The smarter way to bet

Sportsbook Glossary

At Pinnacle Sports, we are committed to making your online betting experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. With this in mind, we have complied a sports betting glossary of the unique terms and definitions commonly used by gamblers around the world today for information purposes only.

Please note that in the unlikely event of there being a discrepancy between the listed definition in the glossary and the Pinnacle House Rules, the English language version of the Pinnacle House Rules will be deemed to be correct.

Accumulator – Also known as a Parlay or multiple. A multiple bet where two or more bets are chosen and all these selections must win for the accumulator to payout.

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Action – A bet/wager of any kind.

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Added Game – A game that is not part of Las Vegas regular posted as an accommodation to customers.

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Advantage – Also known as the edge, juice or vigorish. A bookmaker’s commission.

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AFC – American football Conference. The winners of this division will play the winners of the NFC in the Super bowl to decide which team is the NFL champion.

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Ajax – 1) UK slang for betting terms 2) Dutch soccer side from Amsterdam that have won the Eredivisie 27 times.

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All-up – Also known as an Accumulator or Parlay.

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American football – the European term for football.

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American League – Often abbreviated to AL. one of two MLB divisions.

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Ante Post – Also known as Futures. This is a bet that is placed in advance predicting the outcome of a future event.

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Arbitrage – Where a variation in odds available allows a bettor to back both sides and guarantee a win.

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ATS – ‘Against the Spread’ – taking points rather than betting with the spread and laying points.

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Australian Open – one of the four grand slams of tennis. The tournament takes place in Melbourne Park.

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Backed – A bet selection (i.e. team, player) that is proving very popular and has had strong betting support.

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Bad beat - losing under unusual or exceptional circumstances.

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Banker – Highly expected to win - the favourite of favourites.

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Bank roll – indicates how much credit there is in a bettor’s sportsbook account.

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Bar Price – The odds of selections at their last quoted price.

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Baseball – a popular American sport that consists of two teams with the aim of getting the most points.

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Basketball – a popular sport that has two sides playing in a court with the aim of getting the most points.

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Beard – a friend or acquaintance that places bets in order to hide the true identity of the true bettor. A betting red herring so-to-speak.

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Beef – slang term for a dispute.

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Beeswax – Also known as Bees or Ajax. The UK term for betting tax.

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Bet – A wager of any kind.

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Betting line – a priced wager of any kind. Essentially, a betting opportunity.

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Betting Tax – A Tax on a Bookmakers turnover. Also known in the UK as Duty.

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Bettor – someone that makes a bet.

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Book – An establishment that accepts bets on Sports or/and horseracing.

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Bookmaker – The person that creates odds for people to bet on. A bookmaker is licensed to accept bets/wagers.

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Bookie – Slang for a bookmaker.

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Bonus (es) – Comp points and rewards granted by bookmakers/sportsbooks for bettors/members.

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Bottle – UK term for odds of 2-1.

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Boxing – A popular sport between two contestants. Using only their fists, their aim is to knockout their opponent or achieve a points victory. This usually takes place in 12 rounds. Four separate bodies currently offer various titles, IBF, WBA, WBO and WBC
BR – Abbreviation for a bankroll.

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Bridge Jumper - A bettor that specializes in large show bets on odds-on favourites.

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British Open – one of golf’s Four Majors and is played at St Andrews course in Scotland.

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Buck – A bet of $100.

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Burlington Bertie – The price of 100-30.

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Buying Points – Also known as moving the line. A bettor pays to receive half a point or more in his favour on a spread game.

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Buy Price – In Spread or Index betting, the higher figure quoted by an Index Bookmaker.

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Buy the Rack – A bettor buys all available doubles or other combination ticket.

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Canadian Line – A combination point spread and money line in ice hockey.

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Carpet – UK term for odds of 3-1.

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Century – £100 GBP.

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Chalk – A favourite.

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Chalk Player – A bettor that wagers on favourites and rarely bets on underdogs.

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Champions League – Also known as the European Cup. European soccer’s most lucrative knockout competition. All countries under UEFA’s wing have a certain amount of club representatives that play each other until there is one remaining team. This team are then crowned champions of Europe.

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Churn – the effect of betting and re-betting money.

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Circled Game – A game where the bookmaker limits the maximum bet.

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Closing Line – The final list of point spreads offered before the game.

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Combination bet – Selecting any number of teams/horses to finish first and second in either order.

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Colt – A male horse that is 4 years old or younger.

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Cover – To bet the spread by the required number of points.

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Daily double – A horseracing bet in which a player picks the winning horses of two chosen races.

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Dead Heat – A term in horseracing for a race where two horses finish equal. Both horses are declared winners.

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Deposit Betting – Betting with money deposited in advance with a bookmaker

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Dime bet – a $1000 wager.

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Dime Line – a betting line where the juice is 10%.

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Dividend – The payout or return on any bet.

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Dog – The underdog or outsider.

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Dog Player – A bettor that chooses to wager on the Dog or outsider.

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Dollar bet - a $100 wager.

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Double – A bet on two separate events or two parts of the same event.

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Double carpet – UK slang for odds of 33-1, based on Carpet.

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Double header – Two separate games played by the same teams on the same day.

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Draw – When two teams/competitors finish the game evenly and honours are shared.

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Drift – odds that have lengthened

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Each way – UK term for betting on a team/competitor to win and/or secure a ‘place’.

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Earn – Practical hold percentage.

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East Coast Line - Mainly used in ice hockey, which has a split-goal line e.g. - NY Rangers (1 - 1 ½) favourite over the Vancouver Canucks as opposed to goal spread plus moneyline (-1/2 -180).

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Edge – A bookmaker’s commission. Also known as Advantage, vigorish and juice.

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English Premier League – England’s top soccer league.

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Eredivisie – Holland’s top soccer league.

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Even money – A 1.1 odds bet.

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Event – Another term for a race, tournament, match or any betting contest.

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Exacta – A selection of two horses to come 1st and in 2nd in a race in exact order.

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Exotic Wager – Any other action bet aside from a straight bet or parlay.

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Exposure – the amount of money the bookmaker actually stands to lose on a game.

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Extension – the amount of money the bookmaker potentially will lose on a game.

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Extra-time – when a set period of additional playing time is added to an existing game where the two teams are drawing. This does not affect the outcome of a match bet.

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FA Cup, The – English soccer’s foremost knockout competition.

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Favourite – the expected winner of a game/race; the entrant with the lowest odds.

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Favoured – a team/contestant that is popular with the bettor.

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Field – all the competitors in an event.

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Figure – the amount owed to or by a bookmaker.

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Filly – A female horse that is 4 years old or under.

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Final four – The remaining four college teams from an original field of 64.

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Firing – the act of betting large amounts.

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First Half bet – a bet solely for the outcome of the first half of a game.

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Fixed game – A game in which at least one of the competitors/teams wilfully manipulates the outcome of the game.

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Fixed odds – If the odds are fixed when you make your bet, the odds remain the same until the settlement of the bet.

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Flag – 23 bets; a Yankee plus 6 single stakes about bets in pairs on 4 selections in different events.

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Flash – change of odds information on tote board.

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Flea – a low-wagering bettor that continually requests bonuses.

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Fold – an indication of the number of selections in an accumulator (e.g. 6-fold – 6 selections).

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Football – 1) The European term for soccer. 2) Also known as American football in Europe. One of the most popular American sports, Football is a game between two sides aiming to outscore each other with the use of an oval ball.

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Forecast – Also known as a Perfecta or Exacta. It means wagering on what selection finishes 1st and 2nd for a particular event. Forecasts can be straight, reversed or permed.

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Form – the previous placing/results of a team/competitor. For example, the previous six-match form of English soccer side Manchester United could be win, win, draw, lose, lose, lose.

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Four majors – Golf’s four most prestigious tournaments; the Masters, the US Open, PGA in the US and the British Open.

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French Open – one of the four grand slams of tennis. The tournament takes place in Roland Garros in Paris.

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Full cover – All the doubles, trebles and accumulators involved in a given number of selections.

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Furlong – This term is often used in horse racing and is a unit of distance equal to 1/8 of a mile or 220 yards.

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Future – Also known as Ante post. A bet on the outcome of a major event like the Super bowl or a soccer league such as the English Premier League.

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Gambler - Also known as a bettor or player. Someone that makes a bet.

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German Bundesliga - Also known as the Deutsche Bundesliga. Germany's top football league.

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Getting Down – Placing a bet or making a wager.

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Golf – A worldwide popular sports involving a field of individual players seeking to complete the course with the least number of putts.

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Goliath – A multiple bet consisting of 247 bets involving 8 selections in different events (28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70x4 folds, 56x5-folds, 8x7-folds and one 8-foldfold).

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Grand Slam – tennis’ four most important tournaments: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

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Grand Salami – The total number of goals scored in all the day’s ice hockey matches. You can wager on whether the number will be under or over the amount priced by the bookmaker.

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Gross win – a win before expenses.

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Half a dollar - $50.

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Half time bet – a bet placed only on the second half of a game.

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Handicap – also known as the Spread. A Handicap is a bet where the favoured side has points deducted and the underdog points added to even up the bet.

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Handicapper – Someone that studies and wagers on sporting events.

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Handicapping – the attempt to predict the outcome of a game.

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Handle – Total amount of bets taken.

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Hang Cheng – The Asian equivalent of a point spread.

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Hedging – Placing bets on the opposite side in order to cut losses or guarantee a minimum amount of winnings.

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Heinz – A multiple bet consisting of 57 bets involving 6 selections in different events (15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15x4 folds).

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Hold – The percentage the house/sportsbook wins.

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Home Team - the team that is playing in their own town/stadium.

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Hook – Half a point added to football and basketball betting lines.

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Hoops – Slang for a basketball game.

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Horse racing – the term for the very popular sport that see horses contesting in races for a prize.

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Hot game – A game that has had many wagers on one side by handicappers.

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House – The slang term for the bookmaker, sportsbook or betting establishment that offers betting lines.

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IBF – International Boxing Federation. This is also the name of a boxing title.

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Ice-hockey – a sports that is popular in both America and Europe. A game is played between two teams on ice trying to obtain the highest score.

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Index Betting – another term for spread betting.

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In the money – A term used in horse racing for a horse that finished first, second or third.

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Joint favourite(s) – the term for two teams/contestants that have equal lowest pricing.

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Jolly – bookmaker’s slang for ‘favourite favourite’.

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Juice – Also known as the Edge and vigorish, a bookmaker’s commission.

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Kite – UK slang term for a check.

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Knockout competition – this type of contest is present in most sports and features a set number of teams that eliminate each other round by round until there is only one team left. The remaining team is usually wins a trophy for its efforts.

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La Liga – Also known as the Primera Liga. Spain’s top soccer league.

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Lay a bet – An acceptance of a bet by a bettor to the bookmaker.

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Lay a price – betting the favourite by laying money odds.

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Laying the points – Betting the favourite by giving up points.

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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.

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LBO – Abbreviation for Licensed Betting Office in the UK.

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Lengthen – the movement by the linemaker of odds so that they are made longer.

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Limit – the maximum amount a bookmaker will permit a bettor to wager on certain odds.

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Line – Also known as betting line. The betting proposition on a game and/or payoff odds on the bet.

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Linemaker – The person that sets the original and subsequent betting lines.

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Listed Pitchers – A baseball bet on the pitchers that will participate in the game.

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Lock – also known as banker. A certain winner.

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Long odds – Odds that are greater than 1,000.

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Long shot – a team/competitor that is a far outsider and large underdog.

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Lucky 15 – 15 bets involving 4 selections in different events (I.e. 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 fourfold).

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Lucky 31 – 31 bets consisting of 5 selections in different events (I.e. 5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfold plus 1 five-fold).

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Lucky 63 – 63 bets consisting of 6 selections in different events (I.e. 6 singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-fold, 6 five-folds, and 1 six-fold).

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Mare – A female horse that is 5 years old or more.

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Margin – The amount a competitor in an event finishes in front of another competitor.

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Masters, The – One of golf’s Four Majors. This tournament and is played at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

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Middle – To win on both sides of the same contest; by backing the underdog at one point spread and then the favourite at a different point and winning both sides.

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MLB – Abbreviation for Major League Baseball. It’s divided into two divisions, National League and the American League.

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Money line – Odds that represent what amount has to be wagered or what can be won. For example, if there is a minus sign (-) next to an amount, you have to wager that amount to win $100. If there is a plus sign (+) next to an amount, you will receive that amount for every $100 wagered.

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Move the line – Also known as buying points. A bettor pays to receive half a point more in his favor on a spread point game.

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Multiples – Also known as Accumulator. A multiple bet where two or more bets are chosen and all these selections must win for a payout.

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MVP – An abbreviation for Most Valuable Player award.

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National League – Often abbreviated to NL. One of two MLB divisions.

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NAP – A best bet of the day tip by a newspaper.

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NBA – Abbreviation for National Basketball Association. This is name of the professional basketball body of America.

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NCAA – Abbreviation for National Collegiate Athletic Association. This is the name of the governing body of college sports in America.

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Neutral Site – An arena, stadium or pitch where neither side has home advantage.

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NFC – The abbreviation for National Football Conference. This is one of two football divisions in America. The other is the AFC. The two winners of these competitions meet in the Super bowl to decide the NFL champion.

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NFL – The abbreviation for National Football League.

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NHL – The abbreviation for National Hockey League. This is America’s foremost professional ice-hockey association.

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Nickel - $500.

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Nickel Line – A betting line where the juice or bookmakers edge is 5%.

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NIT – The abbreviation for National Invitational Tournament. This is one of America’s foremost basketball tournaments.

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No Action – A bet where no money is lost or won.

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Odds – the bookmaker's evaluation of the chance of a team or competitor winning. It is adjusted to include a profit, otherwise known as the bookmaker’s edge.

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Odds against – When the odds are greater than evens (e.g. 5/2).

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Odds compiler – Also known as a bookmaker. Someone that decides the price and odds of a team/competitor.

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Odds on – This has a minus sign and is worked out in reverse. It is the amount a bettor has to wager to win $100.

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Oddsmaker – also known as a bookmaker. Someone that decides the price and odds of a team/competitor.

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Off the board – This is the term for a game that a bookmaker refuses to accept any bets.

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One - $100.

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Out – a term for an illegal bookmaker.

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Outsiders – Also known as a dog or underdog. A long-odds team/competitor that is not one of the favorites and is not expected to win.

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Overlay – When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house.

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Over – A wager on whether the combined amount of points/goals by both teams in one match will be over the priced amount.

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Overtime – also known as extra time. When a set period of additional playing time is added to an existing game where the two teams are drawing. This does not affect the outcome of a match bet.

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Over-under – the opportunity to bet on the combined amount of points/goals both teams will score in the match. A bettor can choose over or under the priced amount.

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Parlay – Also known as an accumulator or multiple bet. A multiple bet where two or more bets are chosen and all these selections must win for the accumulator to payout.

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Past Post – to make a bet after the event has started.

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Patent – 7 bets involving 3 selections in different events, i.e. a single on each selection, plus 3 doubles, and 1 treble.

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Payout – Also known as winnings or return. A payout is how much a bettor receives from the bookmaker as a consequence of winning the bet.

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Perfecta – Also known as a forecast or exacta. A selection of two horses to come 1st and in 2nd in a race in exact order.

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PGA – Abbreviation for Professional Golfers Associations. The official and recognized body for golf.

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Pick - when neither team is favoured.

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Picks – a selection of bets usually chosen by an expert or knowledgeable person.

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Pick ‘em – Also known as pick. When neither team is favoured.

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Place – to wager on the team/competitor/horse to finish in the top two, three, four or five in an event/tournament.

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Player – Also known as a bettor or gambler. Someone that makes bets.

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Point Spread – Also known as the handicap. Referring to the points given to the underdog to level the odds with the favourite.

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Postponed – When an event is cancelled and rescheduled for a later date.

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Press – the betting of an unusually large amount.

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Price – Also known as the odds. A price is decided by the bookmaker to reflect the chances of that particular team/contestant winning or placing in an event field.

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Primera Liga – Also known as La Liga. This is Spain’s top soccer league.

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Prop – Also known as a Special bet. A prop is short for proposition bet, which are odds set by the bookmaker on unique and various topics. This can include politics, pop music, etc.

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Proposition bet – also known as a Prop or Special bet. This type of bet is odds set by the bookmaker on unique and various topics. This can include politics, pop music, etc.

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Pucks – A slang word for the game of ice hockey.

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Puckline – Giving odds of a goal spread instead of using a Canadian line, which uses both a goal spread and money line.

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Punter – slang term for a bettor.

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Puppy – Also known as a dog or underdog. The outsider in a bet – the unfavoured team/competitor.

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Push – Also known as a draw or tie. A push is when there is no winner or loser in a bet.

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Rained out – A game that is cancelled because of bad weather.

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Return – Your total winnings on a bet.

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Reverse – this bet applies for horseracing when a bettor asks for a second exacta wager but this time having the two horses in reverse place order to that of the first exacta.

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Round Robin - A series of parlays. A three-team round robin consists of one three-team parlay and three two-team parlays.

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Run down – All the betting information and lines for a specific, date, time, etc.

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Run line – Refers to baseball when a spread is used instead of a money line.

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Runner – Also known as a beard. This is a person that places bets on behalf of someone else in an effort to disguise the identity of the true bettor. A betting masquerader in other words.

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Ryder Cup – This is a prestigious golf tournament that takes place every two years between an American and European team.

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Scalper - Someone who attempts to profit from the differences in odds from different books by betting both sides of the same game at different prices.

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Score – To win a lot of money.

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Scouts – Refers to a bettor that waits for what he considers to be an unusually strong wager. Basically, he is keeping an eye on the market movement and betting activity before choosing his bet.

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Scratch – Refers to horseracing when a horse is withdrawn from the race before it has started. All wagers on this horse are then refunded.

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Sharp – Another term for a wise guy - a professional gambler.

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Shorten – when a bookmaker reduces the odds. The opposite to lengthen.

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Shortstop – someone that bets small amounts and doesn’t bet often.

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Show – This is a bet in horseracing that you collect if a horse comes first second or third.

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Shut Out - What happens to a bettor who gets on the betting line too late and is still waiting in line when the window closes. Also, in sports betting, when the losing team does not score.

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Side - To win one side and tie the other. For example, if you lay -2 1/2 and take 3 on the same game and the favourite wins by 3 you have SIDED the book. The book has been SIDED.

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Single – Also known as a straight bet. Refers to a singular bet on one team, competitor or horse.

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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).

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Soccer – Also known as football in Europe. A very popular sport in most continents. It involves two teams of eleven players attempting to win a 90 minute match by scoring the most goals. A goal constitutes the placement of a soccer football into the opposition’s net excluding the usage of hands.

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Special bet – Also known as a proposition bet. This type of bet is odds set by the bookmaker on unique and various topics. This can include politics, pop music, etc.

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Sportsbook - The person, shop or website who accepts bets.

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Spread – Also known as a point spread. Referring to the points given to the underdog to level the odds with the favourite.

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Spread betting - Also known as action line or moneyline. The amount that must be wagered to win $100, or the amount won for a $100 wager. A bet is won or lost according to whether you correctly predict the result of an event. Returns or losses are calculated in proportion to how right or wrong the bettor is, and can lead to huge returns or losses.

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Square – The opposite to a sharp - someone that bets casually and is not a professional or full-time gambler.

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Stanley Cup – the top knockout competition in ice hockey.

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Stake – another term for a wager.

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Steam – refers to heavy movement on a betting line, which is usually caused by many people betting on it.

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Store – Also known as a book, bookmaker or other betting establishment. Essentially, somewhere you can place a bet.

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Straight bet – This is the name of a bet on just one team, competitor or horse.

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Sucker bet – refers to a betting line that has a large house edge.

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Super bowl – The grand tournament of American football. The winners of the AFC and NFC divisions play each other to establish who is the NFL champion.

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Super Heinz - 120 bets involving 7 selections in different events, i.e. 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 four-folds, 21 five-folds, 7 six-folds and 1 seven-fold.

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Super Yankee – Is a multiple bet more commonly known as a Canadian. A Super Yankee is a Yankee type bet with five selections instead of four.

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System - A method of betting, usually mathematically based, used by a bettor to try to get an advantage.

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Taking the points – betting on the underdog and its advantage in a points spread.

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Taking the price – Betting on the underdog and accepting money odds.

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Tapped – to be broke or busted and have no cash/credit left in the account.

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Teaser - A bet on two or more teams where the bettor can add or subtract points from the spread to make their bets stronger in return for reduced odds. All results must match the selections to win the teaser.

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Tennis – a popular competitive sport between two individuals (‘singles’ match) or two groups of two (‘doubles’ match).

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Thick ‘un – A large bet.

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Ticket – another term for wager.

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Tie – Also known as push or draw. This is a bet where no money is lost or won because the teams/competitors score and finishing place were equal to the number of points in the given line.

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Tips - The selections and predictions of competitor’s performance for an event from an expert or observer.

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Tipster – someone that offers tips on events.

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Total – A sports bet for the combined amount of goals, points or runs scored by all teams in a game or event. The bettor will wager on whether the total amount will be over or under a priced amount.

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Tout Service – A business that sells opinions and tips on sports events.

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Tote - Short for Totalisator. A system introduced to Britain in 1929 to offer pool betting on racecourses.

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Trifecta – A horseracing bet where someone can wager on three horses to finish in the top three in one exact order.

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Triple sharp – a phrase for the ‘ultimate’ betting professionals; the sharpest of the sharp.

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Trebles - A triple bet on three events. A form of parlay or accumulator.

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Trixie - A Trixie consists of 4 bets involving 3 selections in different events, i.e. 3 doubles plus 1 treble.

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True Odds - The real odds of something happening as opposed to what bookmakers offer.

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Two Ball Betting - A golf bet that involves predicting which player from a group of two will shoot the lowest score over 18 holes.

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Three ball betting – A golf bet that involves predicting which player from a group of three will shoot the lowest score over 18 holes.

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UEFA – The governing body of European soccer.

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Under – This refers to a Total bet, where the bettor wagers on whether the total amount of goals/points will be under a certain priced figure.

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Underdog – Also known as dog and outsider. This is the contestant/team that is the least likely to win and has a large price.

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Underlay - When the odds on a proposition are in favour of the house.

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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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US Open - One of tennis’ four grand slams. This event is played in Flushing Meadows in New York.

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Value – Getting the best odds on a betting proposition – those with the lowest bookmaker’s edge.

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Vigorish – Also known as juice, edge. This represents the bookmaker’s commission.

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VS – against, i.e. Red Sox VS Yankees.

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WBA – Abbreviation for World Boxing Association. One of boxing’s four most coveted championships.

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WBC – Abbreviation for World Boxing Championship. One of boxing’s four most coveted championships.

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Welsh/Welch - To fail to pay a gambling bet.

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Wimbledon – One of the four grand slams of tennis. This event is based in Wimbledon, South West London.

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Win Only – A bet on a competitor/team to win an event. This is also known as a straight bet or 'Money Line' betting.

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Wise guy – a well-informed handicapper or bettor.

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WNBA – abbreviation for Women’s National Basketball Association.

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World Series – A set of seven matches to decide the MLB championship. This final takes place between the two league champions of the American League (AL) and National League (NL).

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Yankee – A bet that consists of four selections, combining them into six doubles, four trebles and one fourfold - i.e. eleven bets.