| SPORT BETTING TERMINOLOGY |
MEANING |
| Action |
A bet of any kind. |
| BM |
Bookmaker, one who books bets. |
| BR |
Bankroll for betting purposes. |
| 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, a puppy, the "dog". |
| Chalk |
A favorite, expected to be the winner. |
| Circled game |
A contest on which betting limits are reduced (injuries and weather are primary reasons for games to be circled). |
| Cover |
A pointspread win against the betting line. |
| Degenerate |
A compulsive gambler, one who bets just to have action. |
| Dime |
$1,000 |
| Dollar |
$100 |
| Earn |
Percentage hold |
| Exotic |
Any wager other than a straight bet. |
| Exposure |
The maximum amount of money a sports book stands to lose on a game |
| Figure |
Amount owed to or by a bookmaker. |
| Racing Form |
A tabloid used for horse race handicapping data |
| Getting down |
Placing a bet on a game or sports event. |
| Handicapper |
A person who studies factors such as statistics, injuries, weather and news to predict the outcome. |
| Handle |
Total amount of money wagered. |
| Hedge |
To reduce amount of action by betting the opposite side of a previous wager. |
| 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, giving points to the underdog. |
| Layoff |
Money bet by the 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 sure winner, can't lose, (there really is no such thing). |
| Matador |
A cover that occurs in the waning moments of an event (also referred to as a back door cover). |
| Middle |
Betting both sides of a game, at different prices, with 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 sports event on which wagers are not being accepted (generally because of injuries) |
| Overlay |
A situation in which the odds favor the bettors rather than the house. |
| Parlay |
One 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 begun. |
| Pick'em |
A game with no favorite (the straight-up winner will win the bet). |
| Price |
The odds on a sport gambling event. |
| Puppy |
The underdog. |
| Push |
A pointspread tie. |
| Round robin |
A single ticket comprised of more than one parlay. |
| Rundown |
Sports betting odds on all games for a particular day. |
| 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, sport bettor. |
| Square |
A novice sports bettor. |
| Steam |
Heavy wagering action on one side of a game. |
| Straight bet |
One wager (as opposed to a parlay). |
| Sucker bet |
Parlays, props, teasers or exotics (anything bookmakers use to entice more bets). |
| Taking a price |
Betting an underdog. |
| Tapped out |
Broke from gambling. |
| Teaser |
A wager allowing bettors to add and subtract points from posted odds. |
| Tout service |
A company that sells betting opinions (beware of the hype). |
| Underlay |
A situation where the wagering 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 sport bettor. |
