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I

I [Martial Arts] Will," "mind," or "intent.

I Can't Read 'er, She's in the Cedar [Craps] One or both of the dice landed in the players chip rack.

I Wait. [Poker] I check.

I-Ai [Archery] The art of drawing a long bow, Japan.

I-Ba [Archery] An archery range, Japan.

I-Beam Suspension [Motor Sports] A suspension beam under the car that supports the body in the shape of a capital I.

I-Head [Motor Sports] Both valves located directly over the piston. Also called valve--in-head or overhead valve engine.

I-Iro [Archery] To shoot with a bow, Japan.

I.S.I.a. [Skiing] The International Ski Instructors Association, an organisation that represents ski instructors from over 36 skiing nations.

I.S.P.O. [Skiing] Internationale Sportartikelmesse (International Sports Equipment show), held in Munich every year, and regarded as the world-wide trendsetter for ski equipment and clothing .

I/Gs [Baseball] Innings Per Games Started

Iaaf [General] International Ameteur Athletics Federation.

Iai [Martial Arts] "Swordplay." A sword exercise employing a series of thrusting and cutting techniques while drawing and returning the blade.

Iaido [Martial Arts] "Way of the sword." The modern art of drawing the samurai sword from its scabbard.

Iakf [General] International Ameteur Karate Federation

Ibb [Baseball] Intentional Bases on Ball

Ibf [General] International Boxing Federation.

Ibuki [Martial Arts] "Breath control." Isotonic breathing exercises based on dynamic tension principles practiced in conjunction with, and also separate to, the execution of karate techniques.

Icc [General] International Cricket Council.

Ice [Poker] A cold deck (A deck, presumably with preset hands in it (usually with several good hands, the best of which will go to the dealer or his confederate), surreptitiously substituted by a cheat for the deck he is supposed to be dealing.). So called because, after cards are dealt for awhile, they warm a bit to the touch, while a cold deck actually feels cool, or, by extension, like ice

Ice Time [Ice Hockey] The amount of time that the player is on the ice during a game when the clock is running.

Iceman [Motor Sports] Winston Cup driver Terry Labonte, said not to crack under pressure.

Icing [Ice Hockey] Shooting or directing the puck from behind the red line (in the NHL) or from the defensive zone (in amateur hockey) so that it crosses the opposition's goal line and is first touched by an opposing player other than the goaltender. Play resumes with a faceoff in the offending team's defensive zone. It is not icing if the puck passes through the goal crease or if the team is short-handed.

Icosahedral [Golf] Introduced in the early 1970’s, this is the most popular type of dimple pattern in use today. The pattern arranges the dimples into 20 triangular groups, allowing the same air pressure on all parts of the balls as it flies through the air, reducing wind resistance.

Icw [Sailing] Short for Intercoastal Waterway. A system of rivers and canals along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States allowing boats to travel along them without having to go offshore.

Icwa [Wrestling] International Championship Wrestling Alliance

Identifying the Ball [Golf] Each player has the responsibility to know the make and number of the ball and identically marked balls should not be used in the same group. Some players mark their balls with special marks so that the ball can be clearly identified with theirs on the course. -Top

Idiot End [Poker] An ignorant end (In hold 'em, the low end of a straight, or a straight that can lose to a higher straight.)

Idle Speed [Motor Sports] The speed of the engine at minimum throttle and the engine in neutral.

Ido [Martial Arts] (Japanese) Word used in Jûdô: a defense movement composed of eight techniques (taken in the Kime no Kata) which are executed continuously (at once).

Ids, Indoor Driver School [Motor Sports] Seminar series each spring to introduce newcomers to racing.

Ifab [Soccer] International Football Association Board — the organization consisting of 4 British soccer organizations and FIFA that approves all changes in the official international rules of soccer called the 17 Laws.

Ignition [Motor Sports] An electrical system used to ignite the air-fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine.

Ignorant End [Poker] In hold 'em, the low end of a straight, or a straight that can lose to a higher straight. This is a risky hand to hold or draw to, because someone can easily end up with a higher straight. If you have 5-6 in the hole, and the flop is 7-8-9, you have flopped the ignorant end of the straight, and will lose to anyone starting with 10-J or 6-10. Also called dumb end, idiot end.

Igurumi [Archery] The practice of shooting birds with arrows with cords attached to the arrows, Japan.

Ihra [Motor Sports] International Hot Rod Association, the junior sanctioning body for drag racing.

Iihf [General] International Ice Hockey Federation.

Ijf [General] International Judo Federation.

Ika [Archery] An Ainu quiver.

Ikc [Greyhound Racing] Interstate Kennel Club. Name applied to the racing season held at Wembley Park during the winter months, October through February.

Ikuba [Archery] [1] A Japanese target. [2] A tent used for archery, Japan.

Illegal Defense [Basketball] A rather nebulous rule that is called irregularly. It's designed to prevent the use of the zone defense; it¹s more like a 3-second violation for the defense, in which no defender can stay in the lane for more than, well, 3 seconds.

Illustrious 18 [Blackjack] A term coined by Don Schlesinger to describe the 18 most advantageous deviations from basic strategy, based on the Hi-Lo count. The 18 plays described equal about 80% of the gain that could be had from playing the full set of indexes in more complex strategy tables.

Im [Horse Racing] Abbreviation for intra-muscular; an injection given in a muscle.

Imca [Motor Sports] International Motor Contest Association. Probably the oldest existing sanctioning body in the world.

Imho [Blackjack] The acronym for In My Humble Opinion.

Immortal [Poker] An unbeatable hand, based on circumstances. For example, in seven-card stud, on the river (the last card, dealt face down) you have four aces, and no one shows two cards to a straight flush, so no one can have you beat. You have an immortal. Also, any perfect hand, as a royal flush in high poker, or a wheel in low poker. This term is frequently found in poker literature, particularly that of years gone by, but is not at all common in card rooms. Also called immortal hand, immortals, mortal nuts.

Immortal Nuts [Poker] Immortal (An unbeatable hand, based on circumstances.).

Immortals [Poker] Immortal (An unbeatable hand, based on circumstances.).

Imo [Blackjack] Same as IMHO but not humble.

Impact [Golf] The moment when the ball strikes the club.

Impact Gun [Motor Sports] The machine used to removed wheel nuts. Also an air wrench or air gun.

Impact Wrench [Motor Sports] A powered wrench that uses a combination of torque and a hammering action to loosen and tighten fasteners. Racers often use this term (improperly) as a synonym for air wrench.

Impaction [Horse Racing] A type of colic caused by a blockage of the intestines by ingested materials (constipation).

Impair [Roulette] French term for the Odd Bet.

Impeding [Water Polo] Hindering the movement of an opposing player who does not have possession of the ball.

Imperfect Deck [Poker] 1) Honest reader (A deck that has not been trimmed, or otherwise deliberately marked, but that, nonetheless, contains irregularities or factory defects, which permit observant players to identify some (or, rarely, all) of the cards from the back. Also called imperfect deck.). 2) A deck with too few, too many, or duplicated cards.

Implicit Collusion [Poker] A situation can arise in which the leader in a pot would prefer that one or more of his opponents fold because, while he has a positive expectation on his bet, he is not a favorite against the field. In implicit collusion, all opponents come to an independent agreement--that is, without consulting among each other--to all play in such a way as to minimize the chance of the player with the best hand winning the pot. For example, in a hold 'em tournament, a small stack may go all in and get called by one or more players with larger stacks. Those players collectively have a better chance of beating the all-in player than any does individually, and they may check down the hand till the end, that is, with no one making a bet that might drive anyone else out. The all-in player may have the best hand and be the favorite against any one of the others, but collectively, the remaining players have a better chance against the all-in player, and if they all understand--even though nothing is ever said to that effect--that all will check the hand down, that is implied collusion. In another example, a bluff may have a high chance of success against any one opponent, but against multiple opponents have no chance at all. In low-limit games, with their many players remaining at the end, a bluff against the field has almost no chance of succeeding. Again, this involves implied collusion among the players. They may not be aware of the situation, but it does exist. Similar situations arise in other games.

Implied Count [Blackjack] An educated guess used to modify play strategy as to the value of unseen cards in other players' hands based on the value of the dealer's card and cards taken or not taken by other players. For example, if the dealer has a stiff and a player hits a large card one can imply two extra low cards to modify play strategy.

Implied Odds [Poker] The amount of money you expect to win if you make your hand versus the amount of money it will cost you to continue playing - Pot odds that do not exist at the moment, but may be included in your calculations because of bets you expect to win if you hit your hand.

Impost [Horse Racing] Weight carried or assigned to a race horse.

Impound [Motor Sports] Area where top 3 cars in each class must report immediately upon coming off track after a race, for weighing and inspection. Also, Impound staff.

Improve [Poker] 1) Better a hand, particularly catch one needed card. For example, in draw poker, you call an all-in raise from another player to draw one card to two pair. The other player shows down a small straight. You show that you made a full house, with the comment, "I improved." Also, help. 2) Have a specific hand made in a stud or hold 'em-type game, and then, upon the appearance of another card, make a better hand. For example, your first five cards in seven-stud are 10s 9s 3s Js 5s , giving you a jack-high flush. Your next card is As , causing you to improve (to an ace-high flush).

Improvement [Poker] Betterment of a hand.

Ims [Motor Sports] Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the site of the Indy 500. This is now an IRL event.

Imsa [Motor Sports] International Motor Sports Association, founded by John Bishop in 1969. Sanctions, organizes, markets and officiates professional auto racing events. Season begins in February at Daytona International Speedway and ends in October on the streets of New Orleans.

In [Poker] 1) How many chips a player has bought altogether. "How much you in?" might be an attempt by another player to find out whether that large stack of chips you have is winnings or all your own money. Also, in for. 2) Taking part in a pot. "You in?" means "Are you partaking in this sporting venture?" 3) Having anted. In this context, "You in?" means "Did you ante?" (and implies that you didn't).

In a Row [Poker] Descriptive of or a name for a straight.

In Action [Poker] 1) Describing a pot in contention. 2) Describing an active hand. (A hand still in contention for a pot.)3) Having money, said of a player who has sufficient wherewithal to play the games of his choice. To say that John is in action means that he is not broke and implies that being broke is not unusual for John. 4) Playing or able to play. "He's in action" means "He's in a game." "He's not in action" means "He's not in a game," and is usually extended to mean that he is not currently playing poker because he has insufficient capita

In and Out [Golf] Greyhound moves from inside to outside throughout the race.

In Bounds [Soccer] When a ball is within the boundaries of the field, having not completely crossed a sideline or goal line.

In Foal [Horse Racing] A mare being pregnant.

In for [Poker] 1) The total action to which one player is entitled, usually when side pots are involved. "How much is he in for?" implies that one who is all in is entitled to only a certain portion of the pot. 2) All in, and thus entitled to only part of the pot. "I'm in for the antes" means I can win only the antes if I win; "I'm in for one bet" means I get an amount equal to one bet from each player if I win. 3) How much a player is in (How many chips a player has bought altogether. "How much you in for?" might be an attempt by another player to find out whether that large stack of chips you have is winnings or all your own money.).

In Front [Poker] Winning; sometimes followed by an amount. "You stuck?" "Nah, I'm in front." "I'm in front a dime."

In Hand [Horse Racing] Running under moderate control, at less than best pace.

In Ibuki [Martial Arts] "Passive" or "internal breathing." A soft-but-firm type of breathing that stems from deep in the abdomen. It is common to many different martial arts.

In Irons [Sailing] A sailboat with its bow pointed directly into the wind, preventing the sails from filling properly so that the boat can move. It can be very difficult to get a boat that is in irons back under sail. An old square rigger could take hours to get underway again.

In Light [Horse Racing] A term referring to a horse carrying relatively little weight.

In Line [Fencing] Descriptive of an extended sword arm that threatens the opponent.

In Play [Golf] The ball is in play as soon as the player has made a stroke in the teeing ground. It remains in play until the player has holed out, except when it goes out of bounds, is lost, is lifted, or is replaced by another ball in accordance with the rules.

In Quartata [Fencing] A counter-attack made with a quarter turn to the inside, concealing the front but exposing the back.

In Running [General] A term used to describe a race or event that is in progress.

In the Air [Poker] Traditionally, a poker tournament starts when the tournament director (or whoever's running things) instructs the dealers to get the cards "in the air." This just means to start dealing.

In the Blind [Poker] Bet or check blind (A mandatory bet made by certain player(s) usually sitting left of the Button before each new hand is dealt. Used in place of antes or in conjunction with antes.).

In the Bridle [Horse Racing] See on the bit.

In the Bushes [Poker] In the weeds. (The place where sneaky poker players lie in wait, usually accompanied by powerhouse hands they have sandbagged, or otherwise slow-played, to trap unwary aggressive players; often part of the phrase waiting in the weeds or lying in the weeds. For example, in a high draw game, you raised before the draw with three aces. Among the several callers, the first man took three cards and passed after the draw. Everyone else passed. You did not improve your hand, but three aces is worth a bet after the draw, so you bet. The three-card draw now raises. The others fold. You call. He shows his full house. He was waiting in the weeds.)

In the Centre [Baseball] An expression used by the offensive team to tell a base runner when the ball is in the possession of the pitcher, so the runner will not get picked off.

In the Chips [Poker] 1) Winning. 2) The state of having lots of money. Also termed in action. The phrase has passed into general usage

In the Dark [Poker] To check or bet blind, without looking at your cards.

In the Fence [Motor Sports] A phrase used to describe the wreck of a race car involving several cars or only one car.

In the Gut [Poker] Inside (Pertaining to an inside straight. To catch inside means to make an inside straight. An inside straight card is sometimes called a belly card.)

In the Hole [Poker] 1) Pertaining to a player's hole card or cards. In five-card stud: "He had an ace in the hole." In seven-card stud: "He ended up with three high spades in the hole." 2) Stuck, that is, losing. "How much are you in the hole?"

In the Leather [Golf] Descriptive of a ball that lies no farther from the hole than the length of the leather wrapping on the player's grip. In friendly competition, players often agree to concede such putts.

In the Middle [Poker] 1) Pertaining to a situation in which one player finds himself between two others who are raising frequently, or, in a no-limit game, heavily. He is not necessarily physically between these two; he is logically, however, as far as the betting goes. Also called whipsawed 2) Pertaining to a situation in which a player can receive his first hand, if he is too late to get the big blind, in the middle position. To do so is to take it in the middle, take the middle blind, or come in in the middle. (Some clubs do not let a new player, that is, new to the particular game, be dealt in until it is his turn to put in the blind, supposedly to prevent his getting any "free" hands.) Also, if a seated player has missed the blind in a particular round, he can receive his next hand only in the blind position. In such a case, a player must come in on the blind, come in in the middle, or, if not in the big blind position, over blind to receive a hand.

In the Money [Poker] Having lasted long enough in a tournament to guarantee finishing as one of the winners. Depending on the size of the tournament, this might be one of the top three, having made it to the final table, one of the final 16, perhaps even one of the final 26 (or more, in some very large or special tournaments).

In the Net [Ice Hockey] Said of the goalie, as in, "Dominik Hasek is in the net tonight."

In the Paint [Basketball] Descriptive of a location in the free throw lane, because it's painted a different color from the rest of the court.

In the Plank, not Worth a Wank [Craps] One or both of the die landed in the rail.

In the Pocket [Poker] Pertaining to the hole card or cards. (A card concealed in a player's hand or in stud and Hold'em, the face-down cards dealt to each player.)

In the Red [General] Known as odds being "in the red". The odds of when you will win less than double your money. E.g. for a $1 stake the dividend would be anything less than $2. Also Odds-On.

In the Weeds [Poker] The place where sneaky poker players lie in wait, usually accompanied by powerhouse hands they have sandbagged, or otherwise slow-played, to trap unwary aggressive players; often part of the phrase waiting in the weeds or lying in the weeds. For example, in a high draw game, you raised before the draw with three aces. Among the several callers, the first man took three cards and passed after the draw. Everyone else passed. You did not improve your hand, but three aces is worth a bet after the draw, so you bet. The three-card draw now raises. The others fold. You call. He shows his full house. He was waiting in the weeds. Also, bushes, as part of the terms in the bushes and lying in the bushes, and woods, as part of the terms in the woods and waiting in the woods.

In the Woods [Poker] In the Weeds. (The place where sneaky poker players lie in wait, usually accompanied by powerhouse hands they have sandbagged, or otherwise slow-played, to trap unwary aggressive players; often part of the phrase waiting in the weeds or lying in the weeds. For example, in a high draw game, you raised before the draw with three aces. Among the several callers, the first man took three cards and passed after the draw. Everyone else passed. You did not improve your hand, but three aces is worth a bet after the draw, so you bet. The three-card draw now raises. The others fold. You call. He shows his full house. He was waiting in the weeds. Also, bushes, as part of the terms in the bushes and lying in the bushes, and woods, as part of the terms in the woods and waiting in the woods.)

In Time [Fencing] At least one fencing time before the opposing action, especially with regards to a stop-hit.

In Tough [Horse Racing] A situation where a horse is entered with horses it is unlikely to beat.

In Turn [Poker] Playing when one is required (and allowed to), according to the rules of the game. That usually means waiting to act until the player before one has completed her action.

In Zone [Baseball] Balls Hit in the Player's Area

In-Car Camera [Motor Sports] The camera inside the cockpit of a race car that gives a driver's perspective of the race.

In-Goal [Rugby] The area between the try-line and the dead-ball line.

In-Hosel [Golf] The common shaft-to-head installation in which the shaft penetrates into the hosel. Used on woods, irons and putters.

In-Line Engine [Motor Sports] Cylinders are arranged side by side in a row and in a single bank. Most four-cylinder and some six-cylinder engines are in-line engines. In V-6, V-8 or V-12 engines, the cylinders are divided into two banks, each of which is angled away from the other in a 'V'.

In-Running [Greyhound Racing] Betting on a live event as it progresses. Prices are updated during the event.

Inboard [Powerboating] Descriptive of anything located entirely within the hull; often shorthand for an inboard motor or a boat powered by an inboard motor.

Inboard Cruiser [Sailing] A motorboat with an inboard engine.

Inboard Motor [Powerboating] A motor that's mounted entirely inside a boat's hull.

Inbound [Basketball] To pass the ball on a throw-in.

Inbounds [Basketball] The area within the end lines and sidelines of the court; also the act of bringing the ball into this area by means of a throw-in.

Inbounds Pass [Basketball] A pass used on the throw-in.

Incentive [Motor Sports] A cash refund or attractive lease or loan rate offered by an automotive manufacturer toward the purchase of a new vehicle.

Inch [Sailing] A unit of measurement used primarily in the United States equal to 2.54 centimeters.

Inches of Mercury [Sailing] A unit used when measuring the pressure of the atmosphere. 33.86 millibars. Inches of mercury are used because some barometers use the height of mercury in a sealed tube as a measuring device.

Incidental Contact [Basketball] Minor, basically inadvertent contact, that is usually ignored by officials.

Incomplete Pass [Football] A forward pass that touches the ground before being caught.

Inconvenienced [Horse Racing] The proper term for a horse which is checked.

Increasing Radius Turn [Motor Sports] Turn that opens up as you progress through it.

Indemnity [Motor Sports] A legal principle specifying that the insured not collect more than the actual cash value of a loss but be restored to approximately the same financial position that existed before the loss.

Independent [Motor Sports] Slang term for a driver or team owner who does not have financial backing from a major sponsor and must make do with secondhand equipment such as parts and tires. The term, like the breed, is becoming rarer every year.

Independent Suspension [Motor Sports] A suspension design that lets each wheel move up and down independently of the others. A vehicle can have two-wheel or four-wheel independent suspension; sportier models have four-wheel independent suspension. See also Multi-Link Suspension, Live Axle.

Index [Poker] 1) A number or letter (2 through 10 or J, Q, K, A) in the upper left-hand and lower right-hand corner of a card denoting the card's rank. (Some say that the suit indication--the single spade, heart, club, or diamond--beneath the number or letter is part of the index.) 2) A mark placed on the back of a card by a cheat to indicate the value of the card.

Index Bet [Greyhound Racing] Bet where the make up is determined by allocating points for performance in an event.

Index Number [Blackjack] A term often used by counters to identify the count for specific strategy deviations. For example, the proper index number for standing on a hard 16 versus a dealer's 10 is 0, using the Hi-Lo count.

Indian File [Horse Racing] When a field of horses race in single file, one behind the other.

Indicator [Fencing] One of two mathematical methods used to determine seedings after early rounds of competition. The first indicator is the ratio of victories to fights. The second indicator is the number of hits scored minus the number of hits received.

Indirect [Fencing] Descriptive of an offensive action initiated by disengaging and then passing the blade under or over the opponent's blade.

Indirect Free Kick [Soccer] A kick awarded to a player for a less-serious foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball without any opposing players within 10 feet of him; a goal can only be scored on this kick after the ball has touched another player.