gambling terms > all gambling terms

Apron [Motor Sports]
	An area on the inside of the track for cars that are going slowly. At high-banked tracks, the apron has less bank, so that cars that aren't up to speed won't slide off. The apron is also used as the approach to the pits, and as the merge-in area for cars exiting the pits. See also warm-up lane.

Apsl [Soccer]
	American Professional Soccer League — the nation's only outdoor professional soccer league since 1991, consisting of 8 teams in the U.S. and Canada (expanding to 12 by 1995).

Apw [Wrestling]
	Appalachia Pro Wrestling

Apwf [Wrestling]
	Allied Powers Wrestling Federation

Aquande-Da [Archery]
	The leather bracer of the Omaha.

Arae [General]
	Ameteur Rowing Association of the East.

Arbalest a Tour [Archery]
	A crossbow drawn by a windlass.

Arbalest, Arbalete, Alblast, Arblast [Archery]
	The European crossbow of the Middle Ages.

Arbalestina [Archery]
	A cruciform aperture in a wall of a fortification from which a crossbow was shot.

Arbalete a Cric [Archery]
	A crossbow drawn by a rack and pinion.

Arbalete a Jalet, Pellet Crossbow, Prodd [Archery]
	A crossbow set up to shoot stones instead of bolts.

Arbir [Martial Arts]
	An indonesian halberd weapon of pentjak-silat approximately five feet in length that features a shallow groove in the plane of the blade running the length of the shaft.

Arbitrage [Greyhound Racing]
	Where a variation in odds available allows a punter to back both sides and guarantee a win.

Arbrier [Archery]
	The stock of a crossbow.

Arc [General]
	Asian Racing Conference.

Arca [Motor Sports]
	Auto Racing Club of America. Sanctions a national Stock car series, and several regional series. Founded in 1953 as the Midwest Auto Racing Club, it has evolved a number of regional racing series in the Midwest and West over the years.

Arch [Gymnastics]
	A position in which the body is curved backwards.

Archer's Guard [Archery]
	See bracer.

Archer's Paradox [Archery]
	In period bows (without a shelf or centre shot) the arrow which is properly shot will fly in the line of aim although the string propelling the arrow moves directly to the centre of the bow. The arrow in fact bends around the bow after release but after passing the bow returns to its proper line of flight. See Spine.

Archer's Ring, Thumb Ring [Archery]
	An effective Eastern method of drawing the bow string while using the thumb protected by a ring.

Archer's Stake [Archery]
	A sharpened wooden stake driven into the ground pointing away from an archer to protect against cavalry.

Arci [Greyhound Racing]
	Association of Racing Commissioners International, Inc., based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Arcubalista Unis Pedis [Archery]
	A crossbow which only needs one foot to assist drawing the string.

Arcuballista [Archery]
	The ancient form of ballista.

Arf [General]
	Asian Rowing Federation.

Argine [Poker]
	The queen of clubs. May be an anagram of Regina (queen in Latin), or a corruption of Argea.

Arit [Martial Arts]
	A sickle with pronounced crescent-blade patterns and a short handle, used in pentjak-silat.

Arkansas Flush [Poker]
	Four-card flush.

Arm Bar [Wrestling]
	A move used on an opponent who has been broken down to turn him over for a pin. It involves getting the opponent's arm back and placing your arm between his arm and back.

Arm Restraints [Motor Sports]

Straps that attach to a driver's arms to limit the range of motion of the upper arm, and by doing so keep the forearms and hands in the car. Sometimes required in Sprint and Midget racing; these cars are capable of flipping and rolling very violently, and the arm restraints keep the driver's arms from slipping out of the roll cage and getting crushed by the car in a roll. Similar to the purpose served by the window net in a Stock car.

Arm Throw [Wrestling]
	A move in which a wrestler throws the opponent over his shoulder by holding the opponent's arm.

Armband [Speed Skating]
	Worn by skaters in pairs so judges can distinguish one from the other. The skater who starts on the inner lane wears white and the other skater wears red.

Armco [Motor Sports]
	A brand name for one brand of corrugated steel barrier widely used for guardrails on highways. In the '70s, many race tracks experimented with using Armco instead of concrete for crash walls.

Armguard [Archery]
	A device that protects the bow arm from abrasion by the string.

Armstand Dive [Diving]
	Any dive that's executed from an armstand position; in platform diving only.

Arnis [Martial Arts]
	"Harness of the hand." A Filpino martial art, also known as eskrima and kali, centering around stick, blade and empty hand combat.

Around the Horn [Baseball]
	The 5-4-3 double play -- third to second to first. In the infield the numbers go: Pitcher #1, catcher #2, 1st base #3, 2nd base #4, shortstop #6, 3rd base #5.

Around-the-Corner Straight [Poker]
	In high draw poker, a special straight, a nonstandard hand sometimes given value in a private or home game, five cards in a series in which the sequence of cards is considered to continue from king through ace, as, for example, J-Q-K-A-2. Sometimes the hand ranks between three of a kind and a "normal" straight; sometimes it ranks between a "normal" straight and a flush.

Around-the-Head [Badminton]
	A shot often used to avoid the backhand. It's similar to the overhead smash, but the shuttlecock is struck on the opposite side of the head from the player's racket hand.

Arrow [Archery]
	The missile shot by an archer from a bow.

Arrow Guide [Archery]
	See Majrã, Solenarion.

Arrow Spacer [Archery]
	A circular piece of leather pierced by 24 holes used to keep the shafts of a sheath of arrows apart from each other and prevent damage to the flights during transport.

Arrowhead [Archery]
	The striking end of an arrow, usually made of a different type of material from the shaft such as iron, flint or bronze, depending the purpose of the arrow.

Arrows [Bowling]
	Seven aiming points marked in the lane to allow the bowler to determine the correct release point.

Arrowsmith [Archery]
	A maker of metal arrowheads.

Art [Horse Racing]
	Artificial Turf.

Arthritis [Horse Racing]

Inflammation of a joint. An increase in the amount of synovial fluid in the joint is a result of this inflammation. Accumulation of synovial fluid in the fetlock joint is called a "wind puff" or "wind gall." In young horses, a swelling in the fetlock joint, particularly on the front of the joint where the cannon and long pastern bones meet, is called a "green osselet." This swelling is a result of inflammation and reactive changes of the front edges of these two bones and adjacent cartilage. If the green osselet does not heal, a "chronic osselet" might develop with a permanent build-up of synovial fluid in the joint and inflammation and thickening of the joint capsule over the damaged area with secondary bone changes following the initial inflammation.

Arthroscope [Horse Racing]
	A tiny tube of lenses used for viewing areas inside a joint. Usually attached to a small video camera.

Arthroscopic Surgery [Horse Racing]
	Utilizing an arthroscope to perform surgery, eliminating the need to open the joint with a large incision in order to view the damaged area.

Articular Cartilage [Horse Racing]
	Cartilage that covers the ends of bones where they meet in a joint.

Articulation [Bobsledding]
	The joint connecting the front section of a bobsled to the rear section.

Artificial Breeding [Horse Racing]
	Includes artificial insemination or embryo transfer (transplants). Not approved by The Jockey Club.

Artificial Objects [Golf]
	Bottles, packets, cans and such like foreign objects that can be moved without penalty.

Artificial Track [Luge]
	A refrigerated track.

Artist [Poker]
	A cheat who manipulates the deck.

Artistic Impression [Synchro Swimming]
	One of the categories by which synchronized swimming is judged. It encompasses choreography and the use of movement to interpret the mood of the music.

Arytenoid Cartilages [Horse Racing]
	Triangular cartilages in the upper part of the entrance to the larynx. Movements of the arytenoid cartilages control the diameter of the laryngeal opening.

As [Blackjack]
	The acronym for Arnold Snyder, author and publisher.

As he/she Pleased [Golf]
	Rushes out to bid lead and holds it.

As Nas [Poker]
	An ancient Persian game that some say is an ancestor of poker.

Asa [Motor Sports]
	American Speed Association. Sanctions a Stock car series that operates mostly in the Midwest and Northwest, although they have enough dates in other parts of the country that their series is usually considered national.

Ascending Weight Technology [Golf]
	The concept of utilizing lighter shafts in the long irons of a set for added club head speed and distance, while using heavier shafts in the shorter irons to promote control.

Ascham [Archery]
	[1] A tall narrow cupboard for storage of bows and arrows. [2] Roger Ascham, 1515 - 1568, author of Toxophilus (1545).

Asf [General]
	Asian Squash Federation.

Ashi [Martial Arts]
	Leg or foot.

Ashi Ate [Martial Arts]
	Foot strikes" or "leg strikes.

Ashi Barai [Martial Arts]
	Leg sweep. Also known as ashi harai.

Ashi Gatami [Martial Arts]
	Leg lock.

Ashi no Ura [Martial Arts]
	Sole of the foot.

Ashi Sabaki [Martial Arts]
	Foot work" or "foot movement.

Ashi Waza [Martial Arts]
	Leg techniques, including kicks and throws in which the pivot point is the leg or foot.

Asian Five-Card Stud [Poker]
	A California game, a form of five-card stud played with a stripped deck.

Asian Games [Poker]
	The former name for California games. The term is still sometimes used in casinos and card-rooms.

Asian Handicap [General]
	Asian Handicap Betting removes the chances of a draw and is the same as the way Americans bet on the spread. Sides are awarded anywhere between a fraction of a goal start to 3 goals dependent on how good or bad they are. The bookies may also use a half point start which effectively eliminates the draw (used in the Far East).

Asian Stud [Poker]
	A California game, a form of five-card stud played with a stripped deck.

Ask for More [Bingo]
	34

Aspect Ratio [Motor Sports]
	The ratio between the width and sidewall (or height) of the tire. Tires with lower aspect ratios, usually found on sports models, provide superior handling but a harsher ride.

Assault [Fencing]
	Friendly combat between two fencers.

Assault Rifle [Poker]
	In Omaha, hole cards that are A-K-4-7 of any suit(s)

Assigned Bettor [Poker]
	The player who is first to bet in a particular round.

Assigned Risk Plan [Motor Sports]
	A risk that must be insured by state law or otherwise.

Assist [Basketball]
	The last pass to a teammate that leads directly to a field goal; the scorer must move immediately toward the basket for the passer to be credited with an assist; only 1 assist can be credited per field goal.

Assistant Starter [Horse Racing]
	The employee of a horse racetrack who, under direct supervision of the starter, helps place the starting gate for a race, leads horses into the gate, helps jockeys and handles horses while in the gate until the start.

Assistant Trainer [Horse Racing]
	In many cases one trainer may have many horses under his care and these horses are spread out at several race tracks. Knowing a person can not be in two places at once, the Trainer will assign an assistant trainer to act in his absence.

Assists (A) [Baseball]
	Number of times a defensive player assisted on an out. Not counted if the play results in an error. Example: Batter hits a ball to the shortstop who throws to first base, where the batter is out. The shortstop gets an assist.

Associate [Motor Sports]
	A sponsor that puts up a small amount of money for a race team, and consequently gets its name on a less visible area of the car (such as the rear bumper, or the B-pillar between the side windows).

Astern [Sailing]
	Toward the stern of a vessel, or behind the boat.

Astroturf [Football]
	An artificial surface used instead of grass on many football fields.

Asw [Wrestling]
	All States Wrestling

Aswa [Wrestling]
	All Star Wrestling Alliance

Asymmetrical V-Skating [Skiing]
	See two skating.

At Bat [Baseball]
	The offensive team’s turn to bat the ball and score. Each player takes a turn at bat until three outs are made. Each Batter’s opportunity at the plate is scored as an "at bat" for him.

At Bat (Ab) [Baseball]
	Number of times a player has been up to bat. Not counting the times the plate appearance resulted in a walk, or sacrifice fly.

At Bats [Baseball]
	An official plate appearance that counts for scoring. Walks, sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, obstruction calls, catcher's interference, or being hit by a pitch do not count as an at bat.

At the Beginning [Bingo]
	1

At the Dip [Sailing]
	A flag hoisted half way up a flagpole. Also see close up.

At the Post [Horse Racing]
	The time when the horses have arrived and are ready to be loaded into the starting gate.

Atama [Martial Arts]
	Head, or more specifically, top of the head.

Ataxia [Horse Racing]
	Loss or failure of muscular coordination.

Atcw [Wrestling]
	Atlantic Terror Championship Wrestling

Ate [Martial Arts]
	Striking. To strike.

Atemi [Martial Arts]
	Body striking.

Atemi Te [Martial Arts]
	Striking techniques

Atemi Waza [Martial Arts]
	Striking techniques, including kicks, punches, and blocks.

Athwart, Athwartships [Sailing]
	Lying along the ship's width, at right angles to the vessels centerline.

Atmo Engines [Motor Sports]
	Engines which use natural (or atmospheric) air flow as opposed to forced induction. NASCAR, Formula One and NHRA Pro Stock cars use "atmo" engines while Indy and NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car engines have forced induction.

Atmospheric Pressure [Sailing]
	Also called barometric pressure. The weight of the atmosphere, an average of 1013.2 millibars or 29.2 inches of mercury at sea level. Measuring the changes in atmospheric pressure can help predict weather.

Atomic Craps [Craps]
	Betting that the next roll will be the total sum of 12 (6&6)

Atp [General]
	Association of Tennis Professionals.

Atrophy [Horse Racing]
	To waste away, usually used in describing muscles.

Ats [General]
	"Against the spread," taking points rather than betting with the spread and laying points.

Attack [Horse Racing]
	To challenge the leading horse during a race, in an attempt to take the lead. An attack can sap the horse's energy, or even that of the leader, and may leave both of those horses with little in reserve for the finish.

Attack Au Fer [Fencing]
	An attack that is prepared by deflecting the opponent's blade, eg. beat, press, froissement.

Attacker [Table Tennis]
	A player who tries to overpower opponents by killing as many balls as possible. Compare defender.

Attacking Line [Ice Hockey]
	See forward line.

Attacking Midfielder [Soccer]
	The most forward-playing midfielder, playing right behind the forwards; he supports the offense by providing passes to forwards to set up goals.

Attacking Team [Water Polo]
	The team that has control of the ball. In the case of a free ball, the team that last had possession. Opposite of defensive team.

Attacking Zone [Ice Hockey]
	The area in the opponents' end of the ice between the blue line and the goal line.

Attempt [Weight Lifting]
	Each lifter is allowed three attempts, at requested weights, on the snatch and on the clean and jerk. The results of the best good lifts are added to reach a total. If the lifter doesn't have at least one valid attempt in each of the two lifts, there is no total.

Attempt Board [Weight Lifting]
	An electronically-controlled display that shows the name of the competitor, the weight division, the lift being attempted, the number of the attempt, and the weight to be lifted. The referee decision lights and timing clock are also shown on the attempt board.

Attend the Flag [Golf]
	To hold and then remove the flag while another player putts.

Attendance [Horse Racing]
	The attendance figure at a given race track site usually includes the patrons that passed through the turnstiles, patrons that gained access with passes, and employees.

Attenuator [Motor Sports]
	A safety device used on IRL cars made of carbon fiber and honeycombed aluminum mounted on the rear of the gearbox. Enhances driver protection by absorbing much of the force of a rear impact.

Attihedral [Golf]
	Pattern of dimples on a ball comprised of four straight rows of dimples around the middle of the ball, with four around each pole. Small triangular arrays of dimples fill the remaining area on the ball. This creates 8 triangular groupings of dimples on the ball. This pattern was the predominant pattern prior to the 1970’s. The pattern may also be called octohedral.

Attitude [Skydiving]
	You'll need it. Lots of it.

Attrition [Motor Sports]
	The rate at which cars drop out of a race, due to mechanical failure or wrecks. Attrition is said to be high when few of the cars that start a race finish it.

Attu [General]
	Asian Table Tennis Union.

Au [Martial Arts]
	To encounter an opponent in any Japanese martial arts contest.

Auction [Baccarat]
	Bidding for the bank at chemin de fer (old form of Baccarat) at the outset of play and when the player voluntarily gives up the bank.

Audible [Football]
	Verbal commands shouted by the quarterback as he reads the defense at the line of scrimmage in order to change the play called in the huddle.

Audition [Blackjack]
	A "try out" at a gaming table in a casino where a dealer must exhibit his or her dealing skill and sophistication to the management before being hired.

Aunt Emma [Croquet]
	A conservative player who wastes talent through dull and uninspired play. This player simply tries to advance from one wicket to the next.

Austrac [Keno]
	Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Center. Established to receive transaction reports, analyze and disseminate information from those reports to the taxation and law enforcement authorities and generally oversee the operations of and compliance with the Financial Transaction Reports Act.

Austrailian Pursuit [Motor Sports]

An odd form of racing which was popular in the early days of stock car racing, but has just about disappeared now. In Austrailian pursuit, each car that is passed by any other car during the race is black-flagged and eliminated from the race. The winner is the last car left on the track (or the first car to finish out of those remaining after a certain number of laps). Austrailian pursuit is usually considered to be a novelty event.

Auto Ante [Poker]
	This option determines if you have to manually ante on each new hand. Generally it is easier to let the computer ante for you, but it is more realistic to ante up yourself)

Auto Mall [Motor Sports]
	Several Dealership operations located on one site.

Autoclave [Golf]
	A pressurized heating device used for shaft construction. The autoclave is a heat treating chamber which applies pressure and high temperature to a material in order to cure it.

Autocross [Motor Sports]
	A gymkhana: sometimes used to mean a gymkhana that allows greater speed than usual.

Automatic [Golf]
	Descriptive of an easy putt; also, an extra Nassau bet that's allowed whenever a player is two points behind.

Automatic Bet [Poker]

A bet, often a bluff, made, regardless of one's cards, in a situation in which the bet usually wins. For example, in a lowball game, if one player drew four cards and passes after the draw, and the next player drew one, the latter almost always makes an automatic bet, because most of the time that player has the best hand and the few times that he doesn't, the drawer of four cards doesn't call anyway.

Automatic Bluff [Poker]

Automatic Foul Detector [Bowling]
	An electric eye device that sets off an alarm if the bowler's foot crosses the foul line.

Automatic Locking Retractor [Motor Sports]
	Standard on 1995 and later models, this device is built into the shoulder belt retractor and keeps the belt cinched tightly, which is essential for properly securing a child-safety seat.