Sports Book Betting Terms
Action
- A sports betting wager of any kind, a bet.
Added Game - For sports
betting, a game not part of Las Vegas regular rotation
posted as an accommodation to customers.
ATS - "Against the spread,"
taking points rather than betting with the spread
and laying points in sports betting.
Beard - In sports betting
a beard is a friend or acquaintance who is used
to place bets as to conceal the true identity of
the real bettor.
Book - In sports gambling
a Book is an establishment that accepts bets on
the outcome of horse racing and sporting events.
Bookie - In sports wagering
a person who accepts bets.
Buck - Sports betting term
for a $100 wager.
Buy (Points) - In sports
betting, a player pays an additional price to receive
half a point or more in his favour on a point spread
game.
Canadian Line - In sports
betting the Canadian line is a combination point
spread and money line in hockey.
Chalk - The favourite.
Chalk Player - In sports
gambling this person is someone who usually only
plays the favoured teams, rarely betting on the
underdogs.
Circled game - In sports
wagering this is a game in which the betting action
is reduced; usually occurs in added games, games
with injuries, bad weather, propositions, or halves
of games. These games cannot be included in parlays
or teasers
Cover - In sports betting
this term means a pointspread win
Dime - $1000.00 sports
betting wager.
Dime Line - In sports betting
a Dime line is a line where the juice is 10%.
Dog - In sports betting,
the team perceived to be most likely to lose.
Dog Player - In sports
gambling this term refers to one who mostly plays
the underdog.
Dollar - $100, in sports
wagering.
Double action - An "if
bet" in sports betting that is processed if the
precedent bet wins, ties or cancels.
Double Bet - In sports
betting a double bet is a wager for twice the size
of one's usual wager; also known as "double pop"
or "doubling up."
Edge - A persons Advantage
when it comes to sports betting.
Even Money - Sports betting
term "Even money" is a bet whose odds are 1/1; a
wager in which no vigorish or juice is laid.
Exotic - In sports gambling
the term Exotic is any wager other than a straight
bet or parlay - also called a prop or proposition.
Exposure - The maximum
amount of money a sports book stands to lose on
a game.
Favourite - In sports betting
this it the team expected to win an event. The quoted
odds reflect the extent to which the choice is favoured.
Fifty cents - $50.00 of
sports betting action
Figure - For sports betting,
Figure is the amount owed to or by a bookmaker
First half bet - In sports
betting this is a bet placed only on the first half
of the game.
Future - In sports gambling
odds are posted in advance on the winners of various
major events including the Super Bowl, the World
Series, the Stanley Cup, and the NBA Championship
this is called a Future bet
Getting Down - sports wagering
meaning making a bet.
Grand Salami - A sports
betting term meaning the grand total of goals scored
in all the hockey games of the day. It can be wagered
to go Over/Under.
Half a dollar - $50.00
in sports betting action.
Half time bet - In sports
betting this is a bet placed only on the second
half of the game.
Handicapper - When it comes
to sports betting a handicapper is one who studies,
rates and wagers on sporting events and/or races.
Handicapping - In sports
gambling this is the attempt to predict the outcome
of sporting events.
Handle - A sports wagering
term that means the total amount of bets taken.
Hedging - A sports betting
term that means placing wagers on the opposite side
in order to cut losses or guarantee a minimum amount
of winnings.
Hook - In sports betting
a Hook is a half point added to football and basketball
betting lines.
Hot game - Sports betting
term for a game which is drawing a lot of action
on one side by knowledgeable handicappers.
Juice - The bookmaker's
commission on a losing bet, also known as "vigorish."
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