| SPORTSBOOK GLOSSARY |
| Term |
Definition |
Action |
A
bet
|
BM |
Bookmaker
|
BR |
Bankroll
|
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
|
Chalk |
A
favorite
|
Circled
game |
A
contest on which betting limits are reduced (injuries and weather
are the primary reasons for games to be circled)
|
Cover |
A
pointspread win
|
Degenerate |
A
compulsive gambler
|
Dime |
$1,000
|
Dollar |
$100
|
Earn |
Percentage
hold
|
Exotic |
Any
wager other than a straight bet or parlay (also referred to as a proposition
or prop)
|
Exposure |
The
maximum amount of money a sports book stands to lose on a game
|
Figure |
Amount
owed to or by a bookmaker
|
Form |
A
tabloid used for horse racing data
|
Getting
down |
Placing
a bet
|
Handicapper |
A
person who studies factors such as statistics, injuries, weather and
news to predict the outcome of games
|
Handle |
Total
amount of money wagered
|
Hedge
|
To
reduce amount of action by wagering on the opposite side of a previous
bet
|
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
|
Layoff |
Money
bet by a 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
surefire winner (there really is no such proposition)
|
Matador |
A
cover that occurs in the waning moments of a game (also referred to
as a back door cover)
|
Middle |
Betting
both sides of a game at different prices with the 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
game on which bookmakers are not accepting wagers (generally because
of injuries)
|
Overlay |
A
situation in which the odds on a game favor the bettors rather than
the house
|
Parlay |
One
bet 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 started
|
Pick'em |
A
game with no favorite (the straight-up winner also would win bets)
|
Price |
The
odds on a game
|
Puppy |
The
underdog
|
Push |
A
tie
|
Round
robin |
A
single ticket with comprised of more than one parlay
|
Rundown |
A
list of odds on a particular day's games
|
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 sports bettor
|
Square |
A
novice sports bettor
|
Steam |
Heavy
action on one side of a game
|
Straight
bet |
One
wager (as opposed to a parlay)
|
Sucker
bet |
Parlays,
teasers or exotics (anything bookmakers use to entice squares to bet
more)
|
Taking
a price |
Betting
an underdog
|
Tapped
out |
Broke
from gambling
|
Teaser |
A
sucker wager that allows bettors to add and subtract points from posted
odds
|
Tout
service |
A
company that sells selections on games (most in the United States
are dishonest)
|
Underlay |
A
situation in which the 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 sports bettor
|
