Knowledge Base
Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terminology used across Fan Strategy.
- Asian Handicap
- A handicap betting system that eliminates the draw by giving half‑goal or quarter‑goal advantages to each team.
- Bankroll
- The total amount of money you have set aside for betting.
- Bookmaker margin
- The built‑in profit margin for a sportsbook, calculated as the difference between the true odds and the offered odds.
- Cash out
- A feature that lets you settle a bet before the event ends, locking in a profit or cutting a loss.
- Correct score
- A bet that predicts the exact final score of a match.
- Double chance
- A bet that covers two of the three possible outcomes in a match, increasing your chance of winning.
- Draw no bet
- A wager where you pick a team to win; if the match ends in a draw, your stake is refunded.
- Futures
- A bet placed on an outcome that will be decided later, such as which team wins the tournament.
- Handicap
- A points adjustment given to one team to level the playing field, used to calculate the bet outcome.
- Kelly Criterion
- A formula that calculates the optimal percentage of your bankroll to wager based on the edge you have.
- Line movement
- Changes in the betting odds or spreads over time, reflecting new information or betting patterns.
- Live betting
- Betting on events after a match has started, with odds that update as the game progresses.
- Moneyline
- A bet that picks the outright winner of a match, with odds reflecting each team's chance of winning.
- Odds
- The number that indicates how much you can win relative to your stake.
- Over/Under
- A wager on whether the total number of goals in a match will be more or less than a set figure.
- Parlay
- A single bet that links two or more selections; all must win for the bet to pay out.
- Payout
- The total amount you receive when a bet wins, including your original stake.
- Prop bet
- A side bet on a specific event within a match, like which player scores first or how many yellow cards.
- Stake
- The amount of money you put on a bet.
- Steam
- Rapid, widespread betting activity that causes odds to shift quickly across sportsbooks.
- Unit
- A standard measure of bet size, often a small percentage of your bankroll, used to manage risk.
- Value bet
- A bet where the odds offered are higher than the true probability of the outcome, giving an advantage.
- Vig
- The commission or fee a sportsbook includes in the odds, charged for accepting a bet.