A to Z of Betting Terminlogy

Betting terminology can be a bit confusing at first, so here's a run down of what some of the most common terms mean.

TOP TERMS FOR NEW BETTORS!

If you want to get stuck in and become an expert on the lingo, read on for our full A-Z guide below.

Acceptance/Declaration Stages

Dates leading up to a race when owners and trainers decide whether their horses will run in the race. Each race has 2 dates, one 5 days before the event and one on the day before the event.

Across The Card

Betting on races, at the same time at different meetings.

AFC

American Football Conference (US).

All In/All In Play or Not

Markets that have been priced up to reflect the fact that the selection may not participate in the event. If a selection doesn't participate, the bet will lose.

All Out

When a horse is trying its hardest.

All Weather Racing

Racecourses with artificial surfaces enable racing to commence when grass tracks may be closed due to weather conditions. All weather tracks are for Flat Racing only.

Also Ran

Horse Racing term for all horses that run, but don't finish in the paid out places.

Ante Post

All-In markets which are set up in advance of certain events' scheduled start. Prices are usually higher in reflection of the additional risk that a selection may not participate in the event. Read more about Ante-Post here.

Apprentice

A young jockey who gains a weight allowance over more experienced jockeys. The weight allowance decreases as the jockey gains more victories.

Arber

Punter who locks in profit through exploiting a market by backing all outcomes of an event at a combined book of less than 100%.

ATC

Any To Come.

At The Post

A term indicating that all the horses are at the starting point of the race, and that the event will begin imminently.

Back

Bet on a selection to win the occurring event.

B.A.G.S

Bookmakers' Afternoon Greyhound Service.

Balloted out

The process of reducing the number of runners in a handicap race (determined in ascending order of weight), in the event that more horses have entered a race than is permitted for safety reasons.

Banker

The strong favourite of a market - often used as the cornerstones of combination bets to boost value.

Best Price

The price on the day that gives you the best return for your money.

Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG)

If you back a selection at an early price, but the Starting Price (SP) is bigger, you'll get paid out at the SP.

Bet Receipt

Once a bet is placed successfully, you will receive a confirmation receipt with a unique bet receipt number.

Betslip

Where you view your selections and enter your stake before confirming your bet.

Betting Exchange

A form of bookmaking where the operator perfectly offsets its risk through technology, such that the effect to the customer is that customers are seen to bet between themselves.

Betting In Running (BIR) / Live Betting / Betting In Play (BIP)

Markets that are available to bet on throughout the course of an event.

Betting W/O

Betting Without - usually refers to the favourite(s) of an event. For settlement purposes, the selections excluded are disregarded.

Blinkers / Visor

A device fitted to a horse's head which restricts its field of vision in order to help it's concentration.

Board / Show Prices

The prices currently displayed by the trackside boards of the on-course bookmakers. These prices replace our early prices, usually 10-15 minutes before the race begins. The Starting Price (SP) is derived from these prices.

Book

A bookmaker's tally of amounts bet on each selection within an event, and odds necessary to gain profit.

Bookmaker / Bookie

The person/company licensed to accept bets from the public.

BTTS (Both Teams To Score)

Usually for football, both teams must score a goal during normal time.

Bumper Races / National Hunt Flat Races

Two/two and a half miles long Flat races run under National Hunt rules to give inexperienced jumping horses experience of racing without any jumps.

Buy Price

In Spread/Index betting, the higher figure quotes by an Index bookmaker.

Course and Distance (CD / C&D)

A form guide indicator for a horse. C - has won at the same course, D - has won at the same distance, C&D - has won a race at the same course and distance.

Century / Ton

£100 GBP.

Chasing

Betting on markets that you usually wouldn't bet on in order to recover losses.

Circled game

A game with restricted betting, usually because of injuries or bad weather.

Classics

Five major races of the flat season for 3-year0olds - The 1000 Guineas, The 2000 Guineas, The Derby, The Oaks and The St Leger. Fillies can be entered for all five, but colts aren't allowed to be entered for The 1000 Guineas or The Oaks.

Clerk of the Scales

The official responsible for ensuring all jockeys weigh-in correctly at the end of a race.

Co-Favourites

Three or more competitors are all favourite selections (lowest odds). If you back a successful co-favourite, you'll need to divide your stake by the amount of favourites to calculate your winnings.

Colours

The racing silks of the owners, as worn by the jockeys.

Colt

A male horse under the age of five.

Coupled

One or more selections that have been grouped together for betting. Available in Pool Betting. Commonly, horses are coupled in US or French racing if they share the same owner or trainer.

Course Specialist

A horse which tends to run well at a particular track.

Cover

Beating the spread by a required number of points in sports betting.

Dam

A horse's female parent.

Dead Heat

Two or more selection ties in an event. You can read more about Dead Heats in our article.

Decimal Odds

Odds shown as a decimal. Decimal odds include both your stake and winnings, making returns easily calculable by simply multiplying the decimal odds by your stake.

Distance

The distance of a horse race - Five furlongs is the minimum and the four and a half miles Grand National is the longest. Also refers to the margin by which a horse is beaten by the horse in front of them - ranges from a Nose to By a Distance (more than thirty Lengths).

Dividend

The winning return declared for Pool Betting - Tote payouts are always in dividends.

Doubling-Up / Martingale System

After a loss, the player doubles the size of his previous bet hoping to win back the money lost and make a profit.

Draw

At the overnight declaration stage, all entries in a flat race are given a starting stall number. Depending on the state of the going, the position of the stalls and the layout of the course, the draw may favour high, middle or low numbers at different tracks. Stalls aren't used for National Hunt racing and therefore the draw does not apply.

Drift

The price of one selection increases because of the lack of interest from punters.

Early Prices

Prices which are offered on selected races in advance of racecourse betting. Early prices are usually announced on the day of the race, but can sometimes be offered the day before. Early prices are fixed if you take them, but withdrawals may be subject to a Rule 4 deduction. If your early price selection doesn't run, stakes are usually refunded.

Evens

Odds which are level at 1 to 1 (i.e. 1/1 or 2.00).

Extra Time

In football, an additional 30-minute period (2x 15-minute halves) is played if the score is level after the normal 90-minute period of a knockout match. Standard football bets are settled on the result after 90-minutes, bets that include Extra Time will specifically say that it's included, or be for Outright/To Qualify markets.

Favourite

The selection considered most likely to win an event and therefore has the shortest odds.

FGS / FTS / FPTS

First Goalscorer, First Try Scorer and First Player to Score markets, usually across Football and Rugby.

(The) Field

Refers to all other selections in a market, excluding those selections which are usually the favourites.

Fillie

A female horse under the age of five.

First Past the Post (FPP / FPTP)

The first horse to cross the finish line in a race. You can read more information about FPP in our article.

First show

The first list of prices for an event.

Fixed Prices

The price you get if you choose to take the odds on a particular selection at any given time. Once your selection is confirmed, your price won't change regardless of any movement of the price in that market after your bet was placed.

Flat Racing

Races are run over a minimum distance of five furlongs and a maximum of two and a half miles. The official Flat Racing season now runs all year round to include races run on all-weather surfaces.

Foal

A young horse, up to the age of one.

Form

Past performances used to give an indication of the competitor's chances.

Fractional Odds

Commonly used for UK betting. Fractional odds give you your profit excluding your stake, so your stake needs to be added back to calculate your total return.

Full Cover

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

Full Time

The end of the standard match length period. For example, a 90-minute football match.

Futures (US)

Odds offered on winners of sporting events in advance of the event itself. For more information, check out our Ante-Post article.

Gelding

A castrated male horse.

Going

The state of the ground.

Going In

When greyhounds are being put into the traps, or horses are being put into the stalls.

Going to Post

When horses are on the way to the start of the race.

Grand / Big 'Un

£1,000 GBP.

Grand National

A famous National Hunt horse race, held in April at Aintree Racecourse.

Handicap Race

A horse race in which the horses carry different weights. A better horse will carry a heavier weight in order to make the race fairer.

Held Up

Restraining a horse behind the other runners in the early stages of a race.

Home team

The team playing on its own ground.

Hurdle

National Hunt Rules. In this race, jumps are smaller and more flexible than those in the Chase with a minimum height of three and a half feet. Races are between two miles and three and a half miles long.

Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS)

Deals with any disputes which cannot be resolved between a bookmaker and a customer. For more information, please see our article on complaints.

Injury / Stoppage Time

The amount of time added on by the referee of a football match at the end of each 45-minute half. Injury time accounts for any stoppages in play due to substitutions or injuries, and is classified as part of the standard 90-minute match length.

In Running

Refers to an event which has started and is currently in play.

In The Frame

A selection that has finished In The Frame, has finished within the specified Place Terms for a particular race.

In The Money

Describes horses in a race that finish first, second, third (and sometimes fourth) place, or the horses on which money will be paid to punters, depending on the Place Terms.

Joint Favourites

When two or more selections share the shortest price at the start of an event. Bets on the favourite will have the stake split, half on each of the two selections.

LBO

Stands for Licensed Betting Office (UK)..

Length

The length of a horse from its nose to the start of its tail.

Lines

Handicap values, point spreads, and odds offered to the punter.

Longshot / Outsider

The outside runner, usually against which long odds have been offered.

Long Odds

Odds offered against a selection that is unlikely to win.

Maiden

A horse that is yet to win a race.

Mare

A five year old horse.

MLB

Major League Baseball (US).

MLS

Major League Soccer (US).

Monkey

£500 GBP.

Morning Line

Forecast of probable odds.

Nailed On

The selection considered to be a certain winner.

Nap

The strongest selection on the day of the event, as selected by Racing Correspondents and Tipsters.

NBA

National Basketball Association (US).

NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association (US).

NFC

National Football Conference (US).

NFL

National Football League (US).

NHL

National Hockey League (US).

National Hunt Rules / Jumps Racing

Involves horses at least four years old competing over a minimum distance of two miles.

90-minutes

The standard match length in a football match. To find out how football markets are affected by match length, see the corresponding rules article.

Non-Runner

A selection that doesn't participate in the event for which it was entered.

Non-Runner No Bet / Non-Runner Money Back (NRNB / NRMB)

With an NRNB selection, the stake will be returned if the selection doesn't participate.

Normal Time

Football term for the standard match length of 90-minutes.

Not Under Orders

On the off of a race, the flag is raised and any runner withdrawn before the signal is deemed not to have come Under Starter's Orders. In this instance, stakes would be returned, but any winning bets may be subject to a Rule 4 deduction.

Objections

Where a jockey or a trainer objects to the conduct of a participant in a race, and an investigation is carried out.

Odds

Another name for the price - odds reflect the bookmaker's judgement of a competitor's chance of winning an event.

Odds-against

Where the odds are greater than Evens - the amount you win will be greater than your stake.

Odds Compiler

Someone who sets the odds by using research, their own knowledge and judgement about a sport.

Odds On

A price where the odds are less than Evens - the amount you win will be smaller than your stake.

Off / Race-Off / Off-Time

The specific time that an event starts.

Official Result

The final result of an event on which bet settlement will be based.

Off-Track

Betting conducted away from the track.

On The Bit

When a horse needs no riding from the jockey.

On The Nose

Backing a horse to win only.

Outsider / Longshot / The Rag

The least favourite, usually found with long odds.

Pace

The speed at which races are run at different stages. 'Up with the pace' means close to the leaders and 'Off the pace' means some way behind the leaders. Form is often linked to pace, particularly in the early stages of a race.

Paddock

The part of the race course that contains the pre-parade ring and winners' enclosure.

Pari-mutuel

Odds that refer to dividends declared at races run outside of the UK and Ireland. All bets are pooled, and winners are paid according to the size of the pool and the number of other winners.

Permutations (Perm)

A way of combining selections in multiple bets. For example, if you've made three selections (A, B and C), you can Perm every possible double. In this case, all the doubles possible are AB, AC, and BC - making three bets in total.

Photo-Finish

A method of determining the outcome of a close finish by using photographic evidence.

Picks / Tips

Selections as recommended by an expert.

Pitch

When a bookmaker conducts their business on a racecourse.

Pitcher Change

Due to the impact that a pitcher's performance can have on the outcome of a baseball game, all bets are void if the game is subject to a later change of pitcher.

Places

A selection that places has finished within the specified Place Terms for that event.

Place Terms

In non pari-mutuel betting, the returns for place bets are calculated as a proportion of the win odds. Place terms vary between events and sports; they should be clearly advertised when the bet is placed.

Point Spread / Line / Handicap

The start that the favourite gives the underdog.

Pony

£25 GBP.

Postponed

A contest that is cancelled for any reason before it begins, and is subsequently rescheduled at a later time/date.

Price

The odds that are offered for a selection.

Punter

Someone who bets.

Re-Run

A race which initially wasn't completed (usually because of technical difficulties), is then re-run to completion.

Return

The amount you receive for winning a bet, including your stake.

Related Contingencies

Related bets that can't be combined on a betslip. For example, you can't place a double on Chelsea to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final and on Chelsea to reach the FA Cup final.

Ringer

A selection entered in a race under another selection's name - usually a good runner replacing a poorer one.

Run-In

The distance from the home turn (or last obstacle) to the winning post.

Score

£20 GBP.

Scratch (US)

Withdrawal of a competitor.

Selection(s)

The horse/greyhound/football team etc. that you've predicted as the winner of a particular market.

Selling Race

A race in which the eventual winner must be auctioned for sale.

Settler

Bookmaker's expert who calculates payouts.

Shortening the Odds

Bookmakers' reduction of the odds offered in the face of heavy betting.

Sire

A horse's male parent.

Smart Money

Insiders' bets and insights.

Stake

The amount of money invested on a selection.

Stake unit (or 'Unit Stake')

The amount invested on each individual selection within a multiple bet.

Stallion

A five year old male horse.

Stalls

A row of compartments designed to give all runners in a flat race an even start.

Stanley Cup (US)

Ice Hockey Championship

Starting Price (SP)

The final price returned by the bookmakers on a selection. SP is calculated by the average price on the course at the start of the race, based off of the prices of a selection of bookmakers who stand on the course. SP is usually the same price available just before a race starts, but can occasionally differ slightly.

Steamer

A selection backed significantly on the morning of a race, causing its odds to shorten considerably.

Steeplechasing

A form of National Hunt racing. The fences are more rigid than in the other types of races and are a minimum of four and a half feet high. Races are between two miles and four and a half miles long.

Steward's Enquiry

The stewards will hold an investigation if there are any suspected infringements of the Rules are Racing.

Superbowl (US)

American Football Championship

Sure Thing

A bet with very little chance of losing.

System

A mathematically based betting strategy which, if successful, is used by punters in an attempt to gain an advantage within a market.

Tattersalls' Rule 4 (C)

If a horse is withdrawn without coming Under Starters Orders, and there isn't enough time to revise the betting market, backers of the withdrawn horse are entitled to their stakes back. However, deductions are then made to winning bets. Full details can be found in our article.

Tic-Tac

The sign language which UK bookmakers use to communicate with each other on-course.

Tipster / Tout

Someone who offers betting advice by estimating which selections will win in their market.

Tongue-Tie

Breathing aid used on horses that has a strip of cloth to stabilise the tongue and stop it from sliding over the bit.

Tote

The Horserace Totalisator Board. A UK body established to operate pool-betting on all racecourses.

Tote Board

Racecourse information board that displays approximate odds, betting totals, payout prices and other information necessary to the punter.

Tote Prices

Tote bets are based on a pool, which means the returns for a particular selection are determined by the amount of money that has been paid into the particular pool (for example the win or place pool). For this reason, the actual amount returned on the bet can only be calculated after the race when all the money is in. The displayed dividend is only an approximation of what the return or actual dividend will be.

Tote Returns / Dividend

Returns from a tote pool which are calculated by dividing the total stake in each pool (after the take out) by the number of winning tickets. A dividend is declared to a fixed stake for various win, place and forecast pools.

Tournament Bets

In a tournament, multiple participants compete against each other to come first and win the tournament. Competitions, leagues, races and championships are all classed as Tournaments.

Trainer's Selected

If a trainer runs two or more horses in the same race, the Trainer's Selected is the one that starts at the shortest price.

Trap Number

Numbered boxes (usually one to six) from which greyhounds start in a race.

Trip

Race distance.

Under (Starter's) Orders

When the official starter of the race is satisfied that all the runners in the race are ready to race, a flag is raised to signal that the field is under orders. Bets on any runner failing to start after this signal are void.

Underdog

A selection that receives a point start in a handicap, or a selection that is unlikely to win.

US Prices

Commonly used in North America and Canada when betting on US sports. To calculate the Payoff on US Prices, convert the US Prices to decimal prices:

V

Value

Getting the best odds on a wager.

Void Bet

A bet which is declared invalid where the stake is returned without deduction.

Walk-Over

Occurs when just one participant runs in a race. To collect the prize money, the participant must complete the normal procedures. For settlement purposes, the winner of a walk-over is considered a non-runner.

Weighed In

The "weighed in" signal is given when the weight of all jockeys has been checked after the race. It is the Clerk of the Scales' responsibility to confirm that the jockeys weigh approximately the same as the figure allocated to their mounts. After this signal, the result is final from a betting point of view.

Win-Draw-Win (WDW)

The three possible outcomes of a sports fixture - home win, draw, away win.

Winnings

Profit from a winning bet, excluding the stake.

Withdrawn

The removal of a horse from a race before it starts, either before or after coming under starters orders.

World Series (US)

Baseball Championship.

"X"

Represents a draw on a football betting coupon.