BigCat's Sports Betting Glossary 

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Across The Board
The games put up on a Sports Book board for gaming purposes. This term is also used when betting a horse for Win, Place, and Show.

Action
A wager of any kind, a bet. In baseball, placing the bet no matter who pitches.

Against The Spread
To pick a winner in a game that is handicapped by a point spread.

Agent
The person or "stooge" that represents the book. This is the usually the only contact that a bettor will have with the book other than voice mail or an answering machine.

Apple
A derisive term used by bookmakers to describe those customers (gamblers) that they can beat and/or take advantage of by sometimes dealing them a soft number when they know which the bettor be coming in on.

Bad Beat
Difficult Loss

Back Door
In football especially, when a side scores a meaningless touchdown late in the game to tighten the score. While it doesn't affect the outcome, it kills the spread.

Bet It 'Till your Hands Fall Off
Means a wager is a sure thing.

Bankroll
Funds available to gamer (also "BR")

Beard
A friend or acquaintance or other contact who is used to place bets so that the bookmakers will not know the identity of the true bettor. Many top handicappers and persons occupying sensitive positions use this method of wagering.

Beef
Dispute

Black
When you can't win a bet to save your life.

Boat
Many people on one side of a wager, with little or nobody on the other side.

Boned
To lose what appeared to be a sure winner late in the game.

Book
An establishment that accepts wagers on the outcome of horse racing and sporting events.

Break The Book
When two or more people, knowingly bet alike or very similarly with  a common "bookie" and they all win big.

Buck
A $100 wager.

Canadian Line
A combination point line and money line in hockey.

Captain
Same as Boat.

Chalk
A favorite.

Chalk Player (Eater)
Someone who usually only plays the favored teams, rarely betting un the underdogs.

Churn
To use winnings to make a new play on a game.

Circled Game
A game in which the betting action is severely limited; using occurs in games that feature key injuries, inclement weather, or unsubstantiated rumors regarding a team; most bookies circle all "Ivy" League games

Clear The Board
To win all the day's wagers.

Collar
Losing every bet that you made in one day.

Counting The Money With Your Tongue
Winning all of your bets on a given day.

Cover
To bet the spread by the required number of points; if such occurs you have "covered" the spread.

Crushed
To lose all of the games that you bet on early in the day, then double up and lose all the games that you bet on later that day. Another term for this is "chasing".

Degenerate
An addicted gambler.

Dime or Dime Bet
A $1,000 wager.

Divorce
The marital status of most addicted sports gamblers.

Dog
The underdog in any betting proposition.

Dog Player
One who mostly plays the underdog.

Dollar Bet or Buck
A $100 wager.

Double Bet
A wager for twice the size of one's usual wager; also known as "double pop" or "doubling up".

Due For
A team that is "due for" whether it is a win or a loss; many bettors like to play "due for" situations.

Earn
The practical hold percentage.

East Cost Line
Mainly used in Hockey, which has a split goal line e.g. - NY Rangers (1-1 1/2) favorite over the Chicago Black Hawks 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, etc.

Factor
Condition altering, or potentially altering, the outcome of a game.

Figure
What is owed by or to a bookmaker.

Form
How a team should perform based on different factors.

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.

Gak
Changing your bet at the last minute and then losing.

Gaming Line
The point spread or odds on a game.

Getting Down
Making a wager.

Go With
Place a wager (also "get down)

Gross Win
Win before expenses are taken into account.

Half Stick
Synonym for half point

Handicapper
One who studies, and rates sporting events and/or races to predict their outcome.

Handle
The gross amount of money wagers taken by a gambling establishment in a day.

Hard Loss
A loss that was tough to swallow. Losses can be tough due to bad calls or when the gambler is unlucky but most often a hard loss is used to describe a loss that devastated the bankroll.

Harvey
Same as a half point.

Hedging
Placing a bet on opposite side in order to cut loses or guarantee winning a minimal amount of money.

Holding Your Own
Neither winning or losing, just breaking even.

Home Dog
A home team listed as the underdog on the gaming line.

Home Favorite
A home team listed as the favorite on the gaming line.

Home Field Advantage
The edge a team presumably has when playing at its home site.

Hook
A half point added to football and basketball betting lines.

Hooked
Losing by a half point.

Hoops
Basketball.

Houdini
A term used when one is down a bundle and makes it back with a parlay or a double up bet.

Hot Game
A game which is drawing a lot of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers.

Hot Tip
Key information that is not yet known by the bookmaker.

Intelligence
information on a game that can help the gamer choose the winner.

Jock
An athlete

Juice
The bookmakers commission; also known as the vigorish.

Junkie
an addicted gambler.

Lay
To make a play.

Lay A Price
To give points, or to play the favorite.

Lay Off
Transfer of lopsided action to a larger book.

Laying The Points
Betting on the favorite.

Limit
The maximum amount that a bookmaker will let you bet before he changes odds and/or the points; also the "cap" on what you can personally wager.

Line
The current odds or point spread on a particular game.

Line Maker
The person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines.

Listed Pitchers
Stating that you will [place your 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

Long Shot
A team or horse that is unlikely to win.

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 favorite winning by exactly 3 points, you have then "middled the game"; a favorite betting method of "Wise Guys".

Minus Pool
In pari-mutual gaming, when there is not enough money to pay winners the minimum play. The track itself then has to make up the difference.

Money Management
Allocating strategic amounts for specific plays.

Mushed
When one unlucky bettor gets in a game that many think is a lock and the game grumbles.

Mutual
Price paid on a winning para-mutual wager.

Neutral Site
Arena or field which is not the home of either team.

Newspaper Line
The betting line which appears in the daily newspaper; the lines are only approximate and quite often totally inaccurate and misleading.

Nickel
A $500 wager.

Nutz
A sure thing.

Odds
A ratio given by the odds maker representing the amount of payoff compared to the amount of bet.

O'Fer
Losing every bet that you made.

On Fire
A gambler on a winning streak.

Odds Maker
Same as a line maker.

Off The Board
A game on which the bookmaker will not accept action.

On The Board
A game for which a betting line has been established.

Opening Line
The line first established for any game.

Outlaw Line
An overnight line not used by the casinos or offshore establishments.

Over And Under
A play contingent a a game's total points.

Overlay
Odds on a play that favor the gamer rather than the house.

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 recieve higher payouts.
2) A wager on two or more horse races 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 Performances
What has occurred prior to the forthcoming game.

Past Post
Make a play after an event has started (also "PP")

Personal Line
A gamer's own opinion on what the point spread should be.

Pick 'Em Game
Neither team is favored; take your pick (and lay 11 to 10).

Pigeon
Somebody who is in your hip pocket because he loses all the time.

Player
Gamer.

Point Spread
The "line"; the handicap, or head start that the favorite gives to the underdog for betting purposes.

Practical Hold Percentage
The percentage of the action retained by the bookmaker.

Press
To bet a larger amount than usual.

Price
The odds or point spread.

Punt
To not play or "pass" a specific game or event.

Puppy
Underdog.

Puckline
Mainly used on the East Coast with hockey, giving odds of a goal spread instead of the Canadian line where both a goal spread and money line is used.

Push
Tie; neither side wins and all money is returned to the bettors.

Round Robin
A series of three or more teams into 2-team wagers.

Rundown
Line update.

Run Line
A line used when wagering on baseball.

Scalper
Gamer who tries to win 2 plays on the same game by looking for different lines on that game (See "middle").

Score
To win a lot of money.

Scouts
Person(s) who study team plays and/or practices and report findings to handicappers.

Scratch
Cancel or withdraw.

Shark
Wise Guy

Shylock
A bookmaker who changes the point spread or odds to his advantage.

Side
To win one play and tie one play on a single game based on two different point spreads.

Smart Money
Sides that are bet by more knowledgeable handicappers.

Sports Service
An organization that offers "expert advise" on outcomes of games and events.

Sport Player
A person who waits for what he thinks is an unusually strong wager.

Square
An unsophisticated gamer.

Stern
Heavy action on the side.

Stiff Artist
A gamer.

Steam
When a betting line starts to move quite rapidly; most "steam games" do not necessarily reflect the "right side", but are games that the mass of bettors somehow decide to key on.

Store
A bookie.

Straight Bet (Or Play)
A bet on just one team or horse.

Take A Price
To make a play on the underdog (take the points).

Take It To The Bank
Term used in association with a very strong "can't lose" play. 

Taking
Wagering on the underdog; taking the odds.

Tapped Out
Out of funds.

Teaser
A play involving multiple games in which the point spreads are adjusted.

Theoretical Hold Percentage
A bookmaker's advantage on a agme, assuming a constant commission could be earned regardless of the result.

Took One On The Chin
A hard loss. Often times used to describe a guy who got a bit of a reality check by a hard loss.

Toss Up
Game in which both teams appear to have an equal chance to win.

Tout
Someone who sells his expertise on sports or horse wagers.

Underdog
The team that is not favored to win

Underlay
Odds on a play that are in the favor of the house.

Value
Getting the best odds on a betting proposition; the highest possible edge.

Vigorish (or "Vig")
The commission paid to the bookmaker.

Welsh
To fail to pay a debt. 

Wise Guy
A well-informed or knowledgeable handicapper or bettor.

With The Spread
Play made on a favored team.

Wood
Laying Points.

* Most definitions are from the "Insiders Football Betting Line"