History Main / RussianRoulette

* Each player, in turn, puts the gun to his head and pulls the trigger.

* Portrayals of the game differ as to whether the chamber is spun after each "firing" - if it is, the game can continue indefinitely with a 1 in 6 chance each time. If not, there's a maximum of 5 chances to not die.

Today, it's seen as the one of the [[RatedMForManly more manly stunts available]] because of the risks involved, reduced somewhat by the common one-round-six-chambers setup. Perfect for proving you're not afraid to [[DeathSeeker (or want to)]] die, you're a real man, or you're just TooDumbToLive.

* Also can be played with [[{{RiggedContest}} Semi-automatics]] for the notoriously [[TooDumbToLive badass.]]

* ''Quiller Balalaika'' by AdamHall. A [[TheMafiya Russian Mafiya]] boss forces Quiller to play this game (after he's already witnessed [[BadBoss one of his mooks get killed]] this way) with one bullet and six spins of the chamber. The boss is stunned when Quiller actually survives, and so he orders Quiller to be taken to the forest and shot the traditional way.
* In KimNewman's DarkFuture novel ''Krokodil Tears'', the [[BrokenBird main character]] plays Russian Roulette with a cowboy, with two bullets in the gun instead of the usual one. It clicks empty four times, meaning on her turn it's guaranteed to be loaded. [[CrazyAwesome She takes her turn anyway]]...[[MadeOfIron and the bullet is stopped by her skull]]. Turns out she was testing her recently-implanted cyborg armour. She then hands the gun back to the other guy to take his turn.

* ''{{Wiseguy}}''. Mad arms dealer Mel Profitt does this with undercover agent Vinnie Terranova when he finds out Vinnie is sleeping with his sister (whom Mel has his own [[BrotherSisterIncest incestous relationship]] with). The gun turns out to be empty. Vinnie pulls out his own revolver which has an [[ShurFineGuns empty chamber under the hammer]] and challenges Mel to his own version, with only a one-in-six chance to live. Mel calls his bluff and Vinnie has to shoot the bullet into the wall.

* ''{{Leverage}}'' has Elliot flashbacking to being tied up playing this. He was the only one playing. Apparently it was still better than going to one of Sophie's plays.

* ''TheXFiles''. At the climax of "Pusher" a criminal with mind control powers forces Fox Mulder to join him in a game. Mulder is made to "shoot" the criminal, then himself, then is about to shoot Scully when she pulls the fire alarm, distracting the criminal so Mulder can turn the gun on him instead. It turns out ''that'' chamber was loaded.

-->"Wasn't hard for me to get him where I wanted him, confronted him/[=*bzzzt, click*=] There is a bullet in one of 'em/Feelin' lucky? [=*click*=] Looks like you are/[=*click-click-click*=]...Luck ain't goin' too far/ What you did was put on another pair of shoes and they just happened to be too big/ What you did was stupid, '''real fuckin' stupid'''/Well, shorty, I gave you a chance, and what'd you do?/Threw it back in my fuckin' face, so fuck you too! [=*BANG*=]"

* The protagonist of ''IllusionOfGaia'' has to play a game similar to Russian Roulette with a set of wine glasses, one of which is poisoned, in order to get the necessary funds to buy random items for a SolveTheSoupCans puzzle. Played with, since the protagonist has PsychicPowers, and the other player was suicidal.

*** [[spoiler: Keep in mind that in Killer7, dead people seem to have a habit of not staying dead. And Keane does say the secret. It's just that....Well.....]]
--->[[spoiler: '''Keane''': Oh and by the way, all women are the same! * Bang* ]]
* [[CallOfDuty Call of Duty: Black Ops]] features a game of Russian Roulette of the 1 round, 5 empty chambers variant between the player character and his friend Sgt. Woods. Forced to play at gunpoint by their Vietcong captors, Woods successfully manages to survive one round (complete with a loud exclaimation of [[PrecisionFStrike FUCK]] before pulling the trigger), before passing the gun to you while telling you "one chance". Your character, [[CrazyAwesome Mason]], takes the gun, raises it, and promptly [[spoiler: shoots the guard forcing them to play, takes his pistol, and shoots the other guards, all in one swift move.]]

--> '''Peter''': Alright, three bullets, last man standing gets the trophy. * puts gun to his head* Me first. No, wait, this is crazy... * gives gun to Quagmire* you first.

* ''LooneyTunes'': "Ballot Box Bunny" ends with [[{{Characters/BugsBunny}} Bugs Bunny]] proposing a game of Russian roulette to Yosemite Sam after both of them lose a local election. Sam goes first, then Bugs, who puts the gun to his head as the picture irises out; a shot is then heard, after which the picture irises in again to reveal that Bugs missed and shot Sam. (Sam: "Ah hate that rabbit.") Perhaps unsurprisingly, this ending is rarely if ever included when the short is aired on TV.

* In one ''KingOfTheHill'' episode, Dale returns from his NRA meeting and has the following conversation with his wife.

* This trope is often invoked for the British chocolate Revels. Each packet has a mix of flavours, and you can't tell which one is which. A recent advert parodied The Deer Hunter by having a guy face off against a vietnamese opponent Russian Roulette-style. He gets orange flavour, to the joy of his opponents, but it is revealed that he "likes orange" and smiles as his opponent screams in agony as he gets a coffee sweet.
** So, the only reason why anyone would ever create [[HarryPotter Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans]] is to play this game.
* [[ChuckNorrisFacts Chuck Norris]] [[MemeticMutation played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun, and won.]]

* Some owners of [[NerfBrand Nerf]] revolvers such as the Maverick or the Spectre are occassionally known to play a nonlethal version of Russian Roulette where the loser gets "shot" with a Nerf bullet.

<<|GunsAndGunplayTropes|>>

* [[CallOfDuty Call of Duty: Black Ops]] features a game of Russian Roulette of the 1 round, 5 empty chambers variant between the player character and his friend and Sgt. Woods. Forced to play at gunpoint by their Vietcong captors, Woods successfully manages to survive one round (complete with a loud exclaimation of [[PrecisionFStrike FUCK]] before pulling the trigger), before passing the gun to you while telling you "one chance". Your character, [[CrazyAwesome Mason]], takes the gun, raises it, and promptly [[spoiler: shoots the guard forcing them to play, takes his pistol, and shoots the other guards, all in one swift move.]]

Today, it's seen as the one of the [[RatedMForManly more manly stunts available]] because of the risks involved, reduced somewhat by the common one-round-six-chambers setup. Perfect for proving you're not afraid to [[DeathSeeker (or want to)]] die, you're a real man or (if you 'volunteer' someone else) for scaring information out of someone.

* In one ''LuckyLuke'' comic, a Russian archduke on visit to the wild west challenges a gambler into a game of Russian roulette, and the gambler bails out. Later, the duke challenges a Cavalry captain, and the gun goes off on him. The round is a blank, and he shouts "Failed" in Russian, a running gag during the story, as a Russian assassin says the word every time his plans fail, but it isn't translated.

* [[MemeticMutation Chuck Norris played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun, and won.]]

* A ''Pogo'' comic book-style story, probably created as supplementary material for a book collection, features the cast as Russian scientists working for the Soviet space program. In the opening scene they are playing Russian roulette. Churchy gets the bullet, but survives because he "missed". (A case of [[TooDumbToLive Too Dumb To Die]], perhaps?)

* On December 24, 1954, R&B singer [[http://raresoul.com/archives/723 Johnny Ace]] shot himself playing Russian Roulette backstage between sets of a Christmas Eve show in Houston. He died in the hospital on Christmas Day.

* '50s R&B singer [[http://raresoul.com/archives/723 Johnny Ace]] shot himself playing Russian Roulette backstage between sets of a Christmas Eve show in Houston. He died in the hospital on Christmas Day.

* '50s R&B singer Johnny Ace died playing Russian Roulette backstage between sets of a Christmas Eve show in Houston.

* '50s R&B singer Johnny Ace died backstage while playing Russian Roulette between sets at a Christmas Eve show in Houston.

* '50s R&B singer Johnny Ace died backstage while playing Russian roulette between sets at a Christmas Eve show in Houston.

Need we say it: [[DontTryThisAtHome Don't Try This At Home]].

* Also can be played with [[{{RiggedContest}} Semi-automatics]] for the notoriously [[{{TooDumbToLive}} BadAss.]]

* In ''YuGiOh'', we are shown that after his humiliating loss to Pegasus, "Bandit" Keith's life went straight down the toilet, and he fell to gambling to survive. One panel shows him playing Russian Roulette with an utterly insane look on his face. In addition to that, his flagship monster, Revolver Dragon, attacks by playing russsian roulette... pointed at the enemy monsters, of course.

[[AC:{{Magazines}}]]
* An article in ''ARMY'' magazine several years ago included the statement that ''Russians'' refer to "Russian Roulette" as the "American game."

** So, the only reason why anyone would ever create [[HarryPotter Bertie's Every Flavor Beans]] is to play this game.

* In KimNewman's DarkFuture novel ''Krokodil Tears'', the [[BrokenBird main character]] plays Russian Roulette with a cowboy, with two bullets in the gun instead of the usual one. It clicks empty four times, meaning on her turn it's guranteed to be loaded. [[CrazyAwesome She takes her turn anyway]]...[[MadeOfIron and the bullet is stopped by her skull]]. Turns out she was testing her recently-implanted cyborg armour. She then hands the gun back to the other guy to take his turn.

* More proof that, regardless of the [[ValuesDissonance fundamental differences in our respective cultural mores]], the Japanese are [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids just plain nuts]]: [[http://www.i-mockery.com/shorts/stupid-toys3/kaba-kick-russian-roulette.jpg It's Russian Roulette for kids!]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/russian-roulette_3635.jpg

* Are we forgetting DirtyHarry?
--> (''Harry'') Now I know what you're thinking. 'Did he fire six shots or only five?

** We're not much better, we invented [[http://teachingphysics.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/nerf-maverick.jpg the Nerf Maverick]] for crying out loud.

'''Collary:'''

* More proof that, regardless of the [[ValuesDissonance fundamental differences in our respective cultural mores]], the Japanese are [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids just plain nuts]]: [[http://www.optimusprime.ca/share///mnt/w0002/d49/s31/b0286203/www/optimusprime.ca//share//wp-content/uploads/2006/12/4608484404083584.JPG.jpg It's Russian Roulette for kids!]]