Last Updated on October 27, 2023
These terminology will appear frequently while playing online Roulette, so we’ve produced a glossary to help you keep track of what’s going on at the table.
If you’re wondering how to play roulette at a casino, we recommend you start by learning some of the terms that are commonly used during the game. Don’t worry, we’ve done all of the legwork for you.
| TERM | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| Action | Being in a position to bet, e.g. in the Action. Or the total amount bet over a certain period. |
| All-In | When a player bets his whole pot on one bet. |
| American Roulette | Also known as Double Zero Roulette. A variant with 2 zero pockets, a “0” and a “00”. The house edge in American Roulette is higher than in European roulette. |
| Ball/Back Track | The rim on the wheel where the ball is spun. |
| Bankroll | Your budget for the roulette session. |
| Black Chips | $100 chips. |
| Block Bet | Covering a block of numbers on the roulette betting area. Note- this does not mean that the numbers are in a block on the wheel. |
| Card Roulette | A variant that uses a standard pack of playing cards with 2 jokers. The house edge is between European and American roulette. |
| Cheval | A Split Bet in French Roulette. |
| Clocking | A method of predicting where the ball will land (or zone that it will land in) based on the balls speed and trajectory. |
| Cold Numbers | Numbers that haven’t come up for at least 37 spins. Also Cold Table- where the house is winning. |
| Cold Wheel | A wheel and table where the players seem to be losing more than they are winning. |
| Column Bet | A bet that covers almost one third of the wheel and which pays out 2-1. |
| Comp | When a casino gives you something for free, like a free bonus. |
| Croupier | The person who takes the bets, spins the wheel and pays out the winnings. /French for dealer/ |
| D’Alembert System | A popular roulette startegy where you increase you bet by 1 (or multiples of) after a loss and decrease your bet by 1 after a win. |
| Dead Table | A table with no players. |
| Double Up System | A system where you double your bet after a loss. |
| Drop | The amount deposited by a player. |
| European Roulette | Uses a wheel with only one zero pocket. This variant can be hard to find in some casino in Las Vegas. You should always look for it in preference to American roulette if you are playing online. |
| Even Money Bet | Bets that pay out 1:1, e.g. red/black. Note- your odds aren’t 50/50 as there is the zero(s) to think about. |
| Fibonacci System | A negative progression (increase your bets after a loss) that follows a Fibonacci Sequence, ie 1,1,2,3,5,8 or multiples thereof. |
| Five Number Bet | A bet covering the 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. Found only in American roulette- avoid it! The odds are terrible. |
| Flat Betting | Betting the same amount, every spin. |
| French Roulette | The table layout is slightly different and the names of the sectors are in French. |
| Green Betting | Bet with $25 chips. |
| Grifter | A scammer or cheater. |
| High or Low | An even money bet on all the low numbers (1-18: low) or all the high numbers (19-36). |
| High Roller | A player who bets a large amount of money. |
| Hot | A winning streak. |
| Hot Numbers | Numbers that hit more frequently than they should based on probability. |
| Impair | An Odd Bet on a French table. |
| La Partage Rule | On Even Money bets, you get half your bet back if the ball lands in the zero pocket. |
| Line Bet | A bet on six numbers, 2 lines of 3 numbers on the betting grid. Pays out 5-1, with a 16% chance of winning. |
| Manque | A Low Bet (1-18) on a French wheel. |
| Marker | The croupier/dealer uses a Marker to confirm the winning number after each spin. New bets for the next spin cannot be placed until the market has been removed. |
| Martingale System | Double your bet after a losing bet to claw back into profit. |
| Mini Roulette | Instead of 37 pockets, you have 13 (1-12 plus the zero). |
| Mucker | A second croupier on a roulette table during busy times. Her or she helps with chips and double checks the dealer’s maths and helps to pay out the winning bets. |
| Negative Progression | A system where you increase your bet after a loss. Examples include the Martingale, the Fibonacci and the Super Martingale. |
| Neighbours | A bet (normally from 3 numbers) centered on one number. |
| Odd | A bet on all the odd numbers. Pays 1:1. |
| Online Roulette not on Gamstop | Online roulette not covered by Gamstop and can provide slots based in the US and other countries. |
| Orphans | A bet on three numbers that are close together on the wheel but not on the table layout. |
| Pair | A bet on Evens on a French variant. |
| Parlay or Press | Let your bet ride after a win. Leave your original bet where it is and add your winnings for the next spin. |
| Passe | A High Bet (19-36) on a French Wheel. |
| Positive Progression | A system where you increase your bets after a win to accelerate profits on winning streaks. |
| Single Zero Roulette | European Roulette. |
| Six Line Bet | A line bet on 6 numbers (inside bet). |
| Split Bet | A bet on 2 numbers that sit side by side on the table. |
| Tournament | Competitions where you compete for a prize against other players. The top positioned players on the leaderboard win a share of the pot. |
| Wager | A bet. |
Gabe Harper has been working in the online casino business for a bit over a decade. He has worked on the backend of more established casinos, and has also watched scams come and go. While mostly an avid table game and poker player, Gabe is also known for his tips and bets whenever the Premier League rolls around.
