Glossary

Our glossary section at America Bet aims to demystify the terminology presented to you in various forms of betting and wagering activity. Please bookmark this page for future reference and never be caught off guard again!

Sports Betting Terms

• Accumulator (Acca) – A single bet that links together several individual wagers and is dependent on all of those wagers winning together.
• Action – A general term for the total amount of bets placed on a game or event.
• Adjusted Line – A line that has been adjusted from the original posted line, often in response to various factors like player injuries or betting action.
• Against the Spread (ATS) – Betting on the point spread as opposed to betting on the outcome of the game.
• Arbitrage (Arb) – Betting on all possible outcomes of an event at odds that guarantee a profit regardless of the result.
• Asian Handicap – A form of betting that adjusts team odds and eliminates the possibility of a draw.
• Backdoor Cover – A late score in a game that affects the outcome of a bet, typically covering the point spread unexpectedly.
• Bad Beat – A bet that looks like a winner but turns out to be a loser due to unexpected events.
• Banker – A bet that is highly likely to win.
• Bankroll – The total amount of money a bettor has set aside for betting purposes.
• Best Ball – A type of bet in golf where a player or team uses the best score on each hole across a round.
• Bookmaker (Bookie) – A person or company licensed to accept bets from the public.
• Boxing – In horse racing, a betting strategy that covers all possible combinations of finish for multiple horses.
• Buy Points – Paying an additional price to receive half a point or more in your favor on a point spread game.
• Buying Points – Paying an additional fee to receive a more favorable point spread.
• Chalk – The favourite in a game.
• Chase – Continually betting to recover losses from earlier bets.
• Circled Game – A game with restricted betting limits, often due to uncertainties like player injuries.
• Closing Line – The final set of odds offered before the event begins.
• Consensus – The percentage of bettors on each side of a game, often used to gauge public betting trends.
• Cover – To beat the point spread by the required number of points. When you “cover the spread,” you win your bet.
• Dead Heat – An event where two or more participants finish tied.
• Dime Bet – A wager of $1,000.
• Dividend – A payout on a pari-mutuel betting pool, typically used in horse racing.
• Double Chance – A bet that allows you to cover two of the three possible outcomes in a match with one bet (e.g., Home team win or draw).
• Dutching – Betting on more than one outcome in a single event to ensure the same amount of profit no matter which outcome wins.
• Each Way (E/W) – A bet divided into two parts: the first on the selection to win and the second on the same selection to place.
• Edge – The advantage a bettor has before a bet is placed.
• Even Money – A bet where the potential winnings equal the original bet.
• Exotic – Any wager other than a straight bet or parlay, often involves multiple bets on multiple outcomes.
• Exotic Bet – Any wager other than a straight bet or parlay, often related to specific outcomes.
• Exposure – The amount of money a sportsbook potentially could lose for a specific event.
• Fading – Betting against a particular outcome, often referring to betting against the team or outcome that is receiving the majority of bets.
• Field – In prop bets, especially in tournaments, a bet covering all competitors except those individually listed.
• First Half Bet – A bet placed only on the outcome of the first half of the game.
• Fixed Odds – Odds that don’t change once you’ve placed your bet.
• Futures Bet – A bet placed on an event that will take place in the future (e.g., winner of the Super Bowl).
• Goliath – A multiple bet consisting of 247 bets involving 8 selections in different events.
• Grand Salami – A bet on the total number of goals or runs scored in all of the games in a specific league on a particular day.
• Halftime Bet – A bet placed only on the outcome or score of the second half of a game.
• Handicap – A system used by bookmakers to level a betting environment between two mismatched teams.
• Hedging – Placing bets on a different outcome to an original wager to guarantee a profit or minimize a potential loss.
• Holding Your Own – Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even on your bets.
• Hook – A half-point added to point spreads and game total odds.
• In the Money – In horse racing, finishing first, second, or third in a race.
• In-Play Betting – Bets placed after an event has started and up to its conclusion.
• Juice (Vig) – The commission the bookmaker takes on bets.
• Juiced Line – A line that has higher than usual juice or vig.
• Lay a Bet – To bet against a certain outcome.
• Layoff – Money bet by a sportsbook with another sportsbook or bookmaker to reduce that book’s liability.
• Limit – The maximum amount a bookmaker allows you to bet before the odds or lines change.
• Live Betting – Placing bets on events that are currently underway.
• Lock – A bet that is considered extremely likely to win.
• Long Shot – A bet that has a low probability of winning but a high reward.
• Martingale System – A betting strategy where a bettor doubles the bet size after each loss, in order to recover previous losses and gain a profit.
• Matched Betting – A betting technique used by individuals to profit from the free bets and incentives offered by bookmakers.
• Middle – To win both sides of a game; wagering on different teams at different point spreads or money lines that allow a chance to win both bets.
• Money Line – A bet that involves picking the winner of the game without the point spread.
• Moneyline Bet – A bet on which team will win a game outright.
  Nickel – A $500 bet.
• No Action – A bet where no money is won or lost because the specific conditions were not met.
• Odds Compiler – The person responsible for setting the odds for events.
• Odds-on – A term used when the odds are less than evens.
• Off the Board – A game or event that bookmakers are not accepting bets on.
• Opening Line – The initial line set for a game or event.
• Overlay – A betting scenario in which the odds on a wager are higher than the actual probability of it occurring.
• Overround – The practice of pricing betting markets so that the odds imply a total book of over 100%.
• Parlay – A multi-bet where all selections must win for the bet to be successful.
• Payout – The total amount paid on a winning bet.
• Pick’em (PK) – A game with no favorite or underdog; the spread is zero.
• Pleaser – A type of parlay bet where the bettor gives up points, making the bet harder to win but offering greater returns.
• Prop Bet – A bet on a specific aspect of an event, not the outcome of the game itself.
• Proposition Bet – A specialized bet on various aspects of the game, such as who will score first or how many yards a player will gain.
• Public Money – The amount of money bet by the general public on any betting option.
• Punter – The bettor or gambler.
• Push – When the contest ends with no winner or loser for wagering purposes (the bet amount is refunded).
• Quarter Line (Qtr.) – In soccer betting, a spread that can be split into two or four bets.
• Quinella – Betting in which the first two places in a race must be predicted, but not necessarily in the correct order.
• Rebate – A partial refund given to bettors from their placed bets, often used as a loyalty incentive.
• Rollover – A requirement by online sportsbooks that a bettor place a certain amount of bets in order to withdraw their bonus money.
• Round Robin – A series of parlay bets.
• Runner – A person who places bets for someone else.
• Scalping – Exploiting the price differences between bookmakers by placing a bet at each one.
• Sharp – A professional sports bettor who typically has vast knowledge and betting acumen.
• Sharp Money – Money wagered by sports bettors whose opinions are respected by the sportsbooks and can cause line movement.
• Single Bet – A bet on a single outcome in an event.
• Sportsbook – An establishment that accepts bets on various sporting events.
• Spread Betting – A form of wagering where the payout varies depending on the accuracy of the bet.
• Stake – The amount of money placed on a bet.
• Steam – When a betting line moves significantly at all locations simultaneously, usually due to heavy betting.
• Teaser – A type of parlay in which the point spread or total can be adjusted, reducing the risk level of the bet.
• Ticket – A bet slip used to place a wager.
• Tie – A wager where no money is won or lost because the contest ended in a tie, draw, or exactly on the spread.
• Total (Over/Under) – A bet on whether the total points/goals in a game will be over or under a specified amount.
• Total Line – The combined amount of runs, points, or goals scored by both teams during the game, upon which bets can be made.
• Tout – A person who sells or gives away sports betting picks.
• Tricast – A bet predicting the first three finishers in exact order, also known as a trifecta.
• Underdog – The team or individual considered less likely to win.
• Underdog Cover – Occurs when the underdog in an event wins against the point spread.
• Unit – A standard size of a bet, typically a percentage of a bettor’s bankroll.
• Value – Getting the best odds on a wager; the highest possible edge against the sportsbooks.
• Value Bet – A bet that is seen as offering good value if the implied probability is less than the true probability of it occurring.
• Vigorish (Vig) – The fee or commission that a bookmaker charges on a bet, also known as “juice” in the US.
• Void Bet – A bet that is canceled and the wager is returned to the bettor.
• Wager – Any type of bet.
• Whale – A high-stakes gambler who consistently wagers large amounts of money.
• Wire-to-Wire Bet – A bet that a team will lead at every quarter or other specified intervals.
• Yankee – A multiple bet consisting of 11 bets (6 doubles, 4 trebles, and a fourfold accumulator) involving 4 selections in different events.

Casino Terms

• Action – The total amount of money wagered by a player during a full gambling session.
• All-in – A term used in poker when a player bets all their remaining chips.
• Ante – An initial bet required (in some games) before a hand can start.
• Baccarat – A card game where players aim to get as close to nine as possible using two or three cards.
• Banker – In card games, the dealer or the player who books the action of the other bettors at the table.
• Bankroll Management – The process of managing the money used specifically for gambling to maximize playtime and minimize risk.
• Bet Max – The maximum bet allowed by the casino on any game.
• Blackjack – A popular card game where players try to achieve a hand closer to 21 than the dealer’s without exceeding 21.
• Bonus – Incentives offered to players by casinos to encourage gameplay, including welcome, deposit, and no-deposit bonuses.
• Burn Card – A card discarded from the deck before dealing, typically in card games like Poker and Baccarat.
• Cage – The location in a casino where players cash in their chips.
• Carousel – A group of slot machines arranged in a circle, allowing players to move easily from one machine to another.
• Comp Points – Points earned by a player that can be converted to cash or playing credits.
• Croupier – A term used primarily in roulette and baccarat for the dealer.
• Dealer – The casino employee who deals the cards or manages the game at the table.
• Deposit – The act of putting money into your online casino account.
• Deuces Wild – A variation of video poker where all twos (deuces) act as wild cards.
• Double Down – In Blackjack, the option for a player to double their bet with only one more card to be dealt.
• Early Surrender – In Blackjack, the option to forfeit half your bet before the dealer checks for a natural blackjack.
• Edge – The advantage that the casino has over the players.
• Expanding Wilds – Special wild symbols in slot games that expand to cover an entire reel when they appear.
• Face Cards – Jacks, Queens, and Kings in a deck of cards.
• Fish – A player who is inexperienced or consistently loses money in poker games.
• Flat Betting – A strategy where the player bets the same amount on each wager without varying.
• Free Spin – A type of bonus that allows players to spin without paying, often found in slots.
• High Roller – A player who bets large amounts of money.
• High Volatility – Slot games that pay out less frequently but typically offer larger payouts.
• Hit – To request another card in Blackjack.
• House Rules – The regulations under which a casino operates.
• Instant Casino – An online casino where players can play games directly through their web browser without needing to download software.
• Insurance – An optional bet in Blackjack that can be made when the dealer’s upcard is an ace.
• Jackpot – The highest prize available in a slot game or lottery, often accumulating over time until it is won.
• Keno – A lottery-style game where players select numbers in hopes that they will match the randomly drawn numbers.
• Line Bet – A wager on a specific payline in slot games.
• Live Dealer Games – Casino games that are streamed live from a studio or casino floor, where players interact with real dealers.
• Loyalty Program – A reward system that offers incentives to players based on their level of activity and betting.
• Martingale System – A betting strategy where a player doubles their bet after each loss, with the aim of recovering previous losses and gaining a profit with the first win.
• Mechanical Slots – Traditional slot machines with physical reels and levers.
• Multiplier – A feature in slot games that multiplies winnings by a predetermined figure.
• Net Winnings – The total amount won by a player after subtracting losses.
• No Deposit Bonus – A bonus given to players without the need for a deposit, often used to attract new players.
• Odds – The likelihood of a particular outcome occurring.
• Optimal Strategy – The best possible way to play a game in order to maximize the chances of winning.
• Pay Table – A chart that shows the winning combinations and their corresponding payouts in a casino game.
• Payline – A line on which the payout will be awarded based on winning combinations in slot games.
• Payout Percentage – The average amount of money the casino returns to players as winnings.
• Pit Boss – A casino employee who supervises the operations of a casino pit and all its games.
• Progressive Jackpot – A jackpot that increases each time the game is played but the jackpot is not won.
• Push – A tie between a player and the dealer, with no winner or loser.
• Qualifier – In poker, the minimum hand needed to win.
• Rake – The commission taken by the casino in games like poker, usually a percentage of each pot.
• Random Number Generator (RNG) – A computer program that randomly generates the outcomes for online casinos games.
• Rebuy – The option to buy more chips or re-enter a tournament after being eliminated.
• Reels – The spinning wheels on slot machines.
• Roulette – A casino game where players bet on where a ball will land on a spinning wheel divided into numbered compartments.
• Scatter Symbol – A symbol in slots that can trigger a bonus round, often rewarding free spins or other bonuses.
• Session – A period of time spent gambling.
• Shark – An expert poker player who preys on less experienced players.
• Soft Hand – Any hand in Blackjack that contains an Ace counted as 11.
• Split – In Blackjack, the option to divide two cards of the same rank into separate hands.
• Stand – To decline additional cards in Blackjack.
• Sticky Bonus – A type of casino bonus that cannot be cashed out; it is ‘stuck’ to the player’s casino account.
• Surrender – An option in Blackjack where a player can forfeit half their bet and end the hand immediately.
• Table Limit – The minimum or maximum bet that can be made at a gaming table.
• Tapping Out – Losing one’s entire gambling bankroll and thus having to stop playing.
• Tight Machine – A slot machine that is not expected to pay out as frequently as a “loose machine.”
• Upcard – In Blackjack, the dealer’s first card that is dealt face up.
• Variance – A measure of the risk entailed in playing a game due to fluctuations in expected outcomes.
• Video Poker – A casino game based on five-card draw poker, played on a computerized console similar in size to a slot machine.
• VIP Program – Special rewards and recognition given to high-volume or high-stake players.
• Wager – Another term for a bet.
• Wagering Panel – The interface on a slot machine where the player chooses the size and number of coins to bet.
• Wagering Requirements – Conditions placed on the withdrawal of bonuses, specifying how much must be bet before withdrawing.
• Welcome Bonus – A bonus offered to new players when they sign up and make their first deposit at an online casino.
• Wild Card – A card that can be used to substitute for any other card in order to form a winning combination.
• Wild Symbol – A symbol in slot games that can substitute for other symbols to create winning combinations.
• Zero Game – A bet in European roulette focusing on the numbers closest to zero on the wheel.

Poker Terms

• All-in – Betting all the chips you have at the table.
• Ante – A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt.
• Backdoor – Hitting needed cards on both the turn and the river to make your hand. For example, having two hearts in hand and then catching two hearts on the turn and river to make a flush.
• Bad Beat – Losing a hand where you were a strong favorite to win.
• Big Blind – The larger of the two forced bets in most forms of poker.
• Blind – A forced bet made by one or two players to the left of the dealer before cards are dealt.
• Bluff – Betting with a weak hand in hopes of driving other players out of the pot.
• Board – The community cards in games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha that everyone uses.
• Bubble – The point in a poker tournament at which the next player out will not win money.
• Burn Card – The top card of the deck discarded before each betting round.
• Button – A marker used to indicate the dealer position for that hand (in casino and online poker, the player acting as dealer for that hand).
• C- bet (Continuation Bet) – A bet made on the flop by the player who led the betting pre-flop.
• Call – Matching the current bet in order to remain in the hand.
• Calling Station – A player who frequently calls bets and rarely raises, regardless of their hand strength.
• Check – To pass the action to the next player without making a bet.
• Check-Raise – To check initially, then raise after an opponent bets.
• Chop – To split the pot between two or more players rather than awarding it all to a single player.
• Cold Call – To call a raise after there has already been a bet and one or more raises.
• Community Cards – Cards placed in the middle of the table that all players can use to make their hand.
• Connector – Consecutive cards that can help complete a straight. For example, 4-5 or 9-10.
• Dealer – The player who shuffles the deck and deals the cards (or the person responsible for this in casino poker).
• Donkey – A derogatory term used for a weak or inexperienced player.
• Draw – Playing a hand that is not yet complete and needs further cards to become valuable.
• Fish – A player who is inexperienced or plays poorly.
• Flop – The first three community cards dealt in games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
• Fold – To give up by placing your cards face down on the table, losing whatever you have bet so far.
• Freeroll – A tournament with no entry fee.
• Gutshot – A straight filled “inside.” If you have 4-5-7-8, you need a 6 to complete the straight.
• Hand – The cards you hold or the combination of cards you play.
• Heads-Up – A poker game between only two players.
• Kicker – An unpaired card used to determine the better of two near-equivalent hands.
• Limp – Entering the pot by calling rather than raising.
• Monster – An exceptionally strong hand.
• Muck – To discard or throw away your hand.
• No-Limit – A poker game where players can bet any amount of their chips.
• Nuts – The best possible hand at any point of the game.
• Overpair – A pair in your hand that is higher than any community card on the board.
• Pocket Pair – When a player’s two hole cards make a pair.
• Position – A player’s location in the betting sequence, relative to the dealer.
• Pot – The total amount of money bet by all players in a hand.
• Pot-Committed – A situation in which you have so much money in the pot that you might as well stay in the hand regardless of the circumstances.
• Quads – Four of a kind.
• Ragged – A flop (or board) that doesn’t appear to help anybody much.
• Raise – To increase the size of the existing bet in the same betting round.
• Range – The spectrum of hands that a player might have in a given situation.
• Re-raise – A second raise within the same betting round.
• River – The final community card dealt in a game of Texas Hold’em or Omaha.
• Satellite – A smaller tournament to win entry into a larger tournament.
• Showdown – When players reveal their hands to discover the pot’s winner.
• Side Pot – A separate pot created when one or more players go all-in.
• Small Blind – The smaller of two forced bets in certain poker games.
• Split Pot – A pot divided between two or more players having the same hand.
• Stack – The amount of chips a player has.
• Steal – To win the blinds with a bet, often a raise, typically made from late position.
• Straight – Five consecutive cards of any suit.
• Straight Flush – Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
• Tell – A physical or verbal action by a player that might indicate the strength of their hand.
• Tight – Playing fewer hands than average, being selective about starting hands.
• Tilt – Playing recklessly or emotionally after losing, typically due to a bad beat or series of losses.
• Trips – Three of a kind, especially when you have one card in your hand and two on the board.
• Turn – The fourth community card dealt in Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
• Under the Gun – The position of the player who must act first on the first round of betting.
• Value Bet – A bet made by a player with a strong hand who expects to be called by a lesser hand.

Bingo Terms

• Admission Packet – The minimum number of cards you must buy as the entry requirement for a bingo game.
• Bingo Board – An electronic display board that shows the numbers that have been called.
• Bingo Card – A card containing a grid of numbers that players mark off as numbers are called.
• Blackout – A bingo game in which you must cover all the numbers on your card to win.
• Caller – The person who calls out the bingo numbers as they are drawn.
• Coverall – Same as Blackout; all the squares on the bingo card must be covered.
• Dauber – A special ink-filled bottle or pen used to mark called numbers.
• Early Bird Game – A bingo game that is played before the main session begins.
• Free Space – The central square of a bingo card, which is typically free and can be used to complete patterns.
• Game Board – A display board that shows the pattern needed to win that particular game.
• Hardway Bingo – A bingo win that is achieved without the use of the free space.
• Inlaid Card – A bingo card printed on the table top.
• Jackpot – A big prize typically awarded for achieving a difficult pattern, such as a blackout, within a specified number of calls.
• Main Stage Bingo – The main event of bingo, usually consisting of a series of games played one after another.
• Pattern – The shape you need to cover on your card with called numbers to win the game.
• Postage Stamp – A pattern in one of the corners of the bingo card that requires you to cover four squares to form a 2×2 grid.
• Progressive Jackpot – A jackpot that increases in size until someone wins it.
• Quickie – A game where numbers are called as quickly as possible and the whole card must be filled to win.
• RNG (Random Number Generator) – A computer program used to randomly select the bingo numbers.
• Session – A series of back-to-back bingo games played at a bingo hall or online site.
  Speed Bingo – A variation of bingo where numbers are called very quickly and games are very short.
• Table Board Bingo – A game where players use tabletop boards instead of paper cards or electronic screens.
• Under – A call to draw attention to a number ending in a specific digit.
• Wild Number – A number that allows players to start with multiple called numbers.
• Wrap Up – The last game of a bingo session.