| Term |
Definition |
| Action |
A bet
|
| BM |
Bookmaker
|
| BR |
Bankroll
|
| Back door |
A 'cover' that occurs in the waning moments of a game
|
| Bad beat |
Losing under unusual circumstances
|
| Beard |
A runner; one who places a bet for another
|
| Beef |
A dispute over the outcome of a bet
|
| Bow-wow |
An underdog
|
| Chalk |
A favorite
|
| Circled game |
A contest on which betting limits are reduced (injuries and weather are
the primary reasons for games to be circled)
|
| Cover |
A pointspread win
|
| Degenerate |
A compulsive gambler
|
| Dime |
$1,000
|
| Dollar |
$100
|
| Earn |
Percentage hold
|
| Exotic |
Any wager other than a straight bet or parlay (also referred to as a proposition
or prop)
|
| Exposure |
The maximum amount of money a sports book stands to lose on a game
|
| Figure |
Amount owed to or by a bookmaker
|
| Form |
A tabloid used for horse racing data
|
| Getting down |
Placing a bet
|
| Handicapper |
A person who studies factors such as statistics, injuries, weather and
news to predict the outcome of games
|
| Handle |
Total amount of money wagered
|
| Hedge |
To reduce amount of action by wagering on the opposite side of a previous
bet
|
| Hook |
A half-point
|
| Juice |
Amount of commission kept by the house (also referred to as vigorish or
vig)
|
| Laying a price |
Playing a favorite
|
| Layoff |
Money bet by a house with another bookmaker to reduce its liability
|
| Limit |
Maximum amount of money accepted for one wager
|
| Line |
The odds on a game (also referred to as price)
|
| Lock |
A surefire winner (there really is no such proposition)
|
| Matador |
A cover that occurs in the waning moments of a game (also referred to
as a back door cover)
|
| Middle |
Betting both sides of a game at different prices with the hope of winning
both wagers (An example: if a bettor played Maryland (minus-4) and
Duke (plus-6), and Maryland won, 100-95, he would win both bets -- or "catch
a middle")
|
| Mush |
A bettor who is bad luck
|
| Nickel |
$500
|
| Off the board |
A game on which bookmakers are not accepting wagers (generally because
of injuries)
|
| Overlay |
A situation in which the odds on a game favor the bettors rather than the
house
|
| Parlay |
One bet ticket written with at least two wagers (all must win for the
ticket to cash)
|
| Past post |
To place a wager after an event has started
|
| Pick'em |
A game with no favorite (the straight-up winner also would win bets)
|
| Price |
The odds on a game
|
| Puppy |
The underdog
|
| Push |
A tie
|
| Round robin |
A single ticket with comprised of more than one parlay
|
| Rundown |
A list of odds on a particular day's games
|
| Runner |
One who places bets for another
|
| Scalper |
Someone who bets both sides of a game
|
| Score |
A big win
|
| Sharp |
A sophisticated or professional sports bettor
|
| Square |
A novice sports bettor
|
| Steam |
Heavy action on one side of a game
|
| Straight bet |
One wager (as opposed to a parlay)
|
| Sucker bet |
Parlays, teasers or exotics (anything bookmakers use to entice squares to
bet more)
|
| Taking a price |
Betting an underdog
|
| Tapped out |
Broke from gambling
|
| Teaser |
A sucker wager that allows bettors to add and subtract points from posted
odds
|
| Tout service |
A company that sells selections on games (most in the United States are
dishonest)
|
| Underlay |
A situation in which the odds on a game favor the house rather than bettors
|
| Value |
An overlay
|
| Vigorish |
Amount of commission kept by the house (also referred to as juice or vig)
|
| Wise guy |
A professional sports bettor
|
