Gambling terms, explained straight

A–Z index

Gambling terms beginning with A

18 terms under A, each with a one-line summary. Follow a term for the full explanation.

Ace of spades Card games
The ace of spades is the highest-ranking card in a standard 52-card deck, belonging to the spade suit and traditionally considered the most powerfu…
Addiction and gambling Responsible play
Addiction and gambling is a behavioural condition in which a person repeatedly gambles despite serious harm to their health, money, or personal life.
Allowance race Racing
An allowance race is a horse race restricted to horses meeting specified conditions, with weights assigned under those conditions rather than by a …
American odds Odds & probability
American odds are a moneyline odds format used by US bookmakers that shows either the profit on a $100 stake (positive odds) or the stake required …
American odds to European Odds & probability
A method for restating a betting line from the American moneyline format into the European decimal format, where the number shown is the total payo…
American odds to implied probability Odds & probability
The process of turning a moneyline price into the break-even percentage that outcome must have for the bet to be fair.
Annuity vs lump sum lottery Lottery & bingo
The annuity vs lump sum lottery choice lets winners of certain jackpots decide whether to take the prize as a stream of payments over time or as a …
Arbitrage bets Advantage play
Arbitrage bets are bets placed on every possible outcome of an event with different bookmakers, sized so the return is the same whichever outcome w…
Arbitrage betting Advantage play
Arbitrage betting is a sports-betting strategy where a bettor places bets on every possible outcome of an event across different bookmakers, so the…
Arbitrage betting bot Advantage play
Software that automatically watches betting markets for price mismatches and places the opposing bets needed to profit from the discrepancy before …
Arbitrage betting odds Advantage play
Arbitrage betting odds are prices from different bookmakers that, when combined across all outcomes of an event, allow a bettor to secure a profit …
Asian handicap Sports betting
Asian handicap is a football betting market that removes the draw by giving one team a goal head start or deficit before kick-off, reducing the thr…
Asian handicap 0.5 meaning prediction Sports betting
Asian handicap 0.5 is a fractional handicap line that eliminates the draw outcome: a -0.5 bet wins only if the team wins outright, while a +0.5 bet…
Asian handicap 1.25 meaning Sports betting
Asian handicap 1.25 is a quarter-goal line that splits the stake into two equal half-bets on the adjacent 1.0 and 1.5 lines.
Asian handicap 1.75 meaning Sports betting
An Asian handicap 1.75 splits a bet into two equal halves at 1.5 and 2.0, creating a quarter-goal line that can produce a partial win or push.
Asian handicap betting explained Sports betting
Asian handicap betting is a form of sports betting, mainly used in football, where one team receives a goal handicap before the match so the bet ha…
Asian handicap home 0 meaning Sports betting
Asian handicap home 0 is a bet on the home team with a handicap of zero goals, meaning the stake is refunded if the match is drawn and the bet wins…
Average rake in poker Poker
Average rake in poker is the typical commission taken by the house per hand or pot, calculated by averaging the rake across many hands or sessions.