Learn The Bookmakers Secret Hand Signals

The Tic Tac Man was once a common sight on the racecourses of Britain. His job was to rely price movements between the on-course bookmakers using secret signals.

Today only a handful of TIC TAC practitioners remain, the advent of mobile phones and online betting exchanges are largely responsible for the secret languages decline. Channel Four racing pundit John McCririck often used TIC-TAC gestures when explaining the odds of the horses during his segment of the popular racing show.

Although the practice is now virtually forgotted many for the terms used in TIC TAC have become entrenched in betting parlance. Below you can see a guide to the signals used by the bookies back in the day. Thanks to Paddy Power Horse Racing for providing the image below.