The
Punters' Friend

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• ACTION A bet or wager of any kind is deemed Action if valid. Different rules apply in different sports in determining if a bet is action or no action (e.g. baseball bets are action when the game gets beyond 4½ innings).
• ATS Against the spread
• ACCOUNTANT Slang for bookmaker, or bookie.
• ACCUMULATOR when you put an accumulator bet on, you are betting on a number of selections, and all of them must win for the bet to be successful. Once the first win has occurred, the winnings and original stake are wagered on the next bet, and so on until all bets have been completed. So if the first bet on a £10 stake won at 5-1, the amount rolled forward onto the next bet would be £60, and so on. Also: Roll-up. See parlay.
• ACROSS THE BOARD A term generally used in horse racing when betting on a horse to win, place and show.
• AGENT Someone who places customers into a book for a commission.
• AJAX UK Slang term for Betting Tax.
• ALL IN No refunds given for scratched or withdrawn sides in an event where a bet is placed. Should an event be cancelled, and then the amount bet will be refunded.
• ALPO The underdog.
• ALSO RAN Any selection not finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in a race or event.
• ANTE POST Ante-post prices are those on major sporting events, usually prior to the day of the event itself. In return for the chance of better odds, punters risk the fact that stakes are not returned if their selection pulls out.
• ANY TO COME (ATC) Term used to describe when the whole or part of returns from one wager are automatically reinvested on a subsequent bet.
• ARBITRAGE Where a variation in odds available allows a punter to back both sides and guarantee a win. - Banker - A punter's strong selection or "sure thing". An almost guaranteed winner, as in a Lock. Also, in permutation bets the banker is a selection that must win to guarantee any returns.
• ASIAN HANDICAP Asian Handicap Betting removes the chances of a draw and is the same as the way Americans bet on the spread. Sides are awarded anywhere between a fraction of a goal start to 3 goals dependent on how good or bad they are. The bookies may also use a half point start, which effectively eliminates the draw (used in the Far East).

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• BAD BEAT Losing under unusual circumstances
• BEARD (US) A contact (friend or acquaintance) who places bets for a bettor who wants to hide their identity from bookmakers.
• BEEF A dispute with your bookie about the accuracy of a wager.
• BM Bookmaker.
• BR Bankroll.
• BACK To bet a horse is to back it. A heavily backed horse has a lot of bets laid on it.
• BACK DOOR COVER Occurs when a team that has no real chance of winning the game outright scores meaningless points to cover the spread.
• BACKED A 'backed' team is one on which lots of bets have been placed.
• BANKER Highly expected to win.
• BANKROLL Your available gambling money.
• BAR Those runners in a race not quoted with a price during early betting shows. The bar price is the minimum odds for any of those selections not quoted.
• BASEBALL (US) In horse racing, a Daily double is a play in which a bettor couples a horse in one race with all horses in the other (also known as "wheeling").
• BEESWAX UK slang term for betting tax. (also known as "bees" or "ajax")
• BET Well, this is what it is all about - the amount of money you lay, or bet, on a horse. You lay a bet at odds which determine your winnings - see "odds".
• BETTING TAX Tax on a bookmaker's turnover. More correctly, in the UK this is a "duty" charged by Customs and Excise at the rate of 6.75p on every pound wagered. Common methods of recouping this are to deduct tax from returns or allow the punter to pay tax with his stake. In the latter event, no tax is deducted from the punter's winnings.
• BETTOR The US term for person placing a bet.
• BLIND BET A bet made by a racetrack bookmaker to draw other bookmakers' attention away from his sizeable betting on another horse- and thus to avoid a shortening of the odds on the other horse.
• BOARD Where betting odds and other information is displayed.
• BOOK An establishment that accepts wagers on the outcome of sporting events or horseracing.
• BOOK IS CLOSED The race has probably started, and no more bets will be accepted.
• BOOKIE Short for bookmaker. The person or shop who accepts bets.
• BOOKMAKER As BOOKIE.
• BOTTLE Slang for the odds 2/1.
• BOW WOW An underdog
• BOX A combination bet whereby all possible numeric combinations are covered.
• BREAKAGE (US) Difference between true pari-mutuel odds and lesser, rounded amounts given to winning bettors. The substantial residues go to the racetracks and controlling state authorities.
• BRIDGE JUMPER (US) Bettor who specializes in large show bets on odd-on favourites.
• BUCK (US) A bet of $100 USD (also known as a "dollar bet").
• BURLINGTON BERTIE Slang for the odds 100/30 (the way 10/3 is expressed).
• BUY A bettor pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a point spread game, to give away less points with the favorite or get more points with the underdog.
• BUY PRICE In Spread or Index betting, the higher figure quoted by an Index bookmaker.
• BUY THE RACK (US) Purchase every possible daily-double or other combination ticket. - C of
• BUYING PRICE A spread bet will have 2 prices - the buying price and the selling price. You will not be surprised to learn the buying price is higher.

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• CFC Short for Combination Forecast.
• CHALK A favorite
• CHALK EATER OR CHALK PLAYER Someone who usually only plays the favored teams. Rarely bets on underdogs. Also known as Favorite Freddie.
• CHURN The effect of betting and re-betting money.
• CIRCLE GAME Game where action is limited due to uncertainties about weather, injuries, etc.
• COVER To beat the spread by the required number of points, or a point spread win.
• CANADIAN A combination bet consisting 26 different bets of the same stake based around five selections in different permutations. The bet splits up into a five-fold, five four-folds, 10 trebles and 10 doubles. As in all Canadian-type bets, at least two of the selections must come in for the bet to return anything. A £1 Canadian would cost £26. Sometimes called a Super Yankee. Other Canadian-type bets include Trixie (3 selections), Yankee (4 selections), Heinz (6 selections), Super Heinz (7 selections), Goliath (8 selections).
• CANADIAN LINE A combination point line and moneyline in hockey.
• CARPET UK slang for Odds of 3 to 1 (also known as "tres" or "gimmel")
• CARPET JOINT US Slang for a luxury gambling casino.
• CENTURY £100 GBP (also known as a "ton")
• CHALKEATER A bettor who only bets on favorites.
• CIRCLED GAME (US) When a bookmaker puts a limit on the amount of action they are prepared to take on the game. This is most often due to doubts about key players.
• CLIENT (US) Purchaser of betting information from horseman or other tipster.
• CLOCKER (US) Person who times workouts, usually for betting information.
• CLOSE (US) Final odds on a horse (e.g. "closed at 5 to 1"). Confusingly equates to "Starting Price" in the UK.
• CO FAVOURITES Where three or more competitors share the status as favourite (have lowest odds).
• COCKLE Slang for the odds 10/1.
• COMBINATION (US) Across the board bet for which a single pari-mutuel ticket is issued.
• COMBINATION TRICASTS A similar principle to the above but you are betting on your ability to choose first second and third in a race in any order (CTC for short). You can choose from more than three horses to increase your chance of winning, but if you do the cost of the bet is so high that it becomes unlikely to make any profit. The number of lines or bets you are effectively putting on is the number of selections you want times by the two preceding numbers. If you want five selections, you will pay 5x4x3=60 times your stake, so a £2 combination tricast would cost £120 and would win you 2x the odds.
• COMBINATION FORECASTS OR CFC'S You may bet on three or more horses in a race, and any two of these have to finish first and second in any order to get some return on your bet. If you choose four horses, then effectively you are placing 4x3 = 12 separate bets (or "lines") to get a return if any two of your selections finish first and second. If you choose 5 horses, you'll be pacing 5x4=20 lines on the bet to (hopefully) achieve a return. The bet is priced per line, so the larger the number of horses you choose, the lower chance of your winnings exceeding your stake. Obviously.
• COME IN A bet is said to come in if it wins.
• COMPUTER STRAIGHT FORECAST (CSF) The odds for a forecast bet. The product of each selection's win odds multiplied together, presumably by a computer....
• CONSOLATION DOUBLE (US) When horse is scratched from 2nd race after daily double betting begins, money is set aside to pay those who have bought tickets pairing this horse with winner of 1st race.
• CONTROLLED RISK Spread betting with limited losses.
• CREDIT BET A bet taken by a bookmaker without a cash deposit.

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• DEGENERATE Compulsive gambler
• DAILY DOUBLE Type of wager calling for the winner of two consecutive races.
• DEAD HEAT When two competitors finish exactly equal.
• DEBIT BET A bet where a debit to the punter's bank account will be incurred if the bookie is owed money.
• DECIMAL ODDS See odds.
• DIME (US) A bet of $1,000 USD (also known as a "dime bet").
• DIVIDEND The agreed payout or return on any bet.
• DOG (US) The underdog in any betting proposition.
• DOG PLAYER Bettor who mostly plays the underdog.
• DOLLAR $100 Bet; also known as Buck.
• DOUBLE A two-bet accumulator: eg a win double means you predict the winners of two races, and both must win to get a return.
• DOUBLE BET A wager for the twice the size of one's usual bet.
• DOUBLE CARPET UK term for the price of 33-1
• DOUBLE STAKES ABOUT (OR DSA) Like Single Stakes About, but where returns from the 1st winning selection are invested at double the original stake on the 2nd selection. (Note: you can also have Triple SA, Quadruple SA etc.).
• DOUBLES A twin bet on two separate specified events or two parts of the same event. A form of parlay or accumulator.
• DOUBLING UP The basis of some widely used systems. After a loss the player doubles the size of his previous bet hoping to win back the money lost and make a profit. Also known as a Martingale system.
• DOWN BET See sell.
• DRAW Where competitors in an event finish evenly. Where there is a draw and this is not offered as a betting option, the return will be divided by the number of joint winners. Note that some sports have processes such as extra-time or play-offs to determine an event winner that is included as part of the bet where others are not. This may affect some bets and you should always be sure how an event would be decided in this instance.
• DRIFT A price drifts if the odds get longer, eg from 3-1 to 4-1. This will happen if bets are preferentially placed on other horses in the book.
• DUAL FORECAST A tote bet operating in races of 3 or more declared runners in which the punter has to pick the first two to finish in either order.
• DUE FOR A team or side that is due for either a win or a loss. Many bettors like to play 'due situations'.
• DUTCH (US) Eliminating heavily bet non-contenders, betting on others in exact proportions necessary to yield some profit no matter which wins. - Each-Way - A bet which consists of two wagers. The first is for the selection to win and the second is for the selection to place, at a proportional price dependant on the place terms.

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• E/W OR EW See each way.
• EARN Practical hold percentage
• EDGE Advantage
• EXOTIC BET Action other than a straight bet or parlay.
• EXPOSURE The amount of money the house actually stands to lose on a game or a race.
• EXTENSION The amount of money the house theoretically will risk losing on a game or a race.
• EACH WAY UK term for betting on a team or individual to win and/or 'Place'. The bet is automatically split into two, 50:50 and the odds for each bet are different. If your selection wins, the Place bet wins automatically. Therefore, you could win either both bets or Place only.
• EARHOLE UK term for the price of 6/4
• EAST COAST LINE Mainly used in hockey, which has a split-goal line. For example, Team A (1-1 ½) favor over the Vancouver Canucks as opposed to goal spread plus moneyline (-1/2 180).
• EVEN MONEY A 1:1 odds bet. A $1 stake would return $2 dividend ($1 win plus $1 staked).
• EVENS Odds of 1 to 1 (also known as "scotch" or "levels").
• EXACTA (US) Form of betting in which bettor attempts to pick winner and 2nd horse, buying one mutuel ticket on the double choice (also known as "exactor" or "perfecta").
• EXOTIC WAGER (US) Any wager which is not a straight bet, e.g. round robin, parlay, teaser. - Favourite (fav) - The competitor considered most likely to win and therefore has the shortest or lowest odds (also known as the "jolly" or "sponk").

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• FIGURE The amount in your online betting account; or what you won or lost last week.
• FIRING Betting a lot. A player who is "firing" is wagering large sums.
• FLEA An annoying human parasite who wants something for nothing; a $2 bettor who expects to be rewarded for his action.
• FORM Past performances used to give an indication of the competitor's chances. In US, short for the Daily Racing Form.
• FAVORITE The team or individual the sports books rate most likely to win that contest or event. Typically it has the most money bet on it.
• FIELD All the individual competitors in an event.
• FIRST GOAL SCORER A bet that is placed on a player to score the first goal in a game.
• FIRST SCORER Bet on the player to score first. The bet is typically refunded if the player doesn't play.
• FIRST TRY SCORER A bet that is placed on the player to score the first try in a game.
• FIXED ODDS Unchangeable odds at the time of wager.
• FIXED ODDS BETTING The type of betting where you get odds quoted at the time of placing the bet and you know what you will win or lose at once. However, fixed odds may be quoted as SP - i.e. starting price, which means you elect to take the price in the open betting market when the race starts. This may be higher or lower than the odds offered at the time of placing the bet - the decision as to which to take being the punter's choice.
• FLAG A bet consisting of 23 bets (a "Yankee" plus 6 "Single Stakes About" bets in pairs) on 4 selections in different event.
• FLASH (US) Change of odds information on tote board.
• FOLD When preceded by a number, a fold indicates the number of selections in an accumulator (e.g. 5-Fold= 5 selections).
• FORECAST In a forecast you elect to name, and bet on, the correct order of first and second horses in a race. A reverse forecast means that you are specifying the first two horses to finish, irrespective of which order they come in - so that if you get the right two horses, you will win.
• FORM PLAYER A bettor who makes selections from past-performance records.
• FRACTIONAL ODDS See odds.
• FRENCH ODDS Expression of odds as 100 to 6, 100 to 8, etc. The name goes back to the days when the French had a "metric" money system while UK still used 1 pound of 240 old pence.
• FULL COVER All the doubles, trebles and accumulators involved in a given number of selections.
• FUTURE BET Bets accepted well in advance.
• FUTURES Bets placed in advance predicting the outcome of a future event.

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• G Goliath - A multiple consisting of 247 bets (28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 4-folds, 56 5-folds, 28 6-folds, 8 7-folds and 1 8-fold) involving 8 selections in different events.
• GET DOWN To make a bet
• GROSS WIN Amount won before expenses are subtracted
• GETTING DOWN Placing a bet
• GRAND £1,000 GBP (also known as a "big 'un") - Handicap - A method used by bookmakers to make a one-sided event become a more attractive betting proposition. Teams are awarded a number of points start depending on their calibre (also known as the "pointspread" or "line").

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• HANDICAPPER One who sets handicaps by studying sports and predicting outcomes.
• HANDLE Total amount of bets taken
• HEDGE To reduce the amount of action by wagering on the opposite side of an earlier wager.
• HOLD The percentage the house wins.
• HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE Edge the home team is expected to have as a result of familiarity with the playing area, favorable demographics and effect of travel on the visiting team.
• HOOK Half-point in point spreads, as in 'loss by the hook'
• HOOPS Basketball
• HOT TIP Information the bookmaker is not yet privy to.
• HALF TIME RESULT A bet that involves predicting the exact result of a game at half time.
• HANDFUL UK term for the price of 5/1
• HANDICAP In a handicap, the horses will have different weights added to their saddles by a professional handicapper - the idea being to level up the chance of each horse winning and produce a more even race.
• HANG CHENG The Asian equivalent for 'Point Spread'.
• HEDGING A bet made by a cautious bookie on a horse on which he has accepted large bets - in order to cut his losses if the horse wins (also known as a "lay-off bet").
• HEINZ A Canadian-type bet consisting of 57 bets on all the permutations of six selections. The bet splits into 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, six five-folds and a six-fold. See Trixie, Yankee, Canadian.
• HOLDING YOUR OWN Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even.
• HOOKED Loosing a wager by exactly one-half a point.
• HOT GAME A game that is drawing a lot of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers.
• HOUSE A casino or gambling centre. Also the operators of a gambling game. - In the Money - Describes the horses in a race that finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd (and sometimes 4th) or the horses on which money will be paid to bettors, depending on the place terms. - Joint Favourites (jt-fav) - When bookmakers cannot separate two horses or teams for favouritism, they are made joint favourites.

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• IN When the odds quoted get shorter, the price of a horse is said to shorten.
• IN THE RED Odds on.
• INDEX Form of betting were the amount wagered is multiplied by the number of points a team or competitor wins or loses by.

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• JUICE The bookmaker's commission, also known as 'virgorish' or 'vig'. For example, refers to the '11 to 10' bettors will lay on a straight wager.
• JOINT FAVORITE In a situation where two horses are regarded with equal favor by the bookies (i.e. they have a supposedly equal chance of winning), they are said to be joint favorites.
• JOLLY The favourite.

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• LAY A PRICE Bet a favorite, 'lay the points'.
• LAYOFF BET A wager made by one bookmaker with another to help balance his action and reduces his risk on one side or one horse.
• 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 The outsider or unfancied runner, usually against which "long odds" have been offered.
• LAY THE POINTS Bet a favorite, 'lay a price'.
• LAY (A BET) A bookmaker accepting a bet.
• LAYING A PRICE Playing a favorite.
• LAYING OFF An interesting situation where a punter can potentially cover his bets by placing another bet. So, if two horses in a race are clearly favorites to win, and they are both placed at high odds, the punter can bet on both and still win. This is a form of laying off (which basically means lessening risk and maximizing potential returns), and though he does not win as much as with a single bet, if his judgment about the horses' chances are correct, he will still show a profit with much less risk. For example, two horses at 3-1 and 4-1 are clear favorites. The punter may lay a bet of £100 on each, confident that whichever wins, he will still show a profit.
• LAYOFF Money bet by a sports book with another bookmaker to reduce its exposure.
• LENGTHEN Odds lengthen when they go up - for example, from 3-1 to 4-1. This is also known as "drifting".
• LINEMAKER One who compiles or sets the original or subsequent betting lines.
• LINES Handicaps, pointspreads and odds offered to the punter.
• LOCK A surefire winner (there really is no such proposition)
• LONG ODDS Odds (e.g. 100 to 1) offered against a competitor unlikely to win.
• LONG SHOT A team that according to the odds is unlikely to win.
• LUCKY 15 A Lucky 15 is 15 bets based around four selections, basically a Yankee with four singles as well. If there is only one winner, it is paid out at double odds.
• LUCKY 15,31,63 Multiple bets on all possible combinations of 4, 5 or 6 selections. A Lucky 15 (same as a Yap) is 4 selections, so 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 accumulator = 15 bets. - Machines (US) - The pari-mutuel computers/calculators.
• LUCKY 31 Lucky 63 - If you are betting at this level, you aren't likely to need the help of this guide - you are likely to need a gambling addiction therapist! A Lucky 31 is basically a Canadian with five singles as well, which adds up to 31 separate bets (the number of bets being how many combinations of the individual bets you can have). Leave it alone, that's my advice! The Lucky 63 is even more of a chance to lose your money: a Heinz plus six singles in all possible permutations.
• LUCKY 63 UK term for a wager of 15 bets involving 4 selections in different events.

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• MIDDLE To win both sides of a game. For example, if you bet the underdog +3 ½ and the favorite '2 ½ and the favorite wins by 3, you've MIDDLED the book. The book has been MIDDLED.
• MLB Major League Baseball.
• MVP Most Valuable Player.
• MARGIN The amount a competitor/team in an event finishes in front of another competitor/team.
• MARKET Simply the betting available on any event taken as a whole.
• MARTINGALE Betting system based on doubling-up.
• MATADOR A cover that occurs in the waning moments of a contest. See also: Back door cover.
• MIDDLER A bettor that plays both sides of the line.
• MINUS POOLS (US) In pari-mutuel betting, a situation in which so much money is bet on a horse (usually to show) that the pool is insufficient, after take and breakage, to pay holders of winning tickets the legal minimum odds.
• MONEY LINE The amount that is wagered to win $100, or the amount won for a $100 wager. It is offered when no handicap is given and the odds are not fixed, such as for pointspread or runline. The minus sign (e.g. '130) always indicates the favorite and the amount you must bet to win $100. The plus sign (+110) always indicates the underdog and the amount you win for every $100 bet. Also known as 'action line' and 'spread betting'.
• MONKEY £500 GBP.
• MORNING LINE Forecast of probable odds.
• MULTIPLE See accumulator.
• MULTIPLES Picking the winners of more than one event, where a wager is place on more than one outcome and the stake and winnings of the first selection will be rolled over onto the second selection and so on. Also known as Double, Treble, and Pick 4.
• MUSH A bettor who is bad luck
• MUTUEL POOL Total amount bet to win, place or show in a race. Also total amount bet on daily double, exacta, quinella, etc. - Nap - The selection that racing correspondents and tipsters nominate as their strongest selection of the day or meeting. Reputed to stand for "Napoleon".

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• NBA National Basketball Association.
• NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association.
• NEUTRAL SITE Arena, court or field where neither side has a home field advantage.
• NFL National Football League.
• NHL National Hockey League.
• NAP The (self-appointed) expert's best tip of the day.
• NAP BET A recommended best bet of the day.
• NET WIN Net Win or Profit from a winning bet equals the return less the amount you originally staked (remember, you always get your stake back if your bet wins).
• NEVES UK term for the price of 7-1
• NEWBIE A person who is new to gambling, a rookie.
• NEWSPAPER LINE The betting line often appearing in daily newspapers, which are only approximate and quite often may not match the bookmakers' odds.
• NICKEL A $500 wager.
• NO ACTION see Action. - Odds - Odds are the bookmaker's view of the chance of a competitor winning (adjusted to include a profit).

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• OFF THE BOARD (US) A horse so lightly bet that its pari-mutuel odds exceed 99 to 1. Also, a game or event on which the bookie will not accept action.
• OTB (US) Acronym for "Off-Track Betting" in the US, legal only in certain states.
• OUT Bookmaker, usually refers to an illegal bookmaker.
• OVERLAY A situation in which the odds on a game favor the bettor, rather than the book.
• ODDS Basically odds represent the chance of your horse winning - as defined by the bookmaker. So odds of 5/1 (which means 5 to 1) mean the bookmaker think it has a 1 in 6 chance of winning. To calculate your potential winnings, you multiply your stake by the odds. For example, if the odds are 5/1, and you bet £10, then you would win £10*5 = £50 if the horse wins. The "return" is £50 plus your stake, which you get back if the horse wins - so here, this would be £60. Odds can be expressed as a fraction, as in the example of 5/1 above or, as another example, 5/2 (5 to 2) which equates to 2.5 to 1. But the principle is the same - a bet of £10 would produce winnings of £25, and a return of £35. But odds can also be expressed as a decimal - so 5/1 would be 5.0, and 5/2 would be 2.5, in which case you just multiply the decimal form of the odds by your stake to get your winnings.
• ODDS AGAINST When you will win more than double your money. For example, $1 stake returns anything more than $2.
• ODDS ASSESSOR See 'Bookmaker'.
• ODDS COMPILER The person working for the bookmaker who sets the odds following research and his own feelings.
• ODDS MAN (US) At tracks where computers are not in use, an employee who calculates changing odds as betting progresses.
• ODDS ON If a horse is very likely to win, the odds may be shorter than evens, for example, 4/5 - which means that the bookie thinks the horse is more likely to win than not to win by a ratio of 5 to 4. Such odds are expressed as 8/11, and pronounced as 11 to 8 on). What it means in practice is that you have to stake more than you will win - so, for example, odds of 8/11 mean you will win £8 for every £11 staked - and get a return of £19.
• ODDSMAKER The person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines and odds. Also referred to as a line maker.
• OFF LINES The amount that Las Vegas pointspread may differ from online bookmaker lines.
• OFF THE TOP The practice of deducting a fixed "take" percentage from the pari-mutuel pool before paying holders of winning tickets.
• OFF TRACK Betting conducted away from the track.
• OFF COURSE BOOKMAKER A bookmaker who is not present at the race course or other event - eg in a high street betting shop.
• OFFICIAL LINE Line that the bookmaker uses for wagering purposes; the line offered to the bettor.
• ON THE NOSE A win bet.
• ON COURSE BOOKMAKER On the racecourse or at the event.
• ONLINE BETTING A legal way to bet on sports that happens to be the safest, easiest, and best value for the sports gambler.
• ONLINE ODDSMAKER A person who sets the betting odds. (Sports books or Bookies don't set the odds. Most major sportsbooks use odds set by Las Vegas odds makers).
• OUTLAW LINE An early line that is not an official line. Often offered to specially selected bettors before the official line is offered to the public. The linemakers respect these individuals and use their input to create a final opening number ' also called 'ironing' or 'flattening' the line.
• OUTRIGHT ODDS Odds posted on the winners of various major sports championships in advance of the event ' for example, the Super Bowl or World Cup. Also known as Futures.
• OUTSIDER (also known as "The Rag").
• OUTSIDERS Those contestants that are not expected to win. The opposite of the favorite, usually offered at lengthy odds.
• OVER BROKE a bookie can make a mistake by sometimes calculating the odds at an event that add up to less than 100% It means that you can back all the horses in the race and still make a profit. But don't expect to make a fortune this way! In practice this rarely happens.
• OVER ROUND The opposite of the above, really, because the bookie's profit is determined by how much over 100% the total odds add up to. So if all the odds on all the horses add up to 125%, that 25 theoretically represents the bookie's profit on every 100 pounds wagered.
• OVER/UNDER A bet on whether the total points or goals scored by the two teams will be over or under a specified number.
• OVERPLAY When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house.
• OVERROUND Profit margin in the bookmaker's favour. - Pari-Mutuel - A means of gambling on races in which all bets are pooled and winners are paid according to size of pool and the number of other winners. Often shortened in US to mutuel.

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• PARLAY One bet ticket written with at least two wagers (all must win for the ticket to cash)
• PAST POST A bet made after the start of a horse race or game.
• PICK OR PICK'EM A game where neither team is favored.
• PK OR PICK Evenly matched teams.
• PLAYER Bettor or gambler
• PRACTICAL HOLD PERCENTAGE The amount won by a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked.
• PRESS To bet a larger amount than usual
• PRICE See odds.
• PUPPY Underdog
• PUSH Tie
• PATENT A Canadian-type bet consisting of seven bets on all the permutations of three selections. The bet splits into three singles, three doubles and a treble. You only need one bet to be come in to get some return.
• PAYOUT What you get back from the bookie - your winnings and returned stake.
• PERCENTAGES Bookmakers set their odds according to percentages the lower the percentage, the better deal the bettor/punter is getting. Also known as Probability.
• PERMS Shortened form of permutations.
• PERMUTATIONS It is possible to "perm" bets or selections (e.g. on 4 selections all the possible doubles could be "permed" making 6 bets).
• PIC SIX (US) A proposition which challenges the bettor to pick six winners of six successive races (also known as "pick six" or "five-ten").
• PICK / PICK EM' A game with no favorite, an even match-up.
• PICKS Betting selections, usually by an expert.
• PITCH The position where a bookmaker conducts his business on a racecourse.
• PLACE (A BET) Bet to finish first or second.
• PLACE TERMS In non pari-mutuel betting, the returns for place bets are calculated as a proportion of the win odds. This varies between events and sports. Bookmakers clearly advertise the place terms in operation when the bet is struck.
• PLACED If a horse comes first, second, third or fourth (but not necessarily all of them, the range depends on the size of the field), the selection is said to have been 'placed'.
• PLACEGETTER The competitors finishing first, second and third in an event
• POINT SPREAD (Also, Handicap) The points allocated to the 'underdog' to level the odds with the 'favorite'.
• PONY £25 GBP.
• POOL Total amount bet for win, place or show, or in a daily double.
• POST TIME The scheduled starting time.
• PROPOSITION BET A wager on a particular aspect of the game, such as who will score first.
• PUNT To bet or a bet (as in "I had a punt on that one").
• PUNTER You, if you place a bet.

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• ROUND ROBIN (US) A series of three or more teams into two-team wagers.
• RUNDOWN The list of odds on a particular day's game.
• RUNNER See Beard
• RACING CERTAINTY A horse reckoned to be the winner - without doubt.
• RETURN Your total winnings on a bet.
• REVERSED FORECAST You are predicting the first and second horses in a race, and your bet is independent of the order in which they finish. You pay twice the stake, because it is two bets, so a £5 reverse forecast costs you £10. In effect, you are betting on horse A winning and horse B coming second, and the reverse of that bet as well. The winnings are the combined odds of the wining horses.
• REVERSED FORECAST DOUBLES This is two separate reverse forecast bets in two separate races, and what you are betting is that both reverse forecasts will come in as predicted. The same principle applies to reverse forecast trebles, except that is three bets in three races.
• RINGER A horse (or greyhound) entered in a race under another's name - usually a good runner replacing a poorer one.
• ROLL UP Another term for an accumulator bet.
• ROOF UK term for the price of 4/1.
• ROUGHIE See 'Long Shot'
• ROUNDABOUT A bet consisting of 3 bets involving three selections in different events (i.e. 1 single any to come and double stake double on remaining two selections, 3 times).
• ROUNDER A bet consisting of 3 bets involving three selections in different events (i.e. 1 single any to come a single stake double on remaining two selections, 3 times).
• RULE 4 Rule 4 is invoked when a horse is withdrawn, and the withdrawal is deemed to have some impact on the other horses. The punter (you) gets his stake refunded less a deduction of the stake, the size of the deduction depends on the odds which applied to your bet.
• RUN LINE A line used when wagering on baseball.

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• 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 £20 GBP.
• SCRATCH Withdraw; cancel
• SFC See Straight Forecast.
• SHARP Experienced and knowledgeable handicapper or bettor; wise guy.
• SHORTSTOP A small bettor.
• SIDE To win one side and tie the other. For example, if you lay '2 ½ and take 3 on the same game and the favorite wins by 3 you have SIDED the book. The book has been SIDED.
• SQUARE A novice sports bettor
• STEAM When a betting line starts to move quite rapidly, usually caused by many bettors betting on it.
• STRAIGHT BET A bet on just one team.
• SUCKER BET Parlays, teasers, or exotics. (Basically, any bets bookmakers offer to entice squares to bet more money.)
• SCAMDICAPPER A bragger who gives outlandish promises about past winning percentages and artificially inflates your expectations.
• SCOUTS Person(s) who study team plays and/or practice and report finding to handicappers.
• SCRATCH SHEET (US) Daily publication that includes graded handicaps, tips and scratches.
• SELECTION The horse you are backing.
• SETTLER A bookmaker's expert who calculates payouts.
• SHOO IN (US) A supposed cinch bet or guaranteed victor. Also, a fixed race.
• SHORT PRICE (US) Small pari-mutuel payoff.
• SHORT ODDS Shorter odds - for example 2/1 is shorter than 4/1 - are applied to competitors that the bookmaker thinks are more likely to win..
• SHORTEN The opposite of 'Lengthen'. Referred to odds getting shorter, that is, less attractive to the bettor.
• SHORTENING THE ODDS A bookmaker's reduction of the odds offered in the face of heavy betting.
• SHOW (US) The term used to describe a 3rd place finish.
• SHUT OUT (US) What happens to a bettor who gets on the betting line to late and is still waiting in line when the window closes. Also, in sports betting, when the losing team do not score.
• SINGLE The simplest type of bet, involves a bet on one outcome of an event.
• SINGLE STAKES ABOUT (OR SSA) A bet consisting of 2 bets on two selections (1 single on each selection any to come 1 single on the other selection reversed).
• SIX DOLLAR COMBINE (US) An across-the-board bet in racing.
• SMART MONEY Insiders' bets or the insiders themselves.
• SPORT PLAYER A person who waits for what he thinks is an unusually strong wager.
• SPORTSBOOK The person, casino or website who accepts bets.
• SPOT PLAY (US) Type of play in which bettor risks money only on types of races and horses which seem relatively worthwhile risks.
• SPREAD Point Spread.
• SPREAD BETTING The amount that must be wagered to win $100, or the amount won for a $100 wager. Other names are action line and money line.
• SPREADS Also known as handicaps.
• STAKE The amount of money you bet.
• STANLEY CUP Trophy awarded to NHL Champion.
• STARTING PRICE (SP) In non-pari-mutuel betting, unless a punter requests otherwise, all wagers are settled at starting price (SP). The SP is arrived at by taking the average available in the betting ring on the racecourse, shortly before the "off".
• STEAMER A horse backed heavily on the day it is due to compete, causing its odds to shorten quickly. Often a response to some attempt to win money on a horse placed to win by a canny trainer.
• STOOPER (US) Those who make a living picking up discarded mutuel tickets at racetracks and cashing those that have been thrown away by mistake.
• STORE (US) A bookie.
• STRAIGHT (US) Another term for a bet to win (i.e. "straight, place and show").
• STRAIGHT FORECAST A tote bet operating in races of 3 or more declared runners in which the punter has to pick the first and second to finish in the correct order.
• STRAIGHT TRICASTS A bet where you choose three selections which will finish first, second and third in an event and say in which order. All three must come in for a return. See combination tricast.
• STRAIGHT FORECAST DOUBLES You make two forecast bets on two races and each bet must come in to win.
• SUPER BOWL NFL Championship game.
• SUPER HEINZ A Canadian-type bet consisting of 120 bets on all the permutations of seven selections. The bet splits into 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 four-folds, 21 five-folds and seven six-folds and a seven-fold. See Trixie, Yankee, Canadian, Heinz and Goliath.
• SUPER YANKEE Same as a Canadian bet.
• SURE THING Any bet that has very little chance of losing.
• SYSTEM A method of betting, usually mathematically based, used by a punter to get an advantage (if successful!). - Take (US) - Money deducted from each pari-mutuel pool for track revenue and taxes.

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• T H UK term for the price of 8/1
• TAKE A PRICE Bet the underdog, take the points.
• TAPPED OUT Broke from gambling.
• THEORETICAL HOLD PERCENTAGE The edge the bookmaker would have IF the odds guaranteed him a constant commission regardless of the outcome.
• TOKE A tip or gratuity.
• TOSS UP Game where the line is close to pick-em.
• TOUT SERVICE A company that sells selections on games (most in the United States are dishonest)
• TRIPLE SHARP The sharpest of the sharp. (Note: There is no such term as "Double Sharp").
• TAKE OUT (US) That part of the pari-mutuel pools not returned as winnings.
• TAKING (A PRICE) Betting an underdog
• TEASER (US) A pointspread based bet where the bettor can move the line in his favour (in return for reduced odds).
• TEASERS A bet combining two or more games together and giving the bettor a fixed number of additional points in his favor.
• THICK 'UN A big bet.
• TIC TAC The code of hand signals by which UK oncourse bookmakers' employees relay information on current odds and betting around the course (e.g. "top of the head"= 9 to 4, "up the arm"= 11 to 8).
• TICKETER (US) A forger of bookmakers' tickets.
• TIE A push, stand-off or a draw.
• TIERCé A French combination bet in which the bettor predicts the horses that will finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
• TIP Advice as to the probable winner of an event.
• TIPSTER A person who gives or sells to bettors his estimate of likely winners of a race, game or event (also known as a "tout").
• TOTAL The combined number of points or goals scored by the two teams.
• TOTALISATOR (US) Automated pari-mutuel machine which records bets as soon as tickets are dispensed at betting windows.
• TOTALS Sports bet on whether the total score will be over/under a given mark.
• TOTE All the money bet on the Tote for an event is split between all the people who bet on the winner - a form of pool based betting system.
• TOTE BOARD A racecourse information board that displays approximate odds, betting totals, payout prices and other information necessary to the punter.
• TOTE RETURNS Returns from a tote pool (also known as a "dividend"). Calculated by taking the total stake in each pool (after the take out) and dividing it by the number of winning tickets. A dividend is declared to a fixed stake, for various win, place and forecast pools.
• TOUT To give or sell betting advice or one who does so (also known as a "tipster").
• TREBLE A bet in which you make three selections, and all must come in for the bet to be successful - eg three winners in three races. The proceeds from the first bet are carried forward as stake onto the next bet and so in - until a horse loses, in which case all the money is lost. Of course, all 3 may win, in which case the odds are multiplied together to calculate your winnings.
• TRICAST A bet which involves correctly predicting the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in an event.
• TRIFECTA (US) Bet in which the bettor picks the first three finishers in exact order (also known as "triple").
• TRIXIE A multiple bet consisting of 4 bets (3 doubles and 1 treble) with 3 selections in different events.
• TURF ACCOUNTANT The UK euphemism for a bookmaker.
• TWO AND THREE BALLS BETTING A golfing bet that involves predicting which player from either a group of two or three will shoot the lowest score over 18 holes.

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• UNDERLAY A situation in which the odds on a game favor the book, rather than the bettor.
• UNDER DOG The outsider in a betting opportunity.
• UNIFORMS Referees.
• UNION JACK A bet consisting of 8 trebles on 9 selections A to I: ABC, DEF, GHI, ADG, BEH, CFI, AEI, and CEG. -

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• VALUE Getting the best odds on a betting proposition; the highest possible edge; an overlay.
• VIGORISH Amount of commission kept by the house (also referred to as juice or vig)

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• WISE GUY (US) A knowledgeable or well-informed bettor or handicapper.
• WAGER A bet.
• WHEEL (US) A form of betting in which daily double, perfecta or quinella player makes every possible combination bet on his favoured horse or horses.
• WHEELING (US) A racing system devised for the daily double bet in which the bettor backs one horse in the first race and every horse in the second (also known as "baseball" or "locking").
• WIN The term used to describe a 1st place finish.
• WIN ONLY Betting on a competitor to win an event, also known as 'Straight Out' or 'Money Line' betting.
• WIN AND PLACE Similar to an Each Way bet, but whereas with Each Way you stake the same amount of money on 'each way' of winning (one way is for your selection to win outright, the other way is for it to get a place), with a Win And Place bet you can specify different stakes for the win part and the place part of the bet.
• WINNING MARGIN A bet to predict the winning margin of one team over another.
• WINNINGS See net win.
• WITH THE FIELD Having one horse linked with all the other horses in an event. It can apply to forecasts or in doubles. - "X" - Taken to mean 'a draw' on a soccer betting coupon. - Yankee - A multiple bet consisting of 11 bets (6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 4-fold) on 4 selections in different events.
• WOOD Laying points.
• WORLD SERIES Championship of Major League Baseball.

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• YANKEE A Canadian-type bet consisting of eleven bets on four selections: a four-fold, four trebles and six doubles. See Trixie, Canadian, Heinz, Super Heinz and Goliath
• YAP "Yankee Patent" - The same 11 bets as a "Yankee", but with singles on each of the 4 selections as well, making 15 bets in all (also known as a "Lucky 15"). - Zero - The value of most betting systems and tips!

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• ZEBRAS Referees