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ACTION
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The amount of money being wagered on a game.
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BAD BEAT
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A hard loss.
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BOOKIE
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A person or organization that sets the lines and books the bets in sports.
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BANKROLL
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The amount of money the player plans to gamble.
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BEARD
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A messenger bettor. Someone who places bets on behalf of another person so that the bookmakers will not know the identity of the actual bettor.
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BEEF
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A Dispute
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BUCK
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A $100 wager.
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CHALK
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The team favored to win.
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CHALK PLAYER
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A person who usually wagers on the favored teams. A.K.A Favorite Freddie, chalk eater |
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CIRCLE GAME
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A game where the betting action is severely limited due to uncertainties about key injuries, inclement weather conditions, or unsubstantiated rumors regarding a team.
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COVER
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To win by more than the pointspread.
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DEGENERATE
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A compulsive gambler.
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DIME BET
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A $1000 wager.
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DOG
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The underdog in any betting proposition. A.K.A. Puppy
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DOG PLAYER
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A person who usually bets on the underdog.
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DOLLAR BET
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A $100 wager.
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DOUBLE BET
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A wager twice the amount of one's normal wager.
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EARN
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The practical hold percentage
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EDGE
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An advantage
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EVEN MONEY
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A wager on which the odds are 1-1.
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EXOTIC BET
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A bet other than a straight bet or parlay
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EXPOSURE
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The amount of money the house will risk losing on a game
or race.
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EXTENSION
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The amount of money the house theoretically stands to lose on a game or race.
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FIGURE
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Amount of money owed to or by a bookmaker.
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FIRING
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Wagering huge sums of money.
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FLEA
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An annoying person who wants something for nothing. One who expects to be comped for a $2 wager.
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FORM
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The performance expected of a team according to how they look on paper.
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FUTURE BET
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Bets accepted well in advance of the events.
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GETTING DOWN
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Making a bet.
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GOING DOWN
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Losing a bet or bets.
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GROSS WIN
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The amount of winnings before subtracting the expenses.
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HANDICAPPER
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A person who studies sports and predicts its outcome.
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HEDGING
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Betting on the opposite side in order to cut losses or guarantee winning a minimal amount of money.
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HOLD
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The percentage the house wins.
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HOLDING YOUR OWN
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Neither winning or losing, just breaking even.
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HOOK
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A half point in pointspreads.
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HOOKED
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Losing a bet by exactly one-half a point.
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HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
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The edge the home team is expected to have as a result of familiarity with the playing area, fan support, and the effect of travel on the visiting team.
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HOOPS
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Another term for Basketball.
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HOT GAME
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A game that draws a significant amount of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers.
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HOT TIP
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Insider information that the bookmaker cannot divulge.
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JUICE
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Bookmaker's commission, also known as the vig or
vigorish.
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LAYING THE POINTS
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Betting on the favorite. A.K.A. lay a price
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LAYOFF BET
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A bet made by one bookmaker with another in order to balance the action and reduce the risk on one side.
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LIMIT
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The maximum bet accepted by a house or bookmaker before he changes odds and/or the points.
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LINE
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The listed odds on a game and/or payoff odds on the bet.
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LINEMAKER
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The person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines.
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LOCK
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A sure winner.
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LONGSHOT
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A large underdog where the odds of winning is quite steep. Hence the term "Not by a longshot".
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"THE MAN"
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The Bookmaker.
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MIDDLES
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To win both sides of a game.
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MONEY LINE
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The odds expressed in terms of money.
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NEUTRAL SITE
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Venue of a sporting event where neither side has a home field advantage.
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NEWSPAPER LINE
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The betting lines appearing in the daily newspapers.
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NICKEL
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A $500 wager.
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ODDSMAKER
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The same as a linemaker.
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ODDS ON FAVORITE
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A horse, team or individual so favored by the public that the odds are less than even.
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OFF THE BOARD
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A game on which no bets are accepted.
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OFF LINES
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The difference of amount the Las Vegas pointspread has compared with the computerized mathematical line.
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OFFICIAL LINE
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The line that the bookmaker uses for wagering purposes.
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OUT
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An illegal bookmaker
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OUTLAW LINE
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An early line which is not an official line
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OVERLAY
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When the odds of a given proposition are more in favor of the bettor than the house.
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OVER & UNDER
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A wager for the total score by both teams will more or less than the total posted by the sports book.
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PARLAY
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A bet with two or more teams where all the teams beat on must win in order for the bettor to win the wager.
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PAST PERFORMANCE
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What has occurred previously to the forthcoming games.
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PAST POST
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To make a bet after the event has begun.
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PICK'EM GAME
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A game where team is favored.
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PLAYER
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A bettor, or gambler
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POINTSPREAD
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The amount of points the bettor must give to take on any given game.
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POST TIME
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The scheduled starting time.
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PRACTICAL HOLD PERCENTAGE
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The amount won by a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked.
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PRESS
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Betting a larger amount than usual.
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PRICE
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The odds or pointspread.
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PROPOSITION BET
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A wager on a particular aspect of the game such as how many field goals will be made.
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PUPPY
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The underdog.
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PUSH
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Where neither team wins and all money is returned to the bettors.
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ROUND ROBIN
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A form of parlay betting in which we wager various combining team wagers. A 3-team robin is team 1 to 2, 1 to 3, and 2 to 3. 4-team robin is team 1 to 2, 1 to 3, 1 to 4, 2 to 3, 2 to 4, and 3 to 4. 5-team, etc.
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RUN DOWN
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A line update.
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RUNNER
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A.K.A. Beard
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SCALPER
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A person who attempts to profit from the differences in odds from book to book by betting both sides of the same game at different prices.
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SCORE
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To win big.
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SCRATCH
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To withdraw or cancel a wager.
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SCOUTS
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Person(s) who study team plays and/or practice and report findings to handicappers.
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SIDE
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Winning one side of a wager and tieing the other side.
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SMART MONEY
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Sides that are bet on by the more knowledgeable handicappers.
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SPORT PLAYER
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A person who waits for what he thinks is an unusually strong wager.
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SQUARE
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Unsophisticated gambler.
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STAR
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Rating.
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STEAM
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When heavy action occurs on one side.
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STRAIGHT BET
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A bet on just one team.
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THE STORE
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Bookie.
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STUCK
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Behind, losing, buried, down for the week.
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SUCKER BET
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Betting on the underdog.
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TAKE A PRICE
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Bet the underdog, take the points.
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TAPPED OUT
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Broke, busted, common result of pressing.
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THEORETICAL HOLD PERCENTAGE
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The edge the bookmaker would have if the odds guaranteed him a constant commission regardless of the outcome.
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TOKE
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A tip or bonus.
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TOSS UP
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A game where the line is close to pick-em.
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TOUT SERVICE
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A business that sells opinions on sports or horse wagers.
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TRIPLE SHARP
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The sharpest of the sharp.
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UNDERLAY
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Having the odds of a proposition lean in favor of the house.
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VALUE
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Getting the best available odds on a betting proposition.
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VIRGORISH
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The commission the bookmaker receives.
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WAGER
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Any Bet.
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WISE GUY
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A sophisticated and successful sports bettor.
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