Year after year, roulette continues to fascinate players around the world. We also take this opportunity to explain how to play roulette and the useful strategies of this famous casino game. After reading this article, you will know everything about the rules of roulette, how much the 0 brings to roulette and the different types of bets you will find on the tables!
Uniformly appreciated by millions of players around the world, roulette gives pride of place to the most absolute chance. Consequently, the house derives a certain profit margin (house advantage). Roulette is defined as a rotating wheel of circular shape surmounted by a sleeve and dotted with numbered pockets. It is such an iconic game that all age groups have necessarily heard of it.
Once the white ball launched in the wheel in action, it is the luck that will preside over the destinies of the players. To date, there is no strategy capable of determining in advance in which numbered pocket the resin ball will end its race. On the other hand, the players are fully responsible for the way in which they place their bets (individual numbers, even or odd numbers…).
So, let’s start to learn how to play roulette:
Oh yes! In roulette, the one and only thing over which you have decision-making power are where you will place your bets. The odds vary considerably depending on whether you play European roulette or American roulette. The pockets are numbered from 1 to 36. They are arranged so as to alternate between the black and red numbers.
European roulette also has a green pocket marked with a zero where American roulette has a second, marked with a double zero. It is precisely this additional pocket specific to American roulette that has the effect of increasing the house advantage. In fact, it is better to privilege your European counterpart. The way to play roulette comes down to certain subtleties such as this.
Since roulette is a game of French origin, many French terms are used to describe the strategies that can be used to try to increase your chances of winning. On this page you will find a detailed explanation of how to play roulette and the roulette rules as well as practical tips for playing it optimally. If the terms used in roulette seem a bit cryptic, see our roulette glossary to dispel your doubts.
If roulette is one of your favorite games, you’re in luck. Indeed, any online casino who respects himself must include roulette among his range of games. If you’ve never played it in your life, here are the basic roulette rules and explanations on how to play roulette. If you examine a roulette table, you will notice that the mat consists of numbers between 1 and 36. There is also a green zero (if you are playing European roulette).
If you play American roulette, you will notice that there is also a pocket marked with a double zero (in addition to the simple zero). The object of the game is to guess in which pocket the white ball will stop. Players will have the option of betting on an individual number or on a group of numbers, the chances of occurrence increasing or decreasing accordingly. Simply put, the greater your chances of winning, the lower the payout ratio. Let’s start to learn how to play roulette:
When learning how to play roulette you will notice the wheel of the roulette wheel includes numbers that range from 1 to 36. Therefore, we would be tempted to pretend that an individual number comes out on average once out of 36. In fact, each time a specific number comes out, it shouldn’t be released in the next 35 draws. Also, the payout ratios associated with a bet on a full number are 35 to 1.
The chances drop to 17 to 1 for a split bet (bet on 2 numbers) and to 8 to 1 for a square (bet on 4 numbers ). They stand 2 to 1 for a column or a dozen (bet on 12 numbers) and so on as explained in the table below.
As the roulette rules dictate, you will find the inside bets inside the Roulette table. Be careful though, because you should not confuse interior bets with classic ones such as lack or pass, or such as red, black, and even or odd. Each inside bet has a specific payout and it is obvious that some are more obvious to play than others. Study them while learning how to play roulette and analyze them properly so as not to make mistakes when you play.
The table below aims to summarize and explain the meaning of each bet and each roulette rule related to it. It is important while learning how to play roulette to know the details of these bets as well as their payout.
Bet on a single number
Entirely within the square for the chosen number
Bet on two vertically/horizontally adjacent numbers (e.g. 14-17 or 8-9)
On the edge shared by the numbers
Bet on three consecutive numbers in a horizontal line (e.g. 7-8-9)
On the outer edge of the number at either end of the line
Bet on four numbers that meet at one corner (e.g. 10-11-13-14)
On the common corner
Bet on six consecutive numbers that form two horizontal lines (e.g. 31-32-33-34-35-36)
On the outer corner shared by the two leftmost or the two rightmost numbers
A three-number bet that involves at least one zero: 0-1-2 (either layout); 0-2-3 (single-zero only); 00-2-3 (double-zero only)
On the corner shared by the three chosen numbers
Bet on 0-1-2-3 (Single-zero layout only)
On the outer corner shared by 0-1 or 0-3
Bet on 0-00-1-2-3 (Double-zero layout only)
On the outer corner shared by 0-1 or 00-3
Outside bets typically have smaller payouts with better odds at winning. Except as noted, all of these bets lose if a zero comes up.
As the roulette rules dictate, you will find the inside bets inside the Roulette table. Be careful though, because you should not confuse interior bets with classic ones such as lack or pass, or such as red, black, and even or odd.
when learning how to play roulette, you will notice that each inside bet has a specific payout and it is obvious that some are more obvious to play than others. Study them and analyze them properly so as not to make mistakes when you play.
When it comes to talking about the types of wagering, know that you will be spoiled for choice! Depending on the amount of money that the player wishes to invest, the winning bets he will place will generate various and varied payouts. The same goes for most other casino games.
In craps, a specific type of bet (the “Odds Bet”) completely annihilates the house advantage of the casino where other types of bet propel it by more than 10% … In roulette, the house advantage remains unchanged and regardless of the type of bet you make.
However, that does not mean that your chances of winning will be the same depending on the type of bet placed. When you learn how to play roulette in more detail, this is a crucial point to keep in mind. For example, if you place your bet on even numbers, you will win almost half the time (“almost” because the presence of a simple zero prevents you from being 50 – 50 with the house).
On the other hand, if you bet on an individual number, you will have only one chance of 37 or 38 (depending on the roulette variant) to win. The bets that offer the best payout reports are obviously the most lucrative, but also the riskiest. But in the long term, the advantage remains in favor of the casino.
When learning how to play roulette, you need to remember what are the types of wagering on roulette. We have listed them (and their respective repayments) in the table below.
1. | Full number | 35 to 1 | 2.7% |
2. | Split | 17 to 1 | 5.4% |
3. | Street | 11 to 1 | 8.1% |
4. | Square | 8 to 1 | 10.8% |
5. | 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 | 8 to 1 | 10.8% |
6. | Single cross | 5 to 1 | 16.2% |
7. | Dozen | 2 on 1 | 32.4% |
8. | Column | 2 on 1 | 32.4% |
9. | Red Black | 1 to 1 | 48.6% |
10. | Even odd | 1 to 1 | 48.6% |
11. | Lack / Pass | 1 to 1 | 48.6% |
Now that we have reviewed all the types of bets as well as the odds associated with them, let’s take a closer look at the course of a game and learn how to play roulette. Unlike the belittling gossip that you might have heard about it, roulette is a game that presents no particular difficulty. The rules are so simple that many players have made them their game of choice.
As soon as the bets have been placed on the mat using tokens of different colors to distinguish between the players taking part in the action, the dealer activates the roulette wheel, throws the white resin ball, and declares that the games are made. No more bets. As soon as the ball is immobilized in a pocket, the croupier announces the final result, collects lost stakes and pays winners.
Otherwise, the whole point of roulette does not end there. Indeed, some casinos apply additional rules (in particular to French roulette) such as the “sharing rule” and the “prison rule” to spice up the parties. These two rules, when applied, help reduce the house advantage in half (or only 1.35%) on single odds (red or black numbers, even or odd numbers, misses or passes).
Usually offered in physical casinos, French roulette has certain characteristics that differentiate it from its European and American counterparts. In addition to its slightly different table format, it is characterized by additional roulette rules which, as we said, have the effect of lowering the house advantage to only 1.35%: the rule of Prison and the Sharing rule.
These roulette rules only apply to single odds bets (red or black numbers, even or odd numbers, misses or passes). If the zero comes out, its stake will be temporarily placed in prison (i.e. temporarily held by the house). If the next number to be released corresponds to the bet the player initially made, he recovers the entire stake. Otherwise, it is the casino that captures it for its profit.
As part of the Sharing rule, the player can also choose to recover half of his bet if the zero comes out. In doing so, he resigned himself to making use of the Prison rule. Again, the Sharing roulette rule only applies to single odds.
How to play roulette in the American style? In North America and some Caribbean countries, the wheels have a double zero (in addition to the single zero). If the zero or double zero comes out, all bets will be lost (except those specifically placed on one of the 2 zeros). Consequently, in American roulette, the player’s chances of winning are reduced as the house advantage inevitably increases.
This is precisely the reason why American roulette enjoys a lower degree of popularity. As a bonus, some American casinos will allow you to place a combined bet (a “Basket Bet”). To do this, you will need to place your chips on the edge of the line that separates the row of zeros (0 and 00) from the first 3 numbers (1, 2, and 3).
This type of bet offers a 6 to 1 payout, one of the worst bets in roulette compared to its actual probability of occurrence (and a house advantage which, for once, climbs to 7.89%). All things considered, it is, therefore, better to look away from American roulette to have eyes only for the European roulette! This is precisely why we learn how to play roulette, to avoid those worst bets.
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Now that you know each casino roulette rule regarding betting, let’s see how to play roulette, and more precisely how to bet on roulette during your first games. As you know by now, roulette is a game that consists of a wheel on which a ball moves (thrown by the dealer) as well as a playmat that allows participants to bet on the spaces of their choice. Invented by Blaise Pascal, a mathematician who was addicted to probabilities, roulette is very popular in online casinos.
Of the thirty-seven pockets that are shown in roulette, only one cannot be wagered, the zero pocket. As required by the roulette rules, players around the table start by announcing their bets by placing their chips on the mat. During this stage of the game, the player bets on the number of his choice as much money as the limits of the table allow. When the dealer exclaims “The games are made” or “no more bets”, the bets are closed.
Once the player has made his bets, the roulette wheel begins to spin until the ball lands in one of the spaces on the wheel. As you have seen above, a participant can bet on different pockets, but also on red or black, even or odd numbers … We can also bet on lines, columns, or geometric figures arranged on the play mat. When the ball stops, the dealer of the table announces the winning number and distributes the potential winnings to the winners.
How to play roulette in a brick and mortar casino? Placing your chips by yourself is fine, but when the roulette table is crowded, it’s easier when the dealer does it for you. You will, therefore, have to work on the announcements that you are going to make at roulette.
We are going to offer you three different standard announcements, which you will have to make at one time or another when you start a game of roulette at online casinos. You will see more clearly, in two steps three movements, to be able to impress yourself, as well as all of your opponents!
You will see that making roulette announcements is much easier than you think, even for the timidest. So, you will have to place the chips that you want to bet near the dealer and tell him the different numbers on which you want him to place them.
You will need to list the numbers in ascending order every time. For example, you would say, “1 token on the 12, 2 tokens on the 23” and so on. Note that the number 1 on roulette says first, not one. These explanations related to betting on full numbers. As for the simple chances, you will have to announce to the croupier the chances that you will want to play, that is to say, “red” or “black”.
It gets a little complicated at the level of the bets which can be identified by more extreme numbers. If you wish to announce a Six-line, you will tell the dealer “Six-line 7/12”. If you wish to opt for a Cross, you will have to quote the four numbers as follows “Cross 8/12”.
For a Trio bet, which contains three numbers, 20-21-22, you will be able to announce to the dealer “Trio 20/22”. Finally, if you feel you are making a vertical Split bet, you can announce it on the following numbers “Split 16/19”. Before betting on complex elements such as Split and Cross bet, take the time to familiarize yourself with these terms.
This announcement to the dealer will also be fairly simple to master, you will see. Indeed, as its name suggests, this announcement amounts to betting on a number, as well as on its neighbors, two at most. Let’s say you give the dealer 5 chips, and you want to bet on number 17. You will then have to bet on the two numbers next to the latter on the dial.
In this specific case, these are the following numbers: 25, 34, 2, and 6. You will, therefore, have to make the following announcement to the dealer, so that he can issue your bet “17 and 2 neighbors”. Now you will just have to wait for the verdict of the ball. Learn how to play roulette and how to announce your bets to the dealer. This will help you not to be shy at the real games.