How Do You Know If A Player Is A Stiff?

Guys that stiff bookies for money are normally compulsive liars. I think the best way to get a feel for this is to just have conversations with them. Try to get them talking about something in the past and see how much they stretch a story. If something doesn't sound right or add up they will stiff you at some point 99 percent of the time.

Ultimately as a bookie it is just like any other business, you have to accept some level of risk. If 1 out of 10 guys stiff you, remember the other 9 are still good customers and in the long run you will beat them out of money. People focus too much energy on this in my opinion. If you treat your players well, and are upfront, most will pay you in the long run. Just my personal two cents.

Good point.  But here's one of the easiest ways to tell if a new potential customer is a stiff.  If they give you their home and work address, all contact informations, then most likely that person is not a stiff. 

Let's say at some point later on if they do happen to stiff because they were betting over their heads, you send people to their home or work to make them pay up.  Worst case scenario is they call the cops and snitch.  As we all know what happens to people that snitch.  Snitches ought to get shot!

But yea, it's most likely a person won't stiff if they let you know where they live and work at.  If they don't want to let you know, then obviously they're stiffs.

All the information in the world isn't going to help when someone just can't pay you. From time to time players just run in to something that prevents them from paying. A serious family medical situation, losing their job, spouse losing their job etc.. Kicking someone's ass, going to their house etc.. isn't going to help that. In todays economy if you book bets for the same people long enough there is a strong chance they might lose their job or have some other emergency at some point.

I'd rather be civil about it and work with them. All works out better in the long run and you stay out of jail. Cops don't give a shit about bookies. Cops give a shit about bookies who threaten people who don't pay them.