Pushing the limit on buy 5/9

[wudged]

The standard HE quoted for place 5/9 (4.00%) is less than that for buy 5/9 when vig is charged up front (4.76%) The caveat here is that you are always purchasing the number for exactly $20.

At a store that charges vig up front, has anybody ever tried to buy the 5/9 for a greater amount to reduce the HE to something lower than the place bet?

I remember $nakeeye$ asking a boxman about buying the 5/9 once, and the box pretty much said it was a dumb idea. $nakeeye$ wasn't necessarily trying to actually buy it, and I don't think he had the calculations figured out, but was rather just questioning if anybody would ever do it, so he didn't get a definitive answer as to whether or not it was allowed.

$36:
[(4/10)×53 + (6/10)×(-37)]/37 = [21.2 + -22.2] / 37 = -1/37 = 2.70%

$30:
[(4/10)×44 + (6/10)×(-31)]/31 = [17.6 + -18.6] -1 / 31 = -1/31 = 3.23%

$20:
[(4/10)×29 + (6/10)×(-21)]/21 = [11.6 + -12.6] -1 / 21 = -1/21 = 4.76%

[Mad Professor]

Hi Wudged,

In vig-up-front houses, that makes sense if they'll let you "push the buy" to those just-under-vig-break-point amounts.

If not, see if they'll accept Put-bets, where 5x-Odds or more are allowed. That too lowers the vig below the Place-5's or Place-9's standard rake.

MP

[wudged]

Oh I know it makes more sense - the math proves that. I was wondering if anybody had ever tried it or if any houses would actually allow it.

[heavy]

I've pushed some of the Mississippi joints all the way to $39 for a buck on the four and ten, but never really tried it on the five and nine. I'm so used to place betting those numbers that I never really give buying them a lot of thought.