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.
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.
1. What is Russian Roulette all about?
Roulette is one of the most popular gambling games invented in the 18th 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
2. 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 19th 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 19th 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
3. 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
4. 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%
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. Reasons people play Russian Roulette
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.
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
10. 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
11. 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
