Russian Roulette Casino

Most people have heard about French Roulette, American Roulette, and European Roulette, but have you ever heard about Russian Roulette? This is a brutal form of roulette that doesn’t involve a classic roulette wheel.

• How To Play Russian Roulette Casino Game
• Russian Roulette Casino Game Online

In its essence, this is also a game of chance, but the consequences of playing this game can be irreversible and in many cases, fatal. Yet, this doesn’t mean that people should turn this game into a taboo and by learning more about it, they will avoid making a grave mistake. This is the reason why we have created this guide.

• Find out more about the origins of this game
• Learn more about the basic elements of this game
• Discover some interesting facts related to Russian Roulette

The information we’ve collected comes from different sources. It seems that there’s interest in this game all over the world, but it turns out that only those who are showing just intellectual interest, not a real interest that includes involvement in a game like this can learn something interesting. Now to clear all the dilemmas and answer all unanswered questions, let’s start this guide that will help you learn all you need to know about Russian roulette.

American Roulette With the same sense of anticipation as a physical Roulette table, American Roulette is the perfect fit for fans of the red, black, and green wheel.Play the odds with bets on red or black and odds or evens, or raise the stakes and place your chips on your favorite numbers. In the 2020 film Money Plane, Russian roulette is played on an airborne casino. Television edit In the 1951 Friz Freleng -directed Bugs Bunny cartoon Ballot Box Bunny, in the often censored ending, after both Bugs and Yosemite Sam lose a mayoral election to a literal ' dark horse candidate', Bugs invites Sam to play Russian roulette.

What is Russian Roulette all about?

Roulette is one of the most popular gambling games invented in the 18^th century. It involves a spinning (roulette wheel), different slots/numbers and a ball. The basic objective is to guess the outcome of the game (number, color, position, etc.) to win money.

Just like in the case of regular roulette, Russian Roulette is a game of chance. However, the outcome of this game can be lethal. In other words, if you play regular roulette you can lose money while in the case of Russian Roulette you can lose your life. So, this is an extremely dangerous game where participants put a single bullet in a revolver, spin the cylinder, point the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger. The roulette wheel is represented by a revolver’s cylinder, the ball is actually a bullet and the stakes represented by money are replaced by players’ lives.

• Russian Roulette is a type of dangerous, lethal game of chance
• It mimics the rules of ordinary roulette games
• This type of game can lead to fatalities
• The game involves a revolver and a bullet

The origins of Russian Roulette

As the name of this dangerous gambling game suggests, Russian Roulette originates from Russia. According to some sources, Russian soldiers have started playing this game in the late 19^th century and the popularity has reached record-high levels in the 1920s.

The first time when this term was used is in a short story published in 1937. It was Georges Surdez, a popular Swiss-born American writer who coined this term and described the game in detail. In this story, Russian soldiers were teaching their colleagues from the Allied armies how to play this scary form of roulette.

It’s interesting that some sources say that the first participants in Russian Roulette were practically forced to play this game. That makes sense because only a small number of seemingly sane people would want to play a game like this. Namely, Russian soldiers were forcing prisoners to play this game. For instance, they would include five prisoners in the game and they were placing bets on the prisoner that will stay alive at the end of the game.

• Russian Roulette was invented in Russia
• This game became popular with the rise of popularity of firearms in Russia in the 19^th century
• It was the Russian soldiers that started playing this game with the help of their prisoners
• Georges Surdez is a novelist that used this term for the first time in one of his novels
• People have been placing bets on Russian Roulette for over 150 years now

Is playing Russian Roulette legal?

Gambling activities around the globe are regulated by authorities, but Russian Roulette is not an ordinary form of gambling. You can’t punish someone who played Russian Roulette if he is not alive anymore. On the other hand, this type of activity is illegal for those who are placing bets on it and those who are letting other people play Russian Roulette on their premises.

We should also point out that encouraging someone to play Russian Roulette practically means that you are contributing to an assisted suicide. In addition, you should take the legality of owning and using firearms into account. So, to put it in simple words, playing Russian Roulette is illegal around the globe.

• Playing Russian Roulette is illegal
• Authorities can penalize those placing bets on games like this
• Encouraging people to play this game equals assisted suicide

The odds of winning a game of Russian Roulette

Surely, it’s never a good idea to start playing Russian Roulette. Regardless of the amount of money, you can win and the possible thrill and adrenaline rush you can experience, the stakes are simply too high. Remember that there’s no chance to fix your mistake once you are finished. That’s why Russian Roulette is different from other forms of roulette and other gambling games.

Yet, this doesn’t mean that we can’t theorize about the odds of winning this game. According to some experts, Russian Roulette is usually played with six players because most revolvers have six rounds in their cylinders. So, the odds of winning depend on the number of participants.

First of all, if there are two players, each player has a 50% chance of winning. The more players there are the higher chances of winning you have. In case there are three players, each player will probably have to take two turns. In this case, the chance of winning is 66.7%. In addition, when there are six participants, the chances of winning are 83%. If you want to cut the risk, you should play with more participants.

• The number of players affects the chances of winning
• Typically, Russian Roulette is played with a revolver that has six rounds
• The chances of winning a game of Russian Roulette when there are six players is around 83%

The impact of the player’s starting number on the outcome

In theory, the starting number of each player has an impact on the final result of this game. However, we should also point out that the number of players once again has its role here, so keep these facts in mind.

First of all, generally speaking, it’s better to be the first person that pulls the trigger. Due to the fact that the cylinder inside the revolver is rotated, it’s very likely that the bullet is not placed on the first fire. On the other hand, if there are six players involved, then this strategy won’t work. In this case, the bullet will most likely be fired before the round ends (before the sixth round). In case you are the last player, you will increase your chances of staying alive.

• There are strategies and tips that can help you win at Russian Roulette
• If you play against one opponent it’s better to start first
• If there are six players, try to be the last one that pulls the trigger

Are there many cases where people have died while playing Russian Roulette?

This question is difficult to answer for a few reasons. First and foremost, people usually don’t want to talk about playing this game because they are afraid that they will be judged. There’s a chance that some of the suicides were more than one person was present at the scene were actually rounds of Russian Roulette.

In addition, there are dozens of suicides made with the help of firearms around the globe almost on a daily basis. Yet, it’s hard to determine whether someone was practicing Russian Roulette or not. Some stats claim that up to ten people die as a result of this game in the USA and Russia every year.

However, there are also many confirmed deaths that came as a result of Russian Roulette. Many famous people have participated too. Malcolm X, for example, has claimed that he has played Russian Roulette alone and Graham Greene, the famous English novelist did the same thing and managed to stay alive. On the other hand, there were people who were less fortunate. Aimo Leikas, a Finnish magician died while playing Russian Roulette in front of his audience. Ivan JP Cole, MMA fighter died in an accident like this in 2016.

• It’s difficult to determine how many people have played Russian Roulette
• There is no official record of deaths caused by Russian Roulette
• A few famous persons including Graham Green and Malcolm X have played this game

Russian Roulette in modern movies, TV shows, video games and songs

The fact that Russian Roulette is a very dangerous game has always fascinated many people including the ones involved in the entertainment industry. That’s why there are many examples where you can find references to Russian Roulette in movies, TV shows, video games, and songs.

Detroit: Become Human, Call of Duty” Blacks Ops, Killer7 and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair are some of the most famous video games where this topic is treated. When it comes to movies, you can find references and scenes related to Russian Roulette in movies like Crawlspace, The Deer Hunter, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and One Eight Seven.

• Russian Roulette was covered as a topic in a few different movies, TV shows, video games and songs
• In most cases, participants in these games are portrayed as morally corrupt persons

Non-lethal versions of Russian Roulette

It makes sense that people have tried to create non-lethal versions of Russian Roulette because this game is quite exciting. Of course, your life should not be at stake if you want to feel excited and this is exactly what these non-lethal versions of Russian Roulette include.

For example, instead of bullets and a revolver, participants can drink alcohol shot glasses filled with vodka. Actually, just one of them is filled with vodka and the person that drinks that glass loses the round. This is a classic example of a drinking game.

Another drinking game that involves beer was based on Russian Roulette. This time, a person that doesn’t participate in the game shakes one beer can and asks the players to open the cans right under their noses. Obviously, the person that will get sprayed loses the round.

• Over time, people have created non-lethal versions of Russian Roulette
• Most of these versions are actually drinking games played at parties

Reasons people play Russian Roulette

How To Play Russian Roulette Casino Game

For many people, playing Russian Roulette doesn’t make any sense and they are probably right. Yet, people that have tried this lethal game of chance that involves a loaded revolver claim that they had a few different reasons why they played the game.

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For instance, there are many people that have done this simply to impress others around them. They think that playing a game like this shows their boldness and their readiness to risk their lives to prove their point. This is the reason why many gangs are testing future members with games like this. In many cases, these initiations include completely empty revolvers, but participants are not aware of this.

Of course, there are people who feel bored and want to try something exciting and Russian Roulette is definitely an activity that brings excitement. The adrenaline rush that participants feel must be on a very high level because after all, it’s their life at stake. So, this is something that can be compared to playing an extreme sport.

Finally, there are people that are suicidal and looking for an unusual way to leave this world. For them, playing Russian Roulette looks like a good way to die because they have a chance to test their faith. Some people might argue that every participant in a game like this is a little bit suicidal.

• There’s more than one reason why people are playing Russian Roulette
• Suicidal thoughts are probably the most common reason
• Some people use Russian Roulette to show their boldness

Russian roulette variations

Since this dangerous game is not regulated by any authority and there is no official inventor behind it, participants were able to develop a few different variations of this game over time. First of all, there can be a different number of participants.

Typically, a revolver has a cylinder that has six slots for bullets. In theory, in a situation like this, there can be six participants in the game. Of course, players are free to choose whether five, four, three, two or even one player will be part of this game. If they find a revolver with more slots, more players can participate in this game.

On the other hand, it is possible to play this game by spinning the cylinder each time the player holds the gun. This means that an infinite number of players can play this game without getting killed (in theory). As a player, you can also agree to take a few turns. So, if there are two players and there are six slots, you can play a few rounds of this game. Regardless of the variation of Russian Roulette you are considering playing, you should know that the stakes in this game are simply too high.

• You can find Russian Roulette with a different number of players
• There are games with a different number of rounds
• Some Russian Roulette variations allow players to spin the cylinder before pulling the trigger

What else can you play instead of Russian Roulette?

It’s possible to feel the excitement in a similar way by playing some alternative games that share a few things in common with Russian Roulette. Obviously, you can try any other roulette game offered in casinos and remember that the only thing you can lose is your money.

We have also mentioned a few drinking games based on Russian Roulette that can only get you intoxicated. It’s also possible to play this game of chance with the help of other types of guns that are not lethal. Some of them can cause injuries. There were cases when people were playing Russian Roulette with the help of light guns used in video games, cap guns, stun guns, toy guns that shoot balloons and pin guns. Don’t forget that you can still get injured depending on the type of gun you are using and the distance between the muzzle and your head.

Finally, you can try Russian Roulette that uses fireworks. Every participant has to place fireworks in their mouths. When the fuse is lit, the player has to spit out to stop the fuse. If he fails, he will probably get hurt.

• Playing casino variants of roulette is a good alternative to playing Russian Roulette
• You can play Russian Roulette with toy guns and other types of guns that are not lethal
• Some people play variants of Russian Roulette which involve darts or fireworks

The rules are simple. All that is needed is a revolver, some cartridges, and one or more players. The revolver is opened, a single cartridge loaded, and the cylinder spun. The players then take turns placing the revolver against their heads and pulling the trigger. Depending on the rules, the cylinder is either re-spun after each play or left as-is. Play continues until a player either forfeits or blows their brains out. This is Russian Roulette, a deadly game of chance with a dark allure, which through countless portrayals in popular culture has become known as the pastime of the unhinged, of the desperate, of those with nothing left to live for. In reality, however, the majority of the victims of Russian Roulette have been ordinary people, whose attempts to recreate what they had seen in films or on television ultimately ended in tragedy. But where did the idea of Russian Roulette come from in the first place, and how many people have actually played this most dangerous of games?

The first written description of something resembling Russian Roulette comes from The Fatalist, the final chapter of Russian author Mikhail Lermontov’s 1840 novel A Hero of Our Time. In the chapter, the protagonist of the novel, Pechorin, tells the story of Lieutenant Vulich, a Cossack officer who becomes embroiled in a debate about fate and destiny. Believing that a man’s death is predestined and cannot be changed, Vulich pulls a random pistol off the wall, primes the pan, places it to his head and pulls the trigger. When the gun fails to go off, his comrades conclude that it must have been unloaded. But when Vulich re-primes the weapon and aims it at the wall, this time it goes off. Mere hours later Vulich’s fatalism is vindicated when he is cut down by a drunken, sabre-wielding soldier chasing after an escaped pig.

The more familiar form of Russian Roulette would have to await the development of the modern cartridge-firing revolver. The most common origin given for Russian Roulette is among Tsarist forces in 1917, when, according to one account:

“…their officers felt that they were not only losing prestige, money, family and country, but were being also dishonoured before their colleagues of the Allied armies, some officer would suddenly pull out his revolver, anywhere, at the table, in a cafe, at a gathering of friends, remove a cartridge form the cylinder, spin the cylinder, snap it back in place, put it to his head and pull the trigger.”

However, there are a number of problems with this account. First, the service revolver in use with the Russian army during this period, the M1895 Nagant, is unique in having a mechanism that cams the cylinder forward with every shot, creating a tight gas seal between the cylinder and the barrel. This mechanism makes it functionally impossible to spin the cylinder freely as is required when playing Russian Roulette. But the main issue is that the preceding passage comes not from a historical account but rather a 1937 short story written by Swiss-American adventure writer George Surdez. First published in Collier’s Magazine in January 1937, the story, titled Russian Roulette, takes the form of a letter written by a Sargent Hugo Feldheim of the French Foreign Legion to his Lieutenant, seeking advice on how to cover up the suicide of fellow officer Sergeant Burkowski. Burkowski, a gambling addict, introduces Feldheim to the titular game, which he picked up while serving in the Russian army during First World War. Seeking ever greater thrills, Burkowski plays the game with increasing frequency, ultimately resulting in his death.

The story was the first popular depiction of Russian Roulette, and the first to refer to it by that name. However, as Surdez kept few research notes, it is unknown whether this depiction is based on actual accounts or whether he simply made the whole thing up. Evidence pointing to the latter includes the aforementioned incompatibility of the Russian Nagant revolver and the fact that in Surdez’s description of the game five cartridges are loaded instead of only one – giving 1-in-6 odds of survival that – one imagines – none but most foolhardy players would be willing to accept.

Nonetheless, there is historical evidence of Russian recruits introducing some form of firearms-based game of chance to the French Foreign Legion in the 1920s. In his 1991 history of the Legion, author Douglas Porch writes:

“The Russian recruits may have been poor soldiers, but they were credited with one cultural innovation in the postwar legion – the game of “coucou.” Apparently imported from Czarist army messes, couch was a variation upon Russian roulette with the odds of survival greatly reduced. The rules required one legionnaire chosen by lot to step outside while his comrades arranged themselves around the walls of a completely darkened room. The single legionnaire then reentered the room and said “coucou”, while, one imagines, simultaneously taking violent evasive action as his comrades took this as a cue to fire their revolvers in his general direction.”

But whatever the veracity of Surdez’s story, its impact on the American popular psyche was immediate and long-lasting. On January 8, 1938, less than a year after its publication, Thomas H. Markley Jr. of Austin, Texas killed himself while playing Russian Roulette to celebrate his 21st birthday. It was to be the first in a long line of similar incidents that would claim dozens of lives over the following decades, including those of R&B musician Johnny Ace in 1954 and actor Jon-Erik Hexum in 1984. The most public and shocking of these deaths occurred on September 3, 1976 during a performance of Finnish magician Aimo Leikas’ famous Russian Roulette act.The act involved loading a revolver from a mixed box of live and dummy ammunition, with Leikas supposedly using psychic powers to select only the dummy rounds. Leikas had performed the act without incident for over a year, but on that fateful day he accidentally selected a live round and fatally shot himself in front of a live audience.

But perhaps the most influential cultural depiction of Russian Roulette comes from the 1978 Vietnam War film The Deer Hunter. In the film’s most infamous scene, three American soldiers, played by Robert de Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage, are captured by the Vietnamese and forced to play Russian Roulette for their guards’ entertainment. Shattered by the experience, Walken’s character, Corporal Nick Chevotarevich, turns to playing Russian Roulette for money, ultimately leading to his death. In addition to shocking audiences, the film generated significant controversy over its depiction of the Vietnamese treatment of American POWs, with many pointing out there was no evidence for the events depicted in the infamous scene. In his review of the film, however, Roger Ebert defended the use of Russian Roulette as an artistic choice:

“It is the organizing symbol of the film: anything you can believe about the fame, about its deliberately random violence, about how it touches the sanity of men forced to play it, will apply to the war as a whole. It is a brilliant symbol because, in the context of this story, it makes an ideological statement about the war superfluous.”

Tragically, in addition to re-implanting Russian Roulette in the popular psyche, the release of The Deer Hunter lead to a major resurgence in copycat suicides. According to psychiatrist Thomas Radecki and columnist Paul Simon, between 1978 and 1989, a total of 35 deaths in the United States were directly attributable to games of Russian Roulette inspired by viewings of The Deer Hunter. And the trend continues to the present day, with one of the most recent Russian Roulette deaths taking place on January 24, 2019. The incident involved two Saint Louis police officers, Katlyn Alix and Nathaniel Hendren, playing a variation of the game called Russian Poker, in which the players point the weapon at each other rather than at themselves. During the second round the weapon discharged, killing Officer Katlyn.

Of course it is impossible to know the exact number of people killed by Russian Roulette, as the aftermath of a solo game is often indistinguishable from suicide, and surviving players often cover up the cause of death to protect themselves. Nor is it possible to know who will be seduced by the game’s deadly allure.

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Feed), as well as:

Porch, Douglas, The French Foreign Legion, HarperCollins 1991

Lermontov, Mikhail, The Fatalist https://kittylevin.livejournal.com/29535.html

Surdez, Georges, Russian Roulette, Collier’s Magazine, January 30, 1937 https://monlegionnaire.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/russian-roulette.pdf

Webb, Benjamin, Russian Roulette History – When and How it Came About? Best Casino Sites, June 3, 2019, https://www.bestcasinosites.net/blog/russian-roulette-history.php

Othen, Christopher, America’s First Russian Roulette Victims, December 15, 2017, https://christopherothen.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/americas-first-russian-roulette-victims/

Mikkelson, David, The Deer Hunter and Suicides, Snopes, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-deer-hunter-suicides/