Glossary of roulette terms: A-to-Z overview of every word you need to know

Roulette has its own specific vocabulary, which can sometimes seem complex to novice players. It is important to be familiar with the key terms in order to better understand how the game works. The PepperMill Casino glossary presents the essential terms related to roulette in a simple and clear manner, to help you discover the game and its world.

The glossary

This glossary sets out the main roulette terms to make the game easier to understand and to help you get to grips with how it works.

American roulette

American roulette is a game with two zeros and a higher house edge. It is often contrasted with European roulette.

Auto roulette

A live roulette game where the wheel spins automatically without a human dealer.

Backtrack

The outer groove of a roulette wheel where the ball travels before dropping toward the numbered pockets.

Bankroll

A player’s bankroll is the money they have available to play with. Managing your bankroll is essential for playing safely.

Ball

With each spin, the ball is spun in the wheel to determine the winning number. In online roulette, the result is determined by the RNG and an animation simulates the spin of the wheel.

Ball-track

Another word for backtrack. The circular track that guides the roulette ball around the wheel before it loses speed.

Bottom track

The lower circular section of the roulette wheel where the ball enters before landing in a numbered pocket.

Call bets

A group of special roulette bets announced by name rather than placed directly on individual numbers. They typically cover predefined sections of the wheel.

Carré

French for corner. A roulette bet covering four numbers that meet at one corner of the table layout.

Cheval

French for split. A roulette bet covering two adjacent numbers on the table layout.

Corner

A corner bet is a bet on four adjacent numbers, forming a square on the table.

Cold numbers

Cold numbers are numbers that come up less often in roulette. Some players use them as part of their strategy, though it's worth understanding the psychology behind these beliefs.

Column

A column bet covers 12 numbers on the table. There are three different columns.

Croupier

The casino dealer responsible for spinning the roulette wheel, managing bets, and announcing the winning number.

Demo roulette

A free version of roulette that allows players to practice without risking real money.

Dolly

A small marker used by the croupier to identify the winning roulette number.

Double zero (00)

An additional green pocket found on American roulette wheels, increasing the total number of pockets to 38.

Douzaine

French for Dozen. An outside bet covering one group of twelve consecutive numbers.

Dozen

A bet on a dozen covers the numbers 1 to 12, 13 to 24 or 25 to 36.

En plein

French for Straight-up bet. A bet placed on one individual roulette number.

En Prison

En Prison is a rule in French roulette. If you lose a bet with a 50-50 chance, you can either forfeit your stake or leave it on the table to try your luck again.

European roulette

European roulette is a version of roulette with a single zero and a smaller house edge. It is often contrasted with American Roulette.

Even / Odd

The Even / Odd bet covers all even numbers or all odd numbers, excluding 0 or 00.

Faites vos jeux

The croupier says “Faites vos jeux” or “Make your bets” when players can place their bets.

Fibonacci betting system

A roulette betting strategy based on the Fibonacci sequence, increasing bets after losses.

Five number bet

A unique American roulette bet covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 with a single wager.

French roulette

French roulette is identical to European roulette, but with additional rules such as La Partage and En Prison.

Gambler’s fallacy

The mistaken belief that previous roulette outcomes influence future independent spins.

Hot numbers

Hot numbers are numbers that come up more frequently in roulette. Some players use them as part of their strategy.

House edge

The house edge is the percentage that the casino wins from players’ bets over the long term. It varies depending on the variant of roulette you are playing.

Inside bet

Inside bets are bets placed on specific numbers: straight-up bets, split bets, street bets or corner bets.

La Partage

La Partage is a rule in French roulette. If you have placed a bet with a 50-50 chance and the ball lands on 0, you get half your stake back.

Line bet

A bet covering 6 numbers across 2 adjacent rows.

Live roulette

An online roulette game streamed in real time with a human dealer operating a physical wheel.

Low / High

Low / High bets cover the numbers 1 to 18 (Low) or 19 to 36 (High).

Make your bets

It's the same expression as "Faites vos jeux" but translated in English. It is used to indicate thay players can place their bets.

Manque / Passe

French for High / Low. A bet on all numbers from 1 to 18 or 19 to 36.

Martingale betting system

A betting strategy where players double their wager after every loss to recover previous losses with one win.

Neighbour bets

Bets covering a chosen number and the numbers positioned next to it on the roulette wheel.

No more bets, please

The croupier says “No more bets, please” or “Rien ne va plus” when players must stop placing bets.

Orphans

Orphans are the 8 numbers that are covered neither by the tiers du cylindre bet nor by the voisins du zéro bet: 9, 31, 14, 20, 1 and 17, 34, 6.

Outside bet

Outside bets are bets on groups of numbers: Red/Black, Even/Odd, Low/High, columns and dozens.

Pair / Impair

French for Even / Odd. A bet on all even or odd numbers.

Racetrack

The racetrack is a betting area where the numbers are in the same order as on the roulette wheel. It makes it easier to bet on adjacent numbers, as we show in our roulette neighbour bets guide.

Red / Black

The Red / Black bet covers all red numbers or all black numbers on the roulette wheel. bet covers all red numbers or all black numbers on the roulette wheel.

Return to player

The theoretical percentage of wagered money a roulette game returns to players over time.

Rien ne va plus

“Rien ne va plus” is the french translation of “No more bets, please”. The croupier says this to stop players from placing more bets.

RNG

Random Number Generator, the technology used to produce unpredictable outcomes in online roulette games.

RTP

Short for return to player. A long-term statistical measure showing how much of all bets are paid back as winnings.

Sixaine

French for Line bet. A roulette bet covering six numbers arranged across two adjacent rows.

Split

A bet on two adjacent numbers at once.

Straight up bet

A bet on a single number. This is the bet that pays out the most if it wins.

Street bet

The Street bet, also known as Trio bet or Triple bet, is a bet on a row of three adjacent numbers.

Table layout

The printed betting area where players place wagers on numbers and betting options.

Tiers du cylindre

The tiers du cylindre is a special bet covering one third of the numbers on the roulette wheel: 33, 16, 24, 5, 10, 23, 8, 30, 11, 36, 13 and 27.

Top line bet

Another name for Five number bet. A combination bet available only in American roulette that includes five numbers: 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3.

Transversale

A roulette bet covering three numbers in one horizontal row.

Trio bet

Trio bet is a different term for Street bet. It’s a bet on a row of three adjacent numbers.

Triple bet

Triple bet is a different term for Street bet. This bet is on a row of three numbers next to each other.

Voisins du zéro

The voisins du zéro is a special bet covering 17 numbers: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2 and 25.

Wheel

The wheel is the main part of the roulette game, divided into 37 or 38 pockets. On each spin, the ball is thrown in the opposite direction to the wheel’s rotation to determine the winning number. Did you know that the roulette wheel is sometimes called the “Devil’s Wheel”? This is because the sum of all the numbers equals to exactly 666. We cover it in our fun facts about roulette.

Zero

In European roulette, zero is the only pocket on the wheel that is neither red nor black. It is also excluded from other outside bets. American roulette has a zero and a double zero, which increases the house edge.

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