Sportsbook Wagering Terms E-L
Sportsbook Terms
The following is a list of common sportsbook wagering terms. If you have any questions, please visit our Help page or FAQs section.
- Earn
- Practical hold percentage, i.e., the total amount won by a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked.
- East Coast Line
- A term used mainly in ice hockey, which has a split-goal line, e.g. The Detroit Red Wings favored over the Vancouver Canucks (1-1 ½) as opposed to a spread-plus-money line (-1/2 -180).
- Edge
- An advantage over an opponent or the house in any wager. It can also be the advantage the casino has on any given wager.
- Even Money (General)
- A bet that pays the player the same amount that he wagered plus his original wager. Shown as a ratio of 1:1. Neither side lays any odds.
- Exotic Wager
- Action other than a straight wager, e.g. teasers, futures, round robins, etc.
- Expected to Win Rate
- A percentage of the total amount of money wagered that a player can be expected to win or lose over time.
- Exposure
- The amount of money the player or book stands to lose on any action.
- Extension
- The amount of money the book theoretically risks losing on an event.
- Favorite
- The team, side, horse or contestant competing in any given event considered to have the best chance to win.
- Fifty Cents
- A wager for $50.
- Final Four
- The last four teams in the annual NCAA men's basketball championship tournament.
- Firing
- To wager large sums of money.
- Fixed
- A slang term referring to the outcome of a race, contest or game that has been illegally pre-determined.
- Flat Joint
- Describes any dishonest gambling establishment or game.
- Flea
- A derogatory term describing players who wager little and expect something for nothing.
- Foots
- A slang term sometimes used to refer to the game of soccer. Also known as footy.
- Form
- The expected performance of contestants or teams according to how well they look on paper.
- Front Money
- A player's deposit with the house in order to establish credit to place bets against that money.
- Futures
- A type of wager made, or lines/odds posted, on an event or outcome that will be determined in the future, for example on which team will win the Super Bowl. The player making the ante post or future wager often will enjoy better odds for having done so.
- Get Down
- Make a wager.
- G-Note
- A $1000 bill.
- Going Down
- Losing a wager or series of wagers.
- Grand
- $1000. It can be in the form of a G-note, smaller bills, chips or vouchers.
- Grand Salami
- A wager on the total number of goals scored in all of the hockey games (NHL) played in a single day.
- Grinder
- A player who wagers small money.
- Gross Win
- Winnings before expenses.
- Half-Time Bet
- A wager placed on the first or second half of a football or basketball game.
- Handicapper
- The official who decides the weights to be carried in events, and the grading of horses. Also, a person who analyzes, studies and rates sporting events.
- Handle
- Total amounts of wagers taken.
- Hedge
- To wager the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce your exposure.
- High Roller
- A big bettor.
- Holding Your Own
- The result of breaking even, i.e., neither winning nor losing, during a wager, or series of wagers.
- Home Field Advantage
- The edge the home team is expected to have as a result of playing on home turf. For example, the home team would normally be more familiar with the playing area, enjoy greater fan support and avoid the effects of travel endured by the visiting team.
- Home Run Hitter
- A player who makes big plays despite taking maximum risks.
- Home Team
- The team playing in its own home town; it is usually listed below the visiting team.
- Hook
- A half-point added to football and basketball point spreads, as in 3.5, or 3 and a hook.
- Hooked
- The loss of a wager by exactly a half-point.
- Hoops
- Slang term referring to the game of basketball.
- Hot
- A player who is on a winning streak, or a slot machine that is paying out.
- Hot Game
- A game which is attracting a good deal of action, on one side, by skilled handicappers.
- Hot Tip
- Wagering information/data not yet in the hands of the bookmaker.
- IBF
- Acronym for International Boxing Federation.
- Interference
- Intentional physical contact that obstructs or impedes the running of horses or players in a game.
- Juice
- The bookmaker's commission. Often refers to the 110/100 players lay on straight wagers on football games. Juice is also known as vigorish or vig.
- Kick It
- To raise the bet.
- Layoff Wager (Bet)
- A wager made by one bookmaker with another bookmaker to help him balance his action and reduce his risk.
- Lay the Odds
- To wager more money on a proposition than one hopes to win.
- Lay the Points
- A wager on a favorite in a point-spread event.
- Lay the Price
- A wager on a favorite in a money line event.
- Leak
- To lose part or all of one's winnings due to questionable gambling habits. See also blow back.
- Limit
- The maximum wager accepted by the house or bookmaker before the odds, points or price will be changed. Essentially, it is a cap on the amount a player can wager.
- Line
- Refers to the listed odds, points, money line or point spread for any given event.
- Linemaker
- The person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines for an event.
- Listed Pitcher (LP)
- The pitcher or pitchers listed by Las Vegas odds makers as probable starting pitchers for a scheduled baseball game.
- Live One
- A derogatory term for an inexperienced, bad or loose player who has lots of money to lose. Also known as a mark, fish, provider and sucker.
- Long Odds
- Relatively small odds given that an event will occur.
- Long Shot
- An extreme underdog.
