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Message: [QUOTE="Golden Husky, post: 2661472, member: 8090"] It's a lot easier to post a line when you don't actually have to accept wagers on your analysis. Guys with pocket protectors would soil their linens if a wiseguy wanted to bet a big nickel with them on their numbers. Bookmakers do use power ratings but pointspreads are both art and science. The modern day bookmaker is a far cry from the pejorative portrayal of the bet taker as some oleaginous high school dropout wearing a hound's tooth sports jacket and a diamond pinkie ring. More likely, today's bookmaker has graduated college with a degree in race and sports book management, has a working knowledge of mathematics and statistics and boasts significant people skills. He'll have to understand risk management, how to limit liability, how to recognize "steam," identify "beards" and "line-jumpers," and how to "book to faces." He'll know the difference between Theoretical Hold Percentage (THP) and Practical Hold Percentage (PHP), teaser percentages, and how and when to employ the "Ladder Principle." What's more, raw numbers, such as those offered by Jeff Sagarin and Massey do not assess motivation or public perception, key factors used by the bookmaker in establishing a viable line. [/QUOTE]