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05 August, 2022

Roulette's Terms

Roulette is a simple game but one with a long history. There are dozens of things to learn about this classic game, all of which could be helpful to anyone starting out in the world of online gambling.

A

American Roulette: The version of roulette most commonly played in North, Central, and South America. In this version, there are 38 pockets on the wheel numbered from 1 to 36, along with a 0 and a double 0.

B

Backtrack: The outer rim of the wheel where the ball is spun.
Bet on the Layout: A bet placed anywhere on the numbers portion of the table.
Block Betting: The set of numbers on one section of the wheel bet as a group in specific roulette strategies.
Black Bet: This term refers to a wager that the following number will be black.

C

Card Roulette: A variant that uses a standard pack of playing cards with two jokers. The house edge is between European and American roulette.
Carre: One of the French roulette terms used to refer to a Corner Bet (Refer to Corner Bet for a more detailed explanation of this term).
Chip: Roulette chips are different from standard chips. They are not marked, come in different colors, and usually appear in one denomination, for example, $10. This is to help the croupier work out whose chips are whose.
Check Rack: This refers to the tray where the casino chips are kept.
Column Bet: A bet on one of the three available columns of numbers. Pays 2 to 1.
Croupier: The casino employee who oversees the game at the roulette table. This employee may also be referred to as a dealer, but ‘croupier’ is the more formal and accurate term.
Corner Bet: A bet on four numbers, and your chip is placed at the corner of the numbers. This bet pays 8-1, with a 10.8% probability of winning on European Roulette. Also known as ‘carre’ in French roulette.

D

Double 0: The space on a roulette wheel marked ‘00’ can only be found on American roulette wheels. These wheels are also known as ‘double 0’ wheels.
Dozens Bet: A bet that is very similar to a Column Bet, consisting of three dozen: 1 to 12, 13 to 24, and 25 to 36.
Drop: The amount deposited by a player.
Double Up System of Betting: This refers to a betting system where the player increases his bet by two after a loss to regain some of the money he played on the previous bet.

E

En Plein: A French term that means a ‘Straight Up Bet’.
En Prison: A rule in French Roulette. When you have placed an even-money bet, and the number 0 comes up, your bet rides over to the next spin, giving you an extra spin. If you lose a second time, you forfeit your bet, but if you win, you get your bet back (but not the winnings). This takes the house edge on even-money bets down to just 1.35%.
European Roulette: This was the original version of roulette, now most commonly found in European and Asian casinos. Unlike the American version, in European roulette, only one 0 is used, which has the advantageous effect of lowering the house edge.
Even Money Bet: Also known as a ‘Flat Bet’. These bets pay out 1:1, for example, red/black.

F

French Bets: These bets cover certain physical sections of the roulette wheel. They are popular in European casinos, particularly among high rollers. A player making a French bet is one making several bets at once to cover all of the numbers in each wheel section.
Flat Betting: Betting the same amount on every spin.
Five Number Bet: Arguably the worst bet one can make when playing on an American roulette wheel because a player bets on 0, 00, 1, 2, or 3.
French Roulette: A variant of European Roulette which may offer ‘La Partage’ or the ‘en prison rule’. The table layout is slightly different, and the names of the sectors are in French.

G

George: A player who is a big tipper.

H

House Edge: The mathematical advantage the casino holds over the player, expressed as the percentage of each bet the casino expects to keep on average in the long run. On a single 0 roulette wheel, the house edge is 2.70%.
High Bet: The bet one makes on the prediction that the next spin will hit between 19 and 36.
High Roller: Someone who bets a large amount of money. Also known as a ‘Whale’.

I

Inside Bets: Bets are made on the inside section of the roulette layout, where the numbers are printed. These bets cover only individual numbers or small groups of numbers, with payouts at relatively high odds.

L

La Partage: Reminiscent of the previously mentioned ‘En Prison’ rule, the player loses half their bet and doesn’t enjoy the option of leaving their bet ‘in prison’ for a later spin. La Partage is used for ‘outside’ even-money wagers such as Red/Black, High/Low, or Odd/Even, and can apply when the result is 0.
Line Bet: A bet on six numbers, structured as two lines of three numbers on the betting grid. Pays out 5-1, with a 16% chance of winning.
Low Bet: When a player wagers and a number between 1 and 18 hits.

M

Marker: The device used by the croupier to mark the winning number after each spin. Players should not place new bets for the upcoming spin until the croupier has removed the marker from the table.
Martingale System: A famous system where you double your bet after a losing bet to claw back into profit. Be careful with this system as it can ramp up quickly!
Mini Roulette: Available at some online casinos, this game features a smaller wheel of only 13 numbers (0-12) instead of the standard amount, with payouts adjusted accordingly. In addition to this, many Mini Roulette games return half of all losses when a spin results in a 0.

N

Negative Progression: A system where you increase your bet after a loss. Examples include the Martingale, the Fibonacci, and the Super Martingale systems.

O

Odd: A bet on all the odd numbers. Pays 1:1.
Orphans: Commonly heard in European casinos. Refers to a bet on three specific numbers - 6, 34 & 17 - that are neighbours on the wheel, though far apart on the layout.
Orphelins: Also used in European casinos, the ‘orphelin’ bet is a bet on a specific group of numbers on a section of the roulette wheel where the numbers are neighbours on the wheel.
Outside Bet: Anything that is not an Inside Bet. Slide your chips onto the outside of the betting grid in the marked zones.

P

PParlay: This term refers to doubling a bet after a win.
Pockets: The roulette wheel areas where the roulette ball might land. Each pocket has a unique number, ranging from 1-36, and there is also a 0 pocket (and a 00 pocket on an American roulette wheel). Half of the numbered pickets are coloured red, half are black, and 0s are coloured green.
Positive Progression: A system where you increase your bets after a win to accelerate profits on winning streaks.

R

Red Bet: An even money Outside Bet, and probably the most famous bet in roulette (The expression “stick it all on the red”). Pays 1:1.

S

Sector Bet: A group of numbers within a sector of a wheel, also called a Neighbours bet.
Six Line: A bet made that covers two adjacent rows of numbers on the roulette layout, covering six numbers in all. This bet traditionally pays out at 5-1 odds.
Split: This term refers to a bet which covers two adjacent numbers on the roulette table and is made when a player puts his chips on the intersection of two numbers. Traditionally, this type of bet pays out at odds of 17-1.
Straight Up: A bet made on a single number by placing chips on that number on the table layout. This bet traditionally pays out at odds of 35-1.
Street: This refers to a bet made on a row of three numbers on the roulette table layout, which is made by placing chips on the edge of that row. Traditionally, this bet has 11-1 odds.

T

Tiers Du Cylindre: A French expression commonly heard in European casinos. It is a bet on a particular group of numbers on a section of the roulette wheel, which are paired neighbours on the layout.
Transversale: The French term for Street Bet.

V

Voisins du Zero: A French term common in European casinos. It is a wager on a particular group of numbers on a section of the roulette wheel neighbouring the 0.

Z

Zero: This refers to the pocket on a roulette wheel marked with a 0. All roulette wheels contain a ‘single 0’ space. However, American roulette wheels have this and an additional double 0 pocket.

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