Do you think you understand all the terms used when playing roulette? Check up the meaning of words in our roulette termbase, containing over 100 standard terms.
A
- American roulette – a specific type of roulette. In this case, the roulette wheel has 38 fields. Aside from the usual numbers, there's also a field containing double 0, i.e. 00.
- American wheel – the wheel of the American roulette. It has 38 fields with two zero fields (the fields 0 and 00).
B
- Backtrack – the outer track of the roulette. This is used by the dealer to spin the ball.
- Ball – The ball is thrown into the roulette wheel by the dealer; after it stops moving, its position specifies the winning number. The correct way to throw it in is to make sure it goes counter-clockwise while the wheel turns clockwise.
- Biased wheel – a defective wheel. If the ball stops on some numbers more frequently than on others, we often say that the wheel is biased.
- Biased numbers – numbers which win more frequently than others, due to a biased wheel.
- Big number – a number which wins more frequently than it statistically should can be an indicator of a biased wheel.
- Black action – a bet with black chips.
- Blacks – black chips.
- Black bet – a bet on the black color.
- Bottom track – the inner track of the roulette, from which the ball eventually falls onto the winning number.
C
- Capping a bet – a violation of the betting rules resulting in an intentional placement of more chips on the winning field.
- Carré – The French term for a corner bet. In other words, a bet on 4 numbers.
- Casino Edge (House Edge) – a number specifying how large the advantage of the casino is. The higher the number, the lower your statistical probability of winning. The European roulette has a casino edge of 2.70% (thanks to having a single 0), while the American roulette has a casino edge of 5.26% (due to having 2 zeroes).
- Chasing losses – Increasing bets in an attempt of compensating for previous losses.
- Check Rack – a special holder for chips.
- Cheval – a French term for betting on a pair, i.e., two numbers.
- Chips – these determine the value of your bet.
- Choppy game – a state of the game that is unconventional for roulette. For instance a streak of losses for players, for the casino, etc.
- Combination bet – betting one or several chips on two or more numbers.
- Colonne – the French term for the column bet, i.e., betting on one of the three columns of the roulette.
- Cold table – a slang term for a table where players seem to be losing more frequently.
- Column bet – a bet placed on one of the columns of the roulette. One of the columns contains 12 numbers.
- Corner bet – a bet place of 4 numbers simultaneously; this is done by placing a chip on the intersection of these numbers.
- Croupier – the French term for the dealer in roulette.
D
- Dealer – a casino employee who is responsible for a roulette table, accepts bets and spins the wheel.
- Derniere – the French term for betting on the third dozen (25 to 36).
- Double Row – also called the six number bet, this is a bet on six numbers located in two consecutive rows.
- Double Zero – The double zero. It only exists in the American roulette.
- Double Zero Wheel – the wheel of the American roulette.
- Douzaine – the French term for a dozen bet. In other words, this is a bet on a dozen, i.e., twelve consecutive numbers, such as 1 to 12.
- Dozen bet – see Douzaine.
E
- En Plein – the French term for a bet on a single number.
- En Prison – a special rule that is sometimes applied for even bets (black/red, even/odd) when the ball stops on 0. The rule offers the player a choice: either they can lose one half of their bet, or they can keep the bet on the table for the next round. If the ball stops on 0 once again in the next round, then the player loses the whole bet. In particular, the rule cannot be applied twice in succession.
- European roulette – the most popular type of roulette, with 37 numbers. It contains a single 0 and hence offers better odds for players than the American roulette.
- Even bet – a bet on even numbers. (0 and 00 don't count).
- Even money – A bet with a winning ratio of 1:1, i.e., a bet on colors, even/odd etc.
F
- Fair game – a game where none of the parties (player/casino) has an advantage. Roulette is not a fair game.
- Five number bet – a special bet which is only possible in American roulette. The player bets on the numbers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. This bet has a casino edge of 7.89%.
- Flat bettor – a name for players who always bet on the same numbers.
- French roulette – similar to the European roulette. It has a single 0 and a few minor specific rule changes, e.g., La partage.
- Free spin – the possibility of spinning the roulette without a deposit.
G
- Golden numbers – like biased numbers, these are numbers which win more frequently than they statistically should.
- Greens – green chips.
H
- High bet – a bet on the highest 18 numbers (19 to 36).
- High Low bet – a bet made on either the lowest 18 numbers (1 to 18) or the highest 18 numbers (19 to 36).
- Hoca – one of the first versions of a game similar to roulette.
- Hot table – a table where players seem to win more frequently.
- House Edge – see Casino Edge.
I
- Impair – the French term for a bet on odd numbers.
- Inside bet – The opposite of an outside bet. These are bets made inside the numerical part of the roulette table, e.g., split, straight, line, corner bet.
L
- La Partage – a rule used most frequently in French roulette that is similar to En prison. If the ball stops on 0, the player is allowed to take back one half of their bet; however, the other half is lost, i.e., goes directly to the casino.
- Layout – The area of the table where players make their bets.
- Low bet (Manque) – a bet on the lowest 18 numbers (1 to 18).
M
- Manque (Low bet) – the French term for a bet on the lowest 18 numbers (1 to 18).
- Moyenne – the French term for betting on the second dozen (13 to 24).
N
- Negative progression – a name for roulette systems where players increase their bets after a loss (Fibonacci, Martingale).
- Nickel – a chip worth 5 dollars or euros.
- Noir – a French term for a Black bet, i.e., a bet on the black color.
O
- Odd bet – a bet on odd numbers.
- Outside bet – bets placed outside of the numerical part of the roulette table. These include for instance bets on colors, even/odd numbers etc.
- Orphelins – a French term for the orphan's bet. This is a bet made on numbers which are next to each other on the wheel, but are far from each other on the table.
P
- Pair – the French term for a bet on even numbers. (except for 0 and 00).
- Passé (High bet) – the French term for a bet on the highest 18 numbers (19 to 36).
- Past posting – see Capping a bet.
- Pay Out – the amount by which the player's winnings exceed the losses.
- Pinching – a form of cheating, where the player removes his/her lost bets from the table.
- Plain – a bet on a single number.
- Player clocking – following the actions of another player with a goal of mimicking their bets and winning.
- Positive progression (Positive progression) – a name for roulette systems where the bet increases after a win.
- Premiere – the French term for betting on the first dozen (1 to 12).
Q
- Quarter bet (Square bet) – a bet on 4 numbers.
- Quatre – the French term for a quarter/square bet.
R
- Red bet – a bet on the red color.
- Red Black bet – A bet on either the red (18 numbers) or black (18 numbers) color.
- Reds – red chips, see also Nickel.
- Rien ne vas plus – the French term for the end of betting.
- Rouge – the French term for a bet on the red colors.
- Roulette chips – the chips used in roulette.
- Roulette strategy – a roulette strategy. These are mostly specific methods used by players in order to increase their chance of winning.
- Roulette system – a roulette system; this is similar to a roulette strategy. It is used to increase the player's chance of winning.
- Roulette wheel – the wheel of a roulette. Several variants exist, depending on the type of roulette you are playing. The European and French roulette have 37 numbers on the wheel (0, 1, to 36) while the American roulette has 38 numbers on the wheel (0, 00, and 1 to 36). A new spin begins by spinning the wheel and throwing the ball in.
- Row bet – a bet on a row; also called the street bet.
S
- Signature – a "free" spin of the roulette, used by players to determine future winning bets.
- Single number bet (Straight up bet) – a bet on a single number.
- Single zero wheel – the wheel used in the European and French roulette; it only contains a single 0.
- Single zero roulette – the European/French roulette.
- Six Line bet (Six number bet) – a bet on 6 numbers in two consecutive rows (for instance 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
- Sixaine – the French term for a six number bet.
- Spin – one round of roulette, beginning by throwing the ball in the wheel and ending by closing the bets for the next round.
- Split bet – a bet on two numbers.
- Square bet – see corner bet or quarter bet.
- Stack – 20 roulette chips. Stacks help employees count chips faster during play.
- Straight up bet – see single number bet.
- Street bet – a bet on three numbers on a single row on the roulette table. See also row bet.
T
- Three number bet (Three number bet) – see street bet.
- Tiers du Cylinder – the French term for the third cylinder. This refers to a bet on the numbers that are opposite to 0 on the wheel. This includes the numbers between and including 27 and 33.
- Twelve number bet (Twelve number bet) – see column bet.
- Two number bet (Two number bet) – see split bet.
V
- Voisins du Zero – a French term meaning the "neighbors of zero". It refers to up to 17 numbers that are neighbors to zero. On the wheel these are the numbers including and between 22 and 25.
W
- Wager requirements – specifies how often a player needs to use a bonus before he/she can collect their win.
- Wheel – see roulette wheel.
- Wheel head (Wheel head) – the part of the wheel where the fields with numbers are located.
- Wheel roller – the dealer, also called the croupier.
- Wheel Clocking – a technique where the player uses electronic equipment to determine the outcome of a spin.
Z
- Zero – the green fields in roulette. In European roulette this refers to the field 0, in American roulette there are two green fields: 0 and 00.
(this termbase is regularly updated and expanded, so feel free to come back in the future)