| 10 CENT LINE: |
The money line difference (10 cents) between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog. |
10 CENT PROGRESSIVE LINE: |
Our line. It is a 10 cent line up to -150 then it turns into a 15 cent line up to -190 then it turns into a 20 cent line and progressively gets wider as the line gets higher. Click Here to view the progression chart. |
| 20 CENT LINE: |
The money line difference (20 cents) between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog. The normal price of any football or basketball point spread wager. |
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ACROSS THE BOARD: |
Wagering on a horse to win, place and show. |
| ACTION: |
A wager that is active, or pending. Also a bet in baseball without listed pitchers. |
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| B.R.: |
Bankroll |
| BAD BEAT: |
Tough loss. Where you think you have a winning a wager, but then end up losing. |
| BOOK OR BOOKIE: |
Short for bookmaker or a person who accepts bets. |
| BEARD: |
Somebody who places wagers for another person. |
| BEEF: |
A dispute or claim regarding a wager. |
| BUCK: |
$100 |
| BUY: |
A player spending more money (or juice) in order to get an extra 1/2 point. Maximum points on a buy is 2. |
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| CHALK: |
The favorite. |
| CHALK EATER: |
A gambler who likes to bet favorites. |
| CHURN: |
The effect of betting and re-betting money. |
| CIRCLED GAME: |
A game where action is limited due to uncertainties about weather, injuries, etc. |
| COVER: |
To win by more than the point spread. |
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| DAILY DOUBLE: |
A horse wager where the bettor is required to pick the winners of two consecutive or two designated races. |
| DEGENERATE: |
A compulsive gambler. |
| DIME: |
$1000 |
| DOG: |
The team or player that is most likely to lose. |
| DOG PLAYER: |
A person who usually bets on the underdog. |
| DOLLAR: |
$100 |
| DOUBLE HEADER: |
Two separate baseball games played on the same day by the same teams. |
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| EARN: |
The practical hold percentage. |
| EDGE: |
Advantage |
| EVEN MONEY: |
A wager where the player gets equal money in winnings for the amount risked. |
| EXACTA: |
A horse wager where the bettor is required to pick the first and second place finishers in a race, in exact order. |
| EXOTIC BET: |
Any type of wager other than a straight bet. |
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| FAVORITE: |
The team that is most likely to win. |
| FIFTY CENTS: |
$50 |
| FIGURE: |
Account balance. |
| FREE PLAY: |
A type of bonus play offered by some sports books where the player gets a free wager based on the amount of the deposit. Funds do not go into the players account until the play is a winner. If the play loses there are no adjustments to the players' account. |
| FORM: |
What performance is to be expected according to how a team or horse looks on paper. |
| FUTURES: |
A wager made on an event that takes place sometime on a future/later date. |
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| "GIMME": |
A sure thing, or a lock. |
| GET DOWN: |
To make a bet. |
| GROSS WIN: |
Win amount before expenses. |
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| HALF A DOLLAR: |
$50 |
| HANDLE: |
The total amount of bets taken. |
| HANDICAPPER: |
A person who studies sporting events and creates odds. |
| HEDGE: |
To bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of risk you have on a game. |
| HOOK: |
The half point in point spreads, as in "lost by the hook". |
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: |
The edge the home team is expected to have as a result of familiarity with the playing arena, fan support, and the effect of travel on the visiting team. |
| HOME TEAM: |
The team playing in its own town. |
| HOOPS: |
Basketball |
| HOT GAME: |
A game that draws a significant amount of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers. |
| HOT TIP: |
Info the bookmaker is not yet privy to. |
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| IF BET: |
A bet based on the outcome of a pending wager. Click here to find out more about our "IF" bets. |
 Top of the Page |
| JUICE: |
The bookmaker's commission, most often refers to 11 to 10 football bettors lay on straight wagers, also known as the vig or vigorish. |
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| LAY A PRICE: |
A wager on the favorite in a given money line contest. |
| LAYING POINTS: |
A wager on the favorite in a given point spread contest. |
| LEVERAGE: |
The use of credit or borrowed funds to improve one's speculative capacity and increase the rate of return from an investment, as in buying securities on margin. |
| LIMIT: |
Maximum or minimum, bet accepted by the house before the price will be changed. |
| LIMITED GAME: |
A contest with reduced maximum wagering limits. |
LINE,ODDS, SPREADS OR NUMBERS: |
The amount of points or money that the team is favored by. |
| LISTED PITCHERS: |
The pitcher's listed by Las Vegas odds makers as probable starting pitchers for a scheduled baseball game. All wagers placed that state listed pitchers will only have action if both players start the game. |
| LOCK: |
Believed to be an easy winner, or a "can't lose" wager. A gimme. |
| LONGSHOT: |
Large underdog. |
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| MATCH PLAY: |
A type of bonus play offered by some sports books where the player gets a free wager based on the amount of the deposit. Funds do not go into the players account until the play is a winner. If the play loses there is no adjustment to the players account. |
| MIDDLE: |
To win both sides of a game. For example if you bet the dog +3 1/2 and the favorite -2 1/2 and the favorite wins by 3, you've middled the book. |
| MLB: |
Major League Baseball |
| MINUS POOL: |
In pari-mutual wagering, when after the track take is extracted, there is not enough money left to pay winning patrons the minimum bet. The track must then make up the difference. |
| MUTUAL: |
The price paid on a wining pari-mutual wager. |
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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 |
| NICKE: |
$500 |
| NO ACTION: |
A wager that is considered not valid. |
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| OFF THE BOARD: |
Game where there are no posted odds and no bets are being accepted. |
| OFFICIAL LINE: |
The line that the bookmaker uses for wagering purposes. |
| OUT: |
Bookmaker. |
| OVERLAY: |
When the odds of a given proposition are more in favor of the bettor than the house. |
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| PARLAY: |
A bet with 2 or more teams where all must win for the bettor to be successful. Click here to view our parlay odds. |
| PAST POST: |
A wager placed after the wagered event has already started which usually results in no action. |
| PICK 'EM GAME: |
A game where neither team is favored. |
| PLACE BET: |
A wager placed on a horse to finish first or second in a race. Will pay the second finish price only. |
| PLAYER: |
A bettor, or gambler. |
| POINT SPREAD: |
The amount of points or goals that the favorite gives the underdog for betting purposes. |
PRACTICAL HOLD PERCENTAGE: |
The amount won by a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked. |
| PRESS: |
To bet a larger amount than usual. |
| PRICE: |
Line |
| PUPPY: |
The underdog. |
| PUSH: |
A tie. |
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| QUINELLA: |
A wager where the bettor is required to pick the first two finishers in the race, regardless of the order. |
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| ROLLOVER: |
The amount of times in volume needed to be made in order to keep cash or free play bonuses. |
| ROUND ROBIN: |
A parlay wager on several teams in which every team selected is used in a parlay with every other team. |
| RUNDOWN: |
A line update. |
| RUNNER: |
A person who bets for somebody else. A Beard. |
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| SCALPER: |
A person 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: |
The total amount of points, runs, or goals accumulated by a team. The final points, runs, or goals at the end of an event. To win a lot of money. |
| SCRATCH: |
A horse that has been withdrawn or canceled from a race. This results in the reimbursement of the wager to the player account. |
| SHADING: |
Moving the posted line on an event as the result of a personal opinion. |
| SHARP: |
A Wise guy. |
| SHOW BET: |
A wager on a horse to finish first, second, or third in a race. Will be paid the third finish price only. |
| SIDES: |
The names of the 2 teams, or contestants playing each other. |
| SOFT LINE: |
A sports wagering line that is not current with the true posted line. |
| SPREAD: |
Short for point spread. |
| SQUARE: |
Unsophisticated gambler. |
| STEAM: |
When a large amount of money starts to come in on one side of a game and the line moves rapidly. |
| STRAIGHT BET: |
A bet on just one team or total. |
| SUCKER BET: |
A wager that has a large statistical disadvantage. |
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| TAKE A PRICE: |
Bet the underdog, take the points. |
| TAPPED OUT: |
Broke, busted, common result of pressing. |
| TEASER: |
A type of bet with multiple teams where you can adjust the point spread in your favor. |
THEORETICAL
HOLD PERCENTAGE: |
The edge the bookmaker would have if the odds guaranteed him a constant commission regardless of the outcome. |
| TOSS UP: |
A game where the line is close to pick-em. |
TOTAL OVER OR UNDER: |
The combined amount of runs, points or goals scored by both teams in the game. |
| TOUT SERVICE: |
A business that sells wagering opinions on sporting events. |
| TRUE ODDS: |
The true mathematical odds for the probability of a chance event occurring. |
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| UNDERDOG: |
The team or player most likely to lose the event. Same as "Dog". |
| UNDERLAY: |
When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house. |
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| VALUE: |
An overlay. |
| VIG OR VIGORISH: |
A bookmakers commission, usually 10%. Also called the juice. |
| VISITOR: |
The team playing away from home. |
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| WAGER: |
A Bet. |
| WIN BET: |
A wager placed on a horse to finish first in a race. |
| WISE GUY: |
A knowledgeable sports bettor. An expert. |
