Online Roulette Glossary

When it comes to online casino games, Roulette is one of the easiest to play. Bets are pretty straightforward and table layouts are generally the same. You'll want to take some time to learn about the possible placements for your wagers. Then you can begin to understand the odds and payouts.

Knowing the terminology and odds will help you to become a better roulette player.

A

Action: The amount of money you plan to wager in any given session. It may also refer to bets in play on the table.

American Roulette (American Wheel): A version of roulette with 38 numbered slots. That gives it a house edge of over 5%. The spinning wheel contains red and black numbers from 1 to 36 -- aside from 0 and 00 marked in green.

B

Backtrack/Ball-Track: This is the outer rim of the roulette wheel where the ball gets spun each round.

Basket Bet: A three-number wager in American Roulette on 0-1-2, 0-00-2, or 00-2-3.

Black Bet: An outside bet that the next number will be black. This bet pays 1 to 1.

Bottom Track: The inner part of the roulette wheel where the ball falls before it lands in a numbered slot.

C

Carre: French word for a corner bet. (See: Corner Bet.)

Choppy Game: The player and casino go back and forth between winning without any streaks.

Column Bet: An outside bet on one of the three 12-numbered columns (1st, 2nd, and 3rd). If any one of those 12 numbers hit, you'll win. This bet pays 2 to 1.

Combination Bet: A bet on any combination of two or more numbers at one time.

Corner Bet: An inside bet on four numbers at once. Place your bet at any intersection of four numbers. If any of those four numbers hit, you'll win. This bet pays 8 to 1.

D

Dozen Bet: An outside bet on 12 numbers at once. Options include: 1-12, 13-24, and 25-36. This bet pays 2 to 1.

Double Zero: The numbered slot of 00 on an American Roulette wheel.

Double-Up Betting: Betting strategy where you double your previous wager after a loss.

E

En Plein: French term for a Straight Up Bet.

European Roulette (European Wheel): A version of roulette with 37 numbered slots. The house edge is under 3%. The spinning wheel contains red and black numbers from 1 to 36 -- aside from a 0 marked in green.

Even Bet: An outside bet that the next number will be even. This bet pays 1 to 1.

Even Money: Any wager with 1 to 1 odds. (Black/Red, Even/Odd, High/Low.)

F

Fibonacci Betting System: The same as Double-Up. A betting strategy whereby you increase your bet amount after a loss.

Five-Number Bet:  A wager on 0-00-1-2-3 in American Roulette. Also known as a Top-Line Bet. This bet pays 6 to 1. (Sometimes referred to as the worst bet on the American Wheel.)

G

Golden Numbers: Numbers that keep on winning within a short timeframe.

Gambler's Fallacy: The gambler's fallacy is the mistaken belief that previous turns can influence the upcoming turn. For example, because 10 hasn't spun in on the roulette wheel recently, it's bound to land soon.

H

High Bet: An outside bet on the high numbers (19-36) that pays even money.

House Edge: The advantage the casino has over the player on a percentage basis. You should understand house edge & RTP before playing casino games.

I

Impair: French word for Odd Bet.

Inside Bet: Any wager on the numbers inside the box of a roulette tablet layout. These bets offer the highest payouts. (Some casinos might offer smaller wager limits for inside bets as opposed to outside bets.)

L

Layout: The design of the table. Depending on the roulette game you choose, the layout may be different.

Line Bet: A six-number inside bet on any two rows of three numbers. This bet can get placed at the bottom of the line that intersects any two rows. (For example, a bet on 1, 2, 3, and 4, 5, 6 gets placed on the line that runs down the middle of those six numbers.) This bet pays 5 to 1.

Low Bet: An outside bet on the low numbers (1-18). This bet pays even money.

M

Manque: French word for Low Bet.

Martingale Betting System: A strategy akin to Double-Up and Fibonacci betting systems. You increase your bet amounts after a loss.

N

Negative Progression: Increasing your bets after a loss.

Noir: French term for Black Bet.

O

Odd Bet: An outside bet that the next number will be odd. Pays even money.

Orphans: A bet on 6, 17, and 34. These numbers are next to each other on the European spinning wheel but far apart on the table layout.

Outside Bets: Any bets outside the individual box numbers. (Black/Red, Column, Dozen, Even/Odd, High/Low.) These bets pay 2 to 1 and even money. They offer the best chances to win.

P

Pair: French word for Even Bet.

Parlay: To double your wager amount after a win.

Passe: French word for High Bet.

Pockets: Small areas on the spinning wheel where the ball might land for each number.

Positive Progression: Increasing your bets after a win.

Q

Quarter Bet: Another way of referring to a bet on four inside numbers at once. (Corner, Square.)

R

Red Bet: An outside bet that the next number will turn out red. Pays even money.

Rouge: French word for Red Bet.

S

Section Slicing: Betting strategy based on whatever section of the wheel keeps winning.

Six Line Bet: Another way of referring to a Line Bet. Betting on two adjacent rows of three numbers at once.

Split Bet: An inside bet on two adjacent numbers at once. This bet pays 17 to 1.

Straight Bet: An inside bet on one number that pays 35 to 1 -- the best payout in the game.

Street Bet: An inside bet on one row of three numbers. The wager gets placed at the bottom of the row. This bet pays 11 to 1. (A combination of two Street Bets equates to a Line Bet or a Six Line Bet.)

T

Table Layout: May refer to American, European, or French roulette. A Classic Roulette option may also be available. For online roulette, table layouts can be two or three-dimensional.

Tracking Board: Board that shows the latest result along with the previous ten.

Transversale: French word for Street Bet.

Trio Bet: Another way of referring to a Street Bet.

W

Wheel: The roulette spinning wheel.

Z

Zero: The 0 pocket marked in green on the roulette wheel.

 

We've got your back with additional resources to help you master your online roulette game: 

• How to Play Online Roulette
• New Online Casinos
• Safe Online Casinos
• High Roller Casinos
• Best Social Casinos
• Top Sweepstakes Casinos

We suggest checking our online casino legalization tracker to confirm whether casino gaming is legal in your state. Understanding roulette odds is vital for increasing your winning chances. Read the T&Cs before placing bets.

Looking to learn about poker-specific terms? Then check out our poker glossary instead!