|
- Accumulator (Also, All Up or Parlay) - A multiple bet. A kind of 'let-it-ride' bet. Making simultaneous selections on two or more games with the intent of pressing the winnings of the first win on the bet of the following game selected, and so on. All the selections made must win for you to win the accumulator.
- Action - A bet or wager of any kind is deemed Action if valid.
- Action Line (Also, Money Line or Spread Betting) - The amount that must be wagered to win $100, or the amount won for a $100 wager.
- Added Game - A game not part of the Las Vegas regular rotation. The game is usually posted as an accomodation to customers.
- Against The Spread (Also, ATS) - How a team performs when the handicap is applied to the final score.
- All Up (Also, Accumulator or Parlay) - This involves picking the winners of more than one event. A single wager amount is placed on more than one outcome, whereby the stake and winnings of the first selection will be rolled over into the second selection and so on.
- Arbitrage - Where a variation in odds available allows a sportsbook or bettor to back both sides and guarantee a win.
- ATS -See 'Against The Spread.'
- Bad Beat -A tough loss.
- Backed - A 'backed' team is one on which lots of bets have been placed.
- Banker - Highly expected to win. The strongest in a multiple selection in a parlay or accumulator.
- Beard - A friend or acquaintance or other contact who is used to placing bets so that the bookmakers will not know the identity of the actual bettor. Many top handicappers and persons occupying sensitive positions use this method of wagering.
- Beef -A dispute.
- Bet -Any wager.
- Bettor - Someone who places or has a bet.
- Book - A bookmaker's tally of amounts bet on each competitor, and odds necessary to assure him of profit. Running a 'book' is the act of quoting odds and accepting bets on an event and the person doing it is called the 'Bookmaker'.
- Bookie - Short for bookmaker. The person or shop who accepts bets.
- Bookmaker (Also, Sportsbook) - Person who is licensed to accept bets on the result of an event based on their provision of odds to the customer.
- BR - Bankroll.
- Bridge-Jumper - Bettor who specializes in large show bets on odds-on favorites.
- Buck (Also, Dollar Bet) - A bet of $ 100.
- Buy (Also, Move the Line) -A player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a point spread game.
- Buy Price - In Spread or Index betting, the higher figure quoted by an Index bookmaker.
- Buy the Rack - Purchase every possible daily-double or other combination ticket.
- Buyback -The money that comes in on the underdog after a favorite is bet heavily enough to move the line.
- Chalk - The favored team.
- Chalk Eater (Also, Chalk Player) - Bettor on favorites.
- Chalk Player (Also, Chalk Eater) - Bettor on favorites.
- Churn - The effect of betting and re-betting money.
- Circled Game - A game where the maximum bet is limited. The sportsbook or bookmaker puts a limit on the amount of action they are prepared to take on the game. This is most often due to doubts about key players, in games that feature key injuries, inclement weather, or unsubstantiated rumors regarding a team. Most bookies 'Circle' all Ivy League Games.
- Closing Line - The final list of point spreads offered before game time.
- Combination Bet - Selecting any number of teams to finish first and second in either order.
- Cover - To beat the spread by the required number of points.
- Credit Betting - Betting using credit with a bookmaker.
- Degenerate - A compulsive gambler.
- Deposit Betting - Betting with money deposited in advance with a bookmaker.
- Dime bet - A $1000 wager.
- Dividend - The agreed payout or return on any bet.
- Dog (Also, Underdog, Doggie or Puppy) - The team that receives a point start in a handicap.
- Doggie (Also, Dog, Underdog or Puppy) - The team that receives a point start in a handicap.
- Dog Player - A bettor who mainly wagers on the underdog.
- Dollar Bet (Also, Buck) - A $100 wager.
- Double(s) - A twin bet on two separate specified events or two parts of the same event. A form of parlay or accumulator.
- Double Digit - A betting line or margin of victory of ten points or more.
- Draw (Also, Push, Stand-off or Tie) - Where competitors in an event finish evenly. Where there is a draw and this is not offered as a betting option, the bettors wager will be returned.
- Drift - Odds that 'Lengthen', are said to have drifted, or be 'On the Drift'.
- Edge - The advantage.
- Even Money - A 1:1 odds bet. A $1 stake would return $2 dividend ($1 win plus $1 staked).
- Exotic Bet - Action other than a straight bet or parlay.
- Exposure - The amount of money one actually stands to lose on a game.
- Extension - The amount of money the house theoretically will risk losing on a game.
- Fade - To bet against. The term usually indicates wagering against a particularly unsuccessful bettor.
- Favorite - The team the sportsbooks rate most likely to win that contest or event. Typically it has the most money bet on it.
- Field - 1) All the individual competitors in an event. 2) Odds offered on non listed (outsiders) teams is collectively called the Field.
- Fifty Cents (Also, Half a Dollar) - $50.
- Figure - The amount owed to or by a bookmaker.
- Firing - Betting a lot. A player who is 'firing' is wagering large sums.
- Fixed Game - A game in which one or more participants willfully manipulate the final outcome of a game.
- Fixed Odds - Your dividend is fixed at the odds when you placed your bet. No matter how much the odds fluctuate the odds at the time you placed your bet are fixed and written on the ticket. Your dividend for winning is paid at the value stated on your ticket, no matter what happens after you have placed your bet.
- Flash - Change of odds information on tote board.
- Flea - An annoying bettor who wants something for nothing.
- Form - What performance is to be expected according to how a team looks on paper.
- Futures - Bets placed in advance predicting the outcome of a future event.
- Game Time Decision - Coach-speak for a players status for the game being determined just before kickoff.
- Garbage Time - A time late in the game after the outcome has been determined. Usually associated with a large margin of victory.
- Get Down - To make a bet.
- Gross Win - Winnings before expenses.
- Half a Dollar (Also, Fifty Cents) - $50.
- Halftime Line - A line only on the first half, or the second half of a football game.
- Handicap (Also, Point Spread) - Spread.
- Handicapper - One who studies sports and predicts outcomes.
- Handle - The total amount of bets taken.
- Hedge - Betting the opposite of an original wager in order to reduce the exposure on one game.
- Holding Your Own - Neither winning nor losing. Just breaking even.
- Homecoming - A scheduled weekend on college campuses where alumni return to celebrate and network. It is a betting trend because teams may play up or down on a homecoming weekend due to the distratcting events.
- Home Field Advantage - Edge the home team is expected to have as a result of familiarity with the playing area, favorable demographics and effect of travel on the visiting team.
- Hook - One half point in pointspreads.
- Hot Game - A game which is drawing a lot of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers.
- Hot Tip - Information not publicly available.
- Index Betting - Spread betting.
- In The Black - The point in the game in which the favorite covers the spread.
- In The Red - Odds on.
- Juice - The bookmaker's commission.
- Junior College - A very small, non-NCAA school where players transfer to in order to get grades at an acceptable level. Often times, successful players transfer back for their Junior season.
- Lay a Bet - A bookie accepting a bet.
- Laying the Points (Also, Laying the Price) - Betting the favorite by giving up the points.
- Laying the Price (Also, Laying the Points) - Betting the favorite by giving up the points.
- Layoff - A bookmaker's bet with another bookmaker made in order to help equalize the excess action he has accepted from his customers.
- Lengthen - The opposite of 'Shorten'. Referred to odds getting longer, that is, more attractive to the bettor.
- Limit - Maximum bet accepted by the house before the price will be changed.
- Lines - Odds offered to the bettor.
- Linemaker - One who compiles or sets the original or subsequent betting lines.
- Lock - Term for an almost certain winner. Easy winner.
- Long Odds (Also, Longshot) - Generally greater than 10:1.
- Longshot (Also, Long Odds) - Generally greater than 10:1.
- Margin - The amount a competitor in an event finishes in front of another competitor.
- Middle - To win both sides of a game.
- Money Line (Also, Action Line or Spread Betting) - The amount that must be wagered to win $100, or the amount won for a $100 wager.
- Move the Line (Also, Buy) -A player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a point spread game.
- Multiples - See 'Accumulator'.
- MVP - Most Valuable Player.
- NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association (Amateur Football).
- Neutral Site - A venue where neither team has an advantage.
- Newspaper Line - The betting line that appears in the daily newspapers. The lines are only approximate and are often inaccurate and misleading.
- NFL - National Football League (Professional Football).
- Nickel - A $500 wager.
- No Action - A wager in which no money is won or lost.
- No Line - An event in which a betting line is not published or a bet is not taken.
- Odds - The sportsbook's or bookmaker's view of the chance of a competitor winning (adjusted to include a profit).
- Odds-against - An Odds-against bet has a Plus sign in front.
- Odds Compiler - Same as 'Oddsmaker' below.
- Odds-on - An Odds-on bet has a Minus sign in front.
- Oddsmaker - A person who sets the betting odds. (Sportsbooks or Bookies don't set the odds. Most major sportsbooks use odds set by Las Vegas oddsmakers.)
- Off the Board - A game or event on which the sporstbook will not accept action.
- Official Line - The line the bookmaker uses for wagering purposes.
- O/U (Also, Over/Under or Totals) - A bet on whether the total points scored by the two teams will be over or under a specified number.
- Out - An illegal bookmaker.
- Outlaw Line - The term for the earliest line in sports betting. This is an overnight line which only a handful of players are allowed to bet into.
- Over - The bettor wagers the total points scored by two teams will be over a certain figure.
- Over/Under (Also, O/U or Totals) - A bet on whether the total points scored by the two teams will be over or under a specified number.
- Overlay (Also, Overplay) - When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house.
- Overplay (Also, Overlay) - When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house.
- Parlay (Also, Accumulator or All Up) - A multiple bet. A kind of 'let-it-ride' bet. Making simultaneous selections on two or more games with the intent of pressing the winnings of the first win on the bet of the following game selected, and so on. All the selections made must win for you to win the parlay.
- Past Post - To make a bet after an event has started.
- Picks (Also, Tips) - Betting selections, usually by an expert.
- PK or Pick - Evenly matched teams.
- Player - A bettor or gambler.
- Point Spread (Also, Handicap) - The points allocated to the 'underdog' to level the odds with the 'favorite'.
- PPG - Points per game.
- Practical Hold Percentage - The amount won by a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked.
- Press - To bet a larger amount than usual.
- Price - The odds.
- Prop (Also, Proposition Bet) - A special wager offered by the sportsbook on unique and various topics. The wagers use the money line format of pay off odds.
- Proposition Bet (Also, Prop) - A special wager offered by the sportsbook on unique and various topics. The wagers use the money line format of pay off odds.
- Puppy (Also, Dog, Doggie or Underdog) - The team that receives a point start in a handicap.
- Push (Also, Draw, Stand-off or Tie) - A game that is tied when the point spread is factored in.
- Redshirt - Making a player ineligible for an entire year, thus delaying the players eligibility and allowing five years in the program, usually done to allow players to mature or for medical reasons.
- Return - Your total winnings on a bet.
- Round Robin - A series of three or more teams into two-team wagers.
- Rundown - A line update.
- Runner - See 'beard,' above.
- Scalper - One who attempts to profit from the differences in odds from book to book by betting both sides of the same game at different prices.
- Score - To win a lot of money.
- Scout - A person who waits for an unusually strong wager.
- Scratch - 1) To withdraw or cancel. 2) A sophisticated or professional gambler.
- Sharp (Also, Wise Guy) - A knowledgeable handicapper or bettor.
- Shorten - The opposite of 'Lengthen'. Referred to odds getting shorter, that is, less attractive to the bettor.
- Shortstop - A small bettor.
- Shut Out - 1) What happens to a bettor who gets on the betting line too late and is still waiting in line when the window closes. 2) When the losing team does not score.
- Side - To win one side and tie the other.
- Side Bet (Also, Side Wager) - A wager on something other than the main event.
- Side Wager (Also, Side Bet) - A wager on something other than the main event.
- Single Action - An 'if bet' in sports gambling that is only processed if the precedent bet wins.
- Single Digits - A betting line or margin of victory of nine points or less.
- Soft Line - A wagering line that is not current with the true posted line. A line that has been adjusted or moved as a result of action and does not reflect the true line as posted.
- Sportsbook (Also, Bookmaker) - The person, shop or website who accepts bets.
- Spread - Point Spread.
- Spread Betting (Also, Action Line or Money Line)- The amount that must be wagered to win $100, or the amount won for a $100 wager. A bet is won or lost according to whether you correctly predict the result of an event. Returns or losses are calculated in proportion to how right or wrong the bettor is, and can lead to huge returns or losses.
- Square (Also, Stiff) - Opposite of Wise Guy. A handicapper or bettor that is without knowledge.
- Stand-off (Also, Draw, Push or Tie) - A game that is tied when the point spread is factored in.
- Steam - When a betting line starts to move quite rapidly, usually caused by many bettors betting on it.
- Stiff (Also, Square) - Opposite of Wise Guy. A handicapper or bettor that is without knowledge.
- Store - A sportsbook or a bookie.
- Strength of Schedule - A relative weighting of the schedule based upon the quality of a team’s opponents.
- Striaght Bet - A single wager on a team or over/under.
- Sucker Bet - A bet with a large house edge.
- Super Bowl - The annual NFL Championship game played in early February each year.
- System - A method of betting, usually mathematically based, used by a bettor to try to get an advantage.
- Take the Points (Also, Take the Price) - A wager on the underdog.
- Take the Price (Also, Take the Points) - A wager on the underdog.
- Tapped Out- Broke or busted, the common result of pressing.
- Teaser - A bet on two or more teams where the bettor can add or subtract points from the spread to make their bets stronger in return for reduced odds. All results must match the selections to win the teaser.
- Theoretical Hold Percentage - The edge the bookmaker would have IF the odds guaranteed him a constant commission regardless of the outcome.
- Ticket - A sports betting wager.
- Tie (Also Push, Stand-off or Draw) - An outcome where neither the bettor or bookie wins.
- Tips (Also, Picks) - The selections and predictions of competitors performance for an event from an expert or observer.
- Toke - Gratuity.
- Toss Up - Game where the line is close to a pick.
- Totals (Also, Over/Under or O/U) - A bet on whether the combined number of points scored by the two teams will be over/under a given mark.
- Tourist Money -Wagers placed on games at casino sportsbooks late on Saturday or Sunday morning.
- Tout - To publicize and over-hype information on events in a shameless manner. Touts also often make reckless and false claims.
- Trebles - A triple bet on three events. A form of parlay or accumulator.
- Triple Sharp - The sharpest of the sharp. (Note: There is no such term as 'Double Sharp').
- True Odds - The real odds of something happening as opposed to what the bookies offer.
- Under - The bettor wagers the total points scored by two teams will be under a certain figure.
- Underdog (Also, Dog, Doggie or Puppy) - The team that receives a point start in a handicap.
- Underlay - When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house.
- Value - Getting the best possible odds.
- Vig (Also, Vigorish) - The fee, or commission taken by the house.
- Vigorish (Also, Vig) - The fee, or commission taken by the house.
- VS - Versus, against.
- Welch - To fail to pay a gambling bet.
- Wise Guy (Also, Sharp) - A knowledgeable handicapper or bettor.
- YPG - Yards per game.
- YPP - Yards per play.
|
