Sports Betting Dictionary

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A
ACTION	The amount of money being wagered on a game.
ALL OUT	A betting term that describes any player or team putting maximum effort to win.
ALTERNATE LINES	Odds or prices that differ from the main line. It is often found in point spread and totals betting in football and basketball.
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B
BACKDOOR COVER	This happens when a team scores late in the game, allowing bettors to cover the point spread without affecting the overall outcome.
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.
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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.
CHEETAH	A high-roller or a person who consistently places large bets.
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.
CLOSING LINE	The final betting odds posted before the competition or match starts.
CORRELATED PARLAY	A multiple bet where the selections are interconnected to each other.
COVER	To win by more than the point spread
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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.
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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.
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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.
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G
GETTING DOWN	Making a bet.
GOING DOWN	Losing a bet or bets.
GROSS WIN	The amount of winnings before subtracting the expenses.
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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.
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J
JUICE	Bookmaker's commission, also known as the vig or vigorish.
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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".
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M
MAN	The Bookmaker.
MIDDLES	To win both sides of a game.
MONEY LINE	The odds expressed in terms of money.
MUSH	A bettor who has been on a losing streak and is regarded as unlucky.
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N
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.
NO ACTION	A betting term used when a bookmaker voids the bets and refunds the original stakes to the bettors.
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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.
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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.
PAYOUT	The amount of money a bettor receives from a winning bet.
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.
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Q
QUARTER BET	A bet place either before or during a quarter in a sports event.
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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.
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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.
SHARP	A professional sports bettor who conducts thorough research and analysis to secure wins.
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.
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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.
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U
UNDERLAY	Having the odds of a proposition lean in favor of the house.
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V
VALUE	Getting the best available odds on a betting proposition
VIGORISH	The commission the bookmaker receives.
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W
WAGER	Any Bet.
WISE GUY	A sophisticated and successful sports bettor.

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Sports Betting Dictionary

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