IR horses Betfair skimming bot is back from today

[ddaann]

Difficult to define value, especially if you don't have a clue about horse racing like myself. Even if I had 1 second picture ahead of everyone else I still wouldn't know what to do with it:) I consider myself a "number cruncher", analysing odds available, last odds matched, current stage of the race and so on. Say in 3m race, first mile is fairly static (except if one of the favs fall). So if you have a horse trading around 5, and say you get matched at 4.5 and 5.5 within 5 seconds, only for odds to return to 5, that is the kind of value I'm talking about. Unfortunately, with cross matching bot, this strategy will be almost gone.

[U.F.O]

There is a lot of scaremongering on the BF forum about his but i carn't see thats it's a bad thing really, if we are being told the full truth that is.

i mean you still get best execution and should get matched more often in thoery

[doris_day]

dej, I see where you're coming from but I must say that there still appears to be quite a lot of volatility caused by the poor liquidity which seems worse today than in the recent past.
Perhaps some people are wary of the new cross-matching but while it may benefit Betfair by their ability to skim, I'm not certain that this means its bad for everyone else. In fact for many people it will be quite an advantage. Hopefully liquidity will return, though the recession does seem to be biting.

The best thing Betfair can do to increase the horse racing liquidity is to show 'live' pictures.

[ddaann]

After the first full day, I'm pleasantly surprised, volatility was good, was getting matched, may it continue long. As you said, maybe some big players/bot operators are keeping out while they assess new situation.

[Lewis]

I am a little confused about the beta you mentioned. Can you confirm whether the current version will work in light of tomorrows pre-race version of cross-matching going online?

Thanks, Lewis

[GaryRussell]

I am a little confused about the beta you mentioned. Can you confirm whether the current version will work in light of tomorrows pre-race version of cross-matching going online?

Thanks, Lewis

It will not. I have to specifically program it to recognise which markets cross matching is used on. The current Beta version only knows that all UK/IRE in play horse racing win markets are affected. It cannot know that Betfair are running a pre-in play trial today. Betfair do not provide any indicator in the API that cross matching is applied so I can only update the program when they have confirmed it will always be applied.

[Lewis]

Thanks Gary, looks like this is a good week to take a break anyway, between this being rolled out and the weather.

[doris_day]

Gary, it just shows you their attitude to third party software providers. If they had their own way, they'd keep people in the dark as much as possible with nothing more than their own web interface to trade with.

They really don't want 'sharp minds' on their site because they want to keep all the mug money themselves.

[Captain Sensible]

Any chance of having something more prominent on the main screen to switch on and off the cross matching display rather than hidden in the options. Betfair have confirmed they'll turn off the x matcher for late NR's in play.

[GaryRussell]

Any chance of having something more prominent on the main screen to switch on and off the cross matching display rather than hidden in the options. Betfair have confirmed they'll turn off the x matcher for late NR's in play.

I'll look into. Obviously before they decided to have a market when they would turn it on and off like this it was not an issue.

[GaryRussell]

Any chance of having something more prominent on the main screen to switch on and off the cross matching display rather than hidden in the options. Betfair have confirmed they'll turn off the x matcher for late NR's in play.

This was included in yesterday's update. See http://www.gruss-software.co.uk/forum/v ... php?t=5657