Glossary for Roulette

Roulette is one of the oldest among all casino games. It originated in France and then spread to different parts of Europe and eventually reached South America and then North America as its final destination. It still retains some of the original French words for actions during the game so for some players it can be difficult to understand what the actual meaning of the word or phrase is without referencing it beforehand if they are new to the game. Although some of the games features and strategies were changed as it was adopted by all the different cultures that it came into contact with, especially in America, in general there are some commonly used terms that are associated with every different variant of the game of roulette.

Even when you play roulette at an online casino it is still good to know all these terms. Remember that when playing any type of casino game, whether it’s at a land based or online casino, you will be more at ease if you know all the associated terminology of the game you’re playing. This allows you to enjoy your recreational gambling time confidently and gives you time to learn all the subtleties associated with the game. Some of the most frequently used terms and phrases in the exciting game of roulette are explained here.

Action - A certain amount of money that is wagered on a specific bet formation.

American Roulette - The numbers on an American roulette wheel ranges from 1-36 with a single zero slot and a double zero slot (0 and 00). The total number of slots in American roulette is 38.

European Wheel - A type of roulette wheel where the numbers range from 1-36 with a single zero slot (0 only). This type of single zero wheels offer better odds than a wheel that features a double zero slot (00).

Carr - Meaning ‘corner bet’, a type of bet in roulette that covers all 4 numbers. Sometimes this is also called square.

Croupier - The dealer at the roulette table in a casino is known as the croupier.

En Prison Rule – This is a strategy in roulette which is applicable for even money bets. If the spinning ball lands on zero then the bet is imprisoned until the next spin of the wheel.

Spin – A round in a game of roulette is known as a spin.

Wheel - The device found at every roulette table on which you spin the ball. The roulette wheel has an average circumference of three foot and features different numbered slots.

Wheel Chips – The name for the tokens which are used when betting in a game of roulette.

La Partage Rule - This roulette rule is applicable for an even-money bet. According to this rule if the ball lands on 0 then the player has to part with half of his original bet.

Single Zero Wheel - A French or European style of roulette wheel that features only one zero slot.

Red or Black Bet - The name given to a type of outside bet in roulette. It comprises all the red coloured numbers or all the black coloured numbers. It is a 50/50 bet as there is 18 numbers of each colour.

Street – When a player makes a bet horizontally at the beginning of a line

Inside Bet - When a player places his bet on any of the 36 numbers it is called inside bet

Outside Bet - When a player places his bet on an odd/even or red/black slots other than the inside slots it is called an outside bet.