Sports Betting Glossary

Whether it is to successfully place your bets or to blend in on a Sunday afternoon barbecue with friends, here are some of the most important and essential sports betting terminology for you to include in your vocabulary. If you would like to know more about the term you can click on the link and read on.


  • Abandoned: An event that is not concluded.
  • Accumulator: Also called “Parlay” in American sports betting, is a bet on multiple selections on two or more events. All the selections must win for the accumulator to win.
  • Across the board: A bet in horse racing on a horse to win, place, and show.
  • Action: A bet is considered “action” if it is considered valid. Different events have different rules to determine if a bet is considered “action”.
  • Action points: Points in a game that result in different payouts for different outcomes.
  • Action reverse: Two separate if bets.
  • Added game: A game not originally on a book’s betting board, added later.
  • Agent: an intermediary between bookmaker and bettor who works on commission.
  • All in: A bet that stands regardless of whether your selection plays or not.
  • All up: A bet type where you can select successive outcomes, rolling over the stake.
  • Ante-post: A bet that is placed on a future event.
  • Arbitrage: When a difference/variation in the odds available allows a punter to back both sides and guarantee a win.
  • Asian handicap: A kind of bet that is used to balance both teams and eliminate a draw from the game.
  • Backed: A selection is said to be backed when the bookie has taken a lot of money on it, thus causing a shortening of odds.
  • Banker: A team/side with high expectations to be won by the punter.
  • Bankroll: The funds available to the bettor.
  • Bar: A term used in horse racing indicating horses not quoted individually.
  • Bar price: Same as the above. The odds of selections not quoted, especially in horse racing.
  • Best price percentage: The percentage form of bookmaker’s margin.
  • Bet: Staking money on the outcome of a match or event.
  • Betting ring: The main area at a racecourse where the bookmakers operate.
  • Bettor: A person who places a bet.
  • Blanket finish: When multiple participants finish so close that they cannot be separated in a photo finish.
  • Book: Bookmaker’s tally of amounts bet on each selection at odds necessary to ensure a profit regardless of the final result.
  • Bookie: Another word for bookmaker.
  • Bookmaker: A person or company who takes bets on events or matches.
  • Bottle: UK slang for odds of 2/1.
  • Boxed bet: Covering all combinations in events that have multiple possibilities.
  • Breakage: The amount of money that’s rounded down on tote dividends.
  • Burling: A jockey’s attempt to bring another horse to the front in a race.
  • Buy Points: A bettor’s ability to purchase points on a point spread game.
  • Buy Price: The higher quote in a spread betting market.
  • Canadian Line: A combination of point spread and moneyline in hockey.
  • Chalk: Another word for favourite.
  • Chalk player: Someone who predominantly bets on favorites.
  • Chasing: Placing bigger bets in an attempt to recover losses.
  • Chickened out: A bettor who chooses not to bet after initially expressing interest.
  • Circled: An event where betting is limited by the the bookmaker.
  • Closing line: The odds or point spread available when the game starts.
  • Combo bet: Combining multiple bets as one.
  • Comp points: Points collected when betting that can be exchanged for other goods or services.
  • Consensus pick: Percentage of bettors wagering on each side of a bet or game.
  • Consolation double: Double bet involving two selections in different events.
  • Cover: Beating the spread by the required number of points.
  • Credit betting: Betting with a bookmaker on credit.
  • Daily double: Picking the winners of two consecutive races, usually the first two or last two.
  • Dead heat:
  • Deposit betting: Betting with a bookmaker using previously deposited money.
  • Dime: American term for a $1,000 bet.
  • Dime line: A betting line where the juice is 10%.
  • Dividend: The payout agreed on a bet.
  • Dog: American term that is short for underdog.
  • Dollar bet: A $100 bet.
  • Double action: A bet which has two parts, the second dependent on the outcome of the first.
  • Double carpet: UK slang for 33/1 odds.
  • Double result: A bet on the outcome at half-time and full-time.
  • Doubles bets: ab, ac, ad, bc, bd, cd. Four treble bets: abc, abd, acd, bcd.
  • Draw: When both sides in an event finish evenly. If the draw was not offered as a betting option, usually the Dead Heat rule applies and the return will be divided by the number of joint winners.
  • Drift: When the odds of one outcome gets longer (lengthens) are said to be “on the drift” or “to have drifted”.
  • Dutching strategy: Spreading stake over multiple bets to achieve a consistent return.
  • Each way: A split wager for one bet to win and one bet to place.
  • Early cash out: A feature offered by some bookmakers where bettors can settle a bet before the event is concluded.
  • Edge: To have an advantage.
  • Even money/Evens: A 1 to 1 bet.
  • Exacta bet: A bet on the first two finishers in a specific order.
  • Exotic wager: American term for any bet other than a straight bet.
  • Exposure: The maximum amount a bookie could lose on any game.
  • Exposure limit: The maximum amount a sportsbook can lose on a market or event.
  • Favorite vs. Field: Betting on the favorite and against the rest of the field.
  • Favourite: The team most likely to win (also the lowest paying bet).
  • Field bet: A bet on a field goal being the next scoring play in a game.
  • Fixed bet: A bet where the return is agreed at the time the bet is placed.
  • Fixed odds: When the odds are set and don’t fluctuate.
  • Flag bet: A bet comprised of 23 bets on four selections.
  • Flat betting: Betting the same amount every time irrespective of the odds or amount of games played.
  • Flexi betting: Allows bettors to bet a percentage of a standard unit or bet.
  • Forecast: Predicting the first two finishers in exact order.
  • Form: A factor used to rate how an individual, horse or team is currently performing.
  • Free play: Bets which are given as bonuses, where no stake is at risk.
  • Full bet: The number of individual bets in a bet.
  • Full cover bet: All possible multiple bets on the selected events.
  • Future: American term for ante-post.
  • Future book: Placing bets on events that will take place in the future.
  • Gamble: Another word for bet.
  • Getting down: Placing a bet.
  • Going: The condition of the racing surface.
  • Grand: British term for a £1,000 bet.
  • Grand Salami: Betting over/under on the total number of goals/points/runs in all games of a specific league.
  • Half dollar bet: A $50 bet.
  • Handicap: An advantage to the weak individual or team in one-sided events. Bookmakers use it to make of any event a more attractive betting proposition to the punters.
  • Handicapper: A person who analyses sport events predicting the outcomes.
  • Handle: American term to indicate the total amount of money taken in bets by a bookmaker over a given event or period of time.
  • Hang Cheng: This is a form of soccer betting popular in Asia where returns on a team winning are determined by part-goal handicaps.
  • Head-to-head: A bet between two participants within an event, disregarding the rest.
  • Hedging: When a punter places a bet on the opposing outcome to his original selection in order to guarantee a winning or cut a loss.
  • Holding your own: To break even.
  • Hook: The half point in point spread.
  • Hot game: A game drawing a significant amount of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers.
  • If bet: A bet that only goes ahead if a previous bet is won.
  • In the money: In horse racing, a horse that finishes first, second, or third.
  • Joint favorite: The selection with the lowest odds.
  • Jolly: The favorite in a race.
  • Juice: American term for commission.
  • Key bet: A main bet that controls and is linked to other bets.
  • Late money: Money that comes in late on a selection, often from knowledgeable bettors.
  • Laying a bet: A bookmaker or person on a betting exchange, accepting a bet.
  • Laying off: A bet made by a bookie with another bookie in order to relieve the excess action he has accepted from his customers.
  • Laying the moneyline: Betting on the underdog in moneyline terms.
  • Lay the points: A bet on the favourite in a point spread event.
  • Lay the price: A bet on the favourite in a money line event.
  • Lengthening: When a bookmaker increases the odds on a particular outcome to make them more attractive.
  • Limit: The maximum bet accepted by the bookmaker.
  • Linemaker: The person who compiles and sets the betting lines.
  • Lines: Another term to indicate the odds or point spread offered to the punter.
  • Listed Pitchers: Bet on a baseball game that will be counted only if both listed pitchers start.
  • Listed Race: A significant race but one grade below Group or Graded status.
  • Live bet: Betting on an event while it’s in progress. See In-play Betting.
  • Lock: American term to indicate an easy or “guaranteed” winner.
  • Long odds: Odds that offer a large payout due to the unlikeliness of the outcome.
  • Long List: A list of games and betting opportunities offered by the bookie.
  • Longshot: A selection that is very unlikely to win.
  • Longshot bias: Bettors gravitating towards longshots rather than favorites.
  • Lucky 15, 31, 63: Bets consisting of 15, 31, or 63 bets involving 4, 5, or 6 selections.
  • Lumper: A person who regularly bets large amounts.
  • Market mover: A selection whose odds have shortened.
  • Martingale system: Doubling your bet after each loss, aiming to recover all losses.
  • Match bet: A bet which pits any two players/teams against each other in an event.
  • Middler: American term to indicate a bettor that places bets on both sides.
  • Minus Pool: When a book’s losses exceed its winnings.
  • Money line: American term for a line offered without a handicap.
  • Monkey:
  • Mug Punter: An uninformed or naive gambler.
  • Mystery bet: A bet where the selection(s) are made by a third-party.
  • Nap:
  • Nickel line: A term indicating that the juice is 5%
  • No action: A bet in which no money is won or lost.
  • No bet: A race or event that bookmakers are not accepting bets on.
  • Novelty bet: Betting on non-sporting events, such as reality show outcomes.
  • Odds: The return offered by the bookmaker on a selection to win.
  • Odds against: A price where the odds are greater than evens (fractional) or 2.00 (decimal).
  • Odds compiler: The person who compiles and sets the odds.
  • Odds man: Person who writes the odds on the chalkboard.
  • Odds on: A price where the odds are less than evens (fractional) or 2.00 (decimal).
  • Oddsmaker: Another word for odds compiler.
  • Off the board: American term to indicate an event on which a bookmaker will not accept bets.
  • Off-track betting (OTB): Betting at a location away from the racetrack.
  • On the nose: A bet where winnings are based only on the winner of the race.
  • Opener: The initial betting line.
  • Opening line: Same as the above. Initial line set by linemakers, before it’s adjusted.
  • Outlaw line: The earliest line in sports betting.
  • Outlay: The money a bettor wagers.
  • Outsider: Another term for underdog.
  • Over/Under: A bet on whether the total points or goals scored will be over or under a specified number posted by the bookmaker.
  • Overbook: A term that indicates the bookmaker accepted more bets on the one end of the bet.
  • Overbroke: When the “book” results in a loss for the bookmaker.
  • Overlay: When the odds of a selection are high compared to its chance of winning.
  • Overround: Profit margin set by the bookmaker on every “book” he makes.
  • Paper trader: Someone who practices their betting strategies without investing real money.
  • Pari mutuals: A system where all bets are placed in a pool and the winners are paid from that pool.
  • Parlay: American term for accumulator.
  • Parlay card: A card filled out in advance to place a parlay.
  • Past post: Placing a bet after the event has started.
  • Patent bet: A bet of 3 selections comprising 7 bets.
  • Penny line: A betting line where the juice is only 1%.
  • Permutation: Selection of all specific accumulators from a list of selected outcomes. For example, if you select 4 outcomes (a, b, c, d) you could perm all the possible doubles and trebles. Six
  • Picks: Betting selections chosen by an expert.
  • Pick ’em game: A game where neither team is favored.
  • Place terms: The returns for place bets, which differ based on the type of race and number of runners.
  • Player: Another term for punter.
  • Pleaser parlay: A parlay that uses a modified point spread in the player’s disadvantage.
  • Point spread: The points allocated to the underdog to level the margin of the favourite in a mismatch.
  • Pony: UK slang for £25.
  • Pool betting: All stakes are pooled and winners are paid by dividing the pool amongst them.
  • Post time: Scheduled starting time of an event.
  • Post-up: American term for deposit betting.
  • Power rankings: Rankings based on statistics and other performance metrics.
  • Press bet: To bet a larger amount than usual.
  • Price: Another term to indicate the odds.
  • Price push: When a bookmaker increases the odds on a particular market.
  • Proposition: A bet on a particular aspect of a game or on a non-sports event.
  • Puckline: Giving odds of a goal spread in hockey instead of straight money line prices.
  • Punter: A person who places a bet.
  • Punter’s Book: A record of all bets placed, outcomes, and any associated details.
  • Push: A game that is tied after the point spread is factored in.
  • Quadrella: Picking the winner in four specific races.
  • Quinella: Picking the first two horses to finish in any order.
  • Pick’em: A game in which neither team is favored.
  • Return: Total amount for a winning bet (stake+winnings).
  • Reverse Forecast: A bet where you predict the first and second places in any order.
  • Runner: Person who places bets for someone else.
  • Scalper: American term for a bettor who attempts to profit from the differences/variations in the odds from bookmaker to bookmaker by betting both sides of the game at different prices.
  • Scorecast betting: Predicting the first goal scorer and the match result.
  • Sharp: A knowledgeable and smart bettor.
  • Shorten or Short Odds: Referred to the odds getting shorter. The opposite of “lengthen”.
  • Show: A bet in which the horse must finish first, second, or third.
  • Shut out: When a bettor can’t get their bet in on time.
  • Single: A straight bet on one selection.
  • Soft line: A line that has been adjusted or moved as a result of action and does not reflect the true price.
  • Special: A bet offered by the bookmaker tailored for specific events.
  • Sportsbook: An American term for bookmaker.
  • Spread: Short for point spread.
  • Square: Unsophisticated bettor.
  • Stake: The amount of money bet.
  • Stake not returned (SNR): When the bookmaker doesn’t return the free bet stake.
  • Stake returned (SR): When the bookmaker returns the stake in free bets.
  • Steam: Heavy one side action that causes a betting line to move quite rapidly.
  • Steamer: A selection that keeps attracting significant bets.
  • Straight up:
  • Super Heinz:
  • Super Yankee: Another name for a Canadian bet.
  • Sure thing: A can’t lose bet.
  • System: A method of betting used by a punter to try to get an advantage.
  • Take bet: Betting the underdog and its advantage in the point spread.
  • Take the price: A bet on the underdog in a money line event.
  • Take the points: A bet on the underdog in a point spread event.
  • Teaser: American term for a bet based on the point spread where the punter can adjust the line in his favour in return of reduced odds.
  • Teaser Card: A parlay card that lets the bettor choose to move the point spread.
  • Tic-Tac: The sign language used by bookmakers to communicate odds.
  • Tie: Another term for draw.
  • Tips: Betting selections chosen by an expert.
  • Totals: American term for over/under bets.
  • Tipster: A person who sells to punters his selections on sports events.
  • Tout: American term for tipster.
  • Trebles bet: A type of accumulator bet where you pick the outcome of three events.
  • Tricast: Predicting the first three finishers in exact order.
  • Trixie: A bet of 3 selections comprising 4 bets.
  • True Odds: Real odds of something happening as opposed to what the bookies offer.
  • Two-Way Three-Way Bet: A bet where you can bet on both sides, with the tie as a third option.
  • Underdog: The individual or team considered less likely to win.
  • Union Jack: A bet of 9 selections comprising 8 trebles.
  • Value bet: A bet where the potential return exceeds the risk involved.
  • Vig: Short for vigorish.
  • Vigorish: American term to indicate the bookmaker commission.
  • Void: A bet that has been cancelled and refunded.
  • Wager: American term for bet.
  • Wager limit: The maximum amount a bookmaker will accept on a single bet.
  • Welcher: A person who does not pay his/her gambling debt.
  • Win bet: A bet that a team or individual will win.
  • Wire to Wire: When a team leads an event from start to finish.
  • Wiseguy: A successful bettor that makes his living from betting.
  • Yankee Bet: A multiple bet consisting of 11 bets involving 4 selections in different events.
  • Yield: The betting profit as a percentage of the stake.

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