of sportsbook features, I jwas disappointed in myself that a Mad Jack?s sponsor with 8 cent baseball lines and lowered juice on sides sat under my nose all this time.
In my opinion Sirbet is best used by players with multiple outs who bet $500 or less on most games. If you array a list of low juice books for yourself and add Sirbet to that list, you will get the added value of paying -108 on sides where they offer the best line without having to worry about your profits being cut into by annoying deposit or withdrawl fees.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR: Low limit players ($1,000 or under) with multiple outs looking for reduced juice sides.
If a player browses sports handicapping forums for long enough, it is a certainty that they will read two important pieces of advice: Bet at reduced juice and bet with multiple sportsbooks to get the best line. For players who keep their wagers to $1,000 or under, Sirbet is a book that fits in nicely with that game plan.
ODDS & LINES
The greatest attraction to Sirbet is low juice (-108) on football and basketball sides and 8 cent baseball lines. While there are some books that offer -105 or -107 as their standard line on football or basketball, very few (only Pinnacle and Canbet off the top of my head) offer 8 cent lines in baseball. This baseball value extends up even to higher priced games, as lines stay to 18 cents up to -199 and 23 cents up to -239. The general rule at many books is to offer 20 cent lines up to -200 and then 40 cent lines at higher prices like -260, so Sirbet is saving the average bettor a little bit of change.
Totals plays and hockey lines are dealt at 20 cents. Hockey lines are offered as moneylines and 1/2 puck wagers. This is standard operating procedure for most offshore books, though some do not have both hockey options. The nice part about it was that I found Sirbet very willing to push the prices on totals all the way up to -130/+110. For those who like to get underdog prices when betting totals, Sirbet is definitely worth a look.
One major issue that has come up this football season with a lot of books is the fact that the moneyline is frequently moved around the numbers 3 and 7 rather than the spread. For instance, this season you are far more likely to see -3, +100/+3, -120 than -2.5/+2.5 for an NFL game. Sirbet does move the moneyline but with the low juice and fewer examples of moving moneylines, I found them to be much more palatable. Their moneylines generally move to -113/-103, not all the way to -120/+100 like most books do. In addition, I saw a greater willingness to move their line to -2.5 if a line move is warranted on a three point underdog.
Lines are generally not available overnight. Sirbet fits into the category of books that tend to put their lines for the day up at 9 a.m. PST. The majority of offshore books tend to operate this way.
Parlay odds on football are low. You can find ?real? parlay odds at a number of offshores, while Sirbet only offers the Vegas standard of 2.6/1 two teamers, 6/1 three teamers, 11/1 four teamers, etc. Parlay odds for moneyline wagers in all sports are done with ?real? odds.
Teaser odds are fairly standard. -110 for 2 teams/6 points, -120 for 6.5 points and -130 for 7 points. 3 team/10 point teasers and 4 team/13 point teasers are available for -130. Basketball teasers are similarly standard. I do know that some books offer lower juice on teasers, but the great thing with Sirbet is that by moving their lines rather than the moneyline on NFL games, you often get better teaser value. For example, a person who likes a -2.5 point fave gets them at +3.5 in a teaser at Sirbet rather than +3 in a teaser at a book where the line is -3, +100. Obviously the difference between +3 and +3.5 can be huge, especially in teasers where a single push voids the bet.
Prop bets are generally dealt on a 28 cent line, which is better than the standard 30%. Prop options are somewhat basic, as 10 props for a high interest game is about what the player is going to get. Futures have a house hold that is somewhat high, but when I was comparing future priced I found a number of lines that were extremely strong when comparing Sirbet?s lines to lines at books with smaller house holds. Several strong NBA teams were priced at very good championship odds compared to other books so futures bettors should like Sirbet very much as an additional out.
European soccer wagers are dealt with about a 9% house advantage, which works out to the same hold for the book as if they were dealing -120 on sides and totals. This sounds bad, but in browsing their soccer lines I found tremendous value in some lines compared to the larger soccer books, especially English Premier League draw bets.
LIMITS
Upper limit information is not posted on Sirbet?s website, except in saying that all players? limits shall be set by Sirbet. Lower limits on wagers are $1.
After calling Sirbet and speaking to a customer service representative, I was told that internet limits for sides and totals in all sports is $500 and phone limits for sides and totals in all sports is $1,000. This is somewhat on the low end of the scale for offshore books. For low limit players this is a non-issue. For higher limit players, Sirbet can be a valuable out for low juice lines on their smaller wagers. Obviously for folks who play over a dime per wager, there are better options than Sirbet.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Sirbet payment options for deposits and withdrawls are somewhat limited in their options, but exceptionally strong in their fee policies. Neteller, credit card, bank wire, Western Union and a cashier?s check are the funding methods. With additional options like Prepaid ATM and ACH payments available at some books, Sirbet ranks in the middle of the pack in payment versatility.
Where Sirbet ranks near the top is in its fee schedule. Neteller Instacash transactions have all fees reimbursed and regular Neteller transfers are free. Western Union and cashier?s check deposits via FedEx have fees reimbursed on deposits of $300 or more. Bank wire deposits of $500 or more have fees reimbursed. Credit card deposits are also free and they recommend that those are dome through Firepay.
Essentially what all of this means is that most bettors will never pay a deposit fee. Most bettors will also never pay a withdrawl fee because Neteller withdrawls are free once a week (compared to once a month at many books) and all Firepay refunds are free. Cashier?s checks will be sent free via FedEx when withdrawing just $500 or more (withdrawls under $500 cost $35). Essentially only Western Union withdrawls are paid by the player, which is in line with industry standard.
BONUSES
Sirbet?s bonus policies would be described as standard. There is a 10% bonus on initial deposit of $300 or more. Initial deposits over $2,500 get 10% on first $2,500 of initial deposit and a 5% bonus on any amount above $2,500. The rollover requirement is 30 days and a five times rollover before bonus & initial deposit can be withdrawn. If you want to get out your initial deposit before 30 days you can, but then the bonus money will be forfeited.
There are also two disclaimers in their bonus policies. For bonuses over 10% (I assume this means special seasonal offers), no withdrawls will be offered for 14 days. Also, bonuses are intended for ?recreational players?. I did a search of a couple of gambling message boards recently and there were no complaints about Sirbet confiscating bonuses, so most likely the latter disclaimer won?t be an issue.
SOFTWARE
Many players will recognize Sirbet software as the same engine used by VIP Sports and Game Day. Those of you with long memories will remember my praise of this software in my review of Game Day three years ago.
This type of gaming software is one of my favorites because it allows multiple wagers with multiple options to be placed at varying amounts all at once. For instance, once I decide on my NFL wagers for the week, I simply navigate to NFL Wagering on a drop down menu. From there I can buy points and enter ?to win? or ?to risk? amounts on all of the sides and totals I plan on playing. With a single click after that, a confirmation screen comes up for all wagers. A single mistake can be easily corrected without having to redo every wager by simply clicking a ?cancel? checkbox beside each individual wager. As an added benefit, parlay players will like the fact that a quick parlay bet is offered every time multiple straight bets are made.
Site navigation is also enhanced with the use of drop down menus. Basically every area of the site can be reached very quickly by using one of four drop down menus (Wagering, Horse Racing, My Account and Site Navigation) that reside at the top of the screen at all times. The only drawback is that bonus and limit information was a little tougher to come by than at most books.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
I only made one phone call to Sirbet, but the customer service was superb. I made it a point not to inform them that I was doing a review of their book so that I would get an untainted view of their customer service.
The clerk spoke English clearly (this is a problem at some offshore books) and answered about a half dozen questions succinctly and with great patience. I even tried to be a little difficult in asking complicated questions about hockey lines and rollover requirements and she stayed very friendly and never was short with me. To be quite honest, the only time I?ve experienced stronger customer service was at Australian-based Canbet.
CONCLUSIONS
As a handicapper that places line value atop his list of sportsbook features, I jwas disappointed in myself that a Mad Jack?s sponsor with 8 cent baseball lines and lowered juice on sides sat under my nose all this time.
In my opinion Sirbet is best used by players with multiple outs who bet $500 or less on most games. If you array a list of low juice books for yourself and add Sirbet to that list, you will get the added value of paying -108 on sides where they offer the best line without having to worry about your profits being cut into by annoying deposit or withdrawl fees.
