Roulette Terminology and Slang

The amount of money a player plans to wager in a given session is the action they will give the table or game. It can also refer to the total cash in chips on the roulette table for a given spin.

One of the worst types of roulette games for the player due to the higher house edge. The wheel includes 0 and 00 spaces, which aren’t colored red or black. They usually are green and make the total house edge over 5%.

The area where the ball spins before dropping into the roulette wheel is known as the backtrack or ball track.

If a roulette wheel produces specific numbers with greater frequency, these numbers are biased numbers. They’re also sometimes referred to as golden numbers.

A biased wheel is a tampered wheel. If this occurs, it is typically an inside job at a particular casino or a common defect.

The operator will shut it down as soon as they recognize the problem. It is also sometimes called a gaffed wheel.

When a player makes a bet on the color black, this is a black bet.

The inner part of the wheel that slants downwards and doesn’t spin. The ball will usually bounce off the bottom track into a pocket after dropping from the back track.

To circumvent laws that prevented traditional roulette from being played, casino operators in California invented a roulette that uses cards instead of the wheel and ball. You may still be able to find this form of roulette in some states.

Three-column bets are available that cover all the numbers in that column. It is considered an outside bet and pays 2 to 1.

This type of wagering occurs when a player bets on more than one number in the layout.

The player is essentially hedging their bets and covering multiple numbers in the hope of hitting one to cover all of their bets and make a smaller profit. Hedging your bets is risky and generally not recommended.

If you place a bet on the corner of four numbers, this is known as a corner bet. It pays 8 to 1 if any of those four numbers hold the ball at the end of the spin.

Online casino games often represent your bankroll as credits. It’s a little trick that casinos play to try and disassociate you from the fact you’re wagering real money.

The croupier is the casino employee who spins the ball and manages a roulette game. It’s used for roulette instead of the dealer, as they don’t deal cards, so the term doesn’t really work in this circumstance.

Although this certainly isn’t a way to predict what numbers will win, some dealers consistently spin the ball. Players can use this dealer signature to determine where the ball will land, according to the area from which the dealer initially spins the ball.

People sometimes call roulette the devil’s game. Not because of the unbeatable house edge but instead because adding the numbers together from 1 to 36 equals 666.

When a player bets on twelve numbers using the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd 12 section, it’s known as a dozen bet. If the player wins, they get paid out at 2 to 1 odds.

A popular betting method is to bet to make two dozen bets and hope the ball lands in these to get paid out at a lower rate, but still for a win.

A roulette wheel that has one 0 but not a double zero space. This style is the most favorable type of roulette due to the house edge of only 2.76%. That is still relatively high compared to other popular table games that casinos offer.

A bet option that is available to players on the outside of the layout. If the ball lands on an even number, the wager gets paid out at 1 to 1.

When playing on an American roulette table, a five-number bet is players betting on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. It is a common roulette betting strategy for some players, also known as a top-line bet.

Golden numbers are those that keep winning despite the overwhelming odds and supposed randomness of roulette.

An outside bet where players can wager on the ball landing on any number between 1 and 18 or 19 and 36. If the player wins, the wager gets paid out at 1 to 1, which is even money.

For casinos to remain in business and be profitable, they need to have an edge in every game available in their establishment. The house edge is the percentage advantage that the casino has over the player.

Usually, it is in percentage form. It represents how much-wagered money is theoretically retained by the casino in the long run. Concerning roulette, it has one of the higher edges out of popular table games.

A bet that a player places on any of the numbers in the layout. In other words, a wager inside the box surrounding the numbers on the roulette table.

By placing a chip on the outside line, a player makes a line bet on the corresponding six numbers. This bet gets paid out at 5 to 1 if the ball lands on one of these numbers.

All the numbers and design presented to the players on the table felt is known as the layout. It is where players place their chips to make a bet and also where wins get paid.

Many casinos will offer players a bonus match play bet to encourage them to play. The casino will match a player’s wager of, say, $10 or $25.

That means a player would wager $25, and the casino wagers another $25 on top of their behalf. So the payout would be $50 on an even money bet with this match play.

In this betting system, players double their bet after each loss and halve it after a win. It requires a large bankroll and carries a high risk of rapid losses.

Although some recommend the Martingale system, it’s best to avoid it due to the high risks and low rewards. Each roulette spin is independent, and over time, the Martingale system loses money.

The marker that gets placed on the current number. It is sometimes referred to as a dolly due to its shape. Players can’t collect their bets or make any new bets until this marker gets removed from the table.

The odd bet is available for players on the outside of the layout. If the ball lands on an odd number, the wager will be doubled and paid out at even money.

The numbers 6, 34, and 17 are next to each other on the wheel. However, they are far apart on the layout and are thus known as orphans.

This term is traditionally used in Europe by those playing French roulette. Some players will make continuous bets on the orphans hoping that when the ball lands in that section, it will hit one of these numbers.

The small slots on the wheel situated below the ball’s numbers are known as pockets. Whichever pocket the ball ends up in indicates the winning number for that particular spin and betting round.

When a player bets on red on the outside of the table layout, it’s a red bet. If a red number wins, then that player’s bet will get doubled.

Computer-based casino games use random number generators, or RNGs for short, to determine game outcomes. That is also true of traditional table games available in legit online casinos.

RNGs are mathematical programs that define a draw, deal, or spin, based on programming that ensures a random outcome.

Every spin in roulette is independent of the previous spin. For games in online casinos, previous results do not affect the programming of a random number generator in any way.

Rapid roulette is a version of the game where players bet at computer terminals while an automatic roulette wheel spins a ball. The computers detect the winning number and pay players via their terminals.

Some variations feature a real dealer spinning the ball.

This style allows casinos to accommodate more players than a traditional roulette table. Online casinos offer a similar experience with live dealer roulette, where you bet on a virtual layout and watch a real dealer spin the ball via video feed.

This option provides the feel of real roulette from anywhere.

Another name for a line bet is a Six Number Bet.

When players place a chip on the single line between two numbers, they’re making a split bet. The payout if they win on this bet is 17 to 1.

Some roulette players choose to bet on their lucky number. A direct bet on a single number is known as a straight-up bet.

These get paid out at 35 to 1. These bets are where the casino makes some of its edge against the player. On an American table, you’ll find 37 numbers, and 36 numbers on a European wheel.

On a roulette layout, a street is a row of three numbers. If one of these numbers is the winner, the player gets paid out at 11 to 1. It is sometimes also referred to as a trio bet.

Visual ball tracking is when players try to predict where the ball will land by noting its starting position and where it lands.

They study the wheel to build predictions based on past results. Players then place bets where they think the ball might land. However, this approach is usually inaccurate and unreliable.

The wheel is simply the roulette wheel that spins constantly and receives the ball when it drops from the back track.

Wheel checks are special chips given to players betting on many numbers or when the table is crowded. These chips have value only at that table and can’t be exchanged at the cage.

They must be cashed out with the dealer for regular casino chips before leaving the table.

The wheel section with numbers and their respective pockets is known as the wheel head. Of course, it is the most crucial section of the roulette wheel, as where the ball ends up determines who wins and who loses.

Bets that are verbally placed by players and acknowledged by the croupier in French and European roulette.

Similar to announced bets, these are bets made by declaring them to the croupier rather than placing chips on the table.

“En Prison” is a French roulette rule.

If the ball lands on 0, players with even money bets lose only half their wager. They can either retrieve the remaining half or leave it for the next spin. This rule, also called the surrender rule, reduces the house edge.

The French for “Place your bets.” This phrase can be heard before you place your bets on a roulette wheel.

It’s similar to the en-prison rule in French roulette, except the player can’t leave their half bet in place after the ball lands on 0. They must remove their wager and make another one at the table minimum.

A bet on a number and the numbers surrounding it on the roulette wheel.

The French term for “Black.”

French in origin, orphelins are numbers near each other on the wheel yet not together on the table layout.

A popular strategy among roulette enthusiasts is to bet on the orphelins in the hope of the ball dropping in a particular area on the wheel where they’ve wagered.

Usually, roulette tables in casinos will have small cards that show the wheel configuration so that players can bet on orphelins. People also call this wagering style block betting.

A parlay is when players add their winnings to their original bet for the next spin.

A bet on four numbers that form a square on the roulette table layout.

The French term for “Red.”

A French term meaning “neighbors of zero,” referring to a series of numbers on the roulette wheel that are close to zero.