Roulette Glossary of Terms
Like any other casino games, Roulette has its own unique terminology and understanding what each term means goes a long way to not only better understanding the game as a whole but also assists in the variation you'll choose, the bets you make and your enjoyment of the game.
- Action – the amount of money bet on a specific roulette table
- American Wheel – this type of wheel that consists of 38 numbers as it includes both a single and double zero (00).
- Ball - a small ball (usually white) is used in the game and spun on the roulette wheel.
- Ball Track – this refers to the outside rim of the roulette wheel that the ball is spun on.
- Column Bet – this is an outside bet where you wager on numbers appearing in a vertical column depicted on the roulette table that consists of 12 numbers.
- Combination Bet – as the name implies, this type of bet occurs when a player bets on more than one betting option at any given time.
- Corner Bet – this type of bet occurs when you place your wager (in chips) in the centre of a four number grid, covering all of these. The payout on corner bets is usually 8:1
- Croupier – also known as the "dealer" in card games, this is the casino appointed staff member who runs the roulette game.
- Double Zero – also known as American roulette, a double zero table offers both 0 and 00 slots to wager on.
- Dozen Bet – this is an outside bet which is similar to that of a column bet, but covers 12 numbers in numerical order: 1 to 12, 13 to 24, and 25 to 36.
- En Prison – This term is generally found in French roulette and is an even money bet where if a zero appears a player is entitled to reclaim half of his/her original bet or leave it on the table for another spin.
- European Wheel – This type of roulette wheel only features a single zero and no double zero which means is offers slightly better odds that it's American roulette counterpart.
- Even or Odd Bet – this is a bet on whether the ball will land on an even or odd number on the roulette wheel.
- Even Money Bets – These bets usually payout at 1:1 and include bets on Red/Black, Odd/Even or High/Low.
- French Roulette – A roulette variation played on a European table layout. French roulette has some different rules that can come into play.
- High or Low Bet – This is a bet on whether the ball will land on a high number (19 to 36) or a low one (1 to 18).
- Inside Bet – this type of bet is placed on the number of the table.
- La Partage – Another French roulette rule where the player loses half of his/her even money bet but cannot leave the remainder on the table for the next spin.
- Line Bet – this bet is made on a line of numbers on the roulette table, covering 6 of these.
- Outside Bet – bets made on options other than the numbers of the table including odd or even, high or low and black or red etc.
- Red or Black Bet – this is a bet on whether the ball will land on a red or black coloured number on the table.
- Split Bet – Also known as a combination bet which is an inside bet where you bet on the possibility of more than one number.
- Straight Up Bet – this is a bet on one specific number which pays 35 to 1 if you choose the right one.
- Street Bet – this is an outside bet that covers a row of three numbers on the roulette table.
- Trio Bet – this is another form of the combination bet, where a player bets on the ball coming to rest on one of three possible numbers.
- Zero, Double Zero – These are numbers that are depicted as green in colour, and appear at opposite extremeties of the roulette wheel. A Double Zero feature is only found on an American roulette wheel.