Roulette Glossary

Glossary of terms for playing roulette.

#A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

American Wheel

A roulette wheel with 38 slots numbered between 1 and 36 including two zeros: 0 and 00.

B

Big Number

Name for a number which has hit more than its theoretical average.

Blacks

Chips valued at $100.

C

Carré

French term for Corner Bet (see above).

Chips

Game tokens of different amounts which players use to place their wagers on the roulette table.

Column Bet

An outside bet made on one of the 3 longer divisions on the table's layout.

Combination Bet

Wagering on more than one number at a time with multiple chips.

Corner Bet

Betting on four numbers.

Croupier

The Dealer is called Croupier in Baccarat and Roulette games.

D

Double Zero

A bet found only in American roulette, green and located above the individual numbers on the table.

E

Edge

To have an advantage over an opponent is to have an edge. The online casino itself may have an edge against the player, as in the game of roulette, with the '0' and '00' slots on the wheel.

European Wheel

A roulette wheel with 37 slots numbering from 1 to 37 and only one zero: 0.

Even Odd Bet

A bet paying 1-1 if the winning number is even or odd.

Expected Value

Measured either in positive or negative value, it is the statistical percentage a player can expect to win or lose from a bet. The expected value, mathematically calculated, in American Roulette is -5.26%. The meaning is that every dollar bet is expected to lose 5.26%.

F

Five Number Bet

Common in American roulette, a bet covering 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3.

I

Inside Bet

Bets in Roulette divide into two categories: inside bets and outside bets. The terms refer to the location on the wheel, as explained in the following.

The various inside bets include:Straight: betting on a single number. The player places the chip (or chips) directly on the number.Split: betting on two adjoining numbers, by placing the chips on the separating line between the two numbers.Street: betting on three numbers, located along the same horizontal line. This is done by placing chips on the edge of the line, depending on the table layout.Corner: also known as a square bet, the player bets on four numbers.Sixline: also known as sixaine, the player bets on two adjoining streets, a total of six numbers, with the chips placed at the corresponding intersection.

O

Orphans

Betting on three specific numbers which are neighbors on the wheel but far apart on the layout (6, 34 and 17).

Outside Bet

Bets in Roulette divide into two categories: inside bets and outside bets. The terms refer to the location on the wheel, as explained in the following.

P

Payout

The amount paid by the casino to the winning player.

R

Roulette

Roulette, French for "small wheel", the King of Casino Games, is a popular and highly esteemed gambling game, as its moniker teaches us. Roulette players bet on which slot of the wheel - a rotating disk - the small ball will land and rest on. It involves a classic table layout of numbers in red and black, and various betting options.

The game begins with the croupier, the roulette game's dealer. The croupier spins a special wheel in one direction, and tosses a small ball into the tilted surface in the opposite direction. While the players watch for where the ball will eventually land and rest, bets are accepted over what color and number pocket it will land on. This is the outcome that determines winnings.

Round

A whole cycle of a game, including the bets that were placed during that cycle. Each casino game has its own definition of a round: in roulette it is a spin of the wheel and the bets on the outcome; in poker it is the entire process until the winner takes in the pot.