This glossary collects the terms that separate a serious tips channel from background noise. They fall into three groups: the basics needed to read a bet, the metrics used to judge a tipster, and the professional concepts almost nobody explains. Each entry has an operational definition and, where useful, a worked example.
In short
- A price is a probability in disguise: 1 divided by the odds gives the implied probability.
- ROI is the metric; win rate alone says nothing.
- Closing line value is the most reliable signal that a method has a real edge.
- Most people who fail get the stakes wrong, not the picks.
- Publishing a glossary in your channel qualifies you: educating your community is the hardest positioning to copy.
The basics
Odds
The multiplier on a winning stake, and simultaneously a probability in disguise. Implied probability = 1 ÷ odds: 2.00 corresponds to 50%, 4.00 to 25%.
Add up the implied probabilities of every outcome in an event and the total always exceeds 100%: the excess is the bookmaker's margin, their structural edge on every bet.
Stake
How much is risked on a single bet. It is expressed in units (typically 1 to 10) rather than currency, so the pick is reproducible across bankrolls of different sizes: 2 units means 2% of the bankroll for someone with £500 as for someone with £5,000.
Bankroll
The capital dedicated exclusively to betting, kept separate. Prudent, widely used rule: never more than 1-3% on a single bet.
Pick / Tip
The selection. The terms are interchangeable; "pick" is more common in international channels.
Cash / Settled win
A collected win. On SuperTennisBot winning bets are marked automatically, so the running record is verifiable by anyone without having to trust a screenshot.
Accumulator
A bet combining several selections: odds multiply, but so do the chances of error. Statistically, each added leg amplifies the bookmaker's margin.
Handicap
A notional advantage or disadvantage applied to one side to rebalance the prices on a lopsided event.
Over / Under
A bet on the total number of events (goals, games, points) above or below a threshold.
Live / In-play
Bets placed after the event has started, with prices updated in real time. See why in-play converts better.
The metrics that count
ROI — Return on Investment
Profit divided by total staked, as a percentage. This is the metric: a 5% ROI over a thousand bets is worth infinitely more than a month closed "+20 slips", because it accounts for how much was risked to get there.
Example: £10,000 staked in total, £500 profit → 5% ROI.
Yield
A synonym for ROI in European usage. Some calculate it on total staked and others on capital invested: when comparing two tipsters, check they are using the same definition.
Win rate
The percentage of bets won. It says nothing on its own. A 30% win rate at average odds of 4.00 is excellent; a 60% win rate at average odds of 1.50 is a loss.
| Win rate | Average odds | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 30% | 4.00 | Profit (+20%) |
| 60% | 1.50 | Loss (−10%) |
| 50% | 2.10 | Profit (+5%) |
Which is why a channel advertising only its strike rate is hiding the figure that matters.
CLV — Closing Line Value
The comparison between the price you took and the event's closing price. If you systematically take better prices than the close, your method probably has a real edge even on the bets that lose.
It is the most reliable signal available, because it does not depend on individual outcomes and therefore reads on far smaller samples than ROI.
Drawdown
The maximum loss accumulated from a peak to the subsequent trough. It measures how much capital is needed to survive the worst losing run experienced. A positive ROI with an enormous drawdown is a method few people manage to follow to the end.
Sample
The number of bets a method is judged on. Below a few hundred bets, any result is consistent with chance.
Professional concepts
Value bet
A price paying more than the event's true probability: probability × odds > 1. It is the only systematic edge available in betting and it is SuperTennisBot's method on live tennis. Full guide in value betting explained simply.
Implied probability
The probability contained in a price, obtained as 1 ÷ odds. It should always be compared with your own estimate: it is the comparison between the two that defines value.
Bankroll management
The discipline of staking proportionally to the estimated edge. Ninety per cent of people who fail do not get the picks wrong: they get the size of the stakes wrong, and in particular increase them after a losing run.
Variance
The unavoidable swings in results, present even in a method with a real edge. A winning method can go through losing weeks without that meaning anything: it is judged over hundreds of bets, never over a week.
Tilt
The loss of clarity after a losing run, leading to bigger stakes to recover. It is the single behaviour that destroys more bankrolls than any selection error. Automated systems do not tilt; people do.
Kelly criterion
A formula determining the optimal fraction of bankroll to stake given the estimated edge. In practice almost everyone uses a fraction of Kelly (a half, a quarter), because full Kelly is too aggressive when the probability estimate is uncertain — and it always is.
Arbitrage
Exploiting price differences between bookmakers to guarantee a profit on every outcome. Technically possible, but accounts doing it are quickly limited by operators.
Account limitation
The reduction of maximum accepted stakes by a bookmaker on an account judged too profitable. It is the practical ceiling on almost every winning strategy, and the reason declared and achievable results can diverge.
Attribution
In a referral context, the mechanism binding a user to the tipster who brought them. When permanent, every future purchase by that user generates commission — see recurring commissions.
Why publish a glossary in your channel
Educating your community pays twice. More informed users stay longer, because they understand a losing week is variance rather than incompetence. And a tipster who explains ROI, CLV and variance automatically separates themselves from anyone promising guaranteed doubles.
Credibility is the asset that monetises everything else: without it no model, from bots to affiliation, works for long.
Frequently asked questions
What is ROI in betting?
It is profit as a percentage of total staked. With £10,000 staked and £500 profit the ROI is 5%. Unlike a simple balance, it accounts for how much capital was risked to achieve it.
What is the difference between ROI and yield?
In European usage they are often synonyms, but some calculate yield on total staked and ROI on capital invested. When comparing two tipsters it is essential to check they are using the same definition.
What does stake mean in betting?
It is the amount risked on a bet, usually expressed in units from 1 to 10 rather than currency, so anyone can reproduce it proportionally to their own capital.
How much should you stake on a single bet?
The most widely used prudent rule is no more than 1-3% of the bankroll. It exists to survive variance: even a genuinely edged method goes through losing runs, and stakes that are too large end it before the edge can show.
What is closing line value?
It is the comparison between the price obtained and the event's final closing price. If you systematically obtain better prices than the close, the method probably has a real edge regardless of individual results.
Does a high win rate mean a tipster is good?
No. Win rate must always be read alongside average odds: 60% strike at 1.50 produces a loss, while 30% at 4.00 produces a solid profit. The figure that combines both is ROI.