Roulette has a vocabulary all of its own, and a good chunk of it sounds distinctly French. That's no accident, since the game grew up in France and its language stuck. Watch a live table for a few spins and you'll hear the croupier call out phrases that sound like a secret handshake to anyone who hasn't met them before.
This roulette glossary is the decoder. It covers the roulette terms you're most likely to see on a table layout, in a game menu or in a live stream. We've grouped them by theme and kept each one to the point. Terms are in alphabetical order within each group, so you can scan things quickly.
If you'd like to see the vocabulary in action first, our How to Play Live Roulette guide walks through a full round.
The essentials
These are the roulette terms behind every round, so start here.
Ball track
The outer rim of the wheel where the ball spins before it drops towards the pockets.
Croupier
The dealer who runs a live table. They spin the wheel, launch the ball and settle the bets. The word is French, naturally.
Dolly
The marker a croupier places on the winning number at a land-based table.
Layout
The betting grid on the table. The numbered section in the middle is for inside bets, and the areas around it are for outside bets.
“No more bets”
The croupier's call that betting has closed for the spin. Once you hear it, your stakes are locked in.
Pockets
The numbered slots the ball lands in. Each pocket is red, black or green. Our explainer on how many numbers are on a roulette wheel looks at why the count changes depending on the version you play.
Wheel
The spinning disc at the heart of the game. Roulette is commonly translated from French as "little wheel".
Zero (0)
The green pocket, which is neither red nor black and neither odd nor even. It's the reason the casino keeps a built-in edge on even-money bets.
Double zero (00)
A second green pocket, found on American roulette wheels.
Bets on the layout
Every bet in roulette falls into one of two camps, and the terms below describe where your chip goes.
Column bet
A bet on one of the three vertical columns of 12 numbers on the layout.
Corner bet
A bet on four numbers that meet at one point, with the chip placed at the shared corner. You may also hear it called a quarter bet or a square bet.
Dozen bet
A bet on one block of 12 numbers: 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36.
Even money bet
An outside bet that covers roughly half the table, such as red or black, odd or even, and high (19-36) or low (1-18). It pays the same as your stake, which is where the name comes from.
Inside bet
A bet placed on the numbered grid itself. Straight up, split, street, corner and six-line bets are all inside bets.
Outside bet
A bet placed on the sections around the numbered grid. These cover larger groups of numbers, such as dozens, columns and even-money options.
Six-line bet
A bet on six numbers across two neighbouring rows, with the chip placed at the edge between them.
Split bet
A bet on two adjacent numbers, with the chip placed on the line that joins them.
Straight up bet
A bet on a single number. It covers the smallest part of the table, which makes it the longest shot you can place.
Street bet
A bet on a row of three numbers, with the chip placed at the end of the row.
Want the full picture of how these fit together? Our explainer on how roulette bets work covers each one in more detail.
Wheel versions
The same game comes in a few flavours, and the names tell you what to expect from the wheel.
American roulette
The version with both a single zero and a double zero. It's the one most associated with North America.
European roulette
The single-zero version, and the one you're most likely to see in the UK.
French roulette
A European-style game that uses French names on the layout and can include special zero rules, which we'll get to below. Our comparison article French roulette vs. European roulette breaks down how the two differ.
Live roulette
A real wheel and a real croupier, streamed to your screen as the spins happen.
French terms and special rules
Much of the language at a roulette table is French, so it helps to have it close to hand. The origins are covered in our piece on the history of online roulette if you'd like the story behind it.
Call bets
Named groups of numbers based on where they sit on the wheel rather than on the layout. Voisins du Zéro, Tiers du Cylindre and Orphelins are the three classics. They're also known as announced bets, because they were once called out to the croupier.
En Prison
A French roulette rule that applies to even-money bets. If the ball lands on zero, the stake is held "in prison" for the next spin instead of being lost straight away.
La Partage
Another French rule for even-money bets. If the ball lands on zero, half of the stake is returned.
Manque and Passe
The French names for low (1-18) and high (19-36) bets.
Neighbour bets
A bet on one number plus the numbers either side of it on the wheel, rather than on the layout.
Orphelins
Meaning "orphans". It covers the eight numbers that sit in two groups on the wheel, outside Tiers du Cylindre and Voisins du Zéro, the two other call bets
Pair and Impair
The French names for even and odd bets, respectively.
Tiers du Cylindre
Meaning "thirds of the wheel". It covers 12 numbers on the opposite side of the wheel from zero.
Voisins du Zéro
Meaning "neighbours of zero". It covers 17 numbers around the zero pocket.
Terms you'll hear around the table
A few more words turn up in commentary, chat boxes and strategy-style conversations. Some of them need a note of caution.
Gambler's fallacy
The mistaken belief that past spins influence the next one. If a number hasn't appeared for a while, it's no more "due" than any other. Each spin is independent.
Hot and cold numbers
Numbers that have appeared more or less often than others across a recent run of spins. They're fun to spot on a results board, but they're a description of the past and say nothing about what comes next.
House edge
The built-in advantage the casino has on every bet. It's the reason no pattern of bets can guarantee a result.
Jeton
The French word for a chip.
Random number generator (RNG)
The software that decides the outcome in digital roulette games, so that every spin is independent and unpredictable.
Table limits
The minimum and maximum stake allowed on a table. They vary from one game to the next, so check them before you join.
Where to go next
That's the vocabulary covered. If you'd like to see it all come together, Everything You Need to Know About Playing Roulette is a good next read.
Whichever table you choose, set your financial limits first, take a break whenever you fancy one and remember that roulette costs money to play. It isn't a way to make it.
Online roulette FAQs
What are the most important roulette terms to know?
Start with the wheel, the pockets, the layout, inside bets and outside bets. Those cover where your chip goes and what it covers. Everything else in this roulette glossary builds on them.
What is the difference between inside and outside bets?
Inside bets are placed on the numbered grid and cover a single number or a small group. Outside bets are placed on the sections around the grid and cover larger groups, such as red or black or a dozen.
What do En Prison and La Partage mean?
They're French roulette rules that apply to even-money bets when the ball lands on zero. With En Prison, your stake is held for the next spin. With La Partage, half of it is returned. Not every table uses them, so check the game rules.
Do I need to know French roulette terminology to play online?
No. Most online tables label the bets in English, and the layout does the legwork for you. The French terms are useful when you come across them in a French roulette game, or if you'd like to know what a croupier is saying.
Now you have the vocabulary, why not take a look beyond the wheel? The Bally Bet blog has casino guides explaining how popular table games and slots work, plus previews and betting guides for the sporting calendar.
All offers mentioned correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change.
