Roulette has been crowned the queen of gambling games since time immemorial. There are several reasons for this. Simple rules which a player can learn in just a few minutes, the game is fun to play, and of course the anticipation and joy you experience during the game. Roulette is simply an ideal cocktail of emotions for a person who likes to enjoy a bit of adrenalin while playing.
Goal of the game
The goal is simple, guess the numerical value or property of the field where the ball lands when the wheel stops spinning. Of course it's not as simple as it might seem, and the end result depends mostly on luck. But if you don't believe in luck, you can try out various roulette strategies or systems. Some players swear by them, while others are more skeptical. In the end, the decision on whether to use them or not is up to you.
What is the roulette table?
The roulette table is the most important element of the game. It is divided into two parts. The first is the game area and is used to place bets. The second part contains a mechanism which takes care of spinning the roulette. Roulette tables come in a variety of designs, depending on which variant of roulette you're playing. But in 99% of all cases, all the elements on the table behave the same way, regardless of their design.
Players and a croupier sit around the table. Roulette is a game where players don't play against each other (like in poker); instead, several or even all players can win at the same time. The croupier represents the casino and controls the game, accepts bets and pays out winnings.
How to play the roulette, principles of the game
It's very simple to play roulette - basically you just need to sit at the table and wait for a new game to begin. When playing online it's even easier, just click to select a table and you're right there.
To start playing, choose your bet on the table (you can make several bets during a single game). You make a bet by placing your chips on the location that signifies your intended bet. Of course, before you do that, you need to choose the amount you want to bet by using the right quantity and type of chips.
After making your bet or bets, simply wait for the other players to finish theirs. Afterwards the croupier will spin the roulette and stop all further betting. Once the roulette is spinning, the croupier will throw the ball in. The ball should be made in a way which makes it rotate in the opposite direction as the rotation of the wheel. You then wait until the ball is firmly resting on one of the boxes. This box determines the value (number) and color of winning combinations. The croupier will then place a "doll" on the winning field, remove lost bets and pay out wins. This marks the end of one round of the game, and you can proceed by betting for the next round.
Types of bets in roulette
Even though roulette is indeed a simple game, it offers a large number of different bets and ways to win. Bets are divided into inner and outer bets. This division is based on which part of the table you place the bet. In the picture, the area of inner bets is shown in green, while the area of outer bets is yellow.
Inner roulette bets
Inner bets consist of all bets made on specific numbers, from 0 to 36. These bets generally offer better winnings, but there's also a greater risk of losing.
- Straight bet
- This is a bet made on a specific number.
- Payout ratio: 35:1 (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 36 €)
- Winning probability: 2.70%
- Split bet
- This bet is made on a pair of numbers located next to each other; it is signified by placing chips on the line between the numbers.
- Payout ratio: 17:1 (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 18 €)
- Winning probability: 5.41%
- Street bet
- This bet is made on three numbers located next to each other; it is signified by placing chips on the edge of the table or on the end of the table (where the zero is located).
- Payout ratio: 11:1 (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 12 €)
- Winning probability: 8.11%
- Square bet (also called corner bet)
- This bet is made on four numbers located next to each other; it is signified by placing chips on the center of four numbers or on the edge near the zero (signifying a bet on 0,1,2,3).
- Payout ratio: 8:1 (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 9 €)
- Winning probability: 10.81%
- Top line bet (also called basket bet)
- This bet is only possible in American roulette due to it having the double zero field. To make the bet, place your chips on the edge near the zero; you will be betting on 0, 00, 1, 2, 3.
- Payout ratio: 6:1 (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 7 €)
- Winning probability: 13.16%
- Six line bet (also called double street bet)
- Here you bet on two triples by placing chips on the edge of the table, specifically on the line between the outer numbers of both triples.
- Payout ratio: 5:1 (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 6 €)
- Winning probability: 16.22%
Outer roulette bets
These are made by placing chips on the outer part of the table, and consist mainly of betting on combinations. While outer bets generally have a lower payout ratio, they also have a lower risk of losing than in case of inner bets.
- Color bet (red/black)
- To make the bet, simply place your chips on the color you want to bet on.
- Payout ratio: 1:1 (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 2 €)
- Winning probability: 48.65%
- Odd / even bet
- To make the bet, place your chips on the Odd or Even field.
- 1:1 payout ratio (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 2 €)
- Winning probability: 48.65%
- Low / high bet
- As above, simply place your chips on the field 1 to 18 or 19 to 36.
- 1:1 payout ratio (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 2 €)
- Winning probability: 48.65%
- Dozen bet
- The roulette has 36 non-zero numbers; here you will be betting on the first (1-12), second (13-24) or third (25-36) dozen.
- 2:1 payout ratio (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 3 €)
- Winning probability: 32.43%
- Column bet
- Similarly as in the case of the dozen bet, here too you will be betting on 12 numbers. But this time bets are placed on numbers in one of the three columns of the table, so the numbers are not consecutive.
- 2:1 payout ratio (A bet of 1 € means a payout of 3 €)
- Winning probability: 32.43%
Special game rules
Before playing, we always recommend to determine which rules are used and whether the casino doesn't also offer the special En Prison or La Partage rules. Both can save you a lot of money.
The En Prison rule
En Prison can only be used for bets where you have only one out of two options (meaning color bets, even / odd bets etc.). The idea is that if you get a zero during such a bet, you won't lose the whole amount but instead can leave one half of the amount of the bet on the same place for the next round. If there's another zero on the next round (which is very rare), then you'll lose the other half of your bet.
The La Partage rule
This rule is similar to En Prison. The only difference is that if the ball stops on 0, then you're not forced to leave one half of your bet on the field - instead the casino will simply give it back to you.
Play roulette
As you can see, roulette offers a number of entertainment possibilities - and we haven't even mentioned the large number of alternative bets you can make on the Racetrack offered by some types of roulette.
Of course, before starting to play it's recommended to remind yourselves that it's just a game, to set clear rules and play responsibly. We recommend that beginners start by placing bets on less risky events (color, even / odd, 1 to 18 / 19 to 36). Once you feel comfortable with the game and think that you can read what's happening, you might want to try your luck with special bets.
And if you're still not convinced that roulette is the right game for you, you can try playing online roulette for free. You'll see if you like it.