 |
|
An interactive guide to the
jargon
and slang of betting - both sides of the pond. |
|
A B C
D E F G
H I J K
L M N O
P Q R S
T U V W
X
Y Z |
| A |
|
| Accumulator |
A cumulative bet where the
bettor designates a selection in several races or events and bets on the
first one; if he wins, the winnings become his bet on the next; and so on
(also see fold bets). |
| Across
the Board |
Where
(particularly US horse racing) win, place and show pools are offered, this
is a bet of equal stakes on each outcome. |
| 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). |
| Ajax |
UK
Slang term for Betting Tax. |
| 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. |
| B |
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| 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. |
| 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"). |
| Beard
(US) |
A contact (friend
or acquaintance) who places bets for a bettor who wants to hide their
identity from bookmakers. |
| Beeswax |
UK
slang term for betting tax. (also known as
"bees" or "ajax") |
| Bettor (US) |
Someone who has a bet.
A "punter" in the UK. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Book |
A bookmaker's tally of amounts
bet on each competitor, and odds necessary to assure him of profit. |
| Bookmaker |
A person or
company who accepts bets from the public, usually on racing or sports
events (also known as a "bookie"). |
| Bottle |
UK
slang, Odds of 2 to 1. |
| 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 |
Odds of 100 to 30
(also known as "scruffy and dirty"). About the only remaining
example of French Odds still commonly used. |
| 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 |
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| C of E |
Slang for UK Customs and Excise. |
| Canadian |
A
multiple bet consisting of 26 bets
(10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 4-folds and 1 5-fold) with 5 selections in
different events (also known as a "Super Yankee"). |
| 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") |
| Chalk
(US) |
Betting favourite. |
| Chalk Player (US) |
Bettor on favourites. |
| 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). |
| Combination
(US) |
Across the
board bet for which a single pari-mutuel
ticket is issued. |
| 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. |
| Cover |
In
sports betting, beating the spread
by a required number of points. To "cover the spread". |
| D |
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| Daily
Double (US) |
Form of
pari-mutuel betting in
which the bettor makes a combination bet on two horses in two races. If
the bettor wins on the 1st race, his winnings become his stake on the 2nd. |
| Dead
Heat |
Where
two or more competitors finish tied. For non-pari-mutuel betting purposes
in a dead heat, full odds are paid to half the stake (one third if a
triple dead heat, etc.). |
| Dime
(US) |
A bet of $1,000 USD
(also known as a "dime bet"). |
| Dividend |
(see Tote
Returns) |
| Dog
(US) |
The underdog
in any betting proposition. |
| Dog
Player (US) |
A bettor who
mainly wagers on the underdog. |
| Double |
A bet consisting of
two selections, both of which must win for the wager to be successful. |
| 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.). |
| Double Carpet |
UK
slang for Odds of 33 to 1, based on Carpet. |
| 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. |
| Drift |
When the odds on a
competitor "lengthen", they are said to have
"drifted" or be "on the drift". |
| 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. |
| Dutch (US) |
Eliminating heavily bet non-contenders, betting on others
in exact proportions necessary to yield some profit no matter which wins. |
| E |
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| 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. |
| 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. |
| F |
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| Favourite
(fav) |
The
competitor considered most likely to win and therefore has the shortest
or lowest odds (also known as the "jolly" or "sponk"). |
| Fold |
When preceded by a number, a
fold indicates the number of selections in an accumulator
(e.g. 5-Fold= 5 selections). |
| Figure |
To have a winning chance or
the handicapper's rating number that identifies the winning chance (also
"fig."). |
| 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. |
| Forecast |
A wager that involves
correctly predicting the 1st and 2nd for a particular event. This bet can
be reversed or permed (also see dual and straight
forecasts). |
| Form |
Past
performances used to give an indication of the competitor's chances. In
US, short for the Daily Racing Form. |
| Form Player |
A bettor who makes selections
from past-performance records. |
| 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. |
| Futures
(US) |
Odds offered on
winners of sporting events in advance of the event itself (see ante-post). |
| G
|
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| 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. |
| Grand |
£1,000 GBP
(also known as a "big 'un") |
| H |
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| 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"). |
| Handle (US) |
Total sum bet on a race or in
a day or some other period. |
| Hang
Cheng |
A form of soccer
betting popular in Asia where returns on a team winning or drawing are
determined by part-goal handicaps. |
| 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 multiple bet
consisting of 57 bets (15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 4-folds, 6 5-folds and 1
6-fold) involving 6 horses in different races. |
| House |
A casino or gambling centre.
Also the operators of a gambling game. |
| I |
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| 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. |
| J |
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| Joint
Favourites (jt-fav) |
When bookmakers
cannot separate two horses or teams for favouritism, they
are made joint favourites. |
| Jolly |
The
favourite. |
| Juice
(US) |
The commission
paid to the bookmaker (also known as vigorish). |
| K |
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| Kite |
UK
slang for a cheque ("check" in the US). |
| L |
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| Layer |
A bookmaker or one
who "lays" odds. |
| LBO |
Acronym for
"Licensed Betting Office" in the UK. |
| Long
Odds |
Odds (e.g. 100 to
1) offered against a competitor unlikely to win. |
| Lines |
Handicaps, pointspreads and odds offered to the punter. |
| Linemaker |
One who
compiles or sets the
original or subsequent betting lines. |
| Lock
(US) |
Term used for an
almost guaranteed winner. |
| Longshot |
The outsider or
unfancied runner, usually against which "long odds" have been
offered. |
| 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. |
| M |
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| Machines (US) |
The
pari-mutuel computers/calculators. |
| Martingale |
Betting
system based on doubling-up. |
| 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. |
| Monkey |
£500
GBP. |
| Morning Line |
Forecast of probable
odds. |
| Mutuel Pool |
Total amount bet to win, place
or show in a race. Also total amount bet on daily double,
exacta, quinella, etc. |
| N |
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| Nap |
The selection that
racing correspondents and tipsters nominate as their strongest selection of
the day or meeting. Reputed to stand for "Napoleon". |
| Nickel
(US) |
A bet of $500
USD. |
| No
Action |
see
Action. |
| O |
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| Odds |
Odds
are the bookmaker's view of the chance of a competitor winning (adjusted
to include a profit). |
| Odds-against |
Where the odds are
greater than evens (e.g. "5 to 2"). |
| 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 |
Where the odds are
shorter than evens (e.g. "4 to 7"). If the selection wins, the amount won is less than the
amount staked (don't forget, you get your stake back as well!). |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| On
the Nose (US) |
A bet that a horse
will win. |
| OTB
(US) |
Acronym for
"Off-Track Betting" in the US, legal only in certain states. |
| Outsider |
(also known as
"The Rag"). |
| Overbroke |
Where
the book results in a loss for the bookmaker. |
| Overlay |
Horse whose odds
are high by comparison with its good winning chances. |
| Overround |
Profit margin in
the bookmaker's favour. |
| P |
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| 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. |
| Parlay
(US) |
Term for an accumulator bet in horse racing.
Also, a wager on two or more teams in which both must win or "cover"
for the bet to be lucrative. |
| Patent |
A multiple
bet consisting of 7 bets involving 3 selections in different events. A single on
each selection, plus 3 doubles and 1 treble. |
| 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"). |
| Picks |
The selections
chosen by an expert to bet on (also known as "tips"). |
| Pitch |
The position where
a bookmaker conducts his business on a racecourse. |
| Place
(US) |
The term used to
describe a 2nd place finish. |
| 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. |
| Pointspread |
The start that the
favourite gives the underdog.
Also known as the "line" or "handicap". |
| Pony |
£25 GBP. |
| Pool |
Total amount bet
for win, place or show, or in a daily double. |
| Punter |
UK term for
someone who has a bet ("bettor" in the US). |
| Q |
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| Quinella
(US) |
A bet in which the
bettor predicts the horses that will finish 1st and 2nd, regardless of
order (sometimes called a "quiniela"). |
| R |
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| Right
Price (US) |
Among players,
pari-mutuel odds high enough to warrant risking a bet on a particular animal. |
| Ringer |
A horse (or
greyhound) entered in a race under another's name - usually a good runner
replacing a poorer one. |
| 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). |
| Round
Robin |
A bet consisting
of 10 bets (3 pairs of "Single Stakes About"
bets plus 3 doubles and 1 treble) involving three selections in different
events. |
| Round
Robin (US) |
A series of three
or more teams into two-team wagers. |
| Runner
(US) |
In racing, a
bookie's employee who gathers information on the progress of betting
elsewhere on the course. Also, a messenger "running" to and from
pari-mutuel windows for occupants of clubhouse boxes. |
| S |
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| Sawdust
Joint (US) |
A term for a
non-luxury gambling club. |
| Score |
£20
GBP. |
| Score
(US) |
To win a race or a
bet. Also, a victory. |
| Scratch
(US) |
The
withdrawal of a competitor. |
| Scratch
Sheet (US) |
Daily publication
that includes graded handicaps, tips and scratches. |
| Settler |
A bookmaker's
expert who calculates payouts. |
| Shoo
In (US) |
A supposed cinch
bet or guaranteed victor. Also, a fixed race. |
| Shortening
the Odds |
A bookmaker's
reduction of the odds offered in the face of heavy betting. |
| Short
Price (US) |
Small
pari-mutuel
payoff. |
| 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 |
A
"straight" bet on one selection to win one race or 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. |
| Spot
Play (US) |
Type of play in
which bettor risks money only on types of races and horses which seem
relatively worthwhile risks. |
| Spread
Betting |
A bet is won or
lost according to whether you correctly predict the result of an event
(also known as "action line" or "money line"). Returns
or losses are calculated in proportion to how right or wrong the bettor
is, and can
lead to huge returns or losses. |
| Spreads |
Also known as handicaps. |
| Starting
Price |
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". |
| Stooper (US) |
Those who make a
living picking up discarded mutuel tickets at racetracks and cashing those
that have been thrown away by mistake. |
| Super
Yankee |
Alternative
name for a multiple bet known as Canadian, a Super
Yankee is a Yankee type bet with five selections
instead of four. |
| 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. |
| Super
Yankee |
see "Canadian". |
| 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!). |
| T |
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| Take
(US) |
Money deducted
from each pari-mutuel pool for track revenue and taxes. |
| Taking
(US) |
Betting on the
underdog. In a match bet, the underdog is usually odds against, so the
bettor is "Taking the odds". |
| Take
Out (US) |
That
part of the pari-mutuel pools not returned as winnings. |
| Teaser
(US) |
A pointspread
based bet where the bettor can move the line in his
favour (in return for reduced odds). |
| Thick
'un |
A big bet. |
| Ticketer
(US) |
A forger of
bookmakers' tickets. |
| 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). |
| Tiercé |
A French
combination bet in which the bettor predicts the horses that will finish
1st, 2nd and 3rd. |
| Tips |
The selections
chosen by an expert to bet on (also known as "picks"). |
| 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"). |
| 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 |
'The Horserace
Totalisator Board' otherwise known as "The
Tote". A body in the UK set up to operate
pool-betting on all racecourses. |
| 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. |
| Tote
Board |
A racecourse
information board that displays approximate odds, betting totals, payout
prices and other information necessary to the punter. |
| Tout |
To give or sell
betting advice or one who does so (also known as a "tipster"). |
| Treble |
A bet consisting
of 3 selections, all of which must win for the wager to be successful. |
| 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. |
| U |
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| Underdog |
The team that
receives a point start in a handicap. |
| Union
Jack |
A bet consisting
of 8 trebles on 9 selections A to I: ABC, DEF, GHI, ADG, BEH, CFI, AEI,
and CEG. |
 |
| V |
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| Value |
Getting the best
odds on a wager. |
| Vigorish (US) |
The bookmaker's
commission (also known as "vig" or "juice"). |
| W |
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| Welsh/Welch |
To fail to pay a
gambling 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. |
| Winning
Margin |
A bet to predict
the winning margin of one team over another. |
| Wise
Guy (US) |
A knowledgeable or
well-informed bettor or handicapper. |
| With
the Field |
Having one horse
linked with all the other horses in an event. It can apply to forecasts
or in doubles. |
| X |
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| "X" |
Taken
to mean 'a draw' on a soccer betting coupon. |
| Y |
[Back to
Top] |
| Yankee |
A
multiple bet consisting
of 11 bets (6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 4-fold) on 4 selections in
different events. |
| 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"). |
| Z |
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Top] |
| Zero |
The
value of most betting systems and tips! |
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