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What Does it mean? Doc's Sports How-To Sports Betting Library

Be sure to read our Sports Betting Terms Explained.

Sportsbook Screen


by Chris Vasile - 4/8/2019

If you've ever found yourself cursing the game line or completely dumbfounded at how a basketball total from the Russian basketball league lands right on the over/under number, I can assure you that you are not alone. Setting the right number is the heartbeat of any sportsbook, which is why they hire the sharpest minds in the betting game and task them with calculating the lines.

Houston Astros Pitcher Justin Verlander


by Chris Vasile - 9/27/2018

If you've ever said the words "best two out of three" when playing a game amongst friends, you are subconsciously making a "series bet." You are betting that during the course of these three games that you will be able to win two games thus emerging victorious. In the sports betting industry, a "series bet" is a betting option that allows you to correctly predict which team will win more games in a particular series and ultimately advance to the next round instead of deciding who will win each individual game.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady


by Chris Vasile - 9/21/2018

If you've never set foot in an actual sportsbook before or logged into an online sportsbook, the chances of you getting overwhelmed when you actually do is very high. In an actual Las Vegas sportsbook, there is typically a lot of commotion and the odds and lines are displayed on a massive digital board for everyone to see. When a novice sports bettor looks at the massive digital signage, they will see a bunch of numbers, both positive and negative, some two digits, some three digits. They also won't have a clue what any of it means. The same can be said for the online sportsbooks. It looks like a massive spreadsheet with negative and positive numbers beside each teams' name.

Tennis player Angelique Kerber


by Chris Vasile - 9/13/2018

In my honest opinion, tennis is a sport that doesn't get nearly enough credit for being a legitimate source of entertainment as a fan and a legitimately hard game to master. Since you are reading this and have access to the Internet, I'm sure you've heard of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. They are the two biggest names in the sport, even as their careers are starting to wind down. The debate between both sets of fans as to who the "G.O.A.T" is rivals that of the LeBron/Kobe or Ronaldo/Messi comparison.

Jockey Javier Castellano


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

To understand what a trifecta wheel is in horse racing and sports betting we first obviously need to understand what a trifecta is. Luckily, that's simple - a trifecta is a bet you can make where you bet on the horses that will finish first, second and third in a race. In order to have a winning bet you not only have to pick the correct three horses, but also correctly pick the order in which they will finish. Because it involves three horses the trifecta is more difficult to win than a win bet or an exacta, so it usually has a much more attractive payoff as a result.

Kentucky Derby contenders will Run for the Roses.


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

Nothing says "summer" better than a trip to the racetrack and several ice-cold drinks while basking in the sun and skimming through the dailyracing program. Unfortunately, only a small amount of the betting public actually knows how to dissect the program properly which gives them a bit of an edge when it comes to placing their wagers. Most amateurs or leisure bettors stick to the simple bets like win, place or show despite the potential of a massive payout when playing the exotic bets. The exotic bet I will teach you about today is the popular trifecta bet, also known as a "triactor" at some tracks.

salami


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

Have you ever skimmed through the baseball or hockey results and thought to yourself "wow the 'over' was the play of the night since it hit in 10 games?" If you have and are kicking yourself for not playing every one of those games, this Grand Salami bet is the bet for you. The Grand Salami is not a massive delicatessen but rather a bet in which you must correctly guess the 'over/under' of the total number of runs or goals produced in every single game combined on any one given day.

stack of 100s


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

Much like any business venture you embark on, the most important part of the journey (for most) is the bottom line. We live in a world where cash rules everything around us, so it is vital to turn a profit, not only for living purposes but to feel successful and accomplished. In the sports betting world, turning a profit seems to be a walk in the park for sportsbooks. They keep track of their billions of dollars by using a term called "handle" and nobody is aware of how big the handle is until the sportsbooks tell us.

Doc's Logo for July 4


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

Thanks to the modern language and a constantly updated Webster's dictionary, there is a word for pretty much anything you can think of. Furthermore, every study, no matter the obscurity has its own word to describe the resident expert. You know, words like paleontologist, botanist, astrologer, just to name a few. In the sports betting world, there are a few words that can be used to describe serious bettors who spend most of their time breaking down bets and looking for advantages that give them the best chance at winning their wager. The word I want to focus on right now is "handicapper".

money bags


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

The main purpose of placing a wager on a game or event is to win money. That is what drives the industry and it's what has both amateur and pro bettors competing amongst themselves to prove who the best handicapper is. If you ever find yourself placing a bet with the expectation of losing, you are in the wrong business. Whether you can believe it or not, sportsbook place bets from time to time with the expectation losing in order to secure a profit. This term is called the "layoff"

janet jackson


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

If you've ever made a full-game bet that was completely toast by half time, I will assume you know all about the half time bet. If you are one of the lucky few who don't know what that feeling is like, a half time bet allows you to wager on the outcome of the second half on any particular game - regardless of what happened in the first half. If you look hard enough and focus in on one or two games, you can often find a line that offers more value than you would normally find on a full game line because the line is soft.

huge stack money


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

To understand what the "limit" means in sports betting, you need to think about the limit we follow every day in our life - the speed limit. Speed limits are set in place to ensure the safety of everyone driving on the road. If everyone does the same speed, the less likely it is for a crash to occur. If you go above the limit, you are putting others in danger, not only on the road in cars, but pedestrians as well. They are in place for a reason, which is to control the way people act. The same can be said with the limits set by a sportsbook. They are in place to reduce any potential damage the books may suffer and keep bettors under their control.

Derek Jeter final home at bat


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

While home field advantage may be a sports term, it can also be linked to your house, your route to work, or even a trip to a familiar grocery store. Think about this for a second. If you've ever hosted a party at your house, you know where everything is and you would have free reign to go into any cupboard, drawer or room you that you please. That would be an example of home-house advantage. If you've ever gone to an unfamiliar grocery store (maybe you weren't around town but you needed to make a pit stop), it is going to take you a while to find exactly what it is you are looking for.

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

If you aspire to become an avid bettor and are serious about learning the trade, the first thing I recommend doing is to come up with several angles and legitimate reasons why betting on a specific team is going to make you money. I understand that angles and reasoning can only take you so far before what happens on the court or field is out of your control but playing the angles is a key part of sports betting that isn't going away any time soon. One of the better angles I look to play is a bet called the First Half Bet.

football helmet on fire


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

There are very few periods of time throughout the year when there isn't a game or event that is garnering national media attention and bettors are clamoring to lay down a wager. Off the top of my head, the only period I can think of is during the MLB All-Star break, where it's slim pickings to lay down a wager. Sure, the Home Run Derby and All-Star game are closely watched and people do bet on them, but it's done more so to have a little action on the game to make it semi-watchable. However, the rest of the year is littered with massive, high-stakes, high-drama type events. These are what the industry called "hot games"

picture of a sportsbook


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

Some people refer to sportsbooks as a sanctuary; a place they can go where they do their best thinking and enjoy the games and atmosphere. Some people refer to them as utter chaos and other than placing their bets at one, do everything in their power to get out before the games actually start. Whether you are one side of the fence, or the other, as long as the sportsbooks have your money tied up with them, they have you right where they want you. Sportsbooks are here to stay, so I suggest getting used to all the chaos.

Calvin Borel aboard Rachel Alexandra in the 2009 Preakness.


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

Betting on horse racing is all about deciding who is going to finish first, second and third. Things are always more fun when you can bet on them, and the trifecta allows you to do just that. The trifecta, which is also known at some tracks as a triactor, is a bet you win when you pick the horses that finish in the top three spots, and you pick them in the correct order.

hook


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

If you hear the phrase "lost by the hook" it means that a bettor had a losing bet by a half point via the pointspread. The "hook" refers to the half point added to both football and basketball lines, so if you "lost by the hook" then your wager was unsuccessful by a single half point.

crystal ball


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

There are very few (if any)people in this world that have the ability to predict the future. I'm thinking maybe some of the prophets who lived hundreds of years ago and maybe the person who writes for The Simpsons since they seem to get every world event nearly spot on. Sports bettors like to think they are in that class which is why sportsbooks give bettors the option to place a Future Bet. A future bet is a bet that is made well in advance of the culmination of any sporting season or world event that is set to occur - think Super Bowl and thePresidential Election.

bookie


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

If you've ever found yourself cursing the game line or completely dumbfounded at how a basketball total from the Serbian basketball league lands right on the "over/under" number, I can assure you that you are not alone. Setting the right number is the heartbeat of any sportsbook which is why they hire the sharpest minds in the betting game and task them with calculating the lines. It's not often you come across a line that is far off from what actually happens in the game. Sportsbooks have the utmost trust in their linemakers, so that when they post their lines to the betting public they aren't vulnerable to big losses.

Duke quarterback No. 9 Thaddeus Lewis.


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

If you're an amateur bettor that's just starting out and are in desperate need of a quick betting terminology lesson, you've come to the right place. For starters, I would like to believe that you are starting out by picking teams that you believe will win the game outright. That would be known as a money line bet. If you are a bit more advanced then that, you would probably be looking at betting the "line" on a particular event. To some, this is known as the spread and that's completely fine, but if you ever come across a conversation involving the "line" this article will prepare you for what it actually means.

Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo.


by Doc's Sports - 10/13/2014

There are several very important terms and phrases you need to know if you have your sights set on becoming a sports bettor who has even the slightest idea of what you are about to bet on. Doc's Sports "How To" section has you covered for everything you need to know, but this may be one of the most important phrases to know when betting on sports that use a point-spread. Sure, money line, juice, totals, covering the spread and bad beat are all important words and phrase to know, but "laying the points" is something the general public loves to do.

canada flag


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

Just when you think Canadians can't out do themselves, they go and get themselves a completely Canadian way of betting on the one sport they care the most about - hockey. As a Canadian, I can honestly say that we would chose hockey (plus beer) over just about anything in the world. It's our past time and it's our future because despite the lack of quality Canadian teams in the NHL, the fan bases are more passionate than ever in hopes of one day competing with and finally beating hockey's elite teams.

Mike Smith gets the chance to ride Mine That Bird in the Preakness.


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

There are all sorts of reasons that a horse can be scratched from a race. First off is because of a decision by an owner or a trainer. Sometimes a trainer will enter a horse in two or more different races at the same time, and then wait until closer to the day of the race to decide which one sets up better for the horse. Other times, a trainer will scratch a horse if the conditions of the racing surface aren't going to be ideal - like if rain has made a turf course too soft for a horse to run his best, for example. A trainer could also scratch a horse if they aren't happy how the horse has trained leading up to the race, or if they have concerns about his health and readiness.

huge stack money


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

If there is one thing in this world that you should try to do daily, its laugh. Laughter helps us lighten up and enjoy the every day blessings of life. Whether you laugh at funny jokes people tell you, funny situations you find yourself in or you just laugh at yourself for how weird you are - it doesn't matter. Laughter is important. Unfortunately, the majority of us have a friend or know someone who always takes jokes or pranks way too far until they get annoying or out of hand. This act would be considered pressing the issue and is generally not well received. In sports betting, "pressing" the issue can also be a big problem, especially if you're an emotional bettor who has suffered some early losses.

bookmaker


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

The term "bookmaker" is a more formal term for the commonly used slang term bookie. Though bookie can have a shady, illegal connotation, that isn't always the case. The word bookmaker, which is more common in the UK can than the US, can be used interchangeably with sportsbook, or the shortened form of book. A bookmaker simply take bets on sports, and guarantees a return at agreed upon odds if the bet is successful.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

In today's world, patience is a virtue that very few people have left in them. We live in a world with lightning quick internet, instant message and in a world where fast food reigns supreme. People love getting instant gratification. In the sports betting world, that also holds true. It's one thing to sit through a three-and-a-half-hour football game between two mediocre teams only to suffer a bad beat on a completely meaningless last-minute touchdown that does nothing but affect the point spread and burn your ticket.

whale


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

One would think that if a gambler had an endless supply of money to bet with and constantly wagers five or six figures per game, they would have a nickname that sounds a bit more appealing. Instead, these walking ATM's have the dubious distinction of being called a "whale". I guess when you are rich, it doesn't matter what your nickname is, but I have to believe there are about 20 other nicknames that would be more appropriate for someone who drops $100,000 on a game and doesn't even think twice about it.

Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a Perfecta referred to at a race track. It's an old-fashioned term these days. It will show up in some racing books or forums, though, so it is important to know what the heck it is that people are talking about. Simply, a perfecta is another word for an exacta - which in turn can be also known as an exactor, or even a forecast in some places. They are all different words for the same thing - betting on which horses in a race will finish first and second in the exact order. They are a more complex version of a quinella - a bet in which you have to pick the top two finishers, but in which order doesn't matter.

jump for joy


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

There are two types of bettors in the sports betting industry and each of them has their own unique way of doing things. Some bettors strictly bet money lines. They say that the winner of the game should be the only thing that matters. However, the majority of the betting industry lives and breathes with betting the point spread on NFL and NBA games. They will tell you there is nothing sweeter than cashing a winning point spread ticket because they were able to "beat the Vegas line". That's probably a bit of an exaggeration, but watching your team cover the spread does feel nice.

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