ACTION |
The amount of money being wagered on a
game. |
BAD
BEAT |
A hard loss. |
BOOKIE |
A person or organization that sets the
lines and books the bets in sports. |
BANKROLL |
The amount of money the player plans to
gamble. |
BEARD |
A messenger bettor. Someone who places
bets on behalf of another person so that the bookmakers will not know the identity of the
actual bettor. |
BEEF |
A Dispute |
BUCK |
A $100 wager. |
CHALK |
The team favored to win. |
CHALK
PLAYER |
A person who usually wagers on the
favored teams. A.K.A Favorite Freddie, chalk eater |
CIRCLE
GAME |
A game where the betting action is
severely limited due to uncertainties about key injuries, inclement weather conditions, or
unsubstantiated rumors regarding a team. |
COVER |
To win by more than the pointspread. |
DEGENERATE |
A compulsive gambler. |
DIME BET |
A $1000 wager. |
DOG |
The underdog in any betting proposition.
A.K.A. Puppy |
DOG
PLAYER |
A person who usually bets on the
underdog. |
DOLLAR
BET |
A $100 wager. |
DOUBLE
BET |
A wager twice the amount of one's normal
wager. |
EARN |
The practical hold percentage |
EDGE |
An advantage |
EVEN
MONEY |
A wager on which the odds are 1-1. |
EXOTIC
BET |
A bet other than a straight bet or
parlay |
EXPOSURE |
The amount of money the house will risk
losing on a game or race. |
EXTENSION |
The amount of money the house
theoretically stands to lose on a game or race. |
FIGURE |
Amount of money owed to or by a
bookmaker. |
FIRING |
Wagering huge sums of money. |
FLEA |
An annoying person who wants something
for nothing. One who expects to be comped for a $2 wager. |
FORM |
The performance expected of a team
according to how they look on paper. |
FUTURE
BET |
Bets accepted well in advance of the
events. |
GETTING
DOWN |
Making a bet. |
GOING
DOWN |
Losing a bet or bets. |
GROSS WIN |
The amount of winnings before
subtracting the expenses. |
HANDICAPPER |
A person who studies sports and predicts
its outcome. |
HEDGING |
Betting on the opposite side in order to
cut losses or guarantee winning a minimal amount of money. |
HOLD |
The percentage the house
wins. |
HOLDING
YOUR OWN |
Neither winning or losing, just breaking
even. |
HOOK |
A half point in pointspreads. |
HOOKED |
Losing a bet by exactly one-half a
point. |
HOME
FIELD ADVANTAGE |
The edge the home team is expected to
have as a result of familiarity with the playing area, fan support, and the effect of
travel on the visiting team. |
HOOPS |
Another term for Basketball. |
HOT GAME |
A game that draws a significant amount
of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers. |
HOT TIP |
Insider information that the bookmaker
cannot divulge. |
JUICE |
Bookmaker's commission, also known as
the vig or vigorish. |
LAYING THE POINTS |
Betting on the favorite. A.K.A. lay a
price |
LAYOFF
BET |
A bet made by one bookmaker with another
in order to balance the action and reduce the risk on one side. |
LIMIT |
The maximum bet accepted by a house or
bookmaker before he changes odds and/or the points. |
LINE |
The listed odds on a game and/or payoff
odds on the bet. |
LINEMAKER |
The person who establishes the original
and subsequent betting lines. |
LOCK |
A sure winner. |
LONGSHOT |
A large underdog where the odds of
winning is quite steep. Hence the term "Not by a longshot". |
"THE
MAN" |
The Bookmaker. |
MIDDLES |
To win both sides of a game. |
MONEY
LINE |
The odds expressed in terms of money. |
NEUTRAL
SITE |
Venue of a sporting event where neither
side has a home field advantage. |
NEWSPAPER
LINE |
The betting lines appearing in the daily
newspapers. |
NICKEL |
A $500 wager. |
ODDSMAKER |
The same as a linemaker. |
ODDS ON
FAVORITE |
A horse, team or individual so favored
by the public that the odds are less than even. |
OFF THE
BOARD |
A game on which no bets are accepted. |
OFF LINES |
The difference of amount the Las Vegas
pointspread has compared with the computerized mathematical line. |
OFFICIAL
LINE |
The line that the bookmaker uses for
wagering purposes. |
OUT |
An illegal bookmaker |
OUTLAW
LINE |
An early line which is not an official
line |
OVERLAY |
When the odds of a given proposition are
more in favor of the bettor than the house. |
OVER
& UNDER |
A wager for the total score by both
teams will more or less than the total posted by the sports book. |
PARLAY |
A bet with two or more teams where all
the teams beat on must win in order for the bettor to win the wager. |
PAST
PERFORMANCE |
What has occurred previously to the
forthcoming games. |
PAST POST |
To make a bet after the event has begun.
|
PICK'EM
GAME |
A game where team is favored. |
PLAYER |
A bettor, or gambler |
POINTSPREAD
|
The amount of points the bettor must
give to take on any given game. |
POST TIME |
The scheduled starting time. |
PRACTICAL
HOLD PERCENTAGE |
The amount won by a bookmaker divided by
the total amount booked. |
PRESS |
Betting a larger amount than usual. |
PRICE |
The odds or pointspread. |
PROPOSITION
BET |
A wager on a particular aspect of the
game such as how many field goals will be made. |
PUPPY |
The underdog. |
PUSH |
Where neither team wins and all money is
returned to the bettors. |
ROUND
ROBIN |
A form of parlay betting in which we
wager various combining team wagers. A 3-team robin is team 1 to 2, 1 to 3, and 2 to 3.
4-team robin is team 1 to 2, 1 to 3, 1 to 4, 2 to 3, 2 to 4, and 3 to 4. 5-team, etc. |
RUN DOWN |
A line update. |
RUNNER |
A.K.A. Beard |
SCALPER |
A person 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 big. |
SCRATCH |
To withdraw or cancel a wager. |
SCOUTS |
Person(s) who study team plays and/or
practice and report findings to handicappers. |
SIDE |
Winning one side of a wager and tieing
the other side. |
SMART
MONEY |
Sides that are bet on by the more
knowledgeable handicappers. |
SPORT
PLAYER |
A person who waits for what he thinks is
an unusually strong wager. |
SQUARE |
Unsophisticated gambler. |
STAR |
Rating. |
STEAM |
When heavy action occurs on one side. |
STRAIGHT
BET |
A bet on just one team. |
THE STORE |
Bookie. |
STUCK |
Behind, losing, buried, down for the
week. |
SUCKER
BET |
Betting on the underdog. |
TAKE
A PRICE |
Bet the underdog, take the
points. |
TAPPED
OUT |
Broke, busted, common result of
pressing. |
THEORETICAL
HOLD PERCENTAGE |
The edge the bookmaker would have if the
odds guaranteed him a constant commission regardless of the outcome. |
TOKE |
A tip or bonus. |
TOSS UP |
A game where the line is close to
pick-em. |
TOUT
SERVICE |
A business that sells opinions on sports
or horse wagers. |
TRIPLE
SHARP |
The sharpest of the sharp. |
UNDERLAY |
Having the odds of a proposition lean in
favor of the house. |
VALUE |
Getting the best available odds on a
betting proposition. |
VIRGORISH
|
The commission the bookmaker receives. |
WAGER |
Any Bet. |
WISE GUY |
A sophisticated and successful sports
bettor. |
