Gamble For Free

Anyone that wants to become successful at sports gambling needs to learn the basics first and this includes… sports gambling terminology, the different types of bets that you can make, and the legality of sports betting.

Sports Betting Basics and a Brief History:
If you are one of the people that always wanted to place a bet on a sporting event like the NFL, but you were too overwhelmed by the odds or by the bookies or even the sportsbooks, then chill… We’ll have you ready for some sporting action in no time!

Sports betting at first can seem to be a bit confusing, but it’s not, it really isn’t. Sports gambling has been around for ages, even since the beginning of the USA. The colonists then were known to have wagered a few bucks on everything from fighting, even cockfighting and of cource horse racing.
Gambling was a long-time tradition in England and still is with the English betting on their version of football (soccer) and also horse racing. So it was natural that the colonists brought their love of gambling across the Atlantic ocean with them and start sports gambling in America.

Getting Started in Online Sports Betting:
Please note that sports gambling is legal in many countries throughout the world, like in the United Kingdom, but in the United States its different. This is explained in the section titled Gambling Laws.

Sports bettors have a choice of hundreds of different online sportsbooks to choose from. Some are very good and others should be avoided. Find the time to select one that suits you best. When looking for an online sportsbook there are certain things that you should look for: their financial status, is it easy to wager with them, is it easy to make deposits and withdraws, what betting options you have, and what bonus money offers they have for you when you sign up.

The majority of sportsbooks are simple and easy to use with the efficient software that they use for you to make your bets. You can test the software on most of their sites before you sign up with a real account, so we suggest you spend a few minutes testing and making sure that you are comfortable with their betting process. Make sure that the sportsbook you choose offers the bets that you want to make, otherwise it’s simply a waste of your time and money.

Nearly all sportsbooks will offer new customers an incentive to signing up with them. This is usually 20% of your first deposit and some will add 10% to any additional deposits. There maybe some restrictions that will apply, for example, bonuses are only given on non-credit card deposits, so please read the terms and conditions of any sportsbook.

Terminology:
Action
To have a bet.

Angles
Refers to trends regarding teams and how often they cover the point spread in a particular situation. Angles can refer to a particular team or the league as a whole.

AOPR
Is a handicapping term that stands for average opponent power rating, which is a number that guages how difficult the opposition of a particular team has been. It is also known as Strength of Schedule and Average Opponent Power Rating.

ATS
Against the spread, generally referring to how often a team covers the point spread.

Bad Beat
A gambling loss that is difficult to swallow, most often occurring when a fluke play or late score changes the betting outcome of the game.

Beard
Somebody who places bets for another person to conceal the actual bettor’s identity.

Bet
To risk money, or anything of value, on the outcome of a sporting event.

Bet Limit
The amount of money a bookmaker will accept on a particular wager.

Book
A person, or establishment, that accept bets.

Bookie
Somebody who accepts wagers on sporting events. Bookmaker is the term most often used when referring to somebody who operates legally, while “bookie” is generally thought of as the term used to refer to a person who accepts wagers illegally.

Bookmaker
Somebody who accepts wagers on sporting events. Bookmaker is the term most often used when referring to somebody who operates legally, while “bookie” is generally thought of as the term used to refer to a person who accepts wagers illegally.

Buck
Is $100. Also known as Franklin.

Chalk
Tthe team, or individual, that is predicted to win a particular event… the favorite.

Circled
A game that has reduced betting limits, usually due to injuries, suspensions, or poor weather.

Cover
The team that wins against the point spread.

Dime
A “dime” is equal to $1,000.

Dog
The team, or individual expected to lose the event.

Early Money
Refers to wagers that come in as soon as the betting lines are made available to the public to wager on.

Edge
An advantage against the bookmakers.

Even Money
A wager in which a bettor risks the same amount as they stand to win, as opposed to the usual risk of $11 to win $10.

Exotic
Non-traditional bets, such as parlays, teasers, or round-robins.

Fade
To wager against a particular person.

Favorite
The team, or individual, that is expected to win a particular event.

First Half Bet
To place a wager that will have the outcome decided on the basis of the halftime score.

Gamble
To risk money, or anything of value, on the outcome of a sporting event.

Halftime Bet
To place a bet at halftime of a game against a new point spread posted by the bookmakers.

Handicap
To analyze an event for gambling purposes.

Handicapper
Is a person who studies sporting events for gambling purposes

Handle
The total amount of money wagered for the person, or the establishment, accepting bets.

Hook
A half-point, so that “three and a hook” would be the same as “three-and-a-half” or “3.5″ points.

If Bet
A wager that is placed only if a certain outcome of a seperate wager occurs. You can place a $100 wager on Team B if Team A covers the point spread. If Team A covers the point spread, the bettor has $100 on Team B. If Team A does not cover the point spread there is no bet on Team B.

Juice
Is the commission paid to bookmakers on losing bets for the privaledge of betting. For example, on a $110 football bet, the winning bettors collect only $100. The extra $10 is the juice.

Laying
Wagering on a favorite and thereby laying (giving) points or odds to the opposing side.

Longshot
An outcome that is unlikely to occur.

Middle
Placing wagers on opposite teams with advantageous point spreads. If a gambler bets on the Colts -13 over the Jets and the point spread moves and then the gambler bets on the Jets +15 against the Colts, they are going for a middle.

Money Line
Is used for betting on the winner of a contest where the point spread cannot be used, such as boxing, or is not used, with the bettor needing only to pick the winner, regardless of margin.

Odds
The various point spreads or money lines on any given contest.

Oddsmaker
Is a person who creates odds on sporting events, but does not accept wagers. Many oddsmakers work for independent companies, while some sportsbooks employ their own oddsmakers.

Off the Board
A game that no wagers are being accepted on. Many times this is only temporary, while rumors or weather conditions are checked out.

Opening Line
The initial point spread or money line offered by the sportsbook to bettors.

Over
To exceed the posted over/under (total) on a particular sporting event.

Over/Under
Is a bet that is won or lost depending upon the combined score of both teams in a contest. The bettor is not interested in who wins the game, only the final score.

Parlay
A parlay is a combination of two or more wagers that a bettor links together and all of them must win for the gambler to win their parlay bet.

Parlay Card
A bet on two or more teams (or totals) where all of the games must win in order for the bettor to win the wager. But instead of betting on the current odds posted by the sportsbook, the odds for the games are listed on a card which the bettor fills out and turns in to the bookmaker.

Past Post
To place a wager after a game has began, and is most often used when the game is over. The term is more common in horse racing, as races usually take less than two minutes, as opposed to a game lasting several hours.

Pick
A game in which neither team is the favorite.

Press
To start wagering more money than usual, generally in an attept to recoup previous losses.

Point Spread
A handicap that is placed on the superior team in term of points for gambling purposes. If Team A is favored by 10 points over Team B, the point spread is 10. Team A must win the game by 11 or more points for its backers to win the bets, while those betting on Team B will win their bets if Team wins the game or losses by nine points or less. If Team A wins by exactly 10 points the bet is a tie.

Price
The odds on a particular outcome happening. It can refer to an individual game, a series, or the entire season.

Prop Bets
Wagers that have nothing to do with who wins or loses the game, but are generally player specific, such as player to score the first touchdown, passing yards for a quarterback, etc. These are most often used for nationally televised games and there are numerous ones for the Super Bowl.

Puck Line
A hockey bet in which the bettor can either take the favorite -1.5 goals or take the underdog +1.5 goals.

Puppy
Is another name for an underdog; the team that is expected to lose and receives points when bet on using the point spread or favorable odds when wagering with the money line.

Push
A tied wager, where the player neither wins their wager or losses it.

Reverse
Two seperate if bets using the same two teams. A gambler placing a two-team reverse for $100 can win $400 if both games win, but will lose $120 if one game losses and $220 if both games lose.

Rundown
A list of all the day’s games and the odds on the games.

Run Line
A baseball bet in which the bettor can either take the favorite -1.5 runs or take the underdog +1.5 runs.

Sharp
An intelligent bettor.

Shill
A person who promotes a sport service or sportsbook for compensation without acknowledging the fact.

Smart Money
The money wagered by intelligent bettors.

Sportsbook
An establishment that accepts wagers on sporting events.

Square
An unsophisticated bettor, who will generally lose money over the course of the season.

Steam
A sudden influx of money all coming in on the same side or total causing the line to move rapidly.

Stiff
A bettor who does not pay their debts.

Straight Up
The winner of a game without regard to the point spread.

Syndicate
A collection of gamblers who pool all of their efforts together in an attempt to beat the sportsbooks.

Systems
Specific formulas used to determine a team to bet on in a sporting event. These can use factors such as winning or losing streaks, points scored or allowed, scheduling situations, and travel.

Teaser
A bet that consists of two or more basketball or football teams and all of the teams have to cover the point spread for the bettor to win. Unlike a parlay, in a teaser the bettor can add or subract points from the point spread and receives lower odds than a parlay in exchange.

Total
A betting opportunity that is won or lost depending upon the combined score of both teams in a contest. The bettor is not interested in who wins the game, only the final score.

Trends
Specific situations and how teams respond for betting purposes in those situations. A typical trend could be the Denver Nuggets have covered 11 of their last 14 games as road underdogs of 10 or more points.

Under
Going under the total (over/under) of a particular game. Under can refer to the outcome of the game or a wager placed.

Underdog
The person, or team, expected to lose an event.

Upset
The underdog defeating the favorite.

Vigorish
The commission paid on losing bets to the bookie for the privilege of placing bets.

Wager
A wager is to have risked money, or something of value, on the outcome of an event.

Wiseguy
A knowledgeable sports bettor… not a gangster… forgedaboudit!