| 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. |
