This roulette glossary explains the terms players see at the wheel, on the layout, in rules pages, and in casino-side discussions. The most important words are zero, house edge, inside bet, outside bet, payout, true odds, La Partage, En Prison, dolly, and no more bets.
Quick Facts
- Roulette terms often mix math, layout language, and dealer procedure.
- “To 1” payout means net profit, not including returned stake.
- Zero is the main source of the standard roulette house edge.
- Inside bets usually pay more but hit less often.
- Outside bets hit more often but still carry the house edge.
- French terms such as La Partage and En Prison can reduce even-money bet cost.
- Use this glossary with the roulette guide and roulette odds.
Plain Talk
Roulette is easy to watch but full of terms that confuse beginners.
Some terms describe the wheel: zero, double zero, single-zero wheel, double-zero wheel. Some describe the betting layout: inside bets, outside bets, dozens, columns, splits, streets, corners, six-lines. Some describe procedure: no more bets, dolly, color chips, settlement. Some describe math: probability, expected value, house edge, RTP, variance.
This page keeps the definitions plain. It is not a hype sheet. It is a working vocabulary for players who want to understand what they are actually betting on.
For standard roulette rules and payouts, Wizard of Odds roulette basics is a useful reference. For formal live-table procedure, see the Massachusetts roulette rules. For broad historical context, Britannica’s roulette overview defines roulette as a banking game played against the house.
How It Works
Use this glossary in three ways:
- Read the beginner terms first if you are new.
- Use the bet terms when reading payout charts.
- Use the math terms when comparing wheels, systems, and variants.
Core wheel terms
| Term | Plain-English Meaning |
|---|---|
| Roulette | A casino game where players bet on where a ball will land on a numbered wheel. |
| Wheel | The spinning device with numbered pockets. |
| One numbered slot on the wheel where the ball can land. | |
| Zero | The green 0 pocket. It makes most standard bets lose and creates house edge. |
| Double zero | The green 00 pocket on American roulette wheels. It increases the house edge. |
| Triple zero | A third green house pocket found on some modern variants. It usually makes the game more expensive. |
| Single-zero wheel | A 37-pocket wheel with numbers 0–36. |
| Double-zero wheel | A 38-pocket wheel with 0, 00, and 1–36. |
| European roulette | Usually single-zero roulette with a 2.70% standard house edge. |
| American roulette | Usually double-zero roulette with a 5.26% standard house edge. |
| French roulette | Single-zero roulette with French layout and sometimes La Partage or En Prison on even-money bets. |
Layout and bet terms
| Term | Plain-English Meaning |
|---|---|
| Layout | The printed betting area on the table. |
| Inside bet | A bet placed on specific numbers or small number groups inside the main grid. |
| Outside bet | A bet placed on larger groups such as red/black, odd/even, dozens, or columns. |
| Straight-up bet | A bet on one number. Standard payout is 35 to 1. |
| Split bet | A bet on two adjacent numbers. Standard payout is 17 to 1. |
| Street bet | A bet on three numbers in one horizontal row. Standard payout is 11 to 1. |
| Corner bet | A bet on four numbers touching at a corner. Standard payout is 8 to 1. |
| Six-line bet | A bet on two adjacent streets, covering six numbers. Standard payout is 5 to 1. |
| Dozen bet | A bet on 1–12, 13–24, or 25–36. Standard payout is 2 to 1. |
| Column bet | A bet on one vertical column of 12 numbers. Standard payout is 2 to 1. |
| Even-money bet | A bet paying 1 to 1, such as red/black, odd/even, or high/low. |
| High/low | Outside bets on 1–18 or 19–36. |
| Odd/even | Outside bets on odd numbers or even numbers. Zero is neither. |
| Red/black | Outside bets on red numbers or black numbers. Zero is green. |
French and racetrack terms
| Term | Plain-English Meaning |
|---|---|
| La Partage | A rule where even-money bets lose only half when zero lands. |
| En Prison | A rule where even-money bets may be imprisoned after zero and resolved on the next spin. |
| Racetrack | An oval betting display showing wheel-order call bets. |
| Call bet | A named wheel-section bet often used on French-style layouts. |
| Voisins du Zéro | A call bet covering numbers near zero on the wheel. |
| Tiers du Cylindre | A call bet covering the opposite side of the wheel from zero. |
| Orphelins | A call bet covering numbers not included in the main Voisins or Tiers groups. |
| Jeu Zéro | A smaller bet covering numbers close to zero. |
| Neighbors | A bet on a number and nearby wheel neighbors. |
| Finals | Bets on numbers ending in the same digit. |
Casino procedure terms
| Term | Plain-English Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dealer | The casino employee who runs the game. |
| Croupier | Another word for roulette dealer, common in European-style language. |
| Floor supervisor | The casino supervisor overseeing the table. |
| No more bets | Dealer call that closes betting for the spin. |
| Dolly | The marker placed on the winning number after the ball lands. |
| Settlement | Clearing losing bets and paying winning bets. |
| Color chips | Roulette chips assigned by color to individual players. |
| Value chips | Standard casino chips with printed denominations. |
| Buy-in | Exchanging cash or value chips for roulette chips. |
| Cash out | Exchanging roulette color chips back into value chips or cashable chips. |
| Past posting | Adding a bet after the result is known or nearly known. |
| Pinching | Removing or reducing a losing bet after the outcome is known or nearly known. |
Math terms
| Term | Plain-English Meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | The chance that an event happens. |
| Payout | What a winning bet pays, usually stated as net profit “to 1.” |
| True odds | The fair payout based only on winning and losing outcomes. |
| House edge | The casino’s long-term advantage as a percentage of the initial bet. |
| Expected value | The average value of a bet over the long run. |
| Expected loss | Total action multiplied by house edge. |
| RTP | Return to player; the long-term return percentage after house edge. |
| Variance | The size and frequency of swings around the average result. |
| Total action | The total amount wagered, not just the starting bankroll. |
| Hit frequency | How often a bet wins. |
| Negative expectation | A bet that is mathematically priced to lose over time. |
Roulette Table Example
A beginner walks to a live table and hears this:
“Yellow is one dollar. Minimum ten inside, ten outside. Place your bets. No more bets. Seventeen black. Dealer marks the number with the dolly, clears losers, pays straight-up 35 to 1, splits 17 to 1, black even money.”
Here is that sentence translated:
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yellow is one dollar | The player’s yellow color chips are worth $1 each. |
| Minimum ten inside | Inside bets must total at least $10. |
| Minimum ten outside | Outside bets must total at least $10. |
| Place your bets | Betting is open. |
| No more bets | Betting is closed. |
| Seventeen black | The winning number is 17, a black number. |
| Dolly | Marker placed on 17 to protect the winning result. |
| Straight-up 35 to 1 | A one-number bet on 17 wins 35 units profit. |
| Split 17 to 1 | A two-number bet including 17 wins 17 units profit. |
| Black even money | Black outside bet wins 1 to 1. |
A glossary turns table noise into usable information.
From the Casino Side:
Casinos use precise terms because roulette needs clean procedure. The dealer must know what bet is being called, where chips belong, when betting closes, who owns each color, and how the payout should be settled.
Ambiguous language creates disputes. If a player says “put me around 17,” that can mean several things depending on the house, layout, and dealer interpretation. If a player says “one dollar straight up on 17 and one dollar on each neighbor,” the instruction is clearer.
Surveillance and floor supervisors also use standard terms. A dispute over a late chip is not described emotionally; it is reviewed as possible past posting, unclear placement, or dealer acceptance before the call.
Roulette vocabulary is not decoration. It is table control.
Common Mistakes
- Thinking “35 to 1” means the returned stake is included.
- Calling every outside bet a “safe bet.”
- Treating zero as odd, even, red, black, high, or low.
- Confusing wheel neighbors with table neighbors.
- Thinking European roulette and French roulette always mean the same rules.
- Ignoring whether La Partage applies only to even-money bets.
- Using color chips at another table without cashing out first.
- Misunderstanding “minimum” as per chip instead of per betting area or total category.
Hard Truth
Roulette terms are not trivia. If you do not understand the language, you can misunderstand the bet, the payout, the cost, or the dispute.
FAQ
What is the most important roulette term?
House edge. It tells you the long-term cost built into the game.
What does “to 1” mean?
It means net profit. A 35 to 1 payout wins 35 units profit and usually returns the original stake separately.
Is zero good or bad for the player?
Usually bad. Zero is the pocket that creates the house edge on standard roulette bets.
What is an inside bet?
A bet on one number or a small group of numbers inside the main number grid.
What is an outside bet?
A bet on a larger group such as red/black, odd/even, high/low, dozens, or columns.
What is La Partage?
A French roulette rule where even-money bets lose only half when zero lands.
What is the dolly?
The marker placed on the winning number after the ball lands.
What does “no more bets” mean?
The betting window is closed. Do not add, move, or remove chips.
Deeper Insight
The most dangerous roulette misunderstandings come from words that sound obvious.
“Even money” sounds safe. It is not safe; it only describes the payout. On a European wheel, red has 18 winning pockets and 19 losing pockets because zero is included. On an American wheel, red has 18 winning pockets and 20 losing pockets because zero and double zero are included.
“Outside bet” sounds separate from the inside action. It is separate on the layout, but it is not separate from the house edge. In standard roulette, many outside bets and inside bets have the same house edge even though the hit frequency feels completely different.
“European” sounds automatically best. It is usually better than American roulette because it has one zero instead of two, but French roulette with La Partage can be even better on even-money bets.
“System” sounds like skill. Most roulette systems are just bet-sizing patterns layered on negative-expectation bets.
That is why this glossary should not sit alone. Terms only matter when connected to the math and procedure behind them.
Formula / Calculation
Basic probability:
P(event) = favorable pockets / total pockets
European red:
P(red) = 18 / 37 = 48.65%
American red:
P(red) = 18 / 38 = 47.37%
Expected loss:
Expected Loss = Total Amount Wagered × House Edge
European roulette example:
$500 × 2.70% = $13.50
American roulette example:
$500 × 5.26% = $26.30
Formula Explanation in Plain English
Roulette terms become useful when they tell you what to count. Count the winning pockets, count the total pockets, check the payout, then calculate the edge. The vocabulary is the map. The math is the price tag.
Related Reading
Use this glossary beside the roulette guide, roulette quick reference, and roulette FAQ. For numbers, go to roulette odds, roulette payouts, and roulette house edge. For practical checking, use the roulette odds calculator, expected loss calculator, and house edge calculator. For myth cleanup, read why roulette systems fail and roulette hot numbers myth.