forecast

From Middle English forecasten, forcasten, equivalent to fore- + cast.
The noun is from Middle English forecast, forcast.


accumulator

From Latin accumulātor, agent noun of accumulō (“pile up”), accumulate + -or.

The largest payout for a bet on a horse race was $1,627,084 after tax, paid to Britons Anthony Speelman and Nicholas Cowan on their $64 nine-horse accumulator at Santa Anita Racecourse, California, in 1987.

2000, Guinness World Records, Guinness Book of Records 2000, Demco Media, →ISBN:

(gambling) A collective bet on successive events, with both stake and winnings being carried forward to accumulate progressively.


overlay

/ˈəʊ.vəˌleɪ/

From Middle English overleyen, from Old English oferleċġan, from Proto-West Germanic *obarlaggjan, from Proto-Germanic *uberlagjaną, equivalent to over- + lay. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uurläze, úurlääse, Dutch overleggen, German Low German overleggen, överleggen, German überlegen, Swedish överlägga, Norwegian overlegge. Compare overlie.

(gambling) Odds which are set higher than expected or warranted. Favorable odds.


bet

From 16th-century criminal slang, perhaps from Middle English bet (“something better, advantage, luck”); or from abet, from Middle English abet, abette, from Old French abet (“incitement to evil”), from Old French abeter (“to entice”), from a- (“to”) + beter (“hound on, urge, to bait”); ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *baitijan (“to bait, entice”), related to Old English bǣtan (“to bait”). More at abet.

der

Dylan owes Fletcher $30 from an unsuccessful bet.

A wager, an agreement between two parties that a stake (usually money) will be paid by the loser to the winner (the winner being the one who correctly forecast the outcome of an event).


bet

en-verb

bet (third-person singular simple present bets, present participle betting, simple past and past participle bet or betted)

bets (present singular third-person)
betting (participle present)
bet (participle past)
bet (past)
betted (participle past)
betted (past)

John a Gaunt loved him well, and betted much money on his head.

c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

I'll bet you two to one I'll make him do it.

1858, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., The Deacon's Masterpiece or The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay:

(transitive, ditransitive) To stake or pledge upon the outcome of an event; to wager.

رَاهَنَ

to stake or pledge upon the outcome of an event

(poker) To place money into the pot in order to require others do the same, usually only used for the first person to place money in the pot on each round.


dark

en-adj

dark (comparative darker, superlative darkest)

darker (comparative)
darkest (superlative)

From Middle English derk, from Old English deorc, from Proto-West Germanic *derk (“dark”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“dim, dull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“dull, dirty”).

donker

having an absolute or relative lack of light

the darkest hour is just before the dawn

The first favourite was never heard of, the second favourite was never seen after the distance post, all the ten-to-oners were in the rear, and a dark horse which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James had never even observed in the list, rushed past the grand stand in sweeping triumph.

1831, Benjamin Disraeli, The Young Duke — a moral tale though gay

(gambling, of race horses) Having racing capability not widely known.


better

head

better (positive good, adverb well, comparative (humorous) betterer, superlative (humorous) betterest, or (standard) best)

good (positive)
well (adverb)
betterer (comparative humorous)
betterest (humorous superlative)
best (standard)

→ Jamaican Creole: beta

From Middle English better, bettre, betre, from Old English betera (“better”), from Proto-West Germanic *batiʀō, from Proto-Germanic *batizô (“better”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰed-rós, from *bʰed- (“good”).
Cognate with Sanskrit भद्र (bhadrá, “blessed, fortunate, happy, good”) (from *bʰn̥d-ró-s). For Germanic cognates: see Proto-Germanic *batizô. Related to best and battle (“getting better, improving, fruitful, fertile”). Compare also Icelandic batna (“to improve”), bót (“improvement”), German besser. More at batten, boot.
Persian بهتر (behtar) is a false cognate.

cog

[ˈbɛtʰɚ~ˈbɛθ̠ɚ~ˈbɛt̪ɚ]

[ˈbɛʔɚ~ˈbɛʔəɾ]

ودرتر

comparative of the adjectives good or well

khoẻ hơn

comparative form of "well", as in "healthier"

an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure

an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick

better than a poke in the eye with a rusty nail

better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick

better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick

better the devil you know than the devil you don't know

better the devil you know than the one you don't know

better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness

better to light one candle than to curse the darkness

better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness

it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive

it's better to ask forgiveness than permission

it's better to be judged by twelve than to be carried by six

the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know

the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know

The top electric vehicles have a range of 300 kilometres or better. (better = greater)

Only one swimmer finished the race with a time better than two minutes. (better = lesser)

Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.


better

Alternative spelling of bettor or modern formation from the verb to bet + -er.

[ˈbɛtʰɚ~ˈbɛθ̠ɚ~ˈbɛt̪ɚ]

[ˈbɛʔɚ~ˈbɛʔəɾ]


tern

PIE word
 *tréyes
The noun is derived from Late Middle English terne (“throw of a die or dice showing the number three”), from Old French terne (“gathering of three people; trinity”) (modern French terne), from Latin ternās, the accusative feminine plural of ternī (“three each; three at a time”), from ter (“thrice”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes (“three”)) + -ī (from -us (suffix forming adjectives)).
The adjective is either derived from the noun, or directly from Latin ternī (“three each; three at a time”); see above.

der

And yet, now even, if Madonna willed, / She'd win a tern in Thursday's lottery, / And better all things.

1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Seventh Book”, in Aurora Leigh, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1857, →OCLC, page 319:

(dated or obsolete) A thing with three components; a set of three things.

(gambling, dated) A lottery prize resulting from the favourable combination of three numbers in the draw.


bettor

In fact, as Ambrose Hammer places the cage on our table and then sits down beside me, Mindy approaches us, and says to Ambrose: "Horse players, yes," Mindy says. "Wrong bettors, yes. Dogs and song writers and actors, yes. But parrots," Mindy says, "no. Take it away," he says.

1944, Damon Runyon, Runyon à la Carte:"So You Won't Talk!":

Still others, chasing the mirage of vast riches bettors think are there for the taking, seek information or tips from any and all, despite all omens, silent writing on the wall and dire predictions about their fates, like the title of Damon Runyon's book All Horse Players Die Broke.

2003, Bert Sugar, Horse Sense: An Inside Look at the Sport of Kings, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:

A person who makes a bet, such as a wager on the outcome of a game of chance or a sporting event.


wager

From Middle English wajour, wageour, wager, from Old Northern French wageure, from wagier (“to pledge”) (compare Old French guagier, whence modern French gager), ultimately from Frankish *waddjōn (“to pledge”), from Frankish *wadi ~ *waddī (“pledge”). See also wage.

/ˈwæɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/

1842-43, Edgar Allan Poe, "The Mystery of Marie Roget"
“This thicket was a singular, an exceedingly singular one. It was unusually dense. Within its naturally walled enclosure were three extraordinary stones, forming a seat with a back and footstool.… , whose boys were in the habit of closely examining the shrubberies about them in search of the bark of the sassafras. Would it be a rash wager – a wager of one thousand to one – that a day never passed over the heads of these boys without finding at least one of them ensconced in the umbrageous hall, and enthroned upon its natural throne? Those who would hesitate at such a wager, have either never been boys themselves, or have forgotten the boyish nature."

evento su cui si scommette (see: scommettere)


wager

en-verb

wager (third-person singular simple present wagers, present participle wagering, simple past and past participle wagered)

wagers (present singular third-person)
wagering (participle present)
wagered (participle past)
wagered (past)

/ˈwæɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/

I'd wager my boots on it.

(transitive) To bet something; to put it up as collateral.

I'll wager that Johnson knows something about all this.

(intransitive, figuratively) To suppose; to dare say.


gambling

en-noun

gambling (usually uncountable, plural gamblings)

An activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by a mixture of skill and chance, usually with money wagered on the outcome.


across the board

Originated with horse racing, where an "across the board" bet was one which covered first, second and third on the betting board.

(gambling) Having an equal amount staked on a competitor placing first, second, or third.


vigorish

vigorish (countable and uncountable, plural vigorishes)

From Yiddish וויגריש (vigrish), from Russian вы́игрыш (výigryš, “winnings”).

The house sets vigs on any game they allow you to bet on. It is your responsibility to play only those games where the vig is not prohibitive. Let's take one more look at how vigorish works for the house.

1984, John Patrick, Craps, →ISBN, page 11:

The bookmaker's mean profit per dollar bet is called vigorish or “the vig.” In our example, 11 + 11 = $22 is bet, and the bookmaker wins $1 so the vig is 1/22 = 4.5%.

2009, Wayne L. Winston, Mathletics: How Gamblers, Managers, and Sports Enthusiasts Use Mathematics, page 256:

(uncountable, slang) A charge taken on bets, as by a bookie or gambling establishment.


vig

vig (countable and uncountable, plural vigs)

Clipping of vigorish, from Yiddish וויגריש (vigrish), from Russian вы́игрыш (výigryš, “winnings”).

The vig is like your "tax" paid on a bet which goes to the bookie. For example, every $100 I would bet, I had a vig of $10. So if I bet $500 and lost that bet, I would owe $550. Trust me, when you don't win, the vigs add up quick!

2016, Mark Andersch, By an Addict, for an Addict, →ISBN:

(slang) Synonym of vigorish (“charge taken on bets”)

1973, Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin (screenplay), Mean Streets, quoted in 2009, Ellis Cashmore, Martin Scorsese's America, page 118,
“You charged a guy from the neighborhood $1800 vig?” he asks incredulously (“vig” is short for vigorish, meaning a rate of interest from a loan from an illegal moneylender).

The guy was probably professional muscle, a leg breaker who collects vig for a loan shark. (Vig is a mob term for interest on loans to a loan shark.)

2005, F. P. Lione, The Crossroads (Midtown Blue Book; 2), page 100:

"Look, I know I owe you and I know I'm late but I'm good for it. I am. In fact I'll pay you triple what I owe. Triple! Plus the missing vigs, but I need some help first."

2009, Davinia Bostick, The Match, →ISBN, page 91:

(US slang, crime) Synonym of vigorish (“interest from a loan, as from a loan shark”)

vigorish

Synonym of vigorish (“commission, finder's fee, or similar extra charge”)


trifecta

The conservative player will play the exacta box bet and the occasional trifecta box wager.

2006, Vincent Conti, Thoroughbred Horse Racing Systems and Methodologies, page 9:

In a trifecta, you must wager on three horses: the one that finishes first (win), the one that finishes second (place), and the one that finishes third (show) in order.

2010, Leonard A. Asimow, Mark M. Maxwell, Probability and Statistics with Applications: A Problem Solving Text, page 10:

(gambling) A bet in which the bettor must select the first three placegetters of a race in the order in which they finish.

troikka

bet on the first three places of a race in the order


betting

If I were a betting man, I'd wager my next pay check he couldn't do that again.


betting

Once the field was prepared, and preliminaries of the game all settled, the bettings all made and goods all “staked,” night came on without the appearance of any players on the ground.


superfecta

A method of betting in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct sequence.


quinella

From American Spanish quiniela (“sporting bet or pool”); US from 1942.

bor

1954, Michigan Department of State Compilation Commission, 1954 Michigan Administrative Code, page 38,
All tickets on the quinella will be calculated in an entirely separate pool.

A few tracks offer exactas and quinallas on the same races.

1989, Charles S. Romanelli, How to Make Money in One Day at the Track, page 166:

The track quinella paid $38.00 for a $2 wager, the track exacta paid $70.60 for a $2 wager.

2004, Jim Kilby, Jim Fox, Anthony F. Lucas, Casino Operations Management, page 355:

(gambling, horse racing) A form of bet in which the bettor predicts the first two finishers in a race, without concern for the order of finishing.


over-under

The spread or other predicted value for wagers.


thimblerig

en-noun

thimblerig (countable and uncountable, plural thimblerigs)

/ˈθɪmbəlɹɪɡ/

Hieronymus Bosch
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
cups and balls

He’ll muddle away the Begum’s fortune at thimble-rig, be caught picking pockets, and finish on board the hulks.

1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 45, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

‘Great Barnums?’ says I. ‘You're a ringer for a circus thimblerig man.’

1908, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Modern Rural Sports”, in The Gentle Grafter, New York, N.Y.: The McClure Company, →OCLC:

A game of skill which requires the bettor to guess under which of three small cups (or thimbles) a pea-sized object has been placed after the party operating the game rapidly rearranges them, providing opportunity for sleight-of-hand trickery; a shell game.

тука има - тука няма

sleight-of-hand betting game — see also shell game

напёрсточник

person operating such a game — see also thimblerigger


tricast

(British) A specific kind of horse race betting, made by choosing the first three horses home in the correct order.


rouf

(costermongers) The number four.
(slang, gambling) Odds of four to one.


unbackable

en-adj

unbackable (comparative more unbackable, superlative most unbackable)

more unbackable (comparative)
most unbackable (superlative)

an unbackable racehorse

(chiefly gambling) That cannot or should not be backed, or supported in a contest, especially because the odds are unreasonably low.


proposition bet

en-noun

proposition bet (plural proposition bets)


side bet

The fight lasted ten minutes and along with the championship of New Jersey, Banks won a side bet of $50.

However, even if the harm of using side bets exceeds the benefit, the parties would still have an incentive to place side bets on the outcome of the trial once the jury starts deliberating.

1997, The Journal of Legal Studies - Volume 26, page 88:

A hand can come up where the right play for the tournament is the wrong play for your side bet.

2007, David Sklansky, Tournament Poker for Advanced Players, page 117:

Craps is also worth mentioning because of the possibility of making a curious side bet in which you can bet with the house; that is, against the player throwing the dice.

2011, Alex Bellos, Alex's Adventures in Numberland, page 314:

Developing a lucrative side bet for baccarat, blackjack, craps, or roulette may be an attractive pursuit for a casino game designer because the basic game is in place; the side bet can be marketed to casinos as an add-on to a game already on offer.

2021, Mark Bollman, Mathematics of The Big Four Casino Table Games:

(gambling) A bet on some aspect of a game or competition that is not the main bet of the game or the prize of the competition; proposition bet.


reverse forecast

reverse forecast (plural reverse forecasts)

(gambling) A combination of two forecast bets to select the first and second place winners of a race in any order.


arber

(finance, gambling, informal) One who engages in arbitrage; an arbitrageur.


unbackable favourite

unbackable favourite (plural unbackable favourites)

At $1.01 (or 1/100 in traditional odds), he was the unbackable favourite to win the race.

(gambling) A contestant or competitor whose odds are so short that it is not considered worthwhile betting on.