Sports Gambling Terms
A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H| I |J| K |L|M
N | O|P| Q |R|S|T|U|V|W| X | Y | Z
A | |
| ACTION | The amount of money being wagered on a game. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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 |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
G | |
| GETTING DOWN | Making a bet. |
| GOING DOWN | Losing a bet or bets. |
| GROSS WIN | The amount of winnings before subtracting the expenses. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
J | |
| JUICE | Bookmaker's commission, also known as the vig or vigorish. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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". |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
N | |
| NICKEL | A $500 wager. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
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. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
U | |
| UNDERLAY | Having the odds of a proposition lean in favor of the house. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
V | |
| VALUE | Getting the best available odds on a betting proposition |
| VIGORISH | The commission the bookmaker receives. |
| BACK TO TOP | |
W | |
| WAGER | Any Bet. |
| WISE GUY | A sophisticated and successful sports bettor. |
| BACK TO TOP | |