Roulette Glossary
Here are a few terms you may hear while either learning or playing the game of roulette.
- Black: An even-money bet on the ball to land on any black number.
- Block bet: A type of bet where you place your chips on the intersection of four different numbers, therefore betting on all four numbers at once.
- Column bet: A type of bet in roulette where you are betting on one of the bets within a particular column to win. The payout varies according to which bet won.
- Coup: Term used to define a single bet that won.
- Dealer: Casino employee who runs the table- they spin the wheel, collect chips and payout winners.
- Double zero: Bet placed on the green 00 number. It is quite hard to win, but pays 35:1 if you do hit on it.
- Dozens bet: Bet where you predict that the ball will fall on one of a dozen numbers in a sequential column- 1 to 12, 13 to 24 or 25 to 36. The odds are 2:1 if you win.
- Evens: An even-money bet on the ball to land on any one of the even numbers on the table.
- Green: Refers to one of two numbers on the wheel that are green- either the 0 or 00.
- High: A bet on one of the 'high' numbers on the table to win. High numbers are 19-36.
- House advantage: The mathematical percentage that the house has over the players in any given game. In American Roulette, the house advantage is typically 5.36%.
- Inside bet: Name for a particular set of bets. All inside bets are located on the inside of the table that include the boxes for the number bets. The odds vary according to which bet ultimately wins.
- Line bet: A 5:1 odds bet that the ball will land on any set of six neighboring numbers on the table.
- Low: A roulette bet on all of the 'low' numbers on the table. The word 'low' refers to the numbers 1-28 on the table.
- Neighbors: Numbers immediately to the right or left of the actual winnings numbers (these do not win for being neighbors).
- Odd: Name for a bet that the ball will land on any one of the odd numbers on the wheel.
- Outside bet: Opposite of the inside bet, this means that you predict that one of the bets on the outside of the table will win. The bets vary and therefore so do the payouts.
- Parlay: A casino term for leaving your winnings on the table from the previous bet along, with your bet for the next game. Also known as "pressing". This is a general casino term that is used in several games, not just roulette.
- Red: A bet that the ball will land on any one of the numbers in red on the wheel.
- Run: A term used to describe a series of same results at the roulette table. For instance, five spins where the ball always lands on red is a run.
- Single number: Also known simply as a 'number bet', this is a bet on one single number on the wheel.
- Six-line bet: A bet for a set of six particular numbers on the table all at once.
- Slots: Name for the sections of the wheel that separate each number where the ball lands.
- Special line bet: A bet on either zero, one two or three to win. It involves putting your chips on the intersecting line of these numbers so that you can bet on all of them at once.
- Split bet: A bet on two neighboring numbers on the table. You put your chips on the line between the two so that you can bet on both at once.
- Square bet: Similar to a split bet, but you are betting on four neighboring numbers instead of two. You simply put your chips on the cross-intersection of the numbers and you have then bet on all four at once. Sometimes referred to as a 'quarter' bet.
- Street bet: A bet on three numbers in a line.
- Toke: A tip given to the dealer before you leave the table.
- Wheel checks: The chips that are used specifically for roulette tables only. There is a different color for each player at the table. They have a value according to what the player wants, and must be bough and cashed out right at the table.
- Zero: Refers to the green number 0 on the roulette wheel. Also refers to single-number bet on 0.