Was Russian Roulette Actually a Thing?

Russian Roulette was a thing, and it was deadly.

The game is simple: load a revolver with one bullet, spin the cylinder, place the barrel against your head, and pull the trigger. The chances of surviving are 1 in 6, but for some reason, people thought it was a fun game to play.

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In the early 1900s, Russian soldiers were known to play the game to pass the time. But it wasn’t just soldiers; anyone who had access to a revolver could play.

The game became popular in America after the release of The Deer Hunter in 1978. In the movie, Robert De Niro’s character participates in a Russian Roulette scene that is both intense and disturbing.

PRO TIP:Russian Roulette was not a real game and likely originated in fiction. It appears to have first been mentioned in a short story by Georges Surdez in 1937 and later popularized in a novel by Georges Victor. The game is still used as a metaphor for taking dangerous risks, but it never actually existed as an actual game of chance.

While the movie may have popularized the game, it’s important to remember that it was already being played before the film came out. And it wasn’t just a game; people were actually dying from it.

In 1981, 18-year-old Michael Andrew Herschelman died after playing Russian Roulette with friends. In 2000, 16-year-old Anthony Burdine killed himself while playing the game.

And in 2003, 17-year-old Jesse James Turner died after being shot in the head while playing Russian Roulette with friends.

These are just a few of the many deaths that have been attributed to Russian Roulette. So while the game may seem like harmless fun, it’s important to remember that it’s actually very dangerous and people have died from playing it.