Episode 118
Can Sportsbooks Rewrite Your Laws?
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In this episode, hosts Shane Mercer and Andrew Pace and joined by Chris Dierkes for a deep dive into the world of live sports betting. Together, they explore why more sharp bettors are turning to live betting as a way to extend the lifespan of their accounts and avoid the pitfalls of pregame limitations.
Chris shares how account sustainability led him—and many others—to shift their focus from pregame wagers to live bets, offering practical tips for finding edges and keeping accounts active. The episode also touches on the value of tracking bets, working with a betting team, and using social media as a networking tool in today’s sports betting landscape.
And don’t miss the Gridiron Grind segment, where expert John Wilson breaks down the CFL slate with sharp insights and actionable picks for the week. Whether you’re looking to protect your betting accounts or just up your game, this episode serves up actionable advice and real-world stories from the front lines of sports betting.
🎞️ Top Quotes
How Live Betting Helps Accounts Survive Longer: "And betting in live kinda close that CLV. It's if you have something that's off market or you or you get something that's a a live angle, the books can't tell as much. And it your accounts will still get limited, but that's really what I started. I noticed my accounts were surviving a lot longer."
— Chris Dierkes [00:02:14 → 00:02:31]
The Value of Live Betting vs. Pregame Bets: "If I touch something pregame, you might as well just fade me because, it there is no value there."
— Andrew Pace [00:03:21 → 00:03:26]
Sports Betting ROI: "I'm averaging, you know, four or 5% ROI, which is similar or to even a little bit better than I was getting in pregame. And the volume is is there too, plus the accounts were lasting. In my experience, it lasted five times longer on average. So I was like, this is a massive win in every direction."
— Chris Dierkes [00:04:18 → 00:04:52]
Finding High Expected Value Bets Live: "I have found some, like, 25 expected value live bets, but nothing, like, super substantial where you just wanna get all the money in, live."
— Chris Dierkes [00:05:22 → 00:05:31]
Viral Sports Betting Hustles: "So what people were doing was they were generating these Fox Bet accounts for, you know, them, their mom, their dad, their brother, their sister, their spouse, their spouse's boyfriend, their dog, you know, the whole nine yards. And every single day in the off season, every day, depositing $2,000 to get to week one of the NFL where you're in a position to go, okay. I've actually got, you know, maybe $20.30, $40,000 in this account, and I've got them across all these accounts so that you can you can literally, you know, spend to win 500 or a thousand bucks in one of these crazy scenarios."
— Andrew Pace [00:06:34 → 00:07:09]
The Myth of Sustainable High-Stakes Betting: "You know, there's bettors that we know that that it's gotta be 5,000 or it's gotta be 50,000. It's like, dude, that's not sustainable."
— Andrew Pace [00:13:21 → 00:13:27]
Viral Betting Strategies: "A lot of people in our community, we focus on live betting. We generate, you know, our our our profits mainly off of live betting. We get clipped because of live betting, and we look for ways to get extended life on our books by placing pregame wagers, pregame parlays, that kind of stuff that we think, you know, might make us look more square."
— Shane Mercer [00:13:45 → 00:14:05]
Extending Your Betting Lifespan: "You went you went the live route to get extended life."
— Shane Mercer [00:14:21 → 00:14:25]
Sports Betting Limits: "I got millions in volume before getting cooked. Now this was a couple years ago. They've they've changed, and I couldn't believe it. I was like, oh my god."
— Chris Dierkes [00:15:52 → 00:16:00]
The Turning Point in Sports Betting: "How can I not how can I ever go back to the pregame? I I have to stick stick with live. And now that was probably my best result, but that was also years ago. So the industry has changed. DraftKings has got a little tougher. But it it was just such a shock to see that I'm getting barely 6 figures in volume down. And now this one, I'm getting well over 7 figures in volume and, you know, earning substantial amount. How could you ever go back? And from that moment on, everything I've done now has been centered around, live."
— Chris Dierkes [00:16:04 → 00:16:35]
Changing the Game in Sports Betting: "One of the massive advantages is you don't need this team. Like, you can do it. Right? Like, you don't need to have, like, 20 people out running bets for you to get certain lines and get money down, and be putting money over counters and, like, essentially anonymously to to be doing this successfully."
— Andrew Pace [00:17:30 → 00:17:48]
The Many Ways to Profit from Sports Betting: "There's just so many different ways to profit from betting on sports, and that's certainly not how you need to profit from live betting or any form of betting. But it is a way that does work that is available to people."
— Andrew Pace [00:24:28 → 00:24:40]
How Pinnacle Reacts to Sharp Bettors: "Pinnacle says we will never offer those again, and they never ever came back, what I'm referencing in the in this example. Like, never ever came back. So, you know, you you you hit them, they adjust, and and they go from there."
— Andrew Pace [00:27:00 → 00:27:14]
Sportsbook Betting Wisdom: "If you can bet that out of sharp book and you're getting, you know, the same edge, might as well just use the sharp book and and, you know, save your soft book."
— Shane Mercer [00:29:03 → 00:29:27]
Viral Networking Secrets: "If you're on Twitter and you're not networking, I think you're making a massive mistake."
— Chris Dierkes [00:37:41 → 00:37:46]
The Rise of Live Betting: "Are more people transitioning to live betting or at least are more people perhaps rolling it into their portfolio of betting?"
— Shane Mercer [00:37:56 → 00:38:23]
Chaos Theory in Live Sports Betting: "As soon as the puck drops, as soon as the ball tips, you know, as soon as the it's kickoff. That's all at the window now. Right? It it's not that it isn't true anymore. It's just that now the game started and chaos theory is in place and anything can happen."
— Andrew Pace [00:40:40 → 00:40:54]
Victory Lap Vibes: "Three dogs, three wins, clean sweep, and I even threw in the little, favorite for the full game parlay, parlay slate, and we we cleared it right out with the rough riders there."
— Shane Mercer [00:50:19 → 00:50:33]
Unpredictable CFL Betting Lines: "This game just seems like a rare sharp line in the CFL. And, I'd rather just focus on the other games this week unless this line moves one way or another for for some odd reason."
— John Wilson [00:58:16 → 00:58:27]
👋 About The Host & Guests
Shane Mercer is the host of the "Behind The Lines" podcast, powered by Pinnacle. He leads insightful discussions on sports betting strategy, interviewing experts and professional bettors to explore the latest trends and challenges in the industry. Known for his thoughtful questions and accessible style, Shane helps listeners deepen their understanding of sharp and sustainable betting practices.
Andrew Pace is a key figure on the "Behind The Lines" podcast, known for his expertise in live sports betting and sustainable wagering strategies. Formerly focused on pregame bets, Andrew adapted to live betting to extend the life of his betting accounts and maximize value. He’s recognized for his practical insights, candid discussions, and his commitment to building a strong, informed sports betting community.
John Wilson, known as Gosy on "Behind The Lines," is the show's CFL expert and the standout voice behind the popular "Gridiron Grind" segment. He specializes in insightful game analysis and sharp CFL betting picks, often favoring underdogs and delivering impressive results. With a reputation for clear strategy and a strong track record, John helps listeners gain an edge in football betting each week.