Roulette Glossary: Comprehensive Guide to Essential Terms

• There are plenty of roulette terms used at online and land-based casinos

• Learning the most important ones will help you feel confident

• Read our comprehensive guide to the essential routlette terms

Basic Roulette Terms Explained

All players should be familiar with the following roulette terminology before they place their first wager.

Roulette Wheel

The roulette wheel is the heart of the table game and consists of equally sized number pockets. In European Roulette pockets are numbered 0 to 36, while in American Roulette, there is an additional number, 00. The numbers alternate in colour between red and black, and both the 0 and 00 are coloured green.

Roulette Table

The roulette table is where players place their bets, even when they're playing online, such as at Betfair Casino. The table features a layout that corresponds to the numbers and colours of the wheel and simplifies betting through a series of defined options, better known as inside and outside bets.

Inside Bets

These types of bets are placed directly on specific numbers or small groups of numbers according to their layout on the table. These bets typically offer valuable payouts which are sometimes higher than standard prizes in online slots, but come with lower odds of winning.

The most popular inside bets are:

• Straight Up - Betting on one number.
• Split - Betting on two numbers that are next to each other on the table.
• Street - Betting on three numbers that are next to each other on the table.
• Corner - Betting on four numbers which form a square on the table.
• Six Line - Betting on six numbers that form two Street bets.

Outside Bets

These types of bets cover a larger group of numbers and generally offer lower payouts. However, they have high odds of winning, so are popular amongst players looking for lower-risk bets.

The available outside bets are:

• Red/Black - A bet on whether the winning number will be red or black.
• Odd/Even - A bet on whether the winning number will be odd or even.
• High/Low - A bet on whether the winning number will be high (19-36) or low (1-18).
• Dozens - A bet on a group of 12 numbers, specifically 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36.
• Columns - A bet on one of three vertical columns of 12 numbers.

Zero and Double Zero

The green pocket in European Roulette and pockets in American Roulette are unique in that they are neither red or black, nor odd or even. These pockets give the house its edge, reducing the player's chances of winning on even-money wagers.

Advanced Terms Used in Roulette

Once you have become familiar with basic roulette terms and rules, it's worth learning the following words and phrases.

En Prison Rule

Found exclusively on French Roulette tables, this bet applies to even-money bets and is valid when the ball lands on 0. The player can choose to take back half the bet or place it "in prison" for the next spin. If the next spin results in a win, the player gets the bet back.

La Partage Rule

Similar to the En Prison rule, La Partage is present on some French Roulette tables and states that players who place even-money bets should only lose half their bet when the ball lands on zero. As a result, the house edge is reduced to 1.35%, lower than many of the best RTP slots.

Call Bets

Sometimes referred to as Announcement Bets, these are roulette words that define specific combinations based on the location of the number on the wheel. Traditionally, they were called out to the croupier, though in an online setting, they are placed with all other bets.

There are three types of call bets:

• Voisins du Zéro (Neighbours of Zero): A bet covering 17 numbers surrounding 0 on the wheel.
• Tiers du Cylindre (Thirds of the Wheel): A bet covering 12 numbers opposite 0.
• Orphelins (Orphans): A bet on the eight numbers not covered by the Voisins or Tiers bets.

Neighbour Bets

These types of bets are placed on a number and adjacent numbers on either side of it on the roulette wheel. A "5 and the neighbours" bet, for example, would cover the numbers 5, 10, 23, 24, and 16.

House Edge

The house edge is the statistical advantage the casino has over its players. In European Roulette, this is equal to about 2.7%, whereas in American Roulette, it's closer to 5.26% due to the 00 pocket.

French Roulette tables can have an edge as low as 1.35% and you can take advantage of this by implementing top strategies found in our casino betting guides.

Other Useful Roulette Terms Explained

While you don't need to know the following roulette terminology to enjoy the game, you'll find that understanding these terms may enhance your gaming experience.

• Chips - Roulette chips at land-based casinos are different from standard chips as each player is given a unique set to avoid confusion.
• Croupier - The roulette dealer is better known as the croupier and is responsible for spinning the wheel and ensuring that the game runs smoothly.
• Dolly - A marker placed by the dealer on the table to identify the winning number.
• Payout - The amount of money that a player wins according to the bet placed. A straight bet, for example, pays 35:1, while an even-money bet pays 1:1.

Key Takeaways

• There is a standard set of terms used in roulette used in both land-based and online games.
• Beginners should become familiar with basic roulette terminology before playing real money games.
• Knowing roulette terms and rules is important but, when playing online, the gameplay is automatic, so once you place your bets, you don't need to do anything else.
• The house edge in roulette gives the casino a mathematical advantage. Moreover, no bet type or strategy can guarantee a win, so you should never wager more than you afford to lose.