Get acquainted with the language of roulette
As a game of pure chance, roulette is incredibly easy to play. Just choose your favourite number or combination of numbers and wait for the croupier to spin the roulette wheel along with the accompanying ball.
After the ball firmly lands in one of the numbered pockets, you’ll win your bet if you correctly predicted the outcome. Yet despite these no-nonsense rules, roulette does have more than its share of terms.
Whether you play live at your local casino or on the internet, you’ll want to get familiar with all the lingo. Keep reading this glossary to start playing and speaking like a pro.
Action: The combined amount bet over a given period of time.
Action player: A bettor who regularly places large wagers.
American Roulette: The version of roulette that’s common in the United States. This variant features a wheel with 38 number pockets ranging from 0 to 36 plus a 00. American roulette has a higher house edge than its European counterpart.
Ball Track: The outer rim of the wheel where the croupier spins the ball.
Bankroll: The amount of money at your disposal, which changes as you lose or win.
Basket Bet: The American roulette bet on 1, 2, 3, 00, and 0.
Biased Numbers: Numbers that come up more frequently than the odds dictate they should.
Biased Wheel: A roulette wheel with physical flaws.
Big Number: A number that appears more often than you would expect based on the odds.
Black Bet: A bet that covers all the black numbers.
Bonus: An incentive, usually free cash or complimentary spins, given to online players.
Bottom Track: The slanting inner region of the roulette wheel. The area into which the ball slides prior to bouncing onto the head of the wheel and landing into a numbered pocket.
Boule: Also known as la boule, this simplified version of roulette is common in France. The wheel in this game features just 9 numbers but three different colours.
Call Bets: Declaring your bet rather than using chips. This is only allowed where house rules permit.
Card Roulette: A game similar to roulette that uses a deck of cards.
Carré: Corner bet, or bets on four numbers, in French roulette.
Cheval: Split bet in French roulette.
Chip: Plastic or ceramic discs used in place of money to wager.
Colonne: The French term for a column bet.
Column Bet: A bet that covers a 12-number column.
Combination Bet: Any bet that covers two or more numbers.
Comp: Bonuses or perks given by the casino to the player. These can include everything from free beverages to airfare and hotel accommodation.
Corner bet: A bet on four numbers.
Croupier: The dealer or person who is responsible for spinning the wheel and ball. In many versions of online roulette, there is no croupier and the wheel is controlled by a computer algorithm, but players can press the spin button.
D’Alembert System: A popular negative progression wagering system that demands you increase your bet after losing and reduce your bet after winning.
Dead Table: A roulette table that currently has no players but is ready to accommodate bets.
Derniere: 25 to 36 or the final dozen numbers in French roulette.
Double Zero Roulette: Another name for American roulette.
Dozen Bet: Same as a column bet. You can bet on 1 to 12, 13 to 24, or 25 to 36.
Drop Box: The region on the roulette table where you place your cash when purchasing chips.
En Prison: A house rule that’s common in French roulette. When the ball lands on zero, your even money bets will stay on the table during the next spin.
Even Bet: Wagering that the upcoming number will be even rather than odd.
Even Money Bet: Bets that pay 1to 1 such as red, black, even, odd, low, or high.
European Roulette: A roulette variant that’s common in the United Kingdom. European roulette features a wheel with 37 numbered pockets between 0 and 36. There is no 00 in this game.
Fibbonacci System: A negative progressive betting system that uses a number sequence to guide the size of your bets.
Five Number Bet: Also known as the basket, this is an American roulette bet on 00, 0, 1, 2, and 3.
Flat Bettor: A gambler who bets the same amount repeatedly.
French Roulette: Similar to European roulette, but with a unique table design featuring French terms. French roulette tables typically make use of either la partage or en prison rules to reduce the house edge.
Gaffed Wheel: A flawed roulette wheel that has been sabotaged by either the house or player to gain an unfair advantage.
Golden Numbers: Biased numbers on the wheel that come up with greater frequency than you would expect.
Grifter: A cheater or con artist.
Grind System: A wagering system where players bet more following a win.
Heat: Garnering unwanted attention from management or security while winning.
High Bet: A bet that covers all numbers from 19 through 36.
High Roller: A bettor who wagers large quantities of cash.
House Edge: The mathematical advantage that casinos have over players in a game.
Inside Bet: Bets made on the numbered area of the roulette table.
La Partage: A house rule that’s common in French roulette. When la partage is in effect, players will receive half of their even money bets back when the ball lands on zero.
Les Orphelins: A racetrack bet in French roulette that covers the first third of the roulette wheel.
Layout: The physical markings that are printed on the felt playing surface. The layout will vary depending on whether you play French, American, or European roulette.
Line Bet: Also known as an avenue, six number, or six line bet, this bet covers two rows that border each other.
Low Bet: This is an even money bet on all numbers between 1 and 18.
Martingale System: The wagering system where players double their bet after losing.
Money at Risk: The sum of all bets on a single spin.
Negative Progression: The system of increasing bets after a loss.
Odd Bet: An even money bet on all the odd numbers such as 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 27, 33, and 35.
Odds: The probability of a given outcome.
Outside Bet: Wagers made on the outer region on the betting area. The bets include even, odd, low, high, black, red, dozens, and columns.
Parlay: A positive progression betting system where you’ll increase the size of your wager after a win.
Pinching: A type of cheating where players remove chips from the table after losings.
Positive Progression: Increasing wagers following wins.
Press: Increasing your wager size after winning..
Push: A tie where you receive your money back.
Quarter Bet: Also known as a corner or square bet, this is a wager on one of four numbers.
Racetrack: A special roulette betting area that resembles the shape of a horse racetrack. Unlike the regular betting area, which arranges the numbers sequentially, the racetrack displays the number in the same order they appear on the wheel itself.
Red Bet: Even money bet on all numbers that are red in colour. The effective opposite of black.
Scared Money: Bettors who risk cash that they can’t afford to lose.
Section Shooter: A dealer or croupier who spins the wheel attempting to have the ball land on the same section on subsequent spins.
Section Slicing: Breaking up the wheel into sections to determine which physical areas are hot.
Session: The length of time spent playing.
Shill: A player who secretly works for the casino and encourages players to bet.
Single Zero Roulette: Also known as European roulette, although French roulette also features a lone zero.
Split Bet: A wager placed on two numbers that are next to each other on the table.
Street Bet: Also known as a trio bet. This is a wager on three numbers.
Surrender: Also known as la partage, players will get half of their even money bet back when the wheel lands on 0 or 00 and this rule is in effect.
Tiers du Cylindre: A French roulette racetrack bet on the second third of the wheel.
Trio: Betting that the ball will land on one of three numbers. Also known as a street bet.
True Odds: The statistical probability of a given outcome.
Visual Wheel Tracking: A technique or trick that lets you determine where the ball will ultimately land.
Voisins du Zero: A French roulette racetrack bet on the last third of the wheel.
Wager: Another name for a bet.
Wheel: The roulette wheel that the game revolves around.
Zero: The 0 spot on the wheel and table.