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How does Russian Roulette work in Torn, and is there an advantage to going first?

TornLife researched this question and found the points below; each one is taken from the sources cited. TornLife could not write them up as a full answer.

Have the rules or odds changed, and what do players say about strategy?

  • The rules text on Real Money Trading says exchanging Torn currency or assets for real-world money or services (including assets from other games) is strictly prohibited. Staff seek out buyers and sellers on-site and externally, with no warning for a first offence. Buyers lose purchased goods and get a lengthy game ban; sellers are banned permanently without recourse.[1][2][3]
  • Torn may suspend betting on a game without notice and may reverse a settlement made in error. This can change balances, even making them negative. A developer said in 2022 that occasional cancellations, refunds and suspensions follow the provider's data.[4][5]
  • Diamond factions also have a numbered position. Beating a faction with a better position steals it, and the loser's position drops by one.[6]
  • The wiki says players level hold so enemies underestimate them and lose when attacking. Some holders have friends bounty them for more free wins. Benefits include defend merits and cheaper jail bail-outs.[7][8][9]
  • The wiki says scamming is not against the rules and staff will not recover lost cash or items. This matters when arranging any player-to-player exchange.[10]
  • A player needs at least one successful damaging hit to get a loot lottery ticket. Tickets expire on NPC defeat or when the NPC regenerates to full life (previously 10 minutes).[11]
  • Odds come from an off-site provider and change live. You confirm your selection and see potential profit before betting. Payout uses the odds at the time the bet was placed. You are notified if odds change during placing. Multiple bets on the same outcome at different odds are allowed.[12]
  • The honor 'Foot Soldier' requires beating 10 unique opponents in Russian Roulette. The award text was the same in the 2021 and 2026 captures.[13][14]
  • Players in 2020 described scamming as legal in Torn. Trade cancelling was debated as to whether it counts as a scam. One player said retaliation such as bountying or attacking is within the rules. (one player's report)[15][16]
  • A 2018 player asked whether Torn had property auctions, which suggests none existed then. The API in 2023 and 2026 exposes a player property market with prices that vary, separate from fixed estate agent prices. (one player's report)[17][18][19]
  • Players reported bets refunded without explanation, staff-error deletions refunding the stake only (not winnings), and a rescheduled match refunded although the bet appeared won. Bookie money is not from a finite pool, per a player. (one player's report)[20][21][22]
  • Some contracts are hard for low-level players: target choice can be far above your level, and players report Hard contracts requiring beating much higher-level targets. Inside Job needs the sent item in inventory. (one player's report)[23][24][25]

What are the payouts, minimum and maximum bets, and any fees or house cut?

  • Most casino games require 1 token per play, per the wiki.[26]
  • Poker is player-vs-player and does not require casino tokens. There are 27 permanent tables.[27][28]
  • The honor 'Daddy's New Shoes' requires winning $100,000,000 in a single game of Russian Roulette, which suggests stakes large enough to reach that amount are possible. No maximum bet is stated.[13][14]
  • The winner takes the whole pot. Logs from 2021 show a pot equal to double the stake, and the loser going to hospital for about 19-20 minutes. No house cut is mentioned in these sources. (one player's report)[29][30]

What are the rules of Russian Roulette in the Torn casino: bet, revolver, chambers, turns?

  • The Casino Pass is a Special item (ID 428) that gives 50 Casino Tokens when used. Sources are random city finds, exchanging treats from the Trick or Treat event, and the Tier IV upgrade 'Deal With The Devil'.[31][32]
  • The wiki says Torn's game is Foot Russian Roulette: players point a gun with 1 bullet chambered at their own foot and take turns firing until the bullet goes off. The first to shoot themselves loses and gets a small hospital time; the winner takes all the money.[30]
  • You start your own game or join an existing one from the Casino. The game continues even if you leave the page after being hospitalised; you must med out or use the direct URL to return.[33][30]
  • The wiki's award list names the game 'Foot Russian Roulette'. The 'One In Six' honor requires winning 50 games of it, which is consistent with a six-chamber gun but does not state the chamber count.[13][14]
  • In 2019 a player said the going rate in Torn was typically 1m or a Xanax. Another 2019 thread proposed one Xanax per revive as a baseline price. (one player's report)[34][35]

Does turn order change each player's odds of winning?

  • Placed bets are final and cannot be un-placed, because odds update live. Developers stated this at the Bookies 2.0 beta.[12][36]
  • One player's Martingale guide claims the host's opponent goes first, giving the host a 1/6 chance of an instant win, and that the host's overall odds are higher than 50/50. This is one player's claim with no derivation. It implies a six-chamber revolver. (opinion)[37]
  • Another guide says each game's outcome is 50/50. A 2025 thread asks whether going first or second has a statistical advantage, and the poster reports getting different answers. No answer is in the captured text. (opinion)[38][39]

How is the first player decided and how does the game start or end?

  • An attacker can try to escape the turn after the defender misses; it succeeds if the defender misses again. Zero damage or a non-damaging temporary counts as a miss.[40]
  • In the attacking period each successful attack swaps one ticket from the losing team to the winner, with no permanent consequence for lives. Players can opt out during this period.[41]
  • After the period ends, the money can stay in the bank until the player withdraws it. Money is locked during the investment.[42][43]
  • Unlocking a higher difficulty requires a special Duke contract. On the wiki, Hobgoblin (defeat any player 5 times) unlocks Hard, and Cut Them Down to Size (defeat a player of your level or higher) unlocks Very Hard.[44][45][46]
  • A game cannot be cancelled. If the opponent does not take their shot there is a timeout of up to 3 minutes, after which you may shoot your opponent. A player report says timeouts auto-lose the game.[33][47]
  • Players in several threads reported titles that did not match their obvious best attribute or did not change: a 2015 player with 4.2k respect from chaining still had Trader; a 2017 player who outranked Outcast on trades kept it and was told by staff to file a report; a 2018 player had Intimidator despite a higher Critical Hits rank; a 2019 player kept Scavenger. No explanation is given in the captured text. (one player's report)[48][49][50]
  • A 2022 player reported that being attacked and losing while waiting for an RR opponent automatically loses the pot, even before an opponent has joined. (one player's report)[51]
  • The Torn Wiki warns that storing cash in someone's faction bank is a scam risk: if they refuse to return it, it is lost. It recommends banking on your own account or in a house vault.[52]
  • The Torn Wiki says that when an organized crime concludes successfully, all participants receive Crime Experience. The amount is not affected by how long a participant spent in the planning phase.[53]
  • Since 05/10/23, if an account is deleted for breaking game rules to win the Slots Jackpot, the jackpot is re-instated if within 7 days of the win, minus the value mugged. It also applies to Lucky Shot and Holy Grail lotteries.[54]
  • The Torn Wiki (2022 capture) says Competition Tokens are won during most Annual Competitions and can be spent in the Token Shop on merits, hairstyles or backgrounds. Tokens are awarded when the competition ends, by percent placement from 0 (0%) up to +10 (90%-100%), and an event reports placement and tokens earned.[55][56]
  • Lottery tickets cost money plus 1 Casino Token: Daily Dime $100, Lucky Shot Lotto $10,000, Holy Grail $1,000,000.[57]
Sources 57
  1. Forum What kinds of trades are illegal? — Thrie ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Buyers will have their purchased goods removed and be subject to a lengthy game ban, whereas sellers will be banned permanently without recourse.
  2. Forum RMT and SA lol — MaxHeadRoom ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Buyers will have their purchased goods removed and be subject to a lengthy game ban, whereas sellers will be banned permanently without recourse.
  3. Forum New rule : REAL MONEY TRADING: DELETION — IrisNepthys ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Buyers will have their purchased goods removed and be subject to a lengthy game ban, whereas sellers will be banned permanently without recourse.
  4. Torn Wiki Bookie › Bookie Policies › General Bookie rules ·
    Why TornLife says this
    If Torn resettles a market, this may lead to amendments being made to a user's balance (even making it negative) to reflect changes in market settlement. We reserve the right to suspend any or all betting on a game at any time without notice.
  5. Forum Bookie - Unnecessary bet suspensions — Chedburn ·
    Why TornLife says this
    we need to accept that occasionally some bets (in very rare circumstances) will be cancelled / refunded / suspended.
  6. Torn Wiki Ranked War › Ranks › Diamond Ranking ·
    Why TornLife says this
    When one faction beats another holding a better position, they will steal the loser's position, and the loser's position will then drop by one.
  7. Torn Wiki Level holding › Benefits of level holding ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Players generally level hold so enemies will underestimate them and lose to them when attacking.
  8. Forum Leveling Up — Vobe ·
    Why TornLife says this
    You can also level hold to deceive your enemies into underestimating you e.g your level displayed on your profile is Lvl 15 but your holding about 3 levels which means that you are in level 18, say you make enemies with a level 17 he/she may think that I can beat this person since he is in level 15 and I'm in level …
  9. Forum [ Level - Holding poll ] — Euphoria ·
    Why TornLife says this
    [ Level - Holding poll ] | Questions & Answers | started by Euphoria [1443076] on 2015-06-09 | 33 replies I only recently level - holding as I feel it's very beneficial in getting free losses and keeping expectations low. But do you?
  10. Torn Wiki Scams › Scamming ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Many players in Torn will try to scam you. This is NOT against the rules and staff will NOT be able to help you get your cash or items back.
  11. Torn Wiki Loot › What is Looting? ·
    Why TornLife says this
    in order to be awarded a loot lottery ticket a player must be successful in at least one damaging hit.
  12. Torn Wiki Bookie › Betting and Live Odds ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Bets will be paid out according the odds at the time your bet is placed.
  13. Torn Wiki Award › Honors › Casino — table ·
    Why TornLife says this
    One In Six | Win 50 games of Foot Russian Roulette
    Daddy's New Shoes | Win $100,000,000 in a single game of Russian Roulette
  14. Torn Wiki Casino › Related Awards — table ·
    Why TornLife says this
    One In Six | Win 50 games of Foot Russian Roulette
    Daddy's New Shoes | Win $100,000,000 in a single game of Russian Roulette
  15. Forum Amusing Scams in Torn — Kata ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Scamming is legal in Torn, and generally sucks
  16. Forum Scammers — Darthionius ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Scammers | General Discussion | started by Darthionius [2438642] on 2020-01-25 | 11 replies As much as I do hate scammers and as much as I wish there were people out there that thought of other people's feelings before going ahead and deceiving them, Torn is very unfortunately full of scammers.
  17. Forum Auction question — DocTan ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Auction question | Questions & Answers | started by DocTan [2137920] on 2018-10-18 | 2 replies does Torn have any option to auction on properties?I think it would be great to have auction on properties then posting a advertisement in newspaper.or if it exists but I don't know?!
  18. Forum /v2/user/properties api market_price unexpected — Humpty-Dumpty ·
    Why TornLife says this
    /v2/user/properties api market_price unexpected | Bugs & Issues | started by Humpty-Dumpty [2527857] on 2026-01-23 | 3 replies The API https://api.torn.com/v2/user/properties returns unusual values for the market_price field, for many properties.
  19. Forum API Property Buy/Sell/Rent — WhiteMafia ·
    Why TornLife says this
    While the prices directly from torn never change, the player side of market can vary greatly.
  20. Forum Does Torn Print Currency? IE Sports bets. — WhackedMaki ·
    Why TornLife says this
    the casino just gives money it doesn't come from a pool.
  21. Forum Casino Bookie - refund not refunded - bet won — ShadowAlex ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Casino Bookie - refund not refunded - bet won | Bugs & Issues | started by ShadowAlex [448937] on 2022-03-10 | 2 replies Hey, Had some bets on Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Millwall - it was rescheduled from February to March 8th. …
  22. Forum Bets being refunded for no reason? — Murder_of_Crows ·
    Why TornLife says this
    | Gambling | started by Murder_of_Crows [2166726] on 2018-09-17 | 4 replies I have recently had several (4 or 5) bets get refunded, at first, I assumed it was the match was canceled or similar but one of my bigger bets for an NFL game was refunded as well. Bets being refunded for no reason?
  23. Torn Wiki List of Duke Missions › List of Duke Missions › Inside Job ·
    Why TornLife says this
    You need to attack any player and use the Secrete option that will show up next to Hospitalize button, just ensure that you have at least one of the sent items in your inventory to complete the mission. Objective: Attack ANY Player and secrete the Item into or onto them Note: Duke sends you an Item.
  24. Forum Is Duke Missions Opponent Based on Player Networth — Jumali-Bocorz ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Is Duke Missions Opponent Based on Player Networth | Questions & Answers | started by Jumali-Bocorz [2196569] on 2019-02-17 | 3 replies Usually I've made the easy and medium missions, and now the Hard missions. But they getting ridiculous since I have to beat someone with twice level than me and has same warfare as me.
  25. Forum First Duke Mission — rodrigozeba ·
    Why TornLife says this
    But the guy he pointed is a level 16 character. The gap between us is HUGE.
  26. Torn Wiki Casino › Casino Tokens ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Most games require 1 token per play.
  27. Torn Wiki Poker › Basics ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Poker is a Player vs Player (PVP) Casino game that does not require casino tokens.
  28. Torn Wiki Poker › General Information ·
    Why TornLife says this
    This is a player versus player casino game, and does not require casino tokens. You cannot join a poker table while in jail or hospital.
  29. Forum Russian Roulette Bazaar — asced ·
    Why TornLife says this
    You lost the game of Russian Roulette against Yarrow losing the pot of $209,980 and going to hospital for 0h 19m
  30. Torn Wiki Russian Roulette › Information ·
    Why TornLife says this
    players point a gun with 1 bullet chambered at their foot, and then take turns firing at their own foot until 1 bullet goes off.
  31. Torn Wiki Casino Pass ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Casino Pass is a Special item that provides 50 Casino Tokens when used.
  32. Torn Wiki Casino Pass (infobox) ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Name: Casino Pass Item ID: 428 Description: The perfect gift for the avid gambler, this pass allows you to stay and gamble after hours, so you can try to make your losses back. Effect: Provides 50 Casino Tokens upon use.
  33. Torn Wiki Russian Roulette › How to play ·
    Why TornLife says this
    On this page you either have the option to start your own game, or join an already existing game.
    You cannot cancel Russian Roulette currently. If your opponent does not take their shot there will be a timeout period as long as 3 minutes
  34. Forum Question regarding revives — Mob ·
    Why TornLife says this
    I know the going rate is typically 1m or a Xanax (In Torn).
  35. Forum ____ATTENTION ALL HEALERS____ — ForrestSlayer ·
    Why TornLife says this
    ____ATTENTION ALL HEALERS____ | General Discussion | started by ForrestSlayer [2178894] on 2019-08-01 | 28 replies This thread is for the discussion of prices on revives for the torn society (if there is already a forum like this I'm sorry for the duplication) In the event of a revive people charge various prices, …
  36. Forum Bookies 2.0 - Public beta — Chedburn ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Bets made are final, they cannot be removed once placed due to live updating odds.
  37. Guide Vizierly's Guide to Martingale Betting — vizierly ·
    Why TornLife says this
    If you host, your opponent goes first, giving you a 1/6 chance of an instant win, and the odds of you winning if you host and don't go first are higher than 50/50
  38. Guide Russian Roulette 'Guide' — BabyBilly ·
    Why TornLife says this
    even though each game the outcome is 50/50
    The gist is to double your bet with every loss and halve it with every win.
  39. Forum Russian Roulette Odds.... — Jekyll699 ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Russian Roulette Odds.... | Gambling | started by Jekyll699 [2549055] on 2025-08-17 | 5 replies Is there any statistical advantage to going first or second in Russian Roulette? Trying to figure this shit out... I am not a smart man. Keep coming up with different answers. Anyone able to figure this out?
  40. Torn Wiki Attack › Possible Outcomes › Not winning ·
    Why TornLife says this
    An attacker can attempt to escape from an opponent on the turn after a turn where the defender misses.
  41. Torn Wiki Elimination › How to Play › Attacking Period ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Each successful attack swaps one available ticket from the losing team to the winning team.
  42. Torn Wiki Bank ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Once the investment period is up, you can choose to leave your money sitting there safely until you are ready to withdraw it.
  43. Torn Wiki New Player Missions › New to Torn? › Start your Journey here! › Exploring the city #2 — Explore the city bank ·
    Why TornLife says this
    This is where you can store your money and gain some interest on top of it, however it is advised to use your piggy bank first, and save the bank until you have explored the game fully! It offers pretty sweet interest rates, but will tie up your money until the investment finishes.
  44. Torn Wiki List of Duke Missions › List of Duke Missions › Cut Them Down to Size ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Objective: Defeat ANY Player your level or higher Requirement to Unlock Very Hard Missions Note: A friend can help by unequipping, dropping to 1 hp and/or turning all defending actions to 0%.
  45. Torn Wiki List of Duke Missions › List of Duke Missions › Hobgoblin ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Objective: Defeat ANY player of your choice 5 times Requirement to Unlock Hard Missions.
  46. Forum Missions system released — Chedburn ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Missions system released | Announcements | started by Chedburn [1] on 2015-12-15 | 0 replies Before you can unlock a new difficulty level, Duke will provide a special contract that you must complete.
  47. Guide Russian Roulette 'Guide' — BabyBilly ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Russian Roulette 'Guide' | Tutorials & Guides | started by BabyBilly [2968496] on 2024-06-22 | 5 replies If you refresh the page you can skip the cylinder animation, which shaves off a few seconds. Some people just use a script for this plus auto-clicking I believe. …
  48. Forum Title never changes — AuSSieBeL ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Title never changes | Bugs & Issues | started by AuSSieBeL [277780] on 2019-08-13 | 1 reply All my years playing torn and I have had two Titles that I can remember Buster and Scavanger, Buster I had for a long time and then after doing a dump merit or such it changed to Scavanger, a couple of times it changed back to …
  49. Forum Profile Title — Missterial ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Profile Title | Questions & Answers | started by Missterial [1955904] on 2018-02-07 | 2 replies Heys, I was just looking at the player graphs on Torn Stats and I noticed that my Critical Hits rank is higher than my rank for Foes Run away, which my current title, Intimidator, would indicate is higher.
  50. Forum Torn 'Titles' — Buston ·
    Why TornLife says this
    I recently outranked my current title 'outcast' with trades done. I currently am #271 for trades done as compared to #290 for bounties received however, my title still hasn't changed.
  51. Forum So that's how russian roulette works — D3m37r1 ·
    Why TornLife says this
    if you get attacked(and lose) while waiting for a russian roulette opponent you automatically lose the pot money.
  52. Torn Wiki Scams › Faction bank scam ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Storing cash in someone's faction bank, could also be a way to be scammed. If they refuse to return your cash, it will be lost.
  53. Torn Wiki Organized Crime 2.0 › Planning ·
    Why TornLife says this
    The amount of crime experience gained is not affected by how much time a participant spent in the planning phase.
  54. Torn Wiki Slots › Pay Table ·
    Why TornLife says this
    since 05/10/23 if an account has broken the game rules to win the Slots Jackpot and getting themselves deleted in the process, then jackpot will be re-instated
  55. Torn Wiki Competition Tokens › Overview / Earning Tokens ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Competition Tokens are won during most Annual Competitions. They can be used to purchase merits, hairstyles or backgrounds from the Token Shop.
  56. Torn Wiki Token Shop › Overview ·
    Why TornLife says this
    The Token Shop is used during annual competitions. There is a link on the Token Shop page to the City's Calendar Overview: The token shop offers people rewards for a cost of "tokens", these tokens are obtained via any Annual Competition.
  57. Torn Wiki Lottery › How to Play ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Daily Dime - $100 + 1 Casino Token Lucky Shot Lotto - $10,000 + 1 Casino Token Holy Grail - $1,000,000 + 1 Casino Token

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