This page defines every roulette term that comes up across the rest of the cluster, from the obvious (Red, Black, Wheel) to the obscure (Voisins du Zéro, Jeu Zéro, Sixain). Use it as a reference: skim the alphabet, find the term, click through to the deeper page if you want more than the definition.
How to Use This Glossary
Roulette inherited most of its vocabulary from 19th-century French casinos, which is why most bets carry two names (Split / Cheval, Corner / Carré, Six Line / Sixain). The entries below cover the roulette terms you’ll encounter across this cluster, English name first, with the French name folded in where it differs. Where a term has a dedicated spoke, the entry links to it.
A
American Roulette. The 38-pocket variant (0, 00, 1-36). House edge is 5.26% on most bets and 7.89% on the Top Line. Higher edge than European or French; avoid where possible. See European vs American Roulette for the full comparison.
Announced Bet. See Called Bet.
Auto Roulette. A live format using a physical wheel without a human dealer. Spins are mechanically timed and the betting window is typically around 15 seconds. Same edge as the underlying variant; pacing is faster than standard live tables.
B
Ball Track. The fixed outer ring of the wheel where the dealer spins the ball before it drops into the rotating pocket disc.
Bankroll. The money set aside for a session or a longer playing period. Effective bankroll management is the central element of Roulette Strategy.
Biased Wheel. A physical wheel with mechanical defects (worn frets, unbalanced rotor) that produce non-uniform pocket frequencies. Exploited in classical advantage play (Joseph Jagger, Gonzalo García-Pelayo). Effectively non-existent in modern regulated and online roulette. See Roulette Advantage Play.
Black. One of two main colours on the wheel (alongside red). 18 pockets are black, 18 are red, and the zero (and 00 on American) is green. Black bets pay 1:1 and win 48.65% of spins on European.
C
Called Bet. A pre-defined combination of inside bets covering a section of the wheel, not the layout. Voisins du Zéro, Tiers du Cylindre, Orphelins, and Jeu Zéro are the standard called bets. Common on French Roulette and most European tables.
Carré. French name for Corner (4 numbers, 8:1 payout).
Cheval. French name for Split (2 numbers, 17:1 payout).
Chip. The unit of stake at the table. On online tables, you set your chip value before placing it on the layout; the chip then renders at that denomination wherever you click.
Colonne. French name for Column.
Column. An outside bet covering one of three vertical columns of 12 numbers each. Pays 2:1, hits 32.43% on European.
Combination Bet. Any round’s bet that places chips on multiple positions. Combination bets don’t change house edge per chip; they reshape variance. See Bet Types & Payouts.
Corner (Square). An inside bet on 4 numbers forming a 2×2 block. Pays 8:1, hits 10.81% on European.
Croupier. The dealer at a roulette table. Used mainly on French tables.
D
D’Alembert. A betting system that raises the stake by one unit after a loss and lowers it by one after a win. A formalised version of the Gambler’s Fallacy. Doesn’t reduce house edge. See Roulette Betting Systems.
Dolly (Marker). The small marker the dealer places on the winning number after the ball settles. Online tables show a graphical equivalent.
Double Ball Roulette. A variant where two balls are released on a single European wheel. Inside bets pay reduced odds; outside bets pay only if both balls hit the bet area. See Roulette Variants.
Double Zero. The “00” pocket, present only on American Roulette. The single biggest reason American has a higher edge than European.
Dozen. An outside bet covering 12 consecutive numbers: 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36. Pays 2:1, hits 32.43% on European.
Douzaine. French name for Dozen.
E
En Plein. French name for Straight Up (1 number, 35:1).
En Prison. A French Roulette rule on even-money bets: when the ball lands on zero, the bet is held for the next spin. If the imprisoned bet wins, you get the stake back (no winnings); if it loses, the stake is lost. Mathematically equivalent to La Partage. See French Roulette.
European Roulette. The 37-pocket variant (0, 1-36). Single zero. House edge 2.70%. The default on Malaysian-facing online tables. See European vs American Roulette.
Even. An outside bet on the even numbers (excluding 0 and 00). Pays 1:1, hits 48.65% on European.
Expected Value (EV). The average outcome of a bet over many trials, expressed as a fraction of stake. On European Roulette, every standard bet has an EV of −2.70%.
F
Fibonacci. A betting system based on the Fibonacci sequence: after a loss, bet the sum of the previous two stakes. Slower bankroll depletion than Martingale but same long-run cost. See Roulette Betting Systems.
Finale (Finals). A French Roulette bet covering all numbers ending in the same digit. “Finale 5” covers 5, 15, 25, 35 (four chips). “Finale 9” covers 9, 19, 29 (three chips, since there’s no 39).
French Roulette. A 37-pocket variant with La Partage or En Prison rules on even-money bets, reducing effective edge to 1.35%. The best deal in the game when available. See French Roulette.
A note on French names
Most bets have both English and French names because the modern game was codified in 19th-century Monte Carlo. On a French table or a high-end European table, the dealer announces bets in French (En Plein, Cheval, Carré, Sixain, Transversale, Colonne, Douzaine). The bets themselves are identical to their English equivalents; only the call changes. You can place them through the interface without speaking a word.
G
Gambler’s Fallacy. The mistaken belief that past spins influence future ones (e.g., “red is due after a black streak”). The wheel has no memory; each spin is independent. The Monte Carlo black streak of 1913 (26 blacks in a row) is the famous case study.
Green. The colour of the zero (and 00) pockets. Outside colour bets lose on green; this is the entire source of the house edge.
H
High. An outside bet on 19-36. Pays 1:1, hits 48.65% on European.
Hot Numbers. Numbers that have hit recently on a given wheel. Many tables display a history strip showing the last 10-20 results. On a fair wheel, past frequency has zero predictive value (see Gambler’s Fallacy). Useful only as a curiosity, not a betting signal.
House Edge. The mathematical advantage built into the payouts. European Roulette: 2.70%. American: 5.26% (7.89% on Top Line). French even-money with La Partage: 1.35%. The edge is the casino’s expected take per unit wagered over the long run.
I
Immersive Roulette. An Evolution Gaming product with cinematic camera angles and slow-motion ball-drop replays. Standard European rules underneath. See Live Roulette.
Impair. French name for Odd.
Inside Bet. A bet placed on or between numbers in the main 3×12 grid. Inside bets cover 1 to 6 numbers and pay 5:1 to 35:1.
J
Jeu Zéro. A called bet covering 7 numbers closest to 0 on the wheel: 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15. Placed with 4 chips. A subset of Voisins du Zéro.
L
La Partage. A French Roulette rule: on even-money bets, if the ball lands on 0, you lose only half the bet. Effective edge drops from 2.70% to 1.35%. See French Roulette.
Labouchere (Cancellation System). A complex betting system using a number sequence. Write down a sequence, bet the sum of first and last, cross out wins, add losses to the end. Same failure modes as Martingale plus more bookkeeping. See Roulette Betting Systems.
Layout. The felt grid showing every betting position. Inside bets sit on or between numbers; outside bets sit in the boxes around the grid.
Lightning Roulette. An Evolution-branded variant where 1-5 numbers per round receive multipliers up to 500x on straight-up bets. Base straight-up payouts are reduced to fund the multipliers. See Lightning Roulette.
Low. An outside bet on 1-18. Pays 1:1, hits 48.65% on European.
M
Manque. French name for Low (1-18).
Marker. See Dolly.
Martingale. A betting system: double the stake after every loss until a win, then start over. The most-discussed system, and one of the most consistently failing. Killed by table limits and bankroll exhaustion. See Roulette Betting Systems.
Mini Roulette. A 13-pocket variant (0 plus 1-12). House edge typically 7.69%. Novelty variant. See Roulette Variants.
Multi-wheel Roulette. A variant where a single round of bets settles against multiple wheels (typically 6 or 8) simultaneously. Same edge per chip, higher variance.
N
Neighbour Bet. A bet on a chosen number plus the two numbers on each side of it on the wheel (5 straight-ups total). Standard feature on Evolution and Pragmatic Live tables.
No More Bets. The dealer’s call (French: “rien ne va plus”) that closes the betting window. Late bets are ignored or rolled back.
Noir. French name for Black.
O
Odd. An outside bet on the odd numbers. Pays 1:1, hits 48.65% on European.
Orphelins (Orphans). A called bet covering 8 numbers not part of Voisins du Zéro or Tiers du Cylindre: 17, 34, 6, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9. Placed with 5 chips (or 8 chips if played “en plein”).
Outside Bet. A bet placed in the boxes around the number grid (Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low, Column, Dozen). Outside bets cover 12 or 18 numbers and pay 1:1 or 2:1.
P
Pair. French name for Even.
Pinball Roulette. A novelty variant where the ball drops through a pinball-style obstacle course before landing. Aesthetic only; same edge as the underlying wheel.
Pocket. Any of the 37 (or 38) numbered slots on the wheel where the ball can land.
Premier 4 (First Four). A French Roulette bet covering 0, 1, 2, 3. Pays 8:1, hits 4 in 37 (10.81%). Same edge as a Corner bet (2.70%); distinct from American Top Line, which covers 5 numbers (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) at 6:1 with a worse 7.89% edge.
Q
Quantum Roulette. Playtech’s branded variant with random multipliers on straight-up bets. Similar concept to Lightning Roulette. See Roulette Variants.
R
Racetrack. The oval display showing wheel positions (not layout positions) for placing called bets. Visible on French Roulette and most European tables.
Red. One of the two main colours on the wheel. Red bets pay 1:1 and win 48.65% on European.
Rien Ne Va Plus. French: “no more bets.” The dealer’s call closing the betting window.
RNG (Random Number Generator). The software algorithm that determines outcomes on non-live roulette. Audited and certified at licensed operators. See Roulette Rules.
Rouge. French name for Red.
RTP (Return to Player). The inverse of house edge. European Roulette has an RTP of 97.30% (= 1 minus 2.70%). French even-money with La Partage: 98.65%. American: 94.74%.
S
Sector Bet. A bet covering a contiguous section of the wheel. Synonym for Called Bet in some sources.
Sixain. French name for Six Line.
Six Line (Double Street). An inside bet covering 6 numbers across two adjacent rows. Pays 5:1, hits 16.22% on European.
Speed Roulette. A fast-paced live roulette format with rounds compressed to about 25 seconds. See Live Roulette.
Split (Cheval). An inside bet on 2 adjacent numbers. Pays 17:1, hits 5.41% on European.
Straight Up (En Plein). An inside bet on 1 number. Pays 35:1, hits 2.70% on European.
Street (Transversale). An inside bet on a row of 3 numbers. Pays 11:1, hits 8.11% on European.
Surrender. An American Roulette rule (now mostly extinct online) where even-money bets lose only half on a zero. Mirrors La Partage. See Roulette Rules.
T
Tiers du Cylindre. A called bet covering 12 numbers on the wheel opposite zero: 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33. Placed with 6 chips.
Top Line (Basket). An American Roulette bet covering 0, 00, 1, 2, 3. Pays 6:1, carries a 7.89% house edge, the worst bet on the table. Avoid. See Bet Types & Payouts.
Transversale. French name for Street.
Trio. An inside bet covering a zero-containing three-number combination (0-1-2 or 0-2-3 on European; 0-00-2 on American). Pays 11:1, same as a Street.
V
Variance. The size of swings around expected value. High-variance bets (straight-ups) produce big single wins and long losing streaks; low-variance bets (red/black) produce small, frequent wins and gentle swings. EV is identical; experience is not.
Voisins du Zéro. A called bet covering 17 numbers in an arc around 0 on the wheel: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25. Placed with 9 chips.
W
Wheel. The rotating disc with numbered pockets. The numbering order on the wheel differs from the grid order on the layout, which is why bets covering wheel sections (called bets) hit non-contiguous numbers on the layout.
Wheel Head (Rotor). The inner rotating part of the wheel that holds the pockets. Distinct from the bowl, which is the fixed outer cylinder.
X
XXXtreme Lightning Roulette. Evolution’s high-volatility variant of Lightning, with multipliers extending much higher than standard Lightning. See Lightning Roulette.
Z
Zero. The green 0 pocket on every roulette wheel. The entire source of the European house edge. American wheels add a second zero (00), nearly doubling the edge.
For the maths behind these roulette terms applied to actual bets, see Bet Types & Payouts. For the mechanics of a round, see Roulette Rules. For how to put the terminology to use at the table, the Roulette Strategy spoke covers the levers that actually matter. For the variant-specific concepts (la partage, called bets, lightning multipliers), head to French Roulette, European vs American, or Lightning Roulette. When you’re ready to pick a table, the Online Roulette in Malaysia roundup lists the operators with the broadest selection. The full Roulette pillar ties everything together.