Gaming Terminology
The following words (phrases) are often used by veteran casino personnel and professional gamblers throughout the country. They include the common (slang) terminologies. The Glossary will not increase your chances for winning, it will however place you at a much higher level of comprehension whenever you choose the gaming environment. GOOD LUCK!
ACTION:
Any wager. A better is said to be in action when having a
bet riding on any sporting event or table game.
ACTION
JACKSON:
A gambler who wagers every day- day and night.
AGENT:
(1) Player cheat who frequents casinos and works with casino
dealers and employees. (2) Person who for a fee or commission
lures people to a crooked game to be fleeced.
APPLE:
A sucker. A soft player-easy prey- cannot win.
BACKER:
Someone who will stake a gambler with a good reputation during
a difficult period.
BEARD:
A person used to place bets so the bookmakers will not know
the identity of the actual bettor.
BEEF:
Any situation that is or may cause a problem.
BIG
DIME:
A $10,000 wager.
BIG
ORDER:A large sports bet of five or six figures.
A
BITE:
A request by a gambler for a loan.
BOOKIE:
A person who takes race and sports bets.
BOAT
RACE:
A crooked horse race.
BUCK:
A $100 wager.
BUM
STEER:
Bad information.
BUSTER:
Odds of 15 to 1 on a winning horse. (also- a fuzzy)
CARPET
JOINT:
A plush-class operation.
C.O.D.:
No assets, no credit. All bets must be for cash only. (also-
up is the game)
CHALK:
Any favorite- team, horse, greyhound etc.
CHALK
PLAYER:
Person who bets ONLY favorites.
C-NOTE:
A $100 bill.
COOLER:
A prearranged deck or shoe of cards (Blackjack, Poker or Baccarat)
Has been used both for and against the house.(also-cold deck)
COPPER:
When one gambler "fades" takes the opposing side
of another gamblers bet, position or opinion.
COVER:
As in "covering the spread". This occurs when a
favorite you have bet wins by more points than you have had
to give up.
CROSSROADER:
Any gambler who does not bet without cheating.
DAUB:
A paste or liquid used to mark cards.
DEUCE
DEALERS:
A dealer who can peek at the top card and deal the next card
if the top card is not to his advantage.(also-second dealer,mechanic
or number two man.)
DEAN(THE):
A smart gambler who can calculate odds and percentages.(also
called The Professor)
DESPERADO:
A gambler who bets on credit with rough people with absolutely
no way to pay if he loses.
DIME
BET:
$1,000 wager.
DOG:
The underdog in any betting proposition.
DOG
IT:
To be afraid to increase your bet during an extended winning
streak.
DOUBLE
BET:
A wager twice the size of a persons usual wager. (also press
bet or doubling up)
DRY:
A player is "DRY" when he has run out of funds and
credit. (also - dead, broke, busted and"used to be somebody"
DUTCH
BOOK:
A pricemakers odds line totaling MORE than 100%
EAR:
A bent corner
put on a playing card to identify or locate it. "He put
the ear on the aces".
EASY
WAY:
CRAPS- To make a point number(4,6,8 or 10) any way but the
hard way.
EDGE:
Any advantage.
EIGHTER
FROM DECATUR:
CRAPS- The number eight.
END:
A share. "What's my end of the score?
EVEN
UP, EVEN MONEY:
(1) A bet or proposition giving each player an equal chance
to win. (2) A bet at correct odds. (3) A 50-50 bet.
EXACTA:
HORSE RACING- A wager picking the two horses finishing first
and second in the correct order. See-QUINELLA
FACE
CARD:
A king, queen or jack in a deck of cards.also-paint
FADE:
To cover a bet. "You're faded."
FALSE
CUT:
A cut leaving the deck in its original position.
FAST
COMPANY:
Seasoned or smart gamblers.
FAT:
Said of a person with a large bankroll."He's fat".
also- loaded, deep pockets and on fat street
FEVER:
A gambling habit
FIELD:
Several horses in a race or contestants in a sports tournament
grouped as one contestant for betting purposes.
FINK:
A stool pigeon or informer.
FISH:
A sucker. see-APPLE
FIX:
To bribe. "The fix is in".
FLAT
STORE:
Any gaming operation that is crooked.
FLATS:
Crooked dice which have been shaved to favor certain numbers.
G-NOTE:
$1,000 bill.
GAFF:
Any method or device that aids in cheating.
GET
OUT:
To regain ones losses.
GEORGE:
Generous, big tipper-the opposite of TOM.
GET
DOWN:
Place a wager.
GRAVEYARD
SHIFT:
The early morning shift of a gaming establishment.
GRIND:
Small play.
GRINDJOINT
OR STORE:
An establishment that caters to small play.
HARDWAY
BET:
To bet the number 4, 6, 8 or 10 will be made with two duplicate
numbers. 2-2,3-3 etc..
HOT:
Said of dice that are passing or a player on an extended winning
streak.
HIGH
HURDLER:
A person who left town owing money leaving no forwarding address.also-skipped,took
a hike, took a powder and came up lame
HANDICAPPER:
A person who studies and evaluates all sporting events.
HOLDING
YOUR OWN:
Breaking about even.
HOUSE:
The operators of the casino.
HOOKED:
Losing a wager by exactly 1/2 a point.
HOT
GAME:
Any game attracting a lot of action on one side by many players.
IN
THE BAG:
Said of a sporting event with a predetermined outcome.The
fix is in.Also said by over-optimistic tout who may say it
about both sides to many clients and then expect a reward
from half of them.
JACKPOT:
A troublesome situation.
JUICE:
AKA-Vig or vigorish.The bookmakers commission for taking a
bet.(also a term in casinos denoting influence with upper
management.
KIBITZER:
A spectator at any game who usually dispenses unwanted advice.
KICK:
Ones pocket. "He put the bankroll in his kick".
KNOCK:
To cast disparaging remarks about someone. Usually done behind
his or her back also-rap
LAYING
THE POINTS:
Betting on the favorite.
LAYDOWN:
A wager.
LIMIT:
(1) Maximum amount a player may wager on a specific bet or
event. (2) Maximum amount a player may increase a previous
bet.(at poker,etc) (3) maximum amount bet before the casino/bookie
changes odds and/or the points.Also known as the "cap".
LINE:
The listed odds or points offered on a game. also-point spread
and price line
LINEMAKER:
A person who establishes (creates) the original and subsequent
betting lines. also known as ODDSMAKER.
LITTLE
JOE FROM KOKOMO:
CRAPS - The point four.
LIVE
HORSE:
A horse considered to be in shape to run his best.
LIVE
ONE:
A player with money looking for action.
LOCK:
Best bet,an easy winner, a no brainer..
MAIDEN:
A horse that has never won a race.
MARKER:
An advance extended to a player on credit.
MICHIGAN
BANKROLL:
A large bankroll consisting mostly of dollar bills with a
large denomination bill on the outside.
MIDDLES:
Winning both sides of a betting proposition.
MORNING
LINE:
A linemakers morning guess as to the probable odds on horses
that are to run in afternoon races.
MUDDER:
A horse known to favor a muddy track.
NAILED:Caught cheating or stealing
NATURAL:
(1) Black Jack - Ace and 10 count card (2) Craps - 7 or 11
on the first roll
NICKEL:
A $500 wager.
NOSE
OPEN:
To have ones nose open is to lose control usually when losing
and try to steam ones way out of the trap.
NUT:
A gambler or gambling enterprises overhead expenses.
ODDS:
Correct odds are the ratio of favorable vs. unfavorable possibilities.
ODDS
ON FAVORITE:
A horse or competitor that is so favored that the odds are
quoted as less than even money."The odds on favorite
is priced at one to ten".
OFF
THE BOARD:
Sporting events casinos or bookmakers will not accept action
on.
OFFICE:
A secret signal passed from a gambler to his confederate.
ON
THE HOP:
A one roll wager.
ONE
DOLLAR:
$100 wager.
PAPER:
Marked cards.
PARLAY:
A bet on two or more propositions.
PAST
PERFORMANCE:
Prior events are studied in order to help determine the outcome
of a future contest.
PAST
POST:
A devious attempt to bet during or after an event has taken
place.
PICK`EM
GAME:
A dead even game giving both sides an equal chance.
P.M.G.:
Baseball terminology-Advertised Pitchers Must Go.
PUSH:
A tie. Neither side wins or loses.
QUINELLA:
A wager picking the first or second place finish in either
order (1,2 or 2,1).
RACK:
A box to hold chips or checks.
RENEGE:
(1) To refuse to honor a lost wager or debt; to welsh. (2)
To misplay a card illegally.
ROUND
ROBIN:
A bet of 3 teams or more. e.g. A&B - A&C - B&C,
this constitutes three 2 team parlays
RUSH:
POKER- A streak of winning many consecutive hands
SAWDUST
JOINT:
Unpretentious gambling casino.
SCOUT:
Person who studies a team during play and/or practice and
reports findings.
SCORE:
A substantial win.
SEND
IT IN:
A player who takes full advantage of a winning streak by increasing
his bets substantially."When he's going good he sends
it in".
SHORT
ENDER:
An underdog in any betting proposition.
SILKS:
A jockeys uniform.
SMART
MONEY:
When professional gamblers wager.
SOFT
PLAYER:
Bets less when he wins and doubles up when he loses. Can't
stand to take off a score.
SQUARES:
Perfect dice to within a tolerance of 1/5,000 of an inch.
SNAPPER:
Ace/10 see natural
SPIT:
A very small amount of money.
STEAMER:
Will only bet big when losing. The softest of soft players.
STUCK:
Losing,-In the hole:losing a lot.- Buried: lost it all.
TAP
OUT:
To bet and lose ones last dollar.
TOM:
No good. Not generous. Opposite of George.
TOUT:
A professional tipster who offers to sell his opinion on the
out come of a sporting event without benefit of knowledge.
TRUMP:
Cash
VALUE:
A professionals opinion regarding a proposition that appears
to be an overlay or an underlay - High or low.
VIRGIN
LINE:
A line sent out to Sports Books before any wagers have been
made.
WAVE:
(1) To bend the edge of a card during play for identification
purposes. (2) The bend itself.
WISE
GUY:
An educated professional gambler with an extensive track record
of being a winning player.
WHALE:
A sky high bettor who tries to negotiate maximum limits that
make even the largest casinos uncomfortable.
WRONG
BETTOR:
DICE-A player who bets the don't
ZOMBIE:
A gambler who never shows emotion regardless of the outcome.
| A
glossary of terms commonly used in sports gambling.
|
|
| Point Spread | Number of points a team is favored to win by |
Over/Under (or Totals) |
Total combined number of points expected to be scored. (Both teams) Sometimes the over or under is favored. In the following example the over/under is followed by an "o" or "u", then the money line (5.Ou-125) |
| Money Line | The money line is an indicator of the odds that a team will win. The negative money line represents how many dollars you would need to bet to win $100. A positive money line represents how many dollars you would win if you bet $100. -110 or -120 (excessive advantage) for either side would constitute the sports book advantage. |
| Basketball and Football | Basketball and Football both use point spreads and the over/under |
| Baseball | Baseball uses the money line for odds. Occasionally a run line maybe an alternative. (Atlanta -1.5runs Florida +1.5runs) Player lays 11 to 10. |
| Hockey | Hockey combines both a point spread and the money line. (Edmonton +1.5+125 at Detroit -1.5-145)* They also use a split line for increased advantage.** (Toronto - 1.5goals Montreal +1goal) Dollar for dollar, even money on either side. *Detroit is favored by 1.5 goals. If you bet $145 on Detroit, you would win $100 if Detroit wins by two goals or more. **Please note never play into a split line unless you have tomorrow's newspaper today |