(Informal) A wager; having action means having a bet.

To make a bet on a certain player or team. E.g., if you bet on Topalov, then you are "backing Topalov." Compare with lay.

One who places a wager; a gambler.

One who accepts and pays off bets, as on a horserace or other sporting competition.

(Informal) The favorite or the most heavily bet contestant. The term originates from the days when the odds at a racetrack were written on slates with chalk.

A player or team on a losing streak; or a bettor on a losing streak.

Two or more contestants finishing equal for first place in an event. All winning tickets are paid off, but at substantially worse odds.

or dime bet A bet of 1000 chessbucks.

or evens A wager which pays even odds: you stand to win exactly what you are willing to lose. In decimal odds this would be expressed as 2.00. In fractional odds this would be 1:1.

See perfecta.