Glossary
BETTING FOR BEGINNERS
For newcomers who want to get actively involved in betting, the terminology can often be a daunting task. Gamblers and gambling websites tend to not suffer fools, leaving those who are unsure what some of the key terms mean without a place to go to earn knowledge.
Fear no more - below we have outline a series of what certain types of bet mean, as well as a glossary of important betting terms that you will hear regularly. We haven't bamboozled you with a multitude of words you will never come across - just the ones that will help you in your understanding of the bets you are placing.
BETTING TYPES
SINGLE
Easy. A single selection, stake placed, which either generates a win or a loss. The more experienced gamblers understand the difficult in selecting more than one selection and getting it right, therefore their default is to opt for a single bet.
DOUBLE
A little more difficult. A double is two selections placed together which requires both to be successful in order to generate a return. In this scenario a bettor can expect enhanced odds for their stake but in return an increased likelihood of failure.
TREBLE
Harder still, a treble is three selections placed together which requires all three to be successful in order to generate a return. Here a bettor can expect even better total odds for their three selections but again the risk is higher.
ACCUMULATOR
An accumulator bet is any bet that contains four or more different selections that must be successful for the bet to be a winner. Each selection runs onto the next meaning that there is opportunity for big returns for a lower stake, but of course more difficult to get correct. Smaller stakes, bigger odds. A bet with four selections is also known as a fourfold, five selections known as a fivefold, and so on.
TRIXIE
If you have a three selections that you want to place but perhaps are a little unsure about one of your tips, you may want to place a trixie, which means that a bettor takes three different selections and combines them across four different bets, consisting of:
- 3 x Doubles
- 1 x Treble
This means placing four different bets, but if one of your selections lose and the other two win, it means you can still collect a return on one of your Double bets. It is important to ensure that the stakes being placed will ensure a sufficient return that will cover your outlay for four bets.
PATENT
A patent is not a particularly well-used term these days, but it means that a bettor takes three different selections and combines them across seven different bets, consisting of:
- 3 x Single
- 3 x Double
- 1 x Treble
This means that a bettor can expect a return even if only of the selections is successful, but it is important to recognise whether the return on 1 single (1 bet) even covers the total stake of the Patent (Seven bets). For each additional selection that wins, more bets are successful, increasing the return on your investment.
YANKEE
Now we are increasing the number of bets you place, but also hedging your bets at the same time in an attempt to offer more opportunity of a return.
A Yankee means that a bettor takes four different selections and combines them across 11 bets, consisting of:
- 6 x Doubles
- 4 x Trebles
- 1 x Fourfold
This means that a bettor can expect a return even if two of the selections are successful, but it is important to recognise whether the return on 1 double (1 bet) covers the total stake of the Yankee (11 bets). For each additional selection that wins, more bets are successful, increasing the return on your investment.
LUCKY 15
Things start to get a little more complicated now. A Lucky 15 means that a bettor takes four different selections and combines them across 15 different bets, consisting of:
- 4 x Singles
- 6 x Doubles
- 4 x Trebles
- 1 x Fourfold
This means that a bettor can expect a return even if only one of the selections is successful, but it is important to recognise whether the return on 1 single (1 bet) even covers the total stake of the Lucky 15 (15 bets). For each additional selection that wins, more bets are successful, increasing the return on your investment.
LUCKY 31
A Lucky 31 works in precisely the same way as a Lucky 15, except across five different selections rather than four, consisting of:
- 5 x Singles
- 10 x Doubles
- 10 x Trebles
- 5 x Fourfold
- 1 x Fivefold
This means that a bettor can expect a return even if only of the selections is successful, but it is important to recognise whether the return on 1 single (1 bet) even covers the total stake of the Lucky 31 (31 bets). For each additional selection that wins, more bets are successful, increasing the return on your investment.
HEINZ
A Heinz is known as such because the food brand Heinz has 57 varieties and it works in precisely the same way as a Lucky 31, except across six different selections rather than five, consisting of:
- 15 x Doubles
- 20 x Trebles
- 15 x Fourfold
- 6 x Fivefold
- 1 x Sixfold
This means that a bettor can expect a return even if only two of the selections is successful, but it is important to recognise whether the return on one double (one bet) even covers the total stake of the Heinz (57 bets). For each additional selection that wins, more bets are successful, increasing the return on your investment.
There are other terms available but they are largely less used and you should master the above terms before
OTHER BETTING TERMINOLOGY
ODDS
This is, of course, what the full betting world revolves around. Odds are the likelihood of an particular event happening, and these odds are more often shared in either decimal or fractional form. If a selection is priced at Evens, or 2.0, it meants that there is a 50/50 chance of that particular selection succeeding.
If a selection is priced lower, for example 4/5, 4/6 or any odds which equal less that one, is means that this selection is 'odds-on' meaning it has more chance of happening than not. If the price is 6/5, 7/5, or any other selection where the odds equal more than one, it means that there is more chance of the event not happening than happening.
STAKE
Your stake is simply the amount that you wish to place on your selection.
WHAT DOES 'NAP' MEAN?
Nap refers to a tipsters most confident selection of the day. If there is only one tip that you choose to take from a specific tipster, make sure it is their NAP.
WHAT IS ANTE-POST BETTING?
Ante-post describes the betting markets that are set up in advance of a tournament taking place. For the Premier League the outright winners market would be described as ante-post, as would top goalscorer, player of the year, or other bets that can be placed as specific odds before the league season begins.
WHY IS MY BET 'VOID'?
There could be any number of reasons why your bet is void. If, for example, you include a selection and the match is then subsequently postponed or rescheduled, then the bookmaker reserves the right to void the selection. It is important to check specific terms with bookmakers to understand under which circumstances bets may be voided.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF I BET 'EACH-WAY?'
Betting each-way (EW) is a good way to give your selection more chance of success. From a Premier League betting perspective, I may bet a player to score first, but I can also select that player 'each-way' meaning that if he scores the second, third or fourth goals (or sometimes more, depending on the bookmaker) I can receive a return generally one-quarter or one-fifth of the original odds (again this bookmaker dependent). It means that more variable are covered and a bettor can protect their stake.
WHAT DOES 'PERMING' MEAN?
Perming means covering all available bets for a series of multiple selections. For example, a Lucky 15 perms singles, doubles, trebles and the fourfold to create 15 bets.