The Rules of Roulette
You can find roulette in every land-based or online casino, and its popularity shows no sign of declining. As an age-old game of chance, roulette has offered mystery, glamour, and excitement to casino-goers for centuries.
Roulette is relatively simple to learn, although it also offers some depth for the more serious bettors. But before you place all your chips on red, learn how to play the game to enjoy it to its full extent.
Know The Basics
The word roulette is French for “little wheel”. In French and European roulette, there are 36 numbers and a single “0”. In American roulette, there is a double “00”. The double “00” increases the house edge making the French and European versions more popular.
A croupier hosts the game. They will spin the roulette wheel and then add a small ball spinning that will eventually land on one of the numbers.
Bets are placed on the table, matching the slots where the ball can land.
The roulette table consists of numbers, colours, odds and evens where you can place your bets.
- 1st 12
- 2nd 12
- 3rd 12
- 1-18
- 19-36
- Even
- Odd
- Black
- Red
Know The Inside Bets
There is a range of bets you can make in roulette. You have to anticipate which number type of pockets the ball will land. Below are listed the “Inside” bets that generally have better odds.
- Straight – betting on one number pays 35:1
- Split – betting on two numbers pays 17:1
- Street – betting on three numbers pays 11:1
- Bet on three numbers with one chip by placing it on the end of any Street.
- Corner – betting on four numbers pays 8:1 – the chip lies on the intersection of four numbers.
- Six-line betting on six numbers pays 5:1 – the chip lies on the edge of two adjoining streets.
In American roulette, there is a five-number bet which covers “0, 00, 1, 2, and 3”. This bet pays 6:1. The Row 00 bet covers 0 and 00 and pays 17:1.
Know The Outside Bets
The outside bets do not include specific numbers and are placed on the outside of the roulette number map.
- Colour betting (black or red) pays 1:1
- The odd or even betting pays 1:1
- Column betting (betting on 12 numbers) pays 2:1
- Dozen betting (1st, 2nd 12 etc.) pays 2:1
- High or low bets pay 1:1
Know Your Odds
All bets at both wheels, European or American, are paid out at odds that would be true if only the 36 numbers were on the roulette wheel. The house edge increases with the single zero and the double zero.
- At American roulette tables, the double zero increases the house edge (5.26%) compared to a roulette table with a single zero (2.7%).
- In French roulette, the “La Partage” and “En Prison” rules relate to outside even money bets (odds or evens), black or red and low to high, and when the ball lands in the zero pocket. With these rules, players lose half of their bet. If a player loses, then can collect half of their bet using “La Partage” or choose to leave half of their bet on the table for the next spin using the “En Prison” rule.
Related Articles
