Other auction tactics

[AllstonRockCity]

This post is meant to parallel the "need help please" post without hijacking that thread.

I was wondering what peoples thoughts and experiences were with the following auction tactic. When a player that you have targeted gets nominated by a team other than yours has anyone ever sat back completely silent and emotionless through the whole bidding process only to chime in $1 higher during the auctioneers 2nd call?

Its a tactic my partner and I have used a couple of times and I can say for sure that it does a few things. 1. It certainly catches the other teams off guard 2. It might quite possibly really annoy them. 3. It gives you a nice guage as to how much the other teams really wanted the player in the first place. If they come right back w/ another buck or two, they might be just as keen on the player as you.

The big question is, does this work more often than not?

[rotodog]

This post is meant to parallel the "need help please" post without hijacking that thread.

I was wondering what peoples thoughts and experiences were with the following auction tactic. When a player that you have targeted gets nominated by a team other than yours has anyone ever sat back completely silent and emotionless through the whole bidding process only to chime in $1 higher during the auctioneers 2nd call?

Its a tactic my partner and I have used a couple of times and I can say for sure that it does a few things. 1. It certainly catches the other teams off guard 2. It might quite possibly really annoy them. 3. It gives you a nice guage as to how much the other teams really wanted the player in the first place. If they come right back w/ another buck or two, they might be just as keen on the player as you.

The big question is, does this work more often than not?

Your That GUY! Oh I hate you! But it is effective. I found this to be effective in the mid point of a draft when a few guys have more money than talent. They really get pissed off....Think about it> After a bidding against a guy and he drops out and 'once, twice" is going and some guy that was silent jump in at a buck higher. This owner already owned the player in his mind for a split second at that price and you just cost him more.....He Hates you!

1. Bid and Bid often. Bid at lower prices on guys you dont want to keep the flow and let others hear you a lot...

2. Stay dead silent once in a while and do what you described above. If you can disrupt a little, it may help later..

3. On Studs, drop a STUN BID once in a draft.
Hanley/pujols types go for 56 bucks in a keeper... Why start it 10, 20, 25, 30, 31, 33, 35..... When you know he will end up at 56-60 bucks? if you want him, nominate at 53 right off the bat! Everyone will be stunned and shuffle like crazy and stutter because they dont know what to do.. Some gets scared and says 54.......I go straight to 56 and its Over.....
Berkman comes up next and goes for 49 bucks now.....56 for Hanley looks pretty good in context.

I did this with Holliday too 2 years ago....43 bucks out the gate.... someone said 44, I jumoed to 46 and Shut them all down.... Carlos Lee, Berkman Juan pierre all went for more right afterward.....STUN EM ONCE!

4. if there is one FT catcher or one reliable closer left and guys are bidding , I might drop this line early in the bidding. " is Jason Kendall the last FT catcher left on the board? Oh boy..." He will go for 3 times his value ..Some owners dont pay attention to whats left and sometimes need a subtle reminder.

5. Re-enforce someones bad Buying decision . If someone pays Tooo Much for a bad player, dont tell him....Tell him " nice buy, hes a real sleeper this year" or "thats good value right there".. Roto players want the acceptance of their peers...They will make decisions that are pleasing to groupthink and avoid looking stupid at all costs. So they make decisions during a draft to avoid looking dumb as opposed to making decisions that help you win....keep re-enforcing bad buying decisions and he may keep doing it..

6. Alway play dumb yourself sometimes. I like to pretend I got caught price enforcing once in a while when i indeed want the player and happy to have at that price..Again, others will have no idea where you are coming from when you bid...

7. tell anyone that will listen during the draft that if they enforce you, they better want the player or be prepared to own him at the price.....BECAUSE I WILL STICK YOU WITH AARON ROWAND AT 36 Bucks!!!!! Even If I need an OF....BADLY

8. Tell everyone they have a good team out of the draft and congratulate them on a good draft. tell them how worried you are about them making a run at your title......You can bully at draft, but you need to b friendly about it because no one will trade with you afterword...

[freddiebeach]

I've seen it work BUT you need to ensure I am not the other guy if it is someone I have targetted as must have. I rarely go into a draft locked on one person but sometimes I do. I am willing to pay more than their perceived value for those players. In fact, I may even slap you with a jump bid. I too uses these through out auctions. As tactics work just not all the time.

[AllstonRockCity]

3. On Studs, drop a STUN BID once in a draft.
Hanley/pujols types go for 56 bucks in a keeper... Why start it 10, 20, 25, 30, 31, 33, 35..... When you know he will end up at 56-60 bucks? if you want him, nominate at 53 right off the bat! Everyone will be stunned and shuffle like crazy and stutter because they dont know what to do.. Some gets scared and says 54.......I go straight to 56 and its Over.....
Berkman comes up next and goes for 49 bucks now.....56 for Hanley looks pretty good in context.

I did this with Holliday too 2 years ago....43 bucks out the gate.... someone said 44, I jumoed to 46 and Shut them all down.... Carlos Lee, Berkman Juan pierre all went for more right afterward.....STUN EM ONCE!

I saw this work perfectly last year. The team w/ the least money in our AL only keeper league last year was also the team w/ the 1st bid. He's got like maybe $80 out of $260 and still needs to fill a bunch of holes. the year before, ARod went for $40. he opens the draft w/ Miguel Cabrera for $45............crickets................sold. he looks at the table and goes, "well i'm done til the end game"

everyone was just shocked, not so much that Cabrera went for $45 but that this was the team that just paid that, and that 45 was the opening bid.

[50 Desert Eagles]

I have only did 2 auctions, but, I love to sit and say nothing and watch everyone in the auction. Watch for things like Cubs shirts, yankee hats, a-rod panties....oops wrong forum and never EVER EVER let anyone sit next to you.....they WILL WILL WILL look at your sheets!!! We had one guy that spent all this money for the first 10 players he wanted. He needed 15 players and had 15 bucks left. So for 2 hours he just sat and bugged the devil out of everyone because he was bored. This throws people off there game when someone keeps yapping about sports and everything else. Well, he won the first year doing this and finished dead last the 2nd year with the same stratagy. Usually half the group has something with MLB on it, so you can throw those names out there and watch the feeding frenzy begin....I always have liked to start the bidding at about half of what studs go for, just to save time. I usually bid on 90% of all players, JUST so noone knows who I am after or targetting. Oh yea, some sneaking tricks I have patented.....sit close to a electrical outlet, that way the clown with the laptop will want to get close to plug in, dont allow him if you can then keep mentioning his laptop might go dead....anything you can say or do to take someones mind off the draft is the key....but focus on your own stuff

[Hambowen]

The waiting to bid approach does work from time to time. I also love the bid $2 higher approach, I have no idea why but a lot of times people get caught off guard by this and stop bidding.

If you have been in leagues for a long time (I have 2 that are 8 years and 11 years in right now) then you really know the other owners and the tendencies they have. In both of these leagues there are always a couple guys that do not spend enough money up front and instead just end up with way too much money towards then end. This makes $20 guys go for $30+. Knowing this I always spend my money early and then leave a little cushion for myself to grab sleepers at the end in case they go for more then a few bucks. Keeping track of everyone's roster is very important so you know what these teams with all the money need, if they have filled the positions you need already then you are golden. If they haven't then you can always put out decent players at that position hoping they win them and fill it up so you have a better chance at the guys you are targeting.

[Mosey]

Forget being quiet, it is 3 or 4 hours... I am the guy who talks the entire time, every name, every buy, every injury, rumor, comment that comes up. Prattle on and be annoying. If you can, stretch it out (especially the night auctions)

No one is going to shift their values off their sheets for $20 players and $15 fill ins.

However, by the 4th quarter some people will just want to GO HOME AND GETTHE HELL AWAY!!!

That is when your $4 sleepers may get you them for $1 because no one wants a bidding war over a couple bucks when not being in the same room with this asshole is a better option.

If you do it during the bidding, people will also lose their concentration, forget what they were thinking why they needed this player and argue with you, "no his elbow did not FALL OFF he just tweaked it he is fine...." If they are doing that instead of concentrating on what and why they want a guy you may get him cheaper (or make him pay more if you play it right).

Of course you have to have your concentration too. I usually highlight players I plan on naming or want for a certain spot on the spreadsheet so if I lose my concentration I see the highlight and know to just go a buck higher anyway.

I also like an end-game strategy of bidding at-value for lower-end guys you think could be sleepers. Sure everyone has him valued at $3, and knows he could earn $5 or $6, but no one wants to pay that. So nominate him at $3 and watch everyone grumble and not pay the trigger for $4. This is especially useful for $2 players, last "maybe closer-in-waiting. Utility guys with speed, etc.

[Mosey]

Also a gigantic fan of announcing a guy is the "best player on the board" if I already have that dollar slot filled on my sheet. Or "last real base stealer left" if I am set in that category. It may not even be true, but there are always a couple guys who perk up, and rarely does anyone argue because they think they now know of someone better no one noticed.

[rotodog]

Forget being quiet, it is 3 or 4 hours... I am the guy who talks the entire time, every name, every buy, every injury, rumor, comment that comes up. Prattle on and be annoying. If you can, stretch it out (especially the night auctions)

No one is going to shift their values off their sheets for $20 players and $15 fill ins.

However, by the 4th quarter some people will just want to GO HOME AND GETTHE HELL AWAY!!!

That is when your $4 sleepers may get you them for $1 because no one wants a bidding war over a couple bucks when not being in the same room with this asshole is a better option.

If you do it during the bidding, people will also lose their concentration, forget what they were thinking why they needed this player and argue with you, "no his elbow did not FALL OFF he just tweaked it he is fine...." If they are doing that instead of concentrating on what and why they want a guy you may get him cheaper (or make him pay more if you play it right).

Of course you have to have your concentration too. I usually highlight players I plan on naming or want for a certain spot on the spreadsheet so if I lose my concentration I see the highlight and know to just go a buck higher anyway.

I also like an end-game strategy of bidding at-value for lower-end guys you think could be sleepers. Sure everyone has him valued at $3, and knows he could earn $5 or $6, but no one wants to pay that. So nominate him at $3 and watch everyone grumble and not pay the trigger for $4. This is especially useful for $2 players, last "maybe closer-in-waiting. Utility guys with speed, etc.

Mosey.....My kind of guy..We related? I could of written that myself.... it takes a certain type of personality to pull this off and its not for everyone, but I do the same thing....And we all laugh a lot too, but I know they grumble when i toss out my own little tidbits...

Nice picture BTW...Like Mine?