Roulette Terms

Glossary of Casino Words & Phrases | Terminology

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Every casino game out there has its own terminology, and online roulette is no different. There are numerous words and phrases that you will encounter in both live and online settings and these might often confuse you. This article will help clear the air, bringing you numerous relevant (and less relevant) roulette terms.

Knowing roulette terminology is not important just for showing off. Many roulette strategies explained on this and other gambling sites online will make references to these terms, so knowing them by heart can save you a lot of time and trouble.

Roulette Terms: Understanding the Game Lingo

The roulette glossary may not be as extensive as for some other games out there, but there are still quite a few terms that have become a part of the standard casino language. Without further ado, let’s move to the matter at hand.

Quick roulette guides:

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A

American Roulette

The variation of the game with the wheel containing two Zeroes: a single Zero (0) and the double Zero (00). For more about different game variations, visit our roulette rules page.

 

B

Bet

Also known as a wager. The amount placed on a particular number or other available field constitutes a single bet.

Biased Wheel

 A roulette wheel contains a certain type of bias, meaning that not all numbers are equally likely to win. The bias is usually created by some physical imperfection on the wheel and if a player is able to recognize it, this can be a big advantage.

Block betting

A strategy of betting in such a way as to cover particular part(s) of the wheel in order to increase chances of winning and/or limit potential losses.

Biased Wheel

A Biased Wheel is a manipulated roulette wheel.

Boule

A simplified version of roulette, featuring the wheel with just nine numbers. There are three different colours available for betting and the game is usually played with a rubber ball that bounces around before landing in a particular field.

C

Call bets

Verbally announced bets covering some frequent options like neighbour bets, Zero neighbours (Voisins du zero), full or split orphans, and third section of the wheel. All these bets are explained in more detail in this roulette glossary.

Carr
Also known as Corner Bet. The bet was placed in such a way as to cover four adjacent numbers on the roulette felt. The chip is placed so that it covers the corners of the number the player wants to bet on. Carr pays 8 to 1 (plus the wagered amount).

Cheval

A split bet. The wager placed so that it covers two adjacent numbers on the felt, paying 17 to 1.

Column bet

A wager covering one of the three columns of numbers on the roulette felt, paying 2 to 1, plus the wagered amount. Also called Colonne in French.

Corner bet

A bet on four adjacent numbers (see Carr for more details).

Croupier

A more formal and commonly used term for the dealer. A croupier is a person overseeing the game, collecting chips, and paying bets accordingly.

D

Dolly

A marker is used to denote the winning number on the table. It got the name because the first versions of the marker resembled a doll. Dolly helps the players and the dealer to keep track of the winning number and make sure all winning bets are paid accordingly.

Double Zero

Exists only on the American wheel. The space is marked with two Zeroes (00). When this field exists, the wheel is often referred to as a “double zero” wheel.

Dozen bet

A wager placed on one of the three number dozens available. This is an outside bet, paying 2 to 1.

E

En Plein (Plein)

The French term for the straight-up bet, i.e. the bet placed on an exact number. En Plein pays 35 to 1 on the European and 36 to 1 on American roulette.

En Prison

A special rule applied in some casinos where a player playing a bet which pays even money can get a half of his wager back or let it ride for another spin. The rule is only applied when the ball lands in Zero. If the player leaves his or her bet and the ball lands in Zero again, the bet is lost. To see what online casinos offer this and other special rules, check out our Online Casino Comparison page.

European roulette (wheel)

The roulette wheel with thirty six (36) numbers and a single Zero (0).

F

Fibonacci

A betting system based on mathematical progression but a bit more conservative than wildly popular Martingale.

Ficheur

The machine used by croupiers to separate different colored chips after collecting them from the felt. All players at the table are given chips of different colors so there is no confusion about who placed what bets, and it is very important to be able to separate these chips quickly and always have them ready for players.

Five number bet

Used only on American roulette. This is the bet covering five numbers: Zero (0), Double Zero (00), 1, 2, and 3.

H

High/low bet

An outside bet which pays even money. The player either bets low numbers (0 to 18) or high numbers (19 to 36).

I

Inside bet

A bet placed on the inside of the felt, i.e. any bet placed on the numbers.

L

La partage

Another special rule available in certain casinos. La partage is similar to En Prison rule, as player gets back half of an even money bet if the ball lands in Zero. However, the player does not get an option to leave his entire bet on for the next spin.

 

M

Martingale

Probably the best known roulette strategy based on the mathematical progression. Check out our dedicated Martingale strategy page for a full overview of the system.

 

N

Neighbor bet

(Neighbors): A wager placed on five numbers in close proximity on the roulette wheel (not on the felt), i.e. a particular number and two numbers to its immediate left and right on their bet wheel.

O

Orphans

The French term describes a bet on particular numbers: 6, 17, and 34. These numbers are neighbours on the wheel, but on the felt they are far apart.

Orphelines

 Another French term used to describe a wager placed on numbers neighbouring on the wheel but are far apart from each other on the felt (layout). Electronic and online versions of roulette usually have these bets readily available so you don’t have to find and place them manually.

Outside Bet

 A bet is placed on the outer part of the felt, i.e. not on numbers. These are wagers that pay even money like even/odd, red/black, or high/low, as well as dozen and column bets which pay 2 to 1.

P

Payout

The amount or the odds paid by the casino to a winning player.

R

Racetrack bets

Another name for the Call bets, i.e. verbally announced bets encompassing the options explained in the Call bets definition.

Rapid roulette

Sometimes also called a quick roulette. The roulette table is equipped with player terminals to help with the faster placing of the bets. Nothing else changes, as there is still the croupier releasing the ball and determining the payouts, but the pace of the game is increased as players don’t have to stretch across the table to place the chips.

Roulight

A more adrenaline-pumped version of the regular roulette, where players can only bet on a straight-up number, split numbers, neighbours, and wheel sections. Even money wagers on the outside are not allowed.

A

Sixainne

A wager was placed on six numbers. Also known as the Six line bet.

Split bet

A bet on two numbers neighbouring each other on the felt, which pays 17 to 1. Also called Cheval in French.

Straight-up bet or En Plein

The bet on an exact number, paying 35 to 1.

Street bet

A bet was placed on three numbers. The French term for this wager is Transversale.

T

Transversale

As explained above, just a different name for the Street bet (a bet on three numbers)

V

Voisin du Zero

A wager is placed on a group of numbers, which are all neighbours of the Zero on the wheel.

Conclusion

Know Your Roulette Terms

Roulette terms listed here should cover pretty much everything you need to know to feel comfortable at the tables and learn different strategies without any problems. While there may be a roulette term or two missing from this overview, I am confident that you have everything you could possibly need.

All that is left now is to head out to our Casino Bonus Comparison page and check out some great offers we’ve uncovered and prepared just for you. With the knowledge that you’ve accumulated reading through our different guides and tips & tricks articles and the added money to boost your bankroll, you will be on your way to making some serious damage.

But, some luck can never hurt, so best of luck out there and always keep your emotions in check at the tables.