In Russia, roulette is known as “red or black” because the colors of the pockets on a roulette wheel are red and black. The game is played with a croupier, or dealer, who spins a ball around a wheel with 37 or 38 numbered pockets.
The ball eventually loses momentum and falls into one of the pockets. The croupier then pays out any winnings and collects any losing bets.
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Russian roulette is said to have originated in Russia in the 18th century. The first recorded reference to the game was in a novel by Mikhail Lermontov called “The Hero of Our Time,” which was published in 1840.
In the novel, one of the characters, a young officer named Pechorin, plays Russian roulette with a revolver.
The game became popular among Russian soldiers during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78), when it was used as a way to relieve boredom. It is said that during this time, many soldiers died playing Russian roulette.
The game gained international notoriety in 1902, when French novelist Georges Sorel wrote “Le Rêve,” a short story about two friends who play Russian roulette. The story was later adapted into a play, which opened in Paris in 1903.
Russian roulette continued to be popular in literature and film throughout the 20th century. In 1965, American author Richard Condon published “The Manchurian Candidate,” a political thriller about brainwashing and assassination that features a scene in which two characters play Russian roulette.
The book was adapted into a film starring Frank Sinatra in 1962.
In 1971, Russian-American author Vladimir Nabokov published “Lolita,” a novel about an older man’s obsession with a young girl. In one scene, the main character challenges another man to a game of Russian roulette.
The most famous film scene involving Russian roulette is probably the one from “The Deer Hunter” (1978), in which Robert De Niro’s character is forced to play the game by his captors during the Vietnam War. The scene was controversial and sparked debates about whether or not it glorified violence.
Russian roulette remains popular today, both as a real game and as a metaphor for dangerous situations. The phrase “playing Russian roulette” is often used to describe activities that are risky or potentially fatal.
