Who Started Russian Roulette?

Invented in the early 1800s by French novelist Georges Surdez, Russian Roulette was popularized in the 1967 novel The Deer Hunter and the 1978 film of the same name. The game is simple: a player spins the cylinder of a revolver loaded with a single bullet, points the gun at his or her head, and pulls the trigger.

If the chamber that comes up is empty, the player lives; if it isn’t, the player dies.

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Russian Roulette is believed to have originated among Russian soldiers in the 19th century. According to legend, they would play the game to relieve boredom during long periods of garrison duty.

PRO TIP:Russian Roulette is believed to have originated in Tsarist Russia in the late 1800s. It is thought to have been a game of chance amongst officers of the Imperial Russian Army, as a way to pass the time during long deployments.

Another theory is that Russian prisoners of war were forced to play Russian Roulette by their captors as a form of torture.

Whatever its origins, Russian Roulette is now synonymous with dangerous, foolish behavior. It has been featured in countless books and films as a symbol of ultimate despair and recklessness.

In real life, it has claimed the lives of many who thought they could beat the odds.

So who started Russian Roulette? We may never know for sure. But one thing is certain: it’s a game that’s best left to Hollywood.