WESTERN SLANG & PHRASES
A Writer's Guide to the Old West
1860's ~ 1880's
In British and Australian sports betting slang, particularly when it comes to horse race betting, the term 'punter' is simply a synonym of the word 'bettor' or 'gambler,' and is used to refer to a person who bets on the outcome of a sporting event. Push: In poker and other competitive gambling games, to push means to go all in. The surest way of getting nothing from something. An improvident activity in which winning gleefully proceeds losing. The saddled process of chasing one's loses or blowing one's winnings. Chinese finger cuffs.4. An insatiable itch erroneously believed to be satisfied by scratching.
Being a small compilation drawn from period newspapers, books, and memoirs
Part of the charm and character of the Old West, as viewed through our modern eyes, has always been the colorful speech of those days. Books have borrowed it, movies have parodied it, and children gallop around on stick horses mimicking it. Yet what DID those people really have to say? If we could listen to Great-great Grandpa, what might come out of his mouth? Of course, Grandma might have gone after him with a broom, for some of it, but for those who write, or those who simply possess inquiring minds, it seems a gathering of a few words or phrases would not be amiss. To that end, I offer this little collection of idioms, which I have gleaned during my reading travels.
Ace-high ~ first class, respected.
According to Hoyle ~ Correct, by the book.
A hog-killin' time ~ a real good time. 'We went to the New Year's Eve dance and had us a hog-killin' time.'
A lick and a promise ~ to do haphazardly. 'She just gave it a lick and a promise.'
All down but nine ~ missed the point, not understood. (Reference to missing all nine pins at bowling.)
Arbuckle's ~ slang for coffee, taken from a popular brand of the time. 'I need a cup of Arbuckle's.'
At sea ~ at a loss, not comprehending. 'When it comes to understanding women, boys, I am at sea.'
Back down ~ yield, retract.
Balled up ~ confused.
Bang-up ~ first rate. 'They did a bang-up job.'
Bazoo Coin value book. ~ mouth. 'Shut your big bazoo.'
Bear sign ~ cowboy term for donuts. A cook who could and would make them was highly regarded.
Beat the devil around the stump ~ to evade responsibility or a difficult task. 'Quit beatin' the devil around the stump and ask that girl to marry you.'
Beef ~ to kill. (From killing a cow to make beef to eat.) 'Curly Bill beefed two men in San Antonio.'
Bend an elbow ~ have a drink. 'He's been known to bend an elbow with the boys.' Gold fish casino on facebook.
Bender ~ drunk. 'He's off on another bender.'
Between hay and grass ~ neither man nor boy, half-grown.
Best bib and tucker ~ your best clothes. 'There's a dance Saturday, so put on your best bib and tucker.'
Big bug ~ important person, official, boss. 'He's one of the railroad big bugs.'
Bilk ~ cheat.
Blow ~ boast, brag. 'Don't listen to him, that's just a lot of blow.'
Blowhard ~ braggart, bully.
Blow-up ~ fit of anger. 'He and the missus had a blow-up, but it's over, now.'
Bone orchard ~ cemetery.
Bosh ~ Nonsense.
Boss ~ the best, top. 'The Alhambra Saloon sells the boss whiskey in town.'
Bulldoze ~ to bully, threaten, coerce.
Bully ~ Exceptionally good, outstanding. (Used as an exclamation.) 'Bully for you!'
Bunko artist ~ con man.
Burg ~ town.
Slang For Gambler
By hook or crook ~ to do any way possible.
Calaboose ~ jail.
California widow ~ woman separated from her husband, but not divorced. (From when pioneer men went West, leaving their wives to follow later.)
Chisel, chiseler ~ to cheat or swindle, a cheater.
Clean his/your plow ~ to get or give a thorough whippin'.
Coffee boiler ~ shirker, lazy person. (Would rather sit around the coffee pot than help.)
Consumption ~ slang for pulminary tuberculosis.
Copper a bet ~ betting to lose, or prepare against loss. 'I'm just coppering my bets.'
Come a cropper ~ come to ruin, fail, or fall heavily. 'He had big plans to get rich, but it all come a cropper, when the railroad didn't come through.'
Croaker ~ pessimist, doomsayer. 'Don't be such an old croaker.'
Crowbait ~ derogatory term for a poor-quality horse.
Curly wolf ~ real tough guy, dangerous man. 'Ol' Bill is a regular curly wolf, especially when he's drinkin' whiskey.'
Cut a swell ~ present a fine figure. 'He sure is cutting a swell with the ladies.' Silver oak casino instant play.
Dicker ~ barter, trade.
Difficulty ~ euphamism for trouble, often the shootin' or otherwise violent kind. 'He had to leave Texas on account of a difficulty with a gambler in San Antonio.'
Directly ~ soon. 'She'll be down, directly.'
Deadbeat ~ bum, layabout, useless person.
Dinero ~ from the Spanish, a word for money.
Don't care a continental ~ Don't give a damn.
Down on ~ opposed to. 'His wife is really down on drinking and cigars.'
Doxology works ~ a church.
Dragged out ~ fatigued, worn out.
Dreadful ~ very. 'Oh, her dress is dreadfully pretty.'
Dry gulch ~ to ambush. Reference from abandoning a body where it fell.
Dude ~ an Easterner, or anyone in up-scale town clothes, rather than plain range-riding or work clothes.
Eucher, euchered ~ to out-smart someone, to be outwitted or suckered into something.
Fandango ~ from the Spanish, a big party with lots of dancing and excitement.
Fetch ~ bring, give. 'Fetch me that hammer.' / 'He fetched him a punch in the nose.'
Fight like Kilkenny cats ~ fight like hell.
Fine as cream gravy ~ very good, top notch.
Fish ~ a cowboy's rain slicker, from a rain gear manufacturer whose trademark was a fish logo. 'We told him it looked like rain, but left his fish in the wagon anyhow.'
Flannel mouth ~ an overly smooth or fancy talker, especially politicians or salesmen. 'I swear that man is a flannel-mouthed liar.'
Flush ~ prosperous, rich.
Fork over ~ pay out.
Four-flusher ~ a cheat, swindler, liar.
Full as a tick ~ very drunk.
Fuss ~ disturbance. 'They had a little fuss at the saloon.'
Game ~ to have courage, guts, gumption. 'He's game as a banty rooster.' Or, 'That's a hard way to go, but he died game.'
Get a wiggle on ~ hurry.
Get it in the neck ~ get cheated, misled, bamboozled.
Get my/your back up ~ to get angry. Pch token rewards. 'Don't get your back up, he was only joking.'
Get the mitten ~ to be rejected by a lover. 'Looks like Blossom gave poor Buck the mitten.'
Give in ~ yield.
Goner ~ lost, dead.
Gone up the flume ~ same as goner!
Gospel mill ~ a church.
Gospel sharp ~ a preacher. (Apparent opposite of a card sharp!)
Got the bulge ~ have the advantage. 'We'll get the bulge on him, and take his gun away.'
Go through the mill ~ gain experience. (Often the hard way.)
Grand ~ excellent, beautiful. 'Oh, the Christmas decorations look just grand!'
Granger ~ a farmer.
Grass widow ~ divorcee.
Hang around ~ loiter.
Hang fire ~ delay.
Half seas over ~ drunk.
Hard case ~ worthless person, bad man.
Heap ~ a lot, many, a great deal. 'He went through a heap of trouble to get her that piano.'
Heeled ~ to be armed with a gun. 'He wanted to fight me, but I told him I was not heeled.'
Here's how! ~ a toast, such as Here's to your health.
Hobble your lip ~ shut up.
Hold a candle to ~ measure up, compare to.
Hoosegow ~ jail.
Hot as a whorehouse on nickel night ~ damned hot.
In apple pie order ~ in top shape.
Slang For Gamblers
Is that a bluff, or do you mean it for real play? ~ Are you serious?
Jig is up ~ scheme/game is over, exposed.
Kick up a row ~ create a disturbance.
Knocked into a cocked hat ~ fouled up, rendered useless.
Knock galley west ~ beat senseless.
Let slide/ let drive/ let fly ~ go ahead, let go. 'If you think you want trouble, then let fly.'
Light (or lighting) a shuck ~ to get the hell out of here in a hurry. 'I'm lightin' a shuck for California.'
Like a thoroughbred ~ like a gentleman.
Lunger ~ slang for someone with tuberculosis.
Make a mash ~ make a hit, impress someone. (Usually a female.) 'Buck's tryin' to make a mash on that new girl.'
Mudsill ~ low-life, thoroughly disreputable person.
Nailed to the counter ~ proven a lie.
Namby-pamby ~ sickly, sentimental, saccharin.
Odd stick ~ eccentric person. 'Ol' Farmer Jones sure is an odd stick.'
Of the first water ~ first class. 'He's a gentleman of the first water.'
Offish ~ distant, reserved, aloof.
Oh-be-joyful ~ Liquor, beer, intoxicating spirits. 'Give me another snort of that oh-be-joyful.'
On the shoot ~ looking for trouble. 'Looks like he's on the shoot, tonight.'
Pass the buck ~ evade responsibility.
Pay through the nose ~ to over-pay, or pay consequences.
Peter out ~ dwindle away.
Slang For Gambler
Play to the gallery ~ to show off. 'That's just how he is, always has to play to the gallery.'
Played out ~ exhausted.
Plunder ~ personal belongings. 'Pack your plunder, Joe, we're headin' for San Francisco.'
Pony up ~ hurry up!
Powerful ~ very. 'He's a powerful rich man.'
Promiscuous ~ reckless, careless. 'He was arrested for a promiscuous display of fire arms.'
Proud ~ glad. 'I'm proud to know you.'
Pull in your horns ~ back off, quit looking for trouble.
Put a spoke in the wheel ~ to foul up or sabotage something.
Quirley ~ roll-your-own cigarette.
Rich ~ amusing, funny, improbable. 'Oh, that's rich!'
Ride shank's mare ~ to walk or be set afoot.
Right as a trivet ~ right as rain, sound as a nut, stable.
Rip ~ reprobate. 'He's a mean ol' rip.'
Roostered ~ drunk. 'Looks like those cowboys are in there gettin' all roostered up.'
See the elephant ~ originally meant to see combat for the first time, later came to mean going to town, where all the action was.
Scoop in ~ trick, entice, inveigle. 'He got scooped into a poker game and lost his shirt.'
Scuttlebutt ~ rumors.
Shave tail ~ a green, inexperienced person.
Shin out ~ run away.
Shindy ~ uproar, confusion.
Shoddy ~ poor quality.
Shoot, Luke, or give up the gun ~ poop or get off the pot, do it or quit talking about it.
Shoot one's mouth off ~ talk nonsense, untruth. 'He was shootin' his mouth off and Bill gave him a black eye.'
Shove the queer ~ to pass counterfeit money.
Simon pure ~ the real thing, a genuine fact. 'This is the Simon pure.'
Skedaddle ~ run like hell.
Soaked ~ drunk.
Soft solder Best time of month to play slot machines. ~ flattery. 'All that soft solder won't get you anywhere.'
Someone to ride the river with ~ a person to be counted on; reliable; got it where it counts.
Sound on the goose ~ true, staunch, reliable.
Stand the gaff ~ take punishment in good spirit. 'He can really stand the gaff.'
Stop ~ stay. 'We stopped at the hotel last night.'
Stumped ~ confused.
Dinero ~ from the Spanish, a word for money.
Don't care a continental ~ Don't give a damn.
Down on ~ opposed to. 'His wife is really down on drinking and cigars.'
Doxology works ~ a church.
Dragged out ~ fatigued, worn out.
Dreadful ~ very. 'Oh, her dress is dreadfully pretty.'
Dry gulch ~ to ambush. Reference from abandoning a body where it fell.
Dude ~ an Easterner, or anyone in up-scale town clothes, rather than plain range-riding or work clothes.
Eucher, euchered ~ to out-smart someone, to be outwitted or suckered into something.
Fandango ~ from the Spanish, a big party with lots of dancing and excitement.
Fetch ~ bring, give. 'Fetch me that hammer.' / 'He fetched him a punch in the nose.'
Fight like Kilkenny cats ~ fight like hell.
Fine as cream gravy ~ very good, top notch.
Fish ~ a cowboy's rain slicker, from a rain gear manufacturer whose trademark was a fish logo. 'We told him it looked like rain, but left his fish in the wagon anyhow.'
Flannel mouth ~ an overly smooth or fancy talker, especially politicians or salesmen. 'I swear that man is a flannel-mouthed liar.'
Flush ~ prosperous, rich.
Fork over ~ pay out.
Four-flusher ~ a cheat, swindler, liar.
Full as a tick ~ very drunk.
Fuss ~ disturbance. 'They had a little fuss at the saloon.'
Game ~ to have courage, guts, gumption. 'He's game as a banty rooster.' Or, 'That's a hard way to go, but he died game.'
Get a wiggle on ~ hurry.
Get it in the neck ~ get cheated, misled, bamboozled.
Get my/your back up ~ to get angry. Pch token rewards. 'Don't get your back up, he was only joking.'
Get the mitten ~ to be rejected by a lover. 'Looks like Blossom gave poor Buck the mitten.'
Give in ~ yield.
Goner ~ lost, dead.
Gone up the flume ~ same as goner!
Gospel mill ~ a church.
Gospel sharp ~ a preacher. (Apparent opposite of a card sharp!)
Got the bulge ~ have the advantage. 'We'll get the bulge on him, and take his gun away.'
Go through the mill ~ gain experience. (Often the hard way.)
Grand ~ excellent, beautiful. 'Oh, the Christmas decorations look just grand!'
Granger ~ a farmer.
Grass widow ~ divorcee.
Hang around ~ loiter.
Hang fire ~ delay.
Half seas over ~ drunk.
Hard case ~ worthless person, bad man.
Heap ~ a lot, many, a great deal. 'He went through a heap of trouble to get her that piano.'
Heeled ~ to be armed with a gun. 'He wanted to fight me, but I told him I was not heeled.'
Here's how! ~ a toast, such as Here's to your health.
Hobble your lip ~ shut up.
Hold a candle to ~ measure up, compare to.
Hoosegow ~ jail.
Hot as a whorehouse on nickel night ~ damned hot.
In apple pie order ~ in top shape.
Slang For Gamblers
Is that a bluff, or do you mean it for real play? ~ Are you serious?
Jig is up ~ scheme/game is over, exposed.
Kick up a row ~ create a disturbance.
Knocked into a cocked hat ~ fouled up, rendered useless.
Knock galley west ~ beat senseless.
Let slide/ let drive/ let fly ~ go ahead, let go. 'If you think you want trouble, then let fly.'
Light (or lighting) a shuck ~ to get the hell out of here in a hurry. 'I'm lightin' a shuck for California.'
Like a thoroughbred ~ like a gentleman.
Lunger ~ slang for someone with tuberculosis.
Make a mash ~ make a hit, impress someone. (Usually a female.) 'Buck's tryin' to make a mash on that new girl.'
Mudsill ~ low-life, thoroughly disreputable person.
Nailed to the counter ~ proven a lie.
Namby-pamby ~ sickly, sentimental, saccharin.
Odd stick ~ eccentric person. 'Ol' Farmer Jones sure is an odd stick.'
Of the first water ~ first class. 'He's a gentleman of the first water.'
Offish ~ distant, reserved, aloof.
Oh-be-joyful ~ Liquor, beer, intoxicating spirits. 'Give me another snort of that oh-be-joyful.'
On the shoot ~ looking for trouble. 'Looks like he's on the shoot, tonight.'
Pass the buck ~ evade responsibility.
Pay through the nose ~ to over-pay, or pay consequences.
Peter out ~ dwindle away.
Slang For Gambler
Play to the gallery ~ to show off. 'That's just how he is, always has to play to the gallery.'
Played out ~ exhausted.
Plunder ~ personal belongings. 'Pack your plunder, Joe, we're headin' for San Francisco.'
Pony up ~ hurry up!
Powerful ~ very. 'He's a powerful rich man.'
Promiscuous ~ reckless, careless. 'He was arrested for a promiscuous display of fire arms.'
Proud ~ glad. 'I'm proud to know you.'
Pull in your horns ~ back off, quit looking for trouble.
Put a spoke in the wheel ~ to foul up or sabotage something.
Quirley ~ roll-your-own cigarette.
Rich ~ amusing, funny, improbable. 'Oh, that's rich!'
Ride shank's mare ~ to walk or be set afoot.
Right as a trivet ~ right as rain, sound as a nut, stable.
Rip ~ reprobate. 'He's a mean ol' rip.'
Roostered ~ drunk. 'Looks like those cowboys are in there gettin' all roostered up.'
See the elephant ~ originally meant to see combat for the first time, later came to mean going to town, where all the action was.
Scoop in ~ trick, entice, inveigle. 'He got scooped into a poker game and lost his shirt.'
Scuttlebutt ~ rumors.
Shave tail ~ a green, inexperienced person.
Shin out ~ run away.
Shindy ~ uproar, confusion.
Shoddy ~ poor quality.
Shoot, Luke, or give up the gun ~ poop or get off the pot, do it or quit talking about it.
Shoot one's mouth off ~ talk nonsense, untruth. 'He was shootin' his mouth off and Bill gave him a black eye.'
Shove the queer ~ to pass counterfeit money.
Simon pure ~ the real thing, a genuine fact. 'This is the Simon pure.'
Skedaddle ~ run like hell.
Soaked ~ drunk.
Soft solder Best time of month to play slot machines. ~ flattery. 'All that soft solder won't get you anywhere.'
Someone to ride the river with ~ a person to be counted on; reliable; got it where it counts.
Sound on the goose ~ true, staunch, reliable.
Stand the gaff ~ take punishment in good spirit. 'He can really stand the gaff.'
Stop ~ stay. 'We stopped at the hotel last night.'
Stumped ~ confused.
Superintend ~ oversee, supervise. 'He just likes to superintend everything.'
Take on ~ grieve. 'Don't take on so.'
Take French leave ~ to desert, sneak off without permission.
Take the rag off ~ surpass, beat all. 'Well, if that don't take the rag off the bush.'
The Old States ~ back East.
The whole kit and caboodle ~ the entire thing.
Throw up the sponge ~ quit, give up, surrender.
Tie to ~ rely on. 'He's a man you can tie to.'
To beat the Dutch ~ to beat the band. 'It was rainin' to beat the Dutch.'
To the manner born ~ a natural. 'He's a horseman to the manner born.'
Twig ~ understand.
Up the spout ~ gone to waste/ruin.
Wake up/Woke up the wrong passenger ~ to trouble or anger the wrong person.
Who-hit-John ~ Liquor, beer, intoxicating spirits. 'He had a little too much who-hit-John.'
Wind up ~ settle. 'Let's wind up this business and go home.'
MORE PAGES ON THIS SITE:
Civil War Slang and Phrases ~ Collected slang and sayings from the American Civil War.
Horse Sense ~ Collected facts and trivia on a Western constant - the Horse.
The Western Saddle and Bridle ~ an illustrated overview.
Gun Basics ~ Pieces, parts, and how they work
Victorian-era Names ~ Popular given names of the 1800's. Some are mighty different!
Compiled by G. M. Atwater, January 2001© 2008 G. M. Atwater
~ WESTERN LINKS ~
The Overland Trail Home Page ~ Everything and anything to do with Westward expansion. The good news is, they have a search engine!
The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection ~ An amazing free database of digitized historical maps, spectacular color and detail.
Cowboy and Western Songbook ~ An ambitious collection of both the lyrics and midi files of many old-time cowboy tunes.
Cowboy Songs Index ~ More lyrics to favorite cowboy songs.
Last updated November 11, 2016The online gambling world has its own language and terminology that is used by online players. Acronyms, abbreviations, and slang words were invented by players as a faster way to communicate with one another. Of course, for every gaming genre, there is a unique set of terms. For example, there are gambling terms used by gamers, terms used by online gamblers and common acronyms used in everyday conversation via text or email and can be used while playing any game, such as 'brb' for 'be right back.' We've listed the terms most often used in the gambling world whether that be in the chat rooms, forums, and/or blogs.
Common Terms:
Before going into the gambling terms, here are some of the general terms and abbreviations that are used by everyone in the online world, whether gamers, gamblers or social networkers. These terms include:
BRB: It is a term that is used by players who are away from their PC for a while and they will 'Be Right Back'.
BBL: 'Be Back Later'.
AFK: It is what players type to indicate that they will not be at their keyboards for a while as it's an abbreviation for 'Away From
Keyboard'.
WB: A term that is used to welcome players who were away, it translates to 'Welcome Back'.
LOL: It is a term used to show that the player is laughing or smiling at what other players said or anything that has happened in the gameplay. It is an abbreviation for 'Laughing Out Loud'. Of course, it is known that everyone in the online world tends to overstate their reaction so when players say LOL, they are not actually laughing out loud, but they are simply smiling or chuckling.
ROFL: It shows that the player is overwhelmed with laughter due to what other players said or an event that happened. It is an abbreviation for 'Rolling on the Floor Laughing'.
LMAO: It is another term that indicates laughter, it stands for 'Laughing My A** Off'.
ROFLMAO: It shows that players are in a laughing frenzy and that they can't help themselves, it is a mix between the previous two terms
'ROFL' & 'LMAO' to translate to 'Rolling on the Floor Laughing My A** Off'.
WTH: It is a term that is used to express shock or surprise; it stands for 'What The Hell' or 'What The Heck?'
PM: It is short for 'Private Message' which is a message or a chat between two players in private.
WTG: It is a term that is used to show approval and encouragement, it is an abbreviation for 'Way To Go'.
GTG: It is short for 'Got to Go' which indicates that the player or the user has to leave.
OMG: It is another term that expresses surprise and disbelief, it is an abbreviation for 'Oh My God', 'Oh My Goodness' or 'Oh My Gosh'.
TY: It is used to thank players for what they said or did, it's an abbreviation for 'Thank You'.
TYVM: It is also used to thank players as it stands for 'Thank You Very Much'.
NP: It is what players say to respond to TY or TYVM, it's an abbreviation for 'No Problem'.
BTW: It is an abbreviation for 'By The Way'.
ATM: 'At the Moment', for example, 'ATM, I do not have enough money to cover the bet'
Newb – Noob: It refers to a new player who does not yet know how to play.
STFU: It is a rude way to ask someone to shut up, it stands for 'Shut The F*** Up'
Gambling-related Terms:
These terms are used in gambling, most commonly in Sports Betting and Poker related games.
Poker-Related Terms:
AC: It stands for Atlantic City. For example, 'This game follows AC rules'.
AI: This is when a player raises or calls a bet that includes all of the money or chips he has on the table, it stands for 'All-In'.
AFAIK: It is an abbreviation for 'As Far As I Know'. For example, 'AFAIK, he is not here'.
AIPF: This is when a player goes 'All-In' before the flop is dealt, which means he goes all in after getting the initial two cards, it is short for 'All-In Pre Flop'
ATC: It is short for 'Any Two Cards'. For example, 'You can choose ATC'.
Ax: It is a term used to describe players who get an Ace with any 2nd card.
B&M: It is short for Bricks & Mortar, which is a term that is used to describe land-based casinos or poker rooms as they are made of 'Bricks & Mortar'.
BB: It stands for 'Big Blind'. A blind is an obligatory bet that players have to place before they are dealt any cards. It can also stand for Big Bet. It is understood by the following sentence. i.e, 'I hate the games that have an initial BB' (Big Blind). Another example would be, 'I always start the game with a BB' (Big Bet).
BB/100: It is a standard measure of the win percentage, which stands for Big Bets per one-hundred poker hands.
B/C: It stands for Bet & Call a Raise. It is an option to players at most poker rooms, and they select it to automatically call any raise. Players only do that when they have a strong hand.
B/F: It is the opposite of the previous one, It is Bet & Fold to a Raise.
BR: It is short for Bank Roll, which is the money that players have in their balance.
BWDIK: It is short for 'But What Do I Know'. For example, 'I don't think he has a straight, BWDIK'
CK: It stands for 'Check', it is when players do not raise or fold.
DP: It stands for one of the favored types of poker games, 'Draw Poker'.
HE: It is short for another popular poker type that is called Texas Hold' EM Poker.
HEAP: It stands for Texas Hold' EM Poker for Advanced Players.
FH: It is short for one of the strongest poker hands namely 'Full House'.
FT: It has three meanings, which differ according to the sentence itself. These meanings are Full Tilt (a well-known poker room), Final Table, which is the final poker table in a tournament or Full Table, which is a table that does not have any empty seats.
GG: It is short for Good Game. It is commonly said by players at the end of a game or a poker hand.
GL: It is short for 'Good Luck'.
GTD: It stands for Guaranteed. It is used in this way, e.g. '1M GTD Tournament' which means that this tournament has a guaranteed prize of 1 million.
FYI: It is short for 'For Your Information' which is used to correct a statement or add to it.
HH: It stands for Hand History; it is a feature at some games, which enables players to see their hand history.
HORSE: It is a poker game that does not follow one poker type; instead, it rotates through different poker types that are represented by each letter. These letters are H for Hold ‘Em, O for Omaha, R for Razz, S for Stud, and E for Eight or Better.
MHIG: It is used by players to indicate that they have a good hand and stands for My Hand Is Good.
MHING: It is the opposite of the previous term. It stands for My Hand Is Not Good.
ML: It refers to games that have a medium limit, as it is short for Middle Limit.
MTT: It is a term used to describe tournaments that have more than one table in it, as it is short for Multi-Table Tournament.
STT: It is the opposite of the previous term; it refers to tournaments with one table, as it is short for Single Table Tournament.
NH: It is short for Nice Hand; it is what players say to compliment other players if they have a good winning hand.
VNH: It is short for Very Nice Hand, it is when players if they had a good winning hand.
NT: It is what is said to players when they play a good hand but lose. It is short for 'Nice Try'.
PF: It is short for Pre Flop, which refers to anything that happens before the dealer deals the three cards that represent the flop on the poker table.
PFR: It refers to a player who raises the stakes before the flop is dealt. It is short for Pre-Flop Raiser.
PL: It refers to the limit of the pot, it is short for Pot-Limit.
PP: It is short for 'Pocket Pair' which means that the player has a pair of identical cards in his pocket (the initial two cards).
PTL and PTR: They are terms that refer to players depending on the position of the speaker. PTL stands for 'Player to my Left' while PTR stands for 'Player to my Right'.
S: It is short for suited which means that they have the same suit. So S K7 means that the King and the Seven have the same suit.
SB: It can stand for Small Bet or Small Blind, depending on how it's used in the sentence.
SNG: It refers to one of the most popular Texas Hold'em poker tournaments, the Sit N Go Tournaments.
TAG: It is a term used to refer to players who are aggressive and tight. It is short for Tight and Aggressive.
TPBK: It refers to the poker hand of players if they have a Top Pair with the Best possible kicker. It is short for 'Top Pair Best Kicker'.
TPGK: Like the previous one but instead of the Best Kicker, it is a Good Kicker.
TPNK: It is when players have a Top Pair but with No Kicker.
TPWK: It is when players have a Top Pair accompanied by a Weak Kicker.
WPT: It is short for the World Poker Tour.
WSOP: short for the World Series of Poker, which is one of the biggest poker tournaments in the world.
WSOPME: Refers to the Main Event of the WSOP.
Sports Gambling Related Terms:
Action: Refers to a bet or a wager.
ATS: Short for 'Against the Spread.'
Angles: Refers to a specific team or the league in general.
BR: It is the same as in poker, as it stands for 'Bank Roll,' which is the money the player has in his balance.
Bad Beat: It is a term used to describe a hard loss. For example, 'He suffered a bad beat in his last match.'
Beef: It refers to a problem or dispute between individuals or teams.
Bet or Wager: Placing an amount of money or anything of value on the outcome of a race or a match.
Bet Limit: It refers to the maximum bet that is accepted by a bookmaker on a particular bet.
Book: An organization or an individual that accepts wagers and bets on sporting events or races.
Bookie: The person that accepts the wagers himself but sometimes Book and Bookie are used to
describe the same thing.
Bookmaker: Someone who accepts bets under the law.
Buck: Although in real life, a buck translates to $1, in sports wagering, it usually refers to $100.
Chalk: The Favorite.
Chalk Eater: A bettor who always wagers on the favorite.
Circled Game: A game that is limited due to unexpected weather conditions or injuries.
Cover: Winning by more than the spread.
Degenerate: A compulsive gambler who keeps on betting whether he loses or wins.
Dime: $1000.
DOG: A team or a person who is expected to lose a match or a fight.
Early Money: The bets that come in as soon as the wagering lines are available to gamblers.
Edge: The advantage that is given to players or the house.
Even Money: Bets in which players will win the same amount they wagered. In other words, bets
that pay 1:1.
Exotic Bet: Any bet that is not a parlay or a straight bet.
Exposure: The monetary amount the house or the bookie can stand to lose on a race or a game.
Extension: The monetary amount the house or the bookie will theoretically risk on losing a race
or a game.
Fade: A bet against a specific individual.
Favorite: It refers to the team or person expected to win in a race or a match.
Figure: The amount owed to or by the bookie.
Firing: A term used to describe players who are placing many large bets.
First Half Bet: A bet that is determined by the score at the 1st halftime rather than the entire match.
Flea: A person who wants to win something without risking anything.
Form: The performance of a team according to studies on paper.
Franklin: Another term that refers to $100.
Get Down: A term used to describe placing a bet.
Gross Win: The amount of winnings before deducting the expenses.
Handicap: Studying a sporting event or a race for betting purposes.
Handicapper: The person who studies a certain sport and makes predictions about the outcome of its matches.
Handle: The total amounts of the taken wagers.
Hedge: Placing a wager that is the opposite of your initial bet so you can reduce the amount of money you are staking on a game.
Hold: The percentage the house or the bookie wins.
Hook: It is ½ a point in spread betting.
Home Field Advantage: The advantage teams have when they play at their home stadium because of the familiar playing area, the supporting crowds and the negative effects of travel on the other visiting team.
Hoops: The sport of basketball.
Juice: The commission the bookmaker will take off the winnings.
Lay a Price: To bet on the favorite.
Layoff Bet: A bet that one bookie makes with another bookie to balance his bets and decrease his risk on a team or a horse.
Lines Maker: The person who sets odds or spread points on a sporting event or race.
Long Shot: The team or the player that does not have a lot of chances of winning.
Money Line: A bet that does not involve a point spread; it is when the bettor picks the winner only.
Nickel: A monetary amount of $500.
Neutral Site: An arena, field, stadium, or court where neither team has the advantage of the home field.
Odds: Different money lines or point spreads on a given match or contest.
Odds Maker: The person who is in charge of creating the odds on any sporting match but he does not accept bets.
Off The Board: A game that does not exist on the board, which means that no bets for the game
are accepted.
Opening Line: The money line or the point spread that is offered to bettors by the sportsbook or
the bookie.
Out: Refers to illegal bookmakers and bookies.
Overlay: The odds when they are in the favor of bettors instead of the house or the bookie.
Parlay: A bet that includes more than one team, all of these teams have to win for the bet to be a winning bet.
Past Post: Placing a bet after the beginning of the match or the sporting event.
Pick' EM or Pick: A game that does not have any favorites.
Press: Placing a bet that has a larger amount than usual.
Push: Matches that end in a tie.
Risk: The amount of money that is placed on an event or a game.
Scalper: A person who is trying to make profit by placing bets on different bookies who offer
different odds by betting on the two sides at different prices.
Score: To win a large amount of money.
Shortstop: A player who does not wager large sums.
Square: A gambler who is not sophisticated enough.
Stiff: A gambler who does not pay his debts.
Sportsbook: An establishment that accepts bets made on sporting events such as matches and
races.
Straight Bet: A wager on one of the teams.
Sucker Bet: A bet with a large house advantage.
Systems: Specific systems and formulas that are used to determine the winning team to bet on in a match or race.
Tap Out: Losing all of the money, which leaves the player broke.
Underlay: When the odds on a game are in the favor of the sportsbook or the house.
Underdog: The team or the individual who has a lesser chances of winning in a match or a fight.
Toke: A gratuity or a tip.
Toss Up: A game where the lines are very close to Pick EM.
