Betting Dictionary

Scalper: Someone who plays one book off against another by betting on both competitors in an event at odds which will ensure a profit whatever the outcome. (click to edit)
Score: £20 GBP. (click to edit)
Scratch: The withdrawal of a competitor. (click to edit)
Scratch Sheet (US): Daily publication that includes graded horse-racing handicaps, racing tips and 'scratches'. These days, punters are most likely to find these on betting websites or online horse racing mailing lists. (click to edit)
Selling Race: Races where the winner is to be auctioned. (click to edit)
Settler: The person who calculates the bets for the bookie. (click to edit)
Shoo In (US): A supposed cinch bet or guaranteed victor. Also, a fixed race. (click to edit)
Shorten: The opposite of lengthening odds. Odds are said to shorten when they become less than the original posting price or last checked price. (click to edit)
Show: A horse racing bet in which you collect if the horse finishes first, second or third. (click to edit)
Shut Out (US): What happens to a bettor who gets on the betting line too late and is still waiting when the window closes. Also, in sports betting, when the losing team do not score. (click to edit)
Single: A straight win/lose bet on a single event. (click to edit)
Single Stakes About (or SSA): A bet consisting of 2 bets on two selections (1 single on each selection any to come 1 single on the other selection reversed). (click to edit)
Six-Dollar Combine (US): An across-the-board bet in racing. (click to edit)
Sleeper: Winnings that have not been claimed. (click to edit)
SP: Starting Price. Where the punter has not requested his bet to be accepted at a specific price, then the bet is placed at the price (odds) offered a the start of the race. (click to edit)
Sportsbook: A bookmaker (click to edit)
Spot Play (US): Type of play in which the bettor risks money only on types of races and horses which seem relatively worthwhile risks. (click to edit)
Spread Betting: Returns are calculated proportionately to how well you predict the results of an event. See our quick Spread Betting Guide for more information on spread betting, also known as index betting. (click to edit)
Stakes About: See Up and Down (click to edit)
Steamer: A fast moving competitor in terms of shortening odds. A steamer is usually caused by large sums of money being placed on the competitor and the bookie's reaction to it in order to balance their books to ensure a profit. (click to edit)
Stooper (US): Those who make a living picking up discarded mutuel tickets at racetracks and cashing those that have been thrown away by mistake. (click to edit)
Stop-at-a-Winner: Where bets are placed on a series of races, the bookie is requested to stop placing bets on races after a successful outcome. (click to edit)
Super Heinz: Cosists of 120 bets from 7 selections. 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 four-folds, 21 five-folds, 7 six-folds and 1 seven-fold. (click to edit)
Super Yankee: Another name for a Canadian. (click to edit)
Superfecta: The Superfecta bet requires the bettor to select the first, second, third, and fourth runners in a given race in the correct order. The Superfecta is even less likely to succeed than a trifecta, which only requires the correct selection of the first three finishers in order. However if successful, the Superfecta will yield a greater return than the trifecta. (click to edit)