Glossary
Sharp bookmaker
Sharp books move first. ClutchIQ prefers a sharp price for the implied figure because it carries less margin than a soft price.
Books differ in how they price. A sharp book takes positions based on its own numbers, moves quickly when information arrives, and accepts that its price will be copied. A soft book leans on volume, margin, and promotions, and is slower to react.
Pinnacle is the book most often described as sharp on esports, which is why ClutchIQ uses it for the implied figure when it prices the outcome. If Pinnacle does not price a market, the best available stored book for your region is used instead.
Why the choice of price matters for edge
Every price carries a margin. Grade a hit rate against a heavily margined price and the implied number is inflated, which flatters the edge. A sharper price is a stricter comparison, and a stricter comparison is the point.
Bring your own number
If you bet somewhere ClutchIQ has no snapshot for, paste the price on a match page. The implied and edge figures then come from your number, which is usually the most relevant comparison there is.
Questions
- Is a sharp book always the best price?
- No, and often it is not. Sharp books price tight, which usually means a smaller margin and a worse payout for you than a soft book offering a promotional number. Sharpness is about accuracy, not generosity.
- Why not use the highest price for implied?
- Because the highest price implies the lowest chance, which would overstate edge on every line. Using a sharper price keeps the comparison conservative.
Related terms
- Decimal odds
Decimal odds are the European format: the number includes your stake back. 2.00 is even money.
- Match winner
Match winner is a series outcome. It is not the same bet as winning map one, and the samples are counted differently.