Sportsbook Glossary

Sports Betting Tips

 Sportsbook Gambling Reviews Sports betting Types



Action Is normally known as having money in a game (bet), but when you wager on baseball and you choose action, it means that you don't mind which pitchers are starting the game.
Bad Beat Tough loss
Beard Messenger bettor
Beef Dispute Buck - $100
Chalk Favorite
Chalk Eater Favorite bettor
Churn The effect of betting and rebetting money
Circle Game Game where action is limited due to uncertainties about weather, injuries, etc.
Cover In by more than the pointspread
Dime $1000
Dollar $100
Earn Practical hold percentage
Edge Advantage
Exotic Bet Action other than a straight bet or parlay
Figure Amount owed by or to a bookmaker
Get Down Make a bet
Gross Win Win before expenses
Handicapper One who studies sports and predicts outcomes
Handle Total amount of bets taken
Hedge Bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of action you have on a game
Hook Half point in pointspreads, as in "lost by the hook"
Home Field Advantage Edge the home team is expected to have as a result of the familiarity with the arena and effect of travel on the visting team.
Hoop Basketball
Hot Tip Information the bookmaker is not yet privy to
Juice Bookmaker's commission, most often refers to the 11 to 10 football bettors lay on straight wagers; vigorish
Lay A Price Bet a favorite, lay the points
Limit Maximum bet accepted by the house before the price will be changed
Line The betting proposition on a game and/or payoff odds on the bet
Longshot  Large underdog
Middle To win both sides of a game. For example, if you bet the underdog +3 1/2 and the favorite -2 1/2 and the favorite wins by 3, you've MIDDLED the book. The book has BEEN MIDDLED.
Minus Pool In pari-mutuel wagering, when after the take is extracted, there is not enough money left to pay winning patrons the minimum bet. The track must then make up the difference. Mutuel - Price paid on a winning pari-mutuel wager
Neutral Site Arena, court, or field where neither side has a home field advantage
Nickel $500
Off The Board Game where no bets are being accepted
Out Bookmaker, usually refers to an illegal bookmaker Overplay - When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house
Parlay A bet with two or more teams where all the teams must win for the bettor to be successful
Past Post  To make a bet after an event has started Pick or Pick'em - A game where neither team is favored Player - Bettor or gambler
Practical Hold Percentage The amount won be a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked
Press To bet a larger amount than usual
Price Line
Puppy Underdog
Push Tie Round Robin - A series of parlays.
Round Robin A three team round robin consists of three two-team parlays.
Rundown Line update
Scalper One 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 a lot of money
Scratch Withdraw; cancel
Sharp Wise guy
Side To win one side and tie the other. For example, if you lay -2 1/2 and take 3 on the smae game and the favorite wins by 3 you have SIDED the book. The book has been SIDED.
Square Unsophisticated gambler
Steam  Heavy action on one side
Straight Bet A bet on just on team
Sucker Bet Bet with a large house edge
Take A Price Bet the underdog, take the points
Tapped Out Broke, busted, common result of pressing
Theorical Hold Percentage The edge the bookmaker would have IF the odds guaranteed him a constant commission regardless of the outcome
Toss Up Game where the line is close to pick-em
Tout Service A business that sells opinions on sporting events
Underlay When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house
Value An overlay
Vigorish Juice
Wiseguy Established and successful sports bettor