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A
ACTION
A wager of any kind, a bet. In baseball, placing the bet no matter who pitches.
AFC
American Football Conference
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B
BEARD
A friend or acquaintance or contact who's used to place a bet for someone so that the bookmaker won't know the identity of the bettor. Many top handicappers and persons occupying sensitive positions use this method for wagering.
BOOK
An establishment that accepts wagers on the outcome of horseracing and sporting events.
BOOKIE
Person who takes the clients' bets.
BUCK
A $100 wager.
BUY
A player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a pointspread game.
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C
CANADIAN LINE
A combination point line and moneyline in hockey.
CHALK
A favorite.
CHALK PLAYER
Someone who usually only plays the favored teams, rarely betting on the underdogs.
CIRCLED GAME
A game in which the betting action is severely limited; usually occurs in games that feature key injuries, inclement weather, or unsubstantiated rumors regarding a team; most bookies "circle" all Ivy League Games.
COVER
To bet the spread by the required number of points; if such occurs, you have "covered the spread".
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D
DIME or DIME BET
A $1,000 wager.
DIME LINE
A line where the juice is 5%.
DOG
The underdog in any betting proposition.
DOG PLAYER
One who mostly plays the underdog.
DOLLAR BET or BUCK
A $100 wager.
DOUBLE ACTION
An "if bet" that is processed if the precedent bet wins, ties or cancels.
DOUBLE BET
A wager for twice the size of one's usual wager; also known as "double pop" or "doubling up".
DOUBLE HEADER
Two separate games played by the same teams on the same day.
DUE FOR
A team that is "due for" whether it is a win or a loss; many bettors like to play "due for" situations.
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E
EAST COAST LINE
Mainly used in hockey, which has a split-goal line e.g. - NY Rangers (1 - 1½) favorite over the Vancouver Canucks as opposed to goal spread plus moneyline (-1/2 -180).
EDGE
Advantage.
EVEN MONEY
A wager in which no vigorish or juice is laid.
EXOTIC WAGER
Any bet other than a straight bet, i.e., parlays, teasers, if bets, reverses, round robin, round robin box reverses, etc.
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F
FAVORITE
The entry expected to win an event. The quoted odds reflect the extent to which the choice is favored.
FIFTY CENTS
$50.00
FINAL FOUR
Remaining four college teams from a field of 64. They meet to determine the National Champion.
FIRST HALF BET
(1H) A bet placed only on the first half of the game.
FOUR MAJORS
Golf's most prestigious events: the Masters, the US Open, PGA in the US and the British Open.
FUTURES
Odds posted on the winners of various major sport championships in advance of the event, including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup and the NBA championship.
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G
GETTING DOWN
Making a wager.
GRAND SLAM
The four most important tournaments in tennis: the Australian Open, the French Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon.
GRAND SALAMI
The grand total of goals scored in all the hockey games of the day. It can be wagered to go Over/Under.
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H
HALF A DOLLAR
$50.00
HALF TIME BET
(2H) A bet placed only on the second half of the game (overtime included).
HANDICAPPER
One who studies, rates and wagers on sporting events and/or races.
HANDICAPPING
The attempt to predict the outcome of sporting events.
HANDLE
Total amounts of bets taken.
HEDGING
Placing bets on the opposite side in order to cut losses or guarantee winning a minimal amount of money.
HOLDING YOUR OWN
Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even.
HOME TEAM
The team playing in its own town.
HOOK
A half point added to football and basketball betting lines.
HOT GAME
A game which is drawing a lot of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers.
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I
IBF
International Boxing Federation
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J
JUICE
The bookmaker's commission; also known as the vigorish.
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L
LAYING THE POINTS
Betting on the favorite.
LAYING THE PRICE
Betting the favorite by laying money odds.
LIMIT
The maximum amount a bookmaker will allow you to bet before he changes odds and/or the points; also the "cap" on what you can personally wager.
LINE
The current odds or pointspread on a particular event.
LINEMAKER
The person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines.
LINE QUALITY
A line may be normal, circled or sharp. A line would be circled due to injuries, weather or any other factor that causes the bookmaker to think the line may move drastically. Circled lines or circled games have restrictions on the maximum bet that will be accepted. A line would be sharp if the bookmaker expects the line to remain unchanged and there to be lots of wagering on that event. Sharp lines or sharp games have higher betting limits.
LISTED PITCHERS
Stating that you will place bet only if one or both of the pitchers scheduled to start a baseball game actually start. If they don't, the bet is cancelled.
LOCK
Easy winner.
LONGSHOT
A team or horse that is unlikely to win.
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M
MLB
Major Baseball League (divided into two leagues: the National and the American).
MONEYLINE
Odds expressed in terms of money. For example, with money odds, whenever there is a minus (-), you must lay that amount to win say a hundred dollars, where there is a plus (+), you get that amount for every hundred dollars wagered.
MOVE THE LINE
A player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a point spread game. See "buy".
MIDDLE(S)
To win both sides of the same betting proposition; betting the favorite team at -1.5 with one bookmaker and then taking +3.5 with another bookmaker; the game ends up with the favorite winning by exactly 3 points, you have then "middled the game"; a favorite betting method of "Wise Guys".
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N
NBA
National Basketball Association
NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
NEWSPAPER LINE
The betting line which quite often appears in the daily newspapers; the lines are only approximate and quite often totally inaccurate and misleading.
NFC
National Football Conference
NFL
National Football League (divided into American Football Conference and National Football Conference).
NHL
National Hockey League (teams divided into Eastern Conference and Western Conference).
NICKEL
A $500.00 wager.
NIT
National Invitational Tournament
NO ACTION
A bet in which no money is lost nor won. See "push".
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O
ODDSMAKER
Same as a linemaker.
OFF THE BOARD
A game on which the bookmaker will not accept action.
ONE
$100.00
OVER
A sports bet in which the bettor guesses that the combined point total of two teams will be above a specified total.
OVERTIME
Extension to a tied contest at the end of regulation play that lasts until a winner is determined or maximum overtime periods expire.
OUTLAW LINE
An overnight line not used by casinos or offshore establishments.
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P
PARLAY
(1) a sport bet with two or more teams in which all teams must win or cover for the bettor to be successful and receive higher payouts; (2) a wager on two or more horseraces in which the winnings are carried over to the next race.
PARLAY CARDS
Wagers on a minimum of 3 and up to 15 propositions; the more you pick, the higher the payoff.
PAST PERFORMANCE
What has occurred previously to the forthcoming games.
PGA
Professional Golfers Association.
PICK 'EM GAME
Neither team is favored; take your pick and lay 11 to 10.
POINTSPREAD
The "line"; the handicap, or head start that the favorite gives to the underdog for betting purposes.
POSTPONED
A contest cancelled for any reason and rescheduled at a later date.
PRESS
To bet a larger amount than usual.
PRICE
The odds or pointspread.
PUCKLINE
Mainly used on East Coast with hockey, giving odds of a goal spread instead of Canadian Line where both a goal spread and moneyline is played.
PUSH
Tie; neither side wins and all money is returned to the bettors.
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R
RAINED OUT
A game cancelled because of weather.
REVERSE
In horse racing, to ask for a second exacta wager which specifies two horses in reverse order of the first exacta wager.
ROUND ROBIN
A series of three or more teams into 2-team wagers.
RUN DOWN
All the lines for an specific date, sport, time, etc.
RUN LINE
A line used when wagering on baseball.
RYDER CUP
A golf tournament in which every two years the top American and European golfers meet at venues alternating between the two continents.
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S
SHARP LINE
A game in which the maximum bet is raised. This is usually done only for games involving the most popular teams and that are televised. Monday Night Football games and Final Four basketball games would be good examples.
SHOW
A horse racing bet in which you collect if the horse finishes first, second or third.
SIDES
The names of the two teams playing: the underdog and the favorite.
SINGLE ACTION
An "if bet" that is processed only if the precedent bet wins.
SCOUTS
Person(s) who study team plays and/or practise and report findings to handicappers.
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.
SPREAD
The predicted scoring differential between two opponents as quoted by a sports book. See "pointspread".
STANLEY CUP
Best-of-seven series between the Eastern and Western conference champions in the NHL to determine the World Champion.
STEAM
When a betting line starts to move quite rapidly; most "steam but are games that the mass of bettors somehow decide to key on.
STORE
A Bookie.
STRAIGHT BET
A bet on just one team or horse.
SUPER BOWL
Winners of the AFC and NFC meet to determine the NFL Champion.
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T
TAKING
Wagering on the underdog; taking the odds.
TEASER
A wager combining two or more games together and giving the player a fixed number of additional points in his favor.
TICKET
A wager.
TIE
A bet in which no money is lost nor won because the teams' scores were equal to the number of points in the given line.
TOTALS
Total combined point/runs/goals scored in a game. In baseball, if either of the two listed starting pitchers don't go, the bet is automatically cancelled.
TOUT
Someone who sells his expertise on sports or horse wagers.
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U
UNDER
A sports bet in which the bettor guesses that the total points scored by two teams will be under a certain figure.
UNDERDOG
The team perceived to be most likely to lose. Also known as the "dog".
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V
VALUE
Getting the best odds on a betting proposition; the highest possible edge.
VIGORISH
The commission paid to the bookmaker.
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W
WBA
World Boxing Association.
WBC
World Boxing Council.
WISE GUY
A well-informed or knowledgeable handicapper or bettor.
WOOD
Laying points.
WINDOW
What some players say after winning a bet.
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