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Abandoned
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An event that is not completed.
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Accumulator
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A multiple bet with simultaneous selections on two or more events. All the selections must win for the accumulator to win.
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Action
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A bet of any kind is deemed "action" if valid. Different rules apply in different sports to determine if a bet is "action" or not.
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Agent
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A person who solicits bets for a bookmaker and gets a commission.
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All in
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A bet that stands regardless of whether your selection plays or not.
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Antepost
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A bet that is placed on an event on the future.
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Arbitrage
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When a difference/variation in the odds available allows a punter to back both sides and guarantee a win.
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Asian handicap
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A type of betting that is used to balance two sides and remove the draw from the game.
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Backed
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When a bookmaker takes a lot of money on one particular selection, this is said to be "backed". This scenario usually causes the shortening of odds.
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Banker
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A selection highly expected to win by the punter. The strongest selection in an accumulator bet. A selection that must win to guarantee any return in permutation bets.
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Bankroll
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The funds available to the punter.
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Bet
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The act of staking a sum of money on the outcome of an event. A pledge of money that a certain outcome will occur.
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Bettor
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A person who places a bet.
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Book
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Bookmaker's tally of amounts bet on each selection at odds necessary to ensure a profit regardless of the final result.
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Bookie
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Short for bookmaker.
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Bookmaker
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A person or company who is licensed to take bets.
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Chalk
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Another term to indicate the favourite.
Another term to indicate the favourite. |
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Circled
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A game where the bookmaker limits the betting activity.
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Cover
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Beating the spread by the required number of points.
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Credit betting
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Betting using credit with a bookmaker.
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Deposit betting
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Betting with money deposited in advance with a bookmaker.
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Dime
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A $1000 bet.
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Dividend
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The agreed payout or return on any bet.
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Dog
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Short for underdog.
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Draw
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When competitors in an event finish evenly. If the draw was not offered as a betting option, usually the Dead Heat rule applies and the return will be divided by the number of joint winners.
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Drift
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When the odds of one outcome gets longer (lengthens) are said to be "on the drift" or "to have drifted".
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Dutching
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When a punter eliminates non-contenders and bets on other selections in the exact proportions necessary to yield a profit no matter which selection wins.
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Each way
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A bet that is automatically splitted 50:50 into one bet to win and one bet to place.
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Edge
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To have an advantage.
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Even money/Evens
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A 1/1 bet (fraction format).
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Exotic wager
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US term for any bet other than a straight bet.
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Favorite/Favourite
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The individual or team considered most likely to win, the shortest priced selection in any event.
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Field
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All the competitors taking part in an event. The term is also used to offer odds collectively on non-listed individuals or teams.
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Fold
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When preceded by a number, it indicates the number of selections in an accumulator.
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Form
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A factor used to rate how an individual, horse or team is currently performing.
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Future
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US term for antepost.
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Gamble
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Another term to indicate a bet.
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Grand
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A £1000 bet.
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Grand Salami
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US term for the over/under total for the combined score of all the hockey games for that day.
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Handicap
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A system which gives an advantage (head start) to the weaker individual or team in one-sided events. Bookmakers use it to make of an event a more attractive betting proposition to the punters.
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Handicapper
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A person who analyzes sport events predicting the outcomes.
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Handle
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US term to indicate the total amount of money taken in bets by a bookmaker over a given event or period of time.
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Hang Cheng
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This is a form of soccer betting popular in Asia where returns on a team winning are determined by part-goal handicaps.
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Hedging
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When a punter places a bet on the opposing outcome to his original selection in order to guarantee a winning or cut a loss.
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Holding your own
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Breaking even.
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Hook
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The half point in point spread.
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Juice
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The bookmaker commission.
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Lay
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When a bookmaker, or a person on a betting exchange, accepts and takes on a bet is "laying" a bet.
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Layoff
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A bookmaker's bet with another bookmaker, made in order to relieve the excess action he has accepted from his customers.
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Lay the points
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A bet on the favourite in a point spread event.
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Lay the price
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A bet on the favourite in a money line event.
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Lengthen
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Referred to the odds getting longer. When a bookmaker increases the odds on a particular outcome to make them more attractive.
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Limit
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The maximum bet accepted by the bookmaker.
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Linemaker
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The person who compiles and sets the betting lines.
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Lines
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Another term to indicate the odds offered to the punter.
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Lock
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US term to indicate an easy or "guaranteed" winner.
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Longshot
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A selection that is unlikely to win.
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Middler
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US term to indicate a bettor that places bets on both sides.
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Money line
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US term to indicate a line offered without a handicap.
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Nap
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A newspaper's best bet of the day.
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Odds
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Numbers used to calculate how much a punter can win at a given stake for a particular outcome. The return offered by the bookmaker on a selection to win.
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Odds against
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A price where the odds are greater than evens (fractional) or 2.00 (decimal).
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Odds compiler
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The person who compiles and sets the odds.
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Odds on
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A price where the odds are less than evens (fractional) or 2.00 (decimal).
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Oddsmaker
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Another term for odds compiler.
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Off the board
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US term to indicate an event on which a bookmaker will not accept action.
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Outsider
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Another term for underdog.
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Over/Under
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A bet on whether the total points or goals scored will be over or under a specified number posted by the bookmaker.
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Overbroke
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When the "book" results in a loss for the bookmaker.
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Overlay
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When the odds of a selection are high compared to its chance of winning.
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Overround
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Profit margin set by the bookmaker on every "book" he makes.
Profit margin set by the bookmaker on every "book" he makes. |
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Parlay
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US term for accumulator.
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Permutation
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Selection of all specific accumulators from a list of selected outcomes. For example, if you select 4 outcomes (a, b, c, d) you could perm all the possible doubles and trebles. Six doubles bets: ab, ac, ad, bc, bd, cd. Four treble bets: abc, abd, acd, bcd.
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Picks
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Betting selections chosen by an expert.
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Player
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Another term for punter.
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Point spread
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The points allocated to the underdog to level the margin of the favourite in a mismatch.
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Post time
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Scheduled starting time of an event.
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Post-up
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US term for deposit betting.
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Price
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Another term to indicate the odds.
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Proposition
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A bet on a particular aspect of a game or on a non-sports event.
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Punter
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A person who places a bet.
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Push
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A game that is tied after the point spread is factored in.
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Return
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Total amount for a winning bet (stake+winnings).
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Scalper
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US term for a bettor who attempts to profit from the differences/variations in the odds from bookmaker to bookmaker by betting both sides of the game at different prices.
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Scamdicapper
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A tout that makes false claims about win percentages with the aim to defraud unwary bettors.
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Sharp
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A knowledgeable and smart bettor.
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Shorten
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Referred to the odds getting shorter. The opposite of "lengthen".
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Single
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A straight bet on one selection.
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Soft line
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A line that has been adjusted or moved as a result of action and does not reflect the true price.
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Sportsbook
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A US term for bookmaker.
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Spread
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Short for point spread.
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Square
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Unsophisticated bettor.
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Stake
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The amount of money bet.
The amount of money bet. |
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Steam
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Heavy one side action that causes a betting line to move quite rapidly.
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Sure thing
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A can't lose bet.
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System
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A method of betting used by a punter to try to get an advantage.
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Take the price
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A bet on the underdog in a money line event.
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Take the points
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A bet on the underdog in a point spread event.
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Teaser
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US term for a bet based on the point spread where the punter can adjust the line in his favour in return of reduced odds.
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Tie
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Another term for draw.
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Tips
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Betting selections chosen by an expert.
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Totals
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US term for over/under bets.
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Tipster
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A person who sells to punters his selections on sports events.
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Tout
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US term for tipster.
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Underdog
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The individual or team considered less likely to win.
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Vig
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Short for vigorish.
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Vigorish
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Another US term to indicate the bookmaker commission.
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Void
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A bet that has been cancelled and refunded.
A bet that has been cancelled and refunded. |
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Wager
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US term for bet.
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Wiseguy
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A successful bettor that makes his living from betting.
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