betting glossary

1x2
Full Time Result. This is effectively the match odds for several sports including football. 1 is the home win, x is the draw and 2 is the away win. You simply bet on the outcome of the match.Go to top

Accumulator
An accumulator bet involves picking several selections and combining them in a multiple bet. Accumulators are popular because customers can enjoy a big potential return from a small stake by predicting the outcome of football matches, horse races or games taking place across other sports.
An accumulator bet will usually include at least four selections and many customers like to choose several favourites that might be available at short odds to back as a single but their odds all multiple for this type of bet to offer a more attractive return.
A typical weekend football accumulator could see a customer pick Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to win their respective games. All of these teams would need to win in order for a customer to enjoy a return on their stake.
You don’t just have to bet on football teams to win games to place an accumulator. Some people place accumulator bets on matches where they predict both teams to score or where they think there will be Over 2.5 Goals.
There is sometimes the option to Edit My Accumulator which involves adding or taking away certain selections to try and enjoy a winning return. Go to top

Across the Board
Betting on a horse to Win, Place or Show.Go to top

Alphabet
An Alphabet bet consists of six selections and 26 bets in total. Two Patents (14 bets), one Yankee (11 bets) and one Six-fold.Go to top

American odds
American odds are the default odds format used in America. They start either with a positive or negative sign. A negative number indicates the amount you must stake to make a $100 profit. A positive number indicates how much you might profit if you bet $100.
Negative American odds calculation: (100/odds) x Stake = Potential Profit
Positive American odds calculation: Odds x (Stake/100) = Potential Profit Go to top

Ante-post betting
Ante-post betting or Futures is when a fixed odds betting market exists in advance of an event. Ante-post betting is usually when there is betting on an event in the future. For example, what team to win the Premier League before the start of the season.Go to top

Arbitrage Betting
A bet in which punters are guaranteed a profit by betting on a match at two or more bookmakers. A Sure Bet.Go to top

Asian handicap
Asian handicap originated in Asia and originally referred to spread betting in football. It is now common for several sports like football, tennis and basketball.
Asian handicap betting is popular because it removes the draw and keeps the betting market two-way with a possible push for money back on a draw depending on the handicap. A team or player is regularly given a fictional handicap, which enables you to bet on winning margins.
All bets on the Asian Handicap In-Play market are settled according to the scoreline for the remainder of the game/half after the bet has been struck, e.g. any goals prior to the bet being placed are ignored for settlement purposes.
Asian Handicap betting often offers better value than other betting markets when it comes to football. The bookmakers who offer Asian Handicap markets generally bet to very tight margins, with these markets often having better value than Double Chance or Draw No Bet.
There are often a range of Asian Handicap markets and odds for each football match and they can relate to the winner of a game or the number of goals that are scored in a particular match.Go to top

Asian handicap 0
If either team wins by any margin the winning team are to be settled as the winning selection. In the event of a draw all bets are void and stakes are refunded.Go to top

Asian handicap -0.25 (-0,0.5)
Win by any score - All bets on this selection are winners. Draw - Half the stakes are refunded on this selection. The other half of the stake is classed as a loser. Lose by any score - All bets on the selection are losers.
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Asian handicap +0.25 (+0,0.5)
Win by any score - All bets on this selection are winners. Draw - Half the stake is settled at the price of the chosen selection. The other half is refunded to the customer. Lose by any score - All bets on the selection are losers.Go to top

Asian handicap -0.5
Win by any score - All bets on this selection are winners. Draw - All bets on this selection are losers. Lose by any score - All bets on this selection are losers.
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Asian handicap +0.5
Win by any score - All bets on this selection are winners. Draw - All bets on this selection are winners. Lose by any score - All bets on this selection are losers.Go to top

Asian handicap -0.75 (-0.5,1)
Win by 2 or more - All bets on this selection are winners. Win by exactly 1 - Half the stake is settled at the price of the chosen selection. The other half is refunded to the customer. Draw or lose by any score - All bets on this selection are losers. Go to top

Asian handicap +0.75 (+0.5,1)
Draw or win by any score - All bets on this selection are winners. Lose by exactly 1 - Half the stake is refunded to the customer. The other half is classed as a loser. Lose by 2 or more - All bets on this selection are losers.Go to top

Asian handicap -1
Win by 2 or more - All bets on this selection are winners. Win by exactly 1 - All bets on this selection are void and refunded to the customer. Draw or lose - All bets on this selection are losers.Go to top

Asian handicap +1
Win by any score or draw - All bets on this selection are winners. Lose by exactly 1 - All bets on this selection are void and refunded to the customer. Lose by 2 or more - All bets on this selection are losers.Go to top

Backed
When a bookmaker takes a lot of money on a particular participant, it is said that it has been heavily backed.Go to top

Bad Beat
Subjective term for a loss that appeared to be a win before taking a turn for the worse.Go to top

Banker
Banker or Lock is a supposed easy winner or large favorite. A selection that a punter feels is a near certainty.Go to top

Betting exchange
Similar to trading on the stock market. Instead of trading shares, you are trading bets. Rather than betting against the bookmaker, you bet against fellow punters. In this case, the betting exchange is only acting as an intermediary.

You can place a Back bet where you bet on something happening, or a Lay bet where you bet against something happening.Go to top

Bismarck
Term used to describe a favorite that the bookmakers expect to lose or be sunk and are therefore happy to lay. Named after the famous German battleship.Go to top

Bookmaker
The bookmaker or bookie is the organisation or company offering odds for events. Go to top

Both Teams to Score
A Both Teams to Score or BTTS bet is either Yes or No. Most punters bet on the Yes option, which means both teams to score at least one goal or more, no matter what the final score is.Go to top

BTTS
Both Teams to Score. A BTTS bet is either Yes or No. Most punters bet on the Yes option, which means both teams to score at least one goal or more, no matter what the final score is.Go to top

Buy points
Many sportsbooks offer the option to buy points on point spread bets in basketball and american football. Buying points allows you to give away less points on the favourite or receive more points on the underdog. The ability to pay for half a point or more off the spread.Go to top

Canadian
A System bet. A Canadian bet consists of five selections and 26 bets in total. Ten Doubles, Ten Trebles, Five Four-folds and one Five-fold.Go to top

Cash out
The cash out feature allows you to take a return on your bet before the market for your chosen selection(s) closes. This allows you to take a profit if your selection is doing well, or minimise any potential loss should you think the bet is unlikely to result in a win. Cash out is available on selected events, fixtures and markets both pre-match and in-play, on single and multiple bets, for a variety of sports.

So if you back a team to win a football match and they take a 1-0 lead, you will be given a profitable cash out value. It’s your decision whether to take the money or let the bet ride.Go to top

Circled Game
A match in which there are lower limits due to injury or weather.Go to top

Chalk
Chalk or Favorite is the team or individual expected to win.Go to top

Correct Score
Predict the exact score at the end of normal time (full time). For example, Manchester United to win by 4-1, 3-0, 1-0 etc.Go to top

Coupled Correct Score
Combined Correct Score predictions. Doubles. For example, Arsenal to win by 1-0 or 2-1.Go to top

Decimal odds
This is when the odds are expressed as a decimal, eg 7.00 which is the same as 6/1 in fractional terms. Decimal odds are predominantly used in Northern, Southern and Continental Europe, Australia and Canada.Go to top

Dog
Dog or Underdog is the team or individual expected to lose.Go to top

Double
This is a bet involving two selections. It could be two football teams, two tennis players, two horses or a combination of the above.Go to top

Double chance
Double Chance betting covers two out of three possible outcomes. Home team to win or Draw, Away team to win or Draw, Home team to win or Away team to win.
Majority of punters decide to take a double chance on underdogs when they feel that the odds offered on the underdog represents a good value for money.Go to top

Dead heat
A race or an event where there is a tie for the winner or one of the placed participants. When two or more competitors finish a sporting event with the identical place or classification.Go to top

Draw no Bet
Draw no Bet or dnb is where you back a selection knowing that you’ll get money back if the game ends in a draw. As a result, the odds are shorter than the 1x2 market. If you like draw no bet betting, check out the Asian Handicap 0 market. This is the same type of bet but many bookmakers offer bigger odds for the Asian Handicap market.Go to top

Dutching
Backing several selections in an event so that no matter which wins, the returns are the same. Dutching is a method used to divide stake over a number of selections in an event so that the same amount is won regardless of which selection wins. This technique is useful when there are two or more outcomes you wish to back and have a specific amount to stake. Go to top

Each-way
Each-way betting is a popular way for people to bet, especially when it comes to sporting events where there are a large number of participants. It might be a horse race like the Grand National where there are forty horses competing or alternatively it could be a golf tournament such as the Masters where there are over a hundred players involved.
When you bet each-way on a selection, you are betting on the selection to both win and place. You might place a £10 each-way bet on Jordan Spieth to win the Masters at odds of 16/1. Using this example, you are staking a total of £20. This means £10 is placed on Spieth to win the Masters and £10 is placed on Spieth finishing in the places.
When it comes to the definition of the places, this depends on the bookmaker. A typical each-way term would be ¼ odds for the first four places although you might find there are horse racing terms such as ¼ odds for the first three places or sometimes 1/3 odds for the first two places. Go to top

European Handicap
One of the two teams is given an advantage before the match starts, but there are still three possible outcomes. Home win, draw and away win. Three-way handicap betting. There are no void bets or stakes returned for European handicaps.Go to top

Evens Bet
Even Money and Evens bets are placed at the odds of 2.00 (1/1), commonly known as Even odds. It doubles your stake if you win.Go to top

Exacta
An Exacta or Perfecta bet is commonly used in horseracing in which the punter must correctly pick the order of those finishing in first and second place exactly. Go to top

Fantasy Sports
A Fantasy Sport is a type of online game where participants assemble imaginary or virtual teams of real players of a professional sport. These teams compete based on the statistical performance of those players' players in actual games. This performance is converted into points that are compiled and totalled according to a roster selected by each fantasy team's manager.

Online fantasy sports are a multibillion-dollar industry. Go to top

Favorite
The team or individual expected to win. The participant with the shortest odds.Go to top

Fixed Odds betting
Placing bets on pre-determined odds. Staking a set amount to win a set amount by multiplying the stake by the odds. Regardless of how much the odds change after you have placed your bet, your potential payout will not change. As soon as the bookmaker accepts your bet, the odds can no longer be changed as far as your bets is concerned.Go to top

Flag
The flag bet is a way of adding an any to come if cash element to existing types of bet. Specifically, a flag bet is a Yankee with added Up-and-downs bets, a Super Flag is a Super Yankee with the Up-and-downs added, the Heinz Flag, Super Heinz Flag and Goliath Flag all correlate to their respective prefixes with the Up-and-down bets added. Flag bets can get very complex and trying to work out winnings by hand is almost an impossibleGo to top

Flat Betting
Flat Betting is a bankroll management technique and means that you bet the same or similar amount for each bet.Go to top

Forecast Betting
Forecast bets are most often placed as outright bets on the outcome of football leagues or tournaments. It requires the punter to correctly predict the finishing order of the first to finishers in the event. For example, Manchester City to finish in 1st place and Arsenal to finish in 2nd place in Premier League.
Forecast bets are also used to predict the exact finishing order of a greyhound or horse race.Go to top

Fractional Odds
This is the traditional style of displaying odds. So 6/1 means you would get £6 back for every £1 placed. It’s the same as 7.00 in decimal terms.Go to top

Futures
Futures or ante-post betting is when a fixed odds betting market exists in advance of an event. Futures betting is usually when there is betting on an event in the future. For example, which team to win NBA or NFL before the start of the season.Go to top

Goal Line
Goal Line betting is placing a bet on the total number of goals you think will be scored in a match. Goal Line betting is also commonly referred to as Over / Under or Totals betting. With Goal Line betting the bookmaker sets a total number of goals to be scored in the match. You can then bet on whether there will be more or fewer goals scored than the indicated goal line.Go to top

Goliath
A Goliath bet is one of the biggest multiple sports bets you can place, with customers able to choose this monster that could see them win a huge return if all eight of their picks come in.
With a Goliath, you are getting 247 bets for your money. Naturally, the unit stake is multiplied by 247, so a £1 Goliath would mean staking a grand total of £247 to cover the following bet types:
Doubles
Trebles
Fourfolds
Fivefolds
Sixfolds
Sevenfolds
Accumulator
You might place a Goliath if you want an exciting bet although this isn’t a low-risk bet compared to an accumulator bet where you simply have to stake small to land a big potential return.
The beauty of a bet like a Goliath is that the more selections that win means the bigger the profit you enjoy. Realistically, you won’t make a profit with getting two or three out of eight right, although four and upwards sees the customer starting to enjoy a bigger return.
Landing a profit on your Goliath bet depends completely on the odds you choose. Obviously, if all eight of your selections win, then you would get a massive profit because you’ve got a 100% record.
Seven selections correct should also yield a profit although five or six comes down to the odds and how much they are multiplied before a profit can be calculated.Go to top

Grand Salami
A popular ice hockey and baseball bet. Grand Salami is the line on all total runs/goals that will be scored in all baseball/ice hockey matches on that day. If you think there will be more runs/goals scored than the posted number you bet over, and if you think there will be less runs/goals scored then you bet the under.Go to top

Halftime/Fulltime
Halftime/Fulltime means you are predicting the result at halftime and also what the outcome of the same match would be at fulltime. For example…Go to top

Home/Home – Home team to lead at halftime and win the match.
Draw/Draw – The match to be a draw at halftime and a draw at fulltime.
Away/Home – The away team to lead at halftime and the home team to win the match.Go to top

Handicap betting
Also known as Line Betting, The Spread, Points Betting, European or Asian Handicap. Handicap betting is the process whereby a bookmaker turns a sporting event in which there are varied odds into an even money contest, by giving a virtual advantage or disadvantage to certain competitors to in order to even the field.
In point-based sports like football, basketball and tennis, an even money contest is typically created by simply adding points onto the side deemed to be the underdog. For example, if Chelsea were favorites to beat Swansea at home, the bookmaker might give Swansea a 2-0 handicap advantage.Go to top

Head-to-Head
In these bets, punters predict two competitors results against each other and not the overall result of the event. Go to top

Hedging
Betting on the opposite side of a current bet to minimize losses or guarantee a small profit.Go to top

Heinz
Placing a Heinz bet is an exciting way to enjoy online betting and it can also yield a big return on your stake. It is a type of multiple or system bet which effectively means you pick six football teams or six horses and they are then combined in fifty-seven different ways including:
Doubles
Trebles
Fourfolds
Fivefolds
Accumulator (Sixfold)
A Heinz bet is not for the faint-hearted, with a customer needing to multiply their unit stake by fifty-seven and the name Heinz comes from the fact that there are traditionally fifty-seven varieties when it comes to the tomato ketchup company.
Punters place a Heinz bet in order to try and land a big return. This type of bet involves a big outlay, with a £1 Heinz involving a stake of £57 so it suits more of a high-roller customer rather than a recreational punter looking to place bets for the first time.Go to top

IBAS
Independent Betting Arbitration Service. A British organisation who settles disputes with bookmakers for punters.Go to top

If Bets
An if bet consists of at least two straight bets joined together by an if clause which determines the betting process. If the player’s first selection complies with the condition, then the second selection will have action; if the second selection complies with the condition, then the third selection will have action and so on. Go to top

In-Play
In-Play, Live Betting or In-Running is a bet placed during the sporting event. The odds are always changing and many customers like to wait for the action to start before striking a bet.Go to top

In-Running
In-Running, Live Betting or In-Play is a bet placed during the sporting event. The odds are always changing and many customers like to wait for the action to start before striking a bet.Go to top

Juice
Juice, Vigorish (Vig) or Take is the commission that a bookmaker earns.Go to top

Joint Favorites
When a bookmaker cannot split two participants for favoritism.Go to top

Lay Betting
Lay Betting is the option on betting exchanges where punters can play the role of a traditional bookmaker, but offering odds to sell a bet instead of the usual odds to back a bet. Lay betting is betting on something not to happen.Go to top

Limit
The highest amount of money a bookmaker will take on a bet.Go to top

Lines
The Spread, or Line, is a number assigned by the bookmakers which handicaps one team and favors another.Go to top

Listed Pitchers
The pitchers in a baseball bet that must start for action. If one or both of the pitchers do not start, the bet is void (cancelled).Go to top

Live Betting
Live Betting, In-Play or In-Running is a bet placed during the sporting event. The odds are always changing and many customers like to wait for the action to start before striking a bet.Go to top

Live Streaming
Many bookmakers offer live streaming of sporting events which include sports like football, tennis, basketball, darts and horse racing. It means you can watch these events on their website or app providing you have an account.Go to top

Lock
Lock or Banker is a supposed easy winner or large favorite.Go to top

Longshot
A team or individual that is considered unlikely to win. A large underdog with long odds.Go to top

Lucky 15
A Lucky 15 bet is very popular when it comes to football and horse racing, with football fans able to choose four different teams in a multiple bet, while racing fans are able to do the same with four different horses that might be running at the same meeting.
The Lucky 15 bet is similar to a Yankee, with this being a system bet including four selections but it includes singles in addition to doubles, trebles and an accumulator. That is why this is fifteen bets rather than the eleven that a Yankee offers.
Sometimes a bookmaker will offer double odds if just one of your selections wins in a Lucky 15 bet, although it’s generally more profitable for at least two of your selections to win as that will mean you’ll get a return on one double and two singles bets.
As with any system bet, the more selections that win, the more money you will win and getting all four selections will see a big profit.Go to top

Lucky 31
A Lucky 31 bet is similar to a Super Yankee / Canadian bet, with punters having to choose five selections which are then combined as follows:
Singles
Doubles
Trebles
Fourfolds
Accumulator
It’s a simple case of choosing five football teams, horses or tennis players to form part of your Lucky 31 bet. These are then combined into the above multiple bets and you have to select a unit stake which is then multiplied by thirty-one.
You only need one of your five selections in order to win on your Lucky 31 bet, although that is unlikely to yield a profit considering that it would mean thirty of your thirty-one bets would lose.
If two of your five selections win, then you would win on a double in addition to two singles, while three of your five selections winning would move you closer to achieving a profit considering it would be a winning treble, three winning doubles and three winning singles.Go to top

Lucky 63
A Lucky 63 bet is similar to a Heinz and is a type of system or multiple bet. As with a Heinz bet, you make six different selections with your preferred bookmaker and you then have a bet slip which gives you the various betting options with these teams.
If you want to place a Lucky 63 bet, be prepared to stake sixty-three times your unit stake in order to cover all possibilities. So a 10p Lucky 63 would be £6.30 although a £1 Lucky 63 would be £63.
A Lucky 63 covers the following bets:
Singles
Doubles
Trebles
Fourfolds
Fivefolds
Accumulator (Sixfold)
With a Lucky 63, you would want all six selections to win in order to get the biggest possible return, although four or five selections winning would see you get a healthy return depending on the odds that you choose.Go to top

Martingale System
The Martingale system refers to punters increasing their stake on a new bet each time they lose. The logic is that eventually a bet will win and the money lost will be earned back in addition to winnings.Go to top

Money Back Specials
Money Back Specials or Money Back Bets are promotional offers offered by most leading online bookmakers on major events. The benefit is that your stake is refunded as a free bet even if your initial bet loses.Go to top

Moneyline
Moneyline bets do not have a Spread or a Handicap. A bet on a team or individual to win straight-up without a point spread involved.Go to top

Multiples
Multiples betting is fairly simple if you stick to a standard Accumulator or Parlay. You take a number of selections – it could be as few as two – and multiply the odds together. If all of your selections are correct, you win. As the number of selections goes up, the odds can increase rapidly, which is where the potential for big wins appears.
However, there is nothing more frustrating than missing out on a potential accumulator jackpot after being let down by just one selection. This is where variations on standard accumulator betting come in handy. Also called System Bets. Depending on the number of selections, there are various combinations of multiples bets that can cover you for one or more of your choices letting you down. The most common are Trixie, Yankee and Lucky 15. Go to top

No Action
No bet was ever made. Usually occurs when a punter tries to make a bet, but the bookmaker or casino refuses to accept the bet. In sports betting, no action is sometimes referred to as a bet that was called off.Go to top

Novelty Betting
Entertainment and Politics betting. Novelty bets involve betting on events that has almost nothing to do with sports. Some popular novelty bet markets include betting on the most popular TV shows, betting on the current affairs, as well as Royal Wedding specials and presidential elections.Go to top

Odds-Against
When the amount you win is more than you stake. An odds bigger than 2.00 or evens (1/1).Go to top

Odds-On
Refers to odds where you have to stake more than the amount you expect to make as profit. Odds less than 2.00 or evens (1/1).Go to top

Off the Board (OTB)
A match punters cannot currently bet on due to certain circumstances. Bookmakers take a game off the board when they suspect the outcome has been fixed, making sure they do not lose any more money on that particular match.Go to top

Outsider
A selection with little chance of winning.Go to top

Over / Under
Many customers like to bet on goals markets and the Under 2.5 / Over 2.5 goals bets are popular. If you bet on Under 2.5 Goals, you want there to be 0, 1 or 2 goals in order to win. The opposite applies with Over 2.5 Goals. Sometimes, you can bet on Over / Under 1.5 Goals or Over / Under 3.5 Goals etc.Go to top

Outright Betting
An Outright bet is a bet placed on the outcome of an entire league or tournament rather than on an individual match. Outright bets are usually placed before the season starts, but are sometimes also available during the course of the competition.Go to top

Parlay
The American word for Accumulator. A parlay or an accumulator is a bet that includes several selections where all selections have to win.Go to top

Patent
A patent is a system or multiple bet which is popular due to the fact that you can bet on three selections and you will enjoy a return if either one, two or three selections win as part of the bet.
The patent bet is similar to a trixie. However, while a trixie is just four selections including doubles and trebles, then a patent is seven selections that includes singles as well as doubles and trebles.
A patent can be explained as follows:
Bet 1: Selection 1 x Selection 2
Bet 2: Selection 1 x Selection 3
Bet 3: Selection 2 x Selection 3
Bet 4: Selection 1 x Selection 2 x Selection 3
Bet 5: Selection 1
Bet 6: Selection 2
Bet 7: Selection 3
So this is seven bets in total. If Selection 1 is your only winner, then you win only on Bet 5. If Selection 1 and 2 win, then you win on Bet 1, Bet 5 and Bet 6. If all three selections win, then you win on all seven bets.Go to top

Perfecta
A Perfecta or Exacta bet is commonly used in horseracing in which the punter must correctly pick the order of those finishing in first and second place exactly.Go to top

Point Spread
Point Spread or The Line is a set amount of points determined by the bookmaker that the favorite gives or the underdog takes as a handicap to make the match more even. For example, instead of just betting on a team to win, the favorite might have to win by a set number of points, the point spread.Go to top

Progressive Parlay
A progressive parlay involves multiple bets (usually up to 12) and rewards successful punters with a large payout, though not as large as normal parlays. However, in a progressive parlay, unlike a regular parlay, a reduced payout will still be made even should some of the bets lose. This is also called System bets. Go to top

Prop Bets
Prop bets, Proposition betting or Specials are bets made on a very specific outcome of a match. Examples include predicting the number of goals each team scores in a handball match, betting whether a player will score in a football match, or bet that a baseball player on one team will accumulate more hits than another player on the opposing team.
As a general rule, bookmakers tend to do well on prop betting because props are driven by public interest and perception. Many punters play them solely for fun in hopes of a big payout and do not really give them too much thought.
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Puckline
Ice hockey point spread. For example -1.5 or + 1.5 goals in an ice hockey match.Go to top

Push
Push/Tie or Void is when a match ends with no winner or loser from a betting perspective. Stakes are refunded.Go to top

Quinella
Commonly used in horse racing. The punter must select the winning two horses in any order. Go to top

Round Robin
A Round Robin bet consists of three selections and ten bets in total. Three Doubles, one Treble and three Up-and-down single stakes about pairs.Go to top

Runline
Baseball point spread. For example -1.5 or + 1.5 runs in a baseball match.Go to top

Rule 4
Rule 4 is an industry-standard deduction that is made on a horse or dog when there is a non-runner in a race after the final declarations for that race have been made and you have taken a fixed odds. Go to top

Scorecast
In a Scorecast, you need to correctly predict the player to score the first goal in a match as well as the correct result of the same match, in order to win.
Scorecast betting has become very popular to amateur punters for two reasons. It promises hefty returns on winning bets and many bookmakers offer Money Back Specials on Scorecast markets.Go to top

Sharp Betting
A Sharp punter or a Wiseguy is one that is considered to be a long-term winner in sports betting. Not just a lucky winner, but a long-term winner over the course of thousands of bets. Well informed and knowledgeable.Go to top

Single bet
A Single bet or Straight bet is a bet on just one team or individual.Go to top

Specials
Special bets or Props are a class of bets that are settled independent of the outcome of the event. Some examples of Special bets in football include first goal scorer and number of yellow cards in a match. Special bets in other sports range from player to make/not make the cut in a golf tournament to number of aces served in a set by a tennis player or whether two boxers will fight before a given date.
Special bets are not limited to the world of sports. Betting on a particular celebrity getting married or arrested would certainly qualify as a special bet, as would any number of non-sports bets on TV reality shows, politics, award ceremonies and even the weather.Go to top

Sportsbook
The organisation or company offering odds for sporting events. Go to top

Spread
Short for Point Spread. A set amount of points determined by the bookmaker that the favorite gives or the underdog takes as a handicap to make the match more even.Go to top

Spread Betting
Spread Betting or Index Betting is a type of unfixed bet that allows gamblers to predict the outcome of a match and then back their decision against the spread by the bookmaker. This spread refers to a scoring range and if you believe the range is too high or too low, you can bet accordingly. Go to top

Steam
A rapid change in the betting line due to heavy betting. A Steamer is a participant whose odds are continually shortened in the face of heavy support.Go to top

Straight Bet
A Straight bet or a Single bet is a bet on just one team or individual.Go to top

Sure Bet
A bet in which punters are guaranteed a profit by betting on a match at two or more bookmakers.Go to top

Square Betting
A Square punter is a novice bettor who is generally characterized as the public.Go to top

Super Heinz
A Super Heinz bet is a gigantic system bet which involves seven selections. These are combined in 120 different bets which covers the following:
Doubles
Trebles
Fourfolds
Fivefolds
Sixfolds
Accumulator (Sevenfold)
You might place a Super Heinz bet if you’re looking for a bumper return on your investment. Rather than place an accumulator on seven selections, a Super Heinz would give you the chance to combine the seven selections in lots of different ways and there’s a sliding scale when it comes to potential returns.
With a Super Heinz bet, you would need at least two of your seven selections to win to enjoy a return. Two out of seven selections winning might not yield a return on 120 different bets, although getting three, four or five will see a bigger return.
Winning on six of the selections should guarantee a profit although it always comes down to the odds selected. Getting all seven right should be living the dream as you are winning on all 120 bets.Go to top

Super Yankee
Many betting customers enjoy placing a Super Yankee or Canadian bet that includes five selections and they are combined in the following bets:
Doubles
Trebles
Four-folds
Accumulator (five-fold)
This amounts to twenty-six different bets, so a £1 Super Yankee would mean you stake a grand total of £26. This is because you are betting on twenty-six different lines and need at least two of your five selections to win in order to enjoy a return.
Naturally, the bigger the odds for each selection, the bigger potential return and many people like to place a Super Yankee on several football teams at short prices so that the odds can be multiplied several times over.
When you place a Super Yankee bet, you simply need to pick five selections that will be added to your bet slip. You then have a number of options with these five selections including a Super Yankee where you enter a unit stake for this type of bet. Remember that your stake will be multiplied by twenty-six.Go to top

System Bets
System bets is placed on a number of selections. Not all selections need to win to qualify for a return. There are many different types of system bets and system bets can be played with or without bankers. System bets are usually played at longer odds and backed by big stakes to ensure a profit even if a gambler has several losing selections.
Popular system bets include Trixie, Yankee, Canadian, Heinz, Lucky 15 and Goliath.Go to top

Teaser
Similar to a Parlay or Accumulator, but the point spreads are adjusted more to favor the bettor, giving less on a favorite or taking more on an underdog in exchange for a lower payout. The main thing that differentiates Teasers from Parlay bets is that bettors are allowed to move the line or the point spread in their favor. Go to top

Tipster
A person or organisation who recommend bets that are likely to win.Go to top

Totals
The combined points/runs/goals scored by two teams in a match. Sometimes the combined scored for just one team, then named Team Totals.Go to top

Treble
This is a bet involving three selections. Similar to an accumulator, you need all three to win in order to collect winnings.Go to top

Tricast
A bet where you have to select the top three places in a horse or greyhound race. There are two types of Tricast bets. A Combination Tricast means that the selections can finish in any order as long as they finish top three in the race. A Straight Tricast, also called a Trifecta, means that the horses or greyhounds must finish in the exact order they are written on the bet slip.Go to top

Trifecta
A bet where you have to select the top three places in a horse or greyhound race. A Trifecta means that the horses or greyhounds must finish in the exact order they are written on the bet slip.Go to top

Triple Head-to-Head
In these bets, punters predict three competitors results against each other and not the overall result of the event. Go to top

Trixie
A trixie is a type of system or multiple bet that involves a betting customer choosing three selections and combining them in doubles and a treble.
A trixie involves four different bets, with this being three doubles and the one treble. The best possible outcome is that all three selections win and you get a maximum return on your bet, although two selections winning means that you would get some kind of return which may or may not be profitable.
A trixie can be explained as follows:
Bet 1: Selection 1 x Selection 2
Bet 2: Selection 1 x Selection 3
Bet 3: Selection 2 x Selection 3
Bet 4: Selection 1 x Selection 2 x Selection 3
So if you place a £5 trixie, then you are effectively staking £20 in total.
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Underdog
Underdog or Dog is the team or individual expected to lose.Go to top

Union Jack
A Union Jack is a bet on nine selections, consisting of between eight and 80 bets depending on the type. Named after the Union Jack due to the way groupings are determined, by laying out the selections in a three by three grid then drawing lines vertically, horizontally and diagonally to find eight groups of three. A benefit of this bet is it gives the punter scope to arrange their bets such that their most favoured selections have a greater bearing on returns than their least favoured.  Go to top

Units
Units are a normalized way to to compare win amounts between punters and tipsters while removing the stake size. Units are commonly a percentage of  the bankroll or a fixed value. The general advice is to make your unit size equal to 1% of your total bankroll. The money you use to make picks/tips is referred to as your bankroll.
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Up-And-Down
The Up-and-down is a two part bet that is conditional on there being sufficient winnings from the first part to fund the second. The Up-and-down is described as an any-to-come if-cash bet, meaning that each part only proceeds if-cash is left from the previous part
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Value Betting
You will never back winners 100% of the time. But if you back at the right prices on a regular basis, you should make a profit. If you bet on a 11.00 (10/1) selection that you think should be 6.00 (5/1), then you are getting perceived value.
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Vigorish (Vig)
Vig, Juice or Take is the commission that a bookmaker earns.Go to top

Void
Void or Push is when a match ends with no winner or loser from a betting perspective. Stakes are refunded and the bet is cancelled.Go to top

Wagering
The American word for Betting.Go to top

Win Only
A betting market where no each-way betting is available. You can only bet on who to win.Go to top

Winning Margin
This bet requires you to guess the winning margin of the game. A team to win by one, two goals etc. In football, there are also options for a score draw and the match to end goalless.Go to top

Wiseguy
A Wiseguy or a Sharp punter is one that is considered to be a long-term winner in sports betting. Well informed and knowledgeable.
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Yankee
A System bet. The term used for a bet that consists of four selections and eleven bets in total. Six Doubles, four Trebles and one Four-fold. Go to top