GAMBLING GLOSSARY

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Gambling Glossary - How To Talk Like A Gambler

ACTION
A wager of any kind, a bet. In baseball, placing the bet no matter who pitches.

BEARD
A friend or acquaintance or other contact who is used to placing bets so that the bookmakers will not know the identity of the actual bettor.
Many top handicappers and persons occupying sensitive positions use this method of wagering.

BOOK
An establishment that accepts wagers on the outcome of horse racing and sporting events.

BOOKIE
Person who takes clients' bets.

BUCK
A $100 wager.

CANADIAN LINE
A combination point line and moneyline in hockey.

CHALK
A favorite.

CHALK PLAYER
Someone who usually only plays the favored teams, rarely
betting on the underdogs.

CIRCLED GAME
A game in which the betting action is severely limited; usually occurs in games that feature key injuries, inclement weather, or unsubstantiated rumors regarding a team; most bookies "circle" all IvyLeague Games.

COVER
To bet the spread by the required number of points; if such occurs you have "covered the spread".

DIME or DIME BET
A $1,000 wager.

DOG
The underdog in any betting proposition.

DOG PLAYER
One who mostly plays the underdog.

DOLLAR BET or BUCK
A $100 wager.

DOUBLE BET
A wager for twice the size of one's usual wager; also known as "double pop" or "doubling up".

DUE FOR
A team that is "due for" whether it is a win or a loss; many bettors like to play "due for" situations.

EAST COAST LINE
Mainly used in hockey, which has a split-goal line e.g. - NY Rangers (1 - 1 1/2) favorite over the Vancouver Canucks as opposed to goal spread plus moneyline (-1/2 -180).

EVEN MONEY
A wager in which no vigorish or juice is laid.

EXOTIC WAGER
Any bet other than a straight bet, i.e., parlays, teasers, if bets, reverses, round robin, round robin box reverses, etc.

FUTURES
Odds posted on the winners of various major sport championships in advance of the event, including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup and the NBA championship.

GETTING DOWN
Making a wager.

HANDICAPPER
One who studies, rates and wagers on sporting events and/or races.

HANDLE
Total amounts of bets taken.

HEDGING
Placing bets on the opposite side in order to cut losses or guarantee winning a minimal amount of money.

HOLDING YOUR OWN
Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even.

HOOK
A half point added to football and basketball betting lines.

HOT GAME
A game which is drawing a lot of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers.

JUICE
The bookmaker's commission; also known as the vigorish.

LAYING THE POINTS
Betting on the favorite.

LIMIT
The maximum amount a bookmaker will allow you to bet before he changes odds and/or the points; also the "cap" on what you can personally wager.

LINE
The current odds or point spread on a particular event.

LINEMAKER
The person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines.

LISTED PITCHERS
Stating that you will place bet only if one or both of the pitchers scheduled to start a baseball game actually start. If they don't, the bet is canceled.

LOCK
Easy winner.

LONGSHOT
A team or horse that is unlikely to win.

MIDDLE(S)
To win both sides of the same betting proposition; betting the favorite team at -1.5 with one bookmaker and then taking +3.5 with another bookmaker; the game ends up with the favorite winning by exactly 3 points, you have then "middled the game"; a favorite betting method of "Wise Guys".

NEWSPAPER LINE
The betting line which quite often appears in the daily newspapers; the lines are only approximate and quite often totally inaccurate and misleading.

NICKEL
A $500.00 wager.

ODDSMAKER
Same as a linemaker.

OFF THE BOARD
A game on which the bookmaker will not accept action.

OUTLAW LINE
An overnight line not used by casinos or offshore establishments.

PARLAY
(1) a sport bet with two or more teams in which all teams must win or cover for the bettor to be successful and receive higher payouts;
(2) a wager on two or more horse races in which the winnings are carried over to the next race.

PARLAY CARDS
Wagers on a minimum of 3 and up to 15 propositions; the more you pick, the higher the payoff.

PAST PERFORMANCE
What has occurred previously to the forthcoming games.

PICK 'EM GAME
Neither team is favored; take your pick and lay 11 to 10.

POINT SPREAD
The "line"; the handicap, or head start that the favorite gives to the underdog for betting purposes.

PRESS
To bet a larger amount than usual.

PRICE
The odds or point spread

PUCKLINE
Mainly used on East Coast with hockey, giving odds of a goal spread instead of Canadian Line where both a goal spread and moneyline is played.

PUSH
Tie; neither side wins and all money is returned to the bettors.

ROUND ROBIN
A series of three or more teams into 2-team wagers.

RUN LINE
A line used when wagering on baseball.

SCOUTS
Person(s) who study team plays and/or practice and report findings to handicappers.

SMART MONEY
Sides that are bet on by the more knowledgeable handicappers.

SPORT PLAYER
A person who waits for what he thinks is an unusually strong wager.

STEAM
When a betting line starts to move quite rapidly; most "steam games" do not necessarily reflect the "right side," but are games that the mass of bettors somehow decide to key on.

STRAIGHT BET
A bet on just one team or horse.

TAKING
Wagering on the underdog; taking the odds.

TOTALS
Total combined point/runs/goals scored in a game; In baseball, if either of the two listed starting pitchers don't go the bet is automatically canceled.

TOUT
Someone who sells his expertise on sports or horse wagers.

VALUE
Getting the best odds on a betting proposition; the highest possible edge.

VIGORISH
The commission paid to the bookmaker. (Otherwise known as the "juice".)

WISE GUY
A well-informed or knowledgeable handicapper or bettor.

WOOD
Laying points.

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