Knowledge Base
Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terminology used across Fan Strategy.
- Acca
- Short for accumulator, a parlay that links several outcomes for a larger payout, but loses if any selection fails.
- Arbitrage
- Betting on all possible outcomes of an event across different bookmakers to guarantee a profit regardless of the result.
- Asian Handicap
- A split handicap that removes the draw option and uses half‑ or quarter‑goal lines to reduce possible outcomes.
- Bankroll Management
- The strategy of deciding how much of your funds to risk on each bet to keep your money safe over time.
- Bookmaker Margin
- The built‑in profit that a bookmaker includes in the odds, also called the overround or ‘juice’.
- Cash Out
- A feature that lets you settle a bet before the match ends, locking in a profit or cutting a loss.
- Correct Score
- A bet that predicts the exact final score of a match, offering higher odds for its difficulty.
- Double Chance
- A bet that covers two of the three possible match results (e.g., home win or draw) to lower risk.
- Dutching
- Distributing your stake across several outcomes in the same event so that you profit no matter which one wins.
- Edge
- The advantage you have over the bookmaker, usually expressed as a percentage of expected return.
- First Goalscorer
- A bet on which player will score the first goal in a game.
- In-Play
- The same as live betting; refers to odds offered during the match rather than before it starts.
- Juice
- The commission a bookmaker charges on a bet, reflected by odds that are lower than the true probabilities.
- Kelly Criterion
- A mathematical formula that tells you the optimal percentage of your bankroll to bet based on your perceived edge.
- Lay Betting
- Betting that a specific outcome will not happen, typically used on betting exchanges to act as the bookmaker.
- Line Movement
- Changes in the odds or point spread over time, often caused by heavy betting action or new team news.
- Live Betting
- Placing bets on events while they are happening, with odds that change in real time as the game progresses.
- Moneyline
- A bet on which team will win the match, with odds shown as a positive or negative number.
- Odds
- The number that tells you how much you can win relative to your stake, reflecting the implied chance of an outcome.
- Over/Under
- A wager on whether the total goals in a match will be more (over) or less (under) than a set line.
- Parlay
- A single bet that combines two or more selections; all must win for the parlay to pay out.
- Point Spread
- A handicap applied to the favorite team to make both sides equally attractive for betting, expressed as points.
- Stake
- The amount of money you put on a particular bet.
- Unit
- A standard amount of your bankroll used to size bets consistently, helping you track performance without risking too much.
- Value Bet
- A bet where the odds offered are higher than the true chance of the outcome, giving you a statistical edge.