Sports Bet Terms
N | O|P| Q |R|S|T|U|V|W| X | Y | Z
A
ACTION - The amount of money being wagered on a game.
B
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.
C
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 point spread
D
DEGENERATE - A compulsive gambler.
DIME BET - A $1,000 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.
E
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.
F
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.
G
GETTING DOWN - Making a bet.
GOING DOWN - Losing a bet or bets.
GROSS WIN - The amount of winnings before subtracting the expenses.
H
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.
J
JUICE - Bookmaker's commission, also known as the vig or vigorish.
L
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".
M
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.
N
NICKEL - A $500 wager.
O
ODDSMAKER - The same as a lines maker.
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 sportsbook.
P
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.
R
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.
S
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 tying 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.
STORE - Bookie.
STUCK - Behind, losing, buried, down for the week
SUCKER BET - Betting on the underdog.
T
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.
U
UNDERLAY - Having the odds of a proposition lean in favor of the house.
V
VALUE - Getting the best available odds on a betting proposition
VIGORISH - The commission the bookmaker receives.
W
WAGER - Any Bet.
WISE GUY - A sophisticated and successful sports bettor.