The rules to play online Roulette are simple. A dealer called a “croupier” sets a small metal ball spinning on a roulette wheel. Eventually, the ball drops into one of dozens of pockets (or “slots”) on the bike.
Rules of Roulette A roulette wheel consists of a spinning disk with divisions around its edge that revolves around the base of a bowl. A ball is spun around the outside of the bowl until eventually ball and wheel come to rest with the ball in one of the divisions.
Each pocket is marked with a number between 0 and 36. If the ball drops into a pocket with a name which the gambler has placed a wager on, the player wins their bet. If not, they lose their wager.
Online Casino Roulette has many types of bets, which are the central part of the rules. Below is an explanation of the roulette bets.
Online Roulette Bets
Roulette is a simple yet fascinating game of chance that is extremely popular around the world – both at land-based and at the top casino sites.I doubt there is a person on this Earth that hasn’t heard of it and doesn’t have the slightest idea of how to play roulette, yet if you’re planning on playing for real money, I would recommend that you explore the rules of roulette inside out. According to the rules of roulette, the dealer will spin the wheel in counter clockwise manner. After that rolls the ball into the outside track of the wheel to make it travel clockwise around. Following the rules of online roulette, you will be allowed to place wager even after the ball and wheel has been set in motion.
First of all, there are two major types of wagers: inside bets and outside bets. The casino roulette table is a large felt area with a box full of numbers. Wagers which are made inside that box (on the numbers) are called inside bets. Wagers made outside the box are called outside bets. The terms help differentiate the type of wager because bets placed outside the numbers are made on a more extensive range of numbers.
The outside bets have better chances of winning but pay out smaller amounts. The inside bets are less likely to win but pay out higher costs.
A variety of outside bets exist. If you want to wager on big blocks of numbers, you want to place chips outside the number box. You either bet on 12 numbers or 18 numbers at a time. Since these are more likely to hit, the payouts are smaller.
In certain types of online casino roulette, house rules allow better odds on the even-money wagers like hi-lo, black-red, or even-odd. When those house rules are in effect, it’s best to wager only on the even-money propositions.
Dozen Bet – This bet is made on 12 numbers at a time. You have three options: 1 through 12, 13 through 24, or 25 through 36.
Column Bet – The column bets are made on 12 numbers at a time, too. In this case, you’re wagering on one of three sets of columns in the number box. The options here are wagering on the 1-4-7-10-13-16-19-22-25-28-31-34, the 2-5-8-11-14-17-20-23-26-29-32-35, or the 3-6-9-12-15-18-21-24-27-30-33-36.
High/Low Bet – The high/low or hi/lo bet is considered an even-money wager. You have two options. Either you can wager on the 1 through 18 or the 19 through 36.
Black/Red Bet – This is another even-money wager. Half of the numbers on the wheel are red while half are black. You are wagering on whether the ball lands on red or black. It should be noted that the “0” and “00” are green slots, so the ball falling on zeroes produces a losing bet on either proposition.
Even/Odd Bet – This is the third type of even-money wager. You are wagering on whether the ball lands on an even number or an odd number.
Serpent Bet – The serpent bet is a 12-number wager made on a set of numbers which snake through the column of numbers. The wager is placed on the 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34.This wager is used in some casinos to max out the betting potential for high rollers, as it allows the water to be made as 12 separate straight bets. Watch out to make sure the right odds are offered on this bet, because some casinos change the odds, turning this into a sucker bet.
Inside Bets
Those are the outside wagers. Many people prefer inside bets because they pay out the most. From the largest payouts to the smallest ones, here are those wagers.
The inside bets are made on three columns of numbers, which contain the 1 through 36. At the top of the columns, the “0” is found. In American Roulette, a “00” is also located there.
Straight Bet (Single) – The single bet is a bet on a unique number. To make this wager, place your chip inside the number’s box.
Split Bet – This is a wager on two numbers which are adjacent on the table. To make this wager, place your chip on the line between the numbers.
Street Bet – This is a wager on three numbers. These are on a single horizontal row. To make this wager, place your chip on the outside line of that row of numbers.
Corner Bet (Square) – The square bet is placed on four numbers, whose boxes are adjoining. To make this wager, place your chip on the four corners where the numbers’ tables converge.
Six Line Bet (Double Street) – The six-line bet is merely making two adjoining street bets. To place this wager, place your chip on the outlined line of those two rows of numbers, making sure to put the chip on the dividing line between the two streets.
Trio Bet – The trio bet is made on either the 0-1-2 or the 2-3-0 slots. To make this wager, place your chips where these three boxes intersect.
Basket Bet – In American Roulette, this is a 3-number wager placed on the 0-1-2, the 0-00-2, or the 2-3-00 numbers. To make this bet, place your chips where these boxes intersect.
Top Line Bet – In American Roulette, this is a 5-number wager made on the 0-1-2-3-00. To make this wager, place your chip at the juncture of the 0 and 1, or the juncture of the 00 and 3. Never make this wager, though. It has far worse odds than any other bet in online casino roulette.
Roulette Wager Odds
High / Low Bet – 1 to 1
Black / Red Bet – 1 to 1
Even / Odd Bet – 1 to 1
Dozen Bet – 2 to 1
Column Bet – 2 to 1
Serpent Bet – 2 to 1
Six Line Bet – 5 to 1
Top Line Bet – 6 to 1
Corner Bet – 8 to 1
Street Bet – 11 to 1
Trio Bet – 11 to 1
Basket Bet – 11 to 1
Split Bet – 17 to 1
Straight Bet – 35 to 1
The types of bets you can make are roughly the same in American and European Roulette. Now that you’ve seen the basic similarities let’s take a look where the games diverse.
There are small differences in the layout and sizes of components between different games – though the fundamentals are broadly the same.
Taking up the centre of the screen will be the croupier and wheel, with a real betting grid set at an angle in front of them. Underneath this, you will find chips and other control options.
Placing Your Bet
To bet, you first select your chip size and then click with your mouse on the betting grid. If your chip drops in the wrong place, you can get it back again using a back button. Minimum bets vary between casinos; these are typically a little higher than for the virtual games. Maximum bets run into the tens of thousands for the high rollers out there.
Betting is timed in order to keep the game flowing. Once the croupier announces no more bets, it will not be possible to add or take away any chips. You will only see your own chips on the grid though many players may be enjoying the game at the same time as you.
Winning Number
When the ball lands you will often see a close up of the slot it landed in a corner of the screen. A dolly will be placed on the winning number and bets will be automatically settled by the software. If you are using a favorite pattern, repeating this is as easy as clicking a “rebet” button.
American Roulette
When you read about an American and European version of any given thing, it’s expected that the European version was the original. That is not the case in casino roulette. American Roulette is the same game which was played in Europe before the inception of Monte Carlo. Las Vegas never changed the rules, meaning Vegas rules are close to the original game’s rules.
The earlier versions of casino roulette often had fewer pockets on them than the 38-pocket Las Vegas wheel, but those early games always had a “0” and “00” slot on the bike.
For this reason, American Roulette is also known as double-zero Roulette. It contains two zeroes pockets: one marked “0” and one marked “00”. The second 0-pocket is pivotal to gameplay because it doubles the house edge. Most of the bets in Roulette are an automatic loser when the ball land in a zero slot. For that reason, increasing the number of zero pockets doubles the house edge.
The house edge of American Roulette is 5.26%, which is high for a table game. Individual rules can be implemented to lower the house edge, so don’t dismiss the American version of Roulette. If you play in Las Vegas, don’t play the game, unless house rules are offered.
En Prison Rules
Atlantic City offers “en prison” or “imprisonment” rules if you play casino roulette. When you make an even-money wager, and the ball lands on the “0” or “00”, your bet is not immediately lost. Instead, the chance goes to prison for a hand. If you miss the next hand, you lose the imprisoned bet. If you win the next hand, you win back that imprisoned bet.
Imprisonment lowers the house edge to 2.63%, which is a little lower than European Roulette. New Jersey state law requires these rules, which explains why AC casinos offer such an excellent advantage. If you play at any online casino which gives Atlantic City roulette, it pays to play it.
A couple of things need to be mentioned for the land-based gamblers. Atlantic City casinos offer an electronic game called Rapid Roulette. It is a ploy by the city’s casinos to get around the New Jersey law, by speeding up the game. Like all multi-hand or multi-spin games, increasing your play rate means you’re exposed to the house edge more times in an hour–which is terrible for the gambler.
Another thing to remember is “en prison” rules only apply to even-money bets. Make any other wager on the table, and you’ll still be playing a game with a 5.26% house edge.
Triple Zero Game
In traditional American roulette tables found in the United States, the games will have zero and double zero on the roulette wheel. These games will have a house advantage of 5.2%. With Triple Zero Roulette, players will find the game has three zeros on the roulette wheel, the 0, 00 and 000. The house percentage of this game is much higher, at 7.69%, which means that there is a higher percentage that players will lose.
While the house percentage is higher than other versions of land-based or online Roulette, players still enjoy playing the Triple Zero game. When it comes to Triple Zero, players will only find the game at the Venetian in Las Vegas. The game is titled Sands Roulette and can be played at the Venetian Casino. Players will find the roulette wheel and the felt of the game have the triple zero placements. The payout for the Sands Roulette wager is the same as it would be when playing a double zero table. The game is played the same as other forms of Roulette; the only difference is the house edge.
European Roulette
In most situations, European Roulette is the best version of the game. European Roulette is the version played in Monte Carlo since the 1860s. Monaco’s royal family, the House of Grimaldi, were bankrupt in the 1850s, so they developed a plan for casino gaming in their tiny principality on the French Riviera. This plan was not particularly successful until they recruited Francois Blanc, at the time known as the “The Magician of Homburg“, to take over their casino operations in 1863.
Francois Blanc had made a fortune with his casino at Bad Homburg in Germany. Before the 1860s, Germany was where most European casinos were located. Germany was a patchwork of 200 kingdoms and principalities, so one minor prince or another was certain to allow a casino in their realm, for the sake of tax revenues. By the 1860s, Prussia was beginning to unite these German states. Prussia was an autocratic and conservative regime, so gambling was not likely to last long in the 2nd German Reich.
Rules Of Roulette Pdf
In Monaco, Francois Blanc took over the Monte Carlo Casino. He brought with him a new form of Roulette, with only one “0” pocket. This game had a house edge of 2.70% and was much more popular with gamblers. In the next few years, casino gambling was outlawed throughout most of Europe. As Monaco developed better roads from France into their tiny country, players from all over Europe flocked to Monte Carlo. Francois Blanc then became known as “The Magician of Monte Carlo”.
Over the generations, single-zero Roulette has become the dominant version of the game. Monte Carlo became the capital of European gambling in the Victorian Age. It was also the Age of Colonialism, with the various European powers expanding their empires around the world. Wherever they colonized, they implanted their forms of gambling. Thus, European Roulette became dominant.
Difference between American and European Roulette
If you are new to online Roulette, you may be wondering what the difference is between American and European Roulette. Both games are fun to play and can be found at top-rated online casinos. Learning the difference will help players to find the right roulette game for their playing needs.
The difference between American and European Roulette is that the American version includes a double zero along with the traditional 0 and 1-36 numbers on the wheel and table felt. With the extra green colour slot of the American Roulette game, the house has a higher edge. Players will benefit more from playing European Roulette as the house edge is lower. This means that there is a higher potential to win money when playing the European version.
With American Roulette, the house edge is 5.2%. European Roulette has a house advantage of 2.7%. There are strategies available for both games which can be used to create a better advantage for the player. For newbies, however, it is best to stick to the European version as there is a higher chance of overall success.
French Roulette
It might be confusing that people mistakenly refer to European Roulette as “French roulette”. Even experienced gamblers sometimes mix and match the names. In online casinos, French Roulette refers to a variant with individual bets. These bets have French names, so it is reasonable to call this variant French Roulette.
The exotic bet names probably add’s to the allure for most gamblers. Casinos in France traditionally offered these bets. Casinos in London and Monte Carlo also have tables with these wagers. Eastern Europeans casinos also offer French Roulette. Otherwise, you’re not likely to find the game, except in online casinos.
Below is a list of the various bets in french Roulette, along with their translation. These are called “announced bets” or “called bets” sometimes because the gambler calls them out to the croupier. Remember, when announcing your bets, if you are not acknowledged, it’s not an official wager. It helps to move your chips to their correct location.
The names below refer to the placement of numbers on the wheel. For instance, the neighbors of zero refer to a set of slots on either side of the “0” slot on the wheel.
Les voisins – The Neighbors’ Bet
Les voisins du Zero – The Neighbors of Zero
Jeu Zero – Game Zero
Le Tiers du Cylindre or Tiers – The Third of the Wheel
Les Orphelins – The Orphans
Orphelins en Plein – Betting the orphans straight up.
Finales en Plein – Finals
The Finals bets are a favorite with high rollers. By betting every conceivable finals bet as separate singles bets, a gambler can max out the betting limits. Thus, high rollers make every single one of these wagers at the maximum betting limit for each.
It should be mentioned that the house edge on French Roulette is no different than it is on European Roulette: 2.70%. The allure of this game is the exotic wagers allowed, as well as the ability to max out bets for high stakes gamblers.
La Partage Betting
Monte Carlo casinos sometimes offer “la partage” betting. In effect, this is similar to imprisonment bets, by cutting the house edge in half. La partage is usually offered on European Roulette, though. If you find these rules being offered, it is the best form of Roulette to play.
Imagine you’re playing European Roulette, which has the 2.70% house edge. Then imagine playing with la partage rules, which cuts the wager down to a 1.35% house edge. This makes the game comparable to baccarat or craps in terms of the casino’s advantage. For a game with no strategy, la partage European roulette has good odds.
The term “la partage” means “of the parts”. Essentially, it means that the wager is halved. If you bet on the even-money wagers and the ball lands in the “0” pocket, you lose half of the bet. Half of the bet is returned to you, though. If you want to get detailed information about this, check out the Wizard of Odds page on Roulette.
Strategy For Online Roulette
Keeping the house edge to a minimum in Roulette games starts with choosing the right wheel. The American wheel is one to be avoided, that extra zero (the ‘00’ slot) adds a significant extra to the house edge. By default you should choose the single zero European wheel – and where possible go for the French Wheel instead. French Roulette uses the European single-zero wheel, with the added extra that if the zero hits even money bets return 50% to the player. This is as low as the house edge gets in any Roulette game.
On the even-money bets, the house edge on European Roulette is a lot better than it the house edge on American Roulette. The inclusion of a second zero pocket — the “00” slot — is the reason the American variation has much worse odds. It’s another pocket on the wheel in which all of the odd/even, black/red, or hi/lo bets lose. Unless there are special house rules announced, American double-zero Roulette is always worse than its European counterpart. If you find European Roulette you should always play at those tables.
High Rollers Should Play French Roulette
This is more a strategy for entertainment or thrills than it is for winning. High stakes gamblers who feel the max bets on a site’s roulette games are too small should play French Roulette.
High rollers should learn about the “Full Maximum” or complete bets in French Roulette. It covers every bet possible on a single number, including straight-up up bet, split bet, and so on. It is an easy way to make these separate wagers, thus increasing your betting capacity by 40x with one announced bet.
Many beginners read about progressive betting techniques and think they hold the key; they’re wrong. Progressive betting has the sheen of mathematics, so it sounds like it’s a can’t miss proposition. Even worse, the odds are progressive betting patterns are going to help grind out small winning sessions in the early stages of play. These combine to lead players down a dangerous play style.
The most common progressive betting style is the Martingale Scheme. This was devised in the 18th century, so it has the respectability of old age. With the Martingale, a player begins with a default bet amount and simply doubles their bet every time they lose. If a player starts at $10, then they bet $20 after a losing bet and $40 after another losing bet. Bet long enough and, when you win, you’ll collect $10 for that series of bets.
The Danger of Exponential Bet Increases
Rules Of Roulette
The catch is what I just said: “Bet long enough.” This idea is a fallacy for a couple of reasons.
First, tables have max bets. The Martingale produces exponential bet increases, so a player exceeds the max bet with a few unlucky spins. Also, the exponential chances after seven losing spins would be $640. That would be a risk of $640 to have a $10 profit on that set of bets.
Most players soon exceed their comfort zone when it comes to bets if any amount of bad luck happens. All this is done to chase lost cash, which leads to the risk of ruin — that is, losing your whole bankroll. Computer simulations have been done, and it’s been shown that the Martingale Technique loses more money over a billion bets than flat betting.
Other progressive betting schemes exist, but they all contain the same fallacy: that changing your pattern of bets is going to change the house edge. Other progressive bets include the Reverse Martingale, Labouchere, Reverse Labouchere, D’Alembert, Reverse D’Alembert, Paroli (Parlay), and Fibonacci betting. The Fibonacci Technique is one of the most bewitching of these fake strategies because it’s based on the thought-provoking Fibonacci Patterns found throughout nature. Unfortunately, finding the secret to gambling in nature’s floral patterns is more numerology than mathematics so that I wouldn’t buy the con.
Just as barmy is the idea of playing a backwards betting pattern. That is, you increase your wagers when winning. Oscar’s Grind/Pluscoup and Tier et Tout (a la Boule De Neige) are examples of positive progressions. These are streak systems, based on the concept that a number is betting hot. That is an excellent introduction to the gambler’s fallacy.
Gambler’s Fallacy
The Gambler’s Fallacy is based on a misunderstanding of how probability works. It centres around whether a game is “hot” or “cold”, or whether a number is “due”. The common-sense approach to probability is that every number has an equal chance to appear on a roulette wheel. Thus, if a number hasn’t looked recently, it is due to hit.
If online Roulette is done right, then every single spin of the wheel is separate from every other spin. If a turn hit on “7” last time, that does not change the probability of hitting a “7” on the next hand. Yes, over a million hands, the results are likely to look like the probabilities. In the short term, nothing of the sort applies.
Players tend to think in limited terms when gambling. They think of 1,000 spins as a lot. If the number 15 hasn’t appeared very often in 1,000 spins, they believe 15 is due. It directly doesn’t work that way.
Also called Square Ro-Let, this betting pattern was introduced in Jack Kennedy’s 1998 book “Square Ro-let”. It combined a flat bet, the dealer’s signature, and Follow the Last Color betting to beat the casino. Unfortunately, no one could understand Positional Roulette betting. Even Jack Kennedy wrote, “it can only be learned in practice”. That’s one of the great con games, to claim a system is so intricate and genius that only a few understand it. If a gambler uses the system and he or she fails, then it’s because he or she doesn’t understand the policy enough.
Roulette Variations
Most of the roulette games that you can find online are either American, European, or French, but there are a few that take the same idea and change it to create a new game, a new way of playing Roulette. These are some of those variations:
Courtesy of https://www.onlineunitedstatescasinos.com
History – How To Play – Rules – Odds – Strategy – Pro’s Perspective
Roulette is one of the most popular table casino games in history and there are entire casinos and gambling venues that are based around it. Roulette is a game of pure luck and does not include any skill or any decision making. The only decision roulette players will make is where to place their wagers, and they will do that before the game begins. Wagers are placed on random numbers and are paid if the roulette ball lands on the number or the bet they chose, so it is a matter of pure luck. There is no need to be a professional or an experienced gambler.
The game consists of a wooden roulette wheel, that contains 37 or 38 slots. The zero (and double zero in America) slot is green, while the number slots (from 1 to 36) alternate between black and red. The second part is the roulette ball that spins on that wooden wheel until it lands in a particular slot to reveal the winning number for that round. The wagering area is usually found on a green felt right next to the wheel. It is where players will place their chips and choose the numbers and bets that they wish to place their stakes on.
Roulette History
Roulette, which means “Little Wheel” in French, is considered to be one of the oldest casino games in history, dating all the way back to the wheel-based games in China and Ancient Rome. The roulette wheel we know today was invented in France, by Blaise Pascal in the 17th century. Pascal was a French mathematician who wanted to create a gambling game that could spin and the winner would be decided according to the landing spot of a small object (in this case, the roulette ball). The game spread across Europe and it flourished specifically in Germany for a while. The true success of the game was in Monaco, as roulette was the foundation of the gambling empire in the city of Monte Carlo.
Modern roulette owes its origins to Louis and François Blanc in 1842. They invented the French roulette wheel that contains 37 numbers, including a zero. The zero was introduced to increase the advantage of the casino so the game could be profitable to the casinos offering it. The brothers spread the game throughout Germany until the country banned gambling altogether. It was at this point that Louis and François were introduced to King Charles.
King Charles desperately needed to alleviate the financial woes that were dominating his kingdom. As a result, he had the Blanc brothers create a casino for his people, and thus, the roulette table became a great source of income for the kingdom. Roulette soon gained continuous popularity and became the main symbol of Monte Carlo’s casino culture.
Years later, the game made its way across the Atlantic ocean and it spread to the United States where it proved to be very popular as well, especially during the Gold Rush. With a booming economy, the rich were drawn to roulette and became what we call high rollers. The popularity of the game increased tremendously and as a result, casinos decided to increase their edge and advantage once more with the introduction of the double zero slot. This is the only American contribution to the history of roulette history.
Roulette Rules Chart
Today, the French version of roulette, the single “0″, can be found in most European casinos and the American version of roulette, the double “00″, can be found in places such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. At present, Roulette is more popular in Europe, mainly because of the better odds it predicts based on the one “0″ vs. double “00″ difference. Of course, in the online gambling world, players can enjoy either one of these versions, regardless of their location. Online casinos have even created a number of their own unique roulette versions for players to try out.
How to Play Roulette
The roulette game, like any other casino table game, starts with players placing their wagers. Since all the wagers will be put on the same wagering area, with the probability of more than one player placing the same wager, players will have to purchase different sets of chips. These chips have different colors so each player’s chips can be easily identified. These special roulette chips can often be purchased and cashed in at the roulette table. Alternatively, the chips can also be cashed in at the cashier once exchanged for the money chips at the roulette table.
After players get their colored chips, they will begin the game by placing wagers. Players will place wagers by putting the desired number of chips on the numbers or the different bets that the game offers. The wagering area, clearly indicated, includes all of the different numbers and bets the game has. While they are placing these chips the dealer, or croupier, will throw the roulette ball on the roulette wheel in the opposite direction of the spinning wheel.
While the ball is spinning, players will be able to change their wagers, retract them or place new ones. Once the ball starts to slow down, the croupier will loudly announce that there are “No More Bets Please.” At this point all of the wagers that are on the roulette table’s wagering area are final and players are not permitted to change, retract or place any new bets.
After the ball lands on a specific number, that will be declared as the winning number. The croupier will then place a small glass object called a dolly on the winning number. He will then start to pay the winning players while taking the losing bets. Of course, the croupier will pay players in their own color so they can use these chips to place more table bets. While the dealer is paying the winning bets and taking in the losing bets, players are not permitted to place new wagers or touch their chips. After all is done the dealer will signal players that they can start placing wagers again. Once they have begun placing wagers again the same procedure is repeated spin after spin.
The various bets that are available pay differently according to the odds of each bet. The bets that have a higher chance and better odds will pay less than the bets that have lesser odds. This is why the highest payout is paid by the bet that has the worst odds, which is the straight number bet because players have a 1/37 or a 1/38 chance of winning. That being said, it clearly pays a lot for players to know the different bets and their payouts before they engage in a roulette game.
Roulette Rules
Roulette is pretty simple and straightforward, but the game does come with a set of rules and etiquette that players are required to know before they start placing chips at the table. Here are some of these important rules:
Players are not permitted to move any of their chips or even touch them once the croupier says no more bets.
Once the dealer places the dolly on the winning number, players should not move or touch the chips before he removes it to signal a new round.
Players cannot use a camera or cell phones at the table as all electronics are prohibited.
Players can only put cigarettes, drinks, money, or chips on the roulette table.
Exchanging chips or cash can only be done between roulette spins and not during the gameplay.
Players who want to place called bets will say it and if the dealer is not busy, he will accept them. These bets are only official if the croupier repeats them in a loud voice.
The seats at the table are only for players who have bets on the table. This will happen even if there is only 1 player seated at the roulette table. Players who want to sit at the table have to place bets.
Players can only start to place new bets once the dealer clears all of the losing wagers and has paid all of the winning ones from the previous spin. Players will then be given time to place wagers and then the dealer will start to spin the next round.
Naturally, most of these rules do not exist in the online gambling world. At online casinos, roulette is a single-player game where players will have the roulette table to themselves. There are no croupiers, no other players, and no colored chips. Playing online roulette is much easier and simpler than land-based roulette.
You can find plenty of roulette versions at most online casinos, including the two most commonly played ones, American Roulette, and French Roulette. Some casinos may even offer innovative versions of roulette, created just for the online gambling world. For example, the mini roulette game is an optional game containing only half of the numbers that are found on a normal wheel of roulette. There are also multi-wheel roulette versions that enable players to place wagers on up to 8 roulette wheels at the same time as each wheel spins separately. Some of these innovative games have their own rules and payouts, so we advise you to check the rules and payout tables of each game before playing. These rules can be viewed by clicking on “Rules” or “View Rules” on the actual roulette game. Likewise, remember these games may also have their own house edge and payouts.
Roulette Odds
The odds of the roulette wheel depends on what version of the game is being played. Different versions have different setups, and thus have different odds and a different house edge.
The House edge is the advantage the casino has over the players and is the percentage of chips that are taken from the player winnings. For French roulette, the single zero roulette version, the house advantage or edge is 2.7 percent. As for American roulette, the double zero version, it stands at 5.26 percent and is equal to 7.9 percent on the 5-number bet (0-00-1-2-3).
A lot of players prefer to play French roulette because it has a lower house edge. French roulette has better odds than American roulette primarily because it has one zero, which means that for a straight number bet, players have a 1/37 chance of winning. American roulette has 38 number slots, so for a straight number bet the chance is 1/38 instead of 1/37.
This shows the odds are primarily affected by the version of roulette being played but secondary to that can also be affected by the bet itself. As noted earlier, different bets have different odds.
Reds/Blacks: This bet is placed on either Red or Black or both and, since the table contains 18 blacks and 18 reds plus 1 or 2 green spots, the odds are almost 50:50. As a result the bet pays even money (1:1).
Even/Odd: Similar to the last bet, the odds are 50:50 and it pays even money.
Straight number bet: Players will place a wager on a specific number and will be paid 35 to 1 since players have a 1/37 or 1/38 chance of winning this bet.
Three number bet, also called a street bet, pays eleven to one.
The 6 number bet pays five to one.
The 2 number bet pays seventeen to one.
A column or a dozen bet pays two to one.
There are certain rules that can affect these odds. These rules are not implemented in every casino. Some of these rules include:
The En Prison Rule (In Prison):
This rule is applied to the bets that pay even money, such as odds/evens, blacks/reds, and 1st half/2nd half. If players place any of these bets and the ball lands on the zero, the player will be able to recoup half of his bet or keep it all for the next spin. If during the next sping the ball lands on zero once again, the entire bet will be lost.
The La Partage Rule:
This rule is quite similar to the previous rule but players will lose half the bet. The second option, which is to keep the bets for a second spin, is not available.
These two rules cut down the edge of the house to half on even money bets because they give players a second chance.
Roulette Strategy
Roulette is a random game and therefore players cannot predict the outcome of the spins. However, there are certain betting strategies that can increase the odds. While these strategies could increase the odds, they can never guarantee a win because the outcome of the wheel is 100 percent random. Below we discuss 3 strategies:
1. The Martingale Betting System is basically a double or nothing strategy. In this strategy, players will double up their bets if and when they lose so they can make up for the money they have lost. Naturally, it is not a very successful strategy because players can hit the house limit or they can run out of cash before they are able to make up for their losses.
2. The Andre Martinez Betting System depends on the odds and possibilities. It states that players should bet on the same number 35 times since there is a 1/35 probability of winning. This is also not a very successful strategy because there is less than a 61 percent chance of winning if you bet on the same number for 35 consecutive spins. Players can run out of money well before winning.
3. The third strategy states that in a game of roulette, you do not have to bet on only black or red, or just one specific number. There are a lot of other options such as the 1st dozen bets, 2nd dozen bets, and 3rd dozen bets. In this strategy, instead of choosing numbers without any calculations, it will use a special strategy and system in order to choose a group of roulette numbers that you will place wagers on. For the purpose of this betting system, the first twelve numbers will be named A, the second twelve will be B while the third twelve will be C. As for the 0 or the 00, they will be named 0.
In order to build the strategy, you should play at an online casino in free play mode, so you do not waste your bankroll while learning the strategy. Get a paper and spin the wheel; if the ball lands on the first 12, write down A, the second 12, write down B and the 3rd twelve, write down C. You will do this test in sets of 5. Keep spinning until there is a set of 5 that is missing one of the letters. So if you record B, C, C, B, and B, you will stop because A did not show up — you should bet for real money on B and C (the 2nd twelve and 3rd twelve). Keep betting on these numbers and over the long haul you should rack up the wins. The procedure of betting depends on your budget — if you have a low budget then place small bets and if you have a big budget, place big bets.
Pro’s Perspective: Roulette Strategies & Tips
With John Grochowski
One important concept that all gamblers need to understand is that in any game, the house gets its edge by paying winners at less than true odds. In roulette, payoffs are set so they would reflect true odds if there were only 36 numbers on the wheel. But there are actually are 37 or 38 numbers, including 0 and sometimes 00.
If you win a single-number bet, it pays at 35:1 odds, and there would be no house edge if there were only 36 numbers. With the zeroes, the true odds are 36:1 or 37:1.
So it goes for every possible bet. On a two-number split which pays 17-1, true odds are either 17.5:1 or 18:1. On red or black, the payoff is 18:18, which reduces to 1:1, but true odds are either 19:18 or 20:18.
The difference between the odds paid and the true odds is how the house makes money.
It’s equally important to understand that the odds are the same on every spin of the wheel. The way game analysts put it is, “The wheel has no memory.” If a number occurred on the last spin or not in the last 100, the odds remain the same for the next spin.
With the combination of those two simple concepts, the house has its edge of the same size on every spin. Even on a system that is designed to win more often than it loses, the house will still have its edge.
A System that Wins More than it Loses
To illustrate this, let’s make up a system that wins more often than it loses. Let’s say you’re playing a double-zero wheel in a set of 38 spins in which each number comes up once.
In our system, we’ll bet $6 on black plus $5 on the two-number split of 0 and 00. That’s $11 per spin for a total risk of $418 for the 38 spins.
On 18 spins, black will win and we’ll win $6 and keep the $6 bet – a total of $12 that exceeds our $11 in wagers.
When the 0 comes up and again on 00, we win $85 on a 17:1 payoff plus keep the $5 wager for a total of $90 on each win.
On each of the 18 red numbers, we lose all of the $11.
At the end of the trial, the 18 black wins times $12 leaves $216 on our side of the table. The two 0-00 wins times $90 give us another $180, so we have $396 of our original $418.
Divide the house’s $22 by the $418 we risk, then multiply by 100 to convert to percent, and we get 5.26 percent – the normal house edge at double-zero roulette.
Our system wins on 20 numbers and loses on only 18, but it gives the house its usual percentage.
Bottom line
Systems are fun to play, they can win more often than they lose, and sometimes you’ll hit a hot streak and walk away with a nice profit. But over an extended series of gameplay, the house will earn its percentage.