The game of roulette is one of the most famous casino games and is played in casinos around the globe. It is a game of chance, in which players must bet on which number will appear when the Roulette wheel is spun.
The game of roulette in its present day form goes back to Paris in the late 18th century. However, games similar to roulette were being played even earlier in Germany, England and Italy. Read on to learn more about the rules of this exciting game, strategy, odds and more.
Roulette Rules
Before understanding the roulette rules, it is important to understand the setup of the roulette wheel. A roulette wheel is made up of numbered slots, which alternate in color between red and black. European roulette wheels have 37 slots, numbered from 0 through 36. American roulette wheels have 38 slots, as they include an additional slot numbered 00.
Before the wheel is spun players place bets on where they thing the wheel will land. Players can place any number of bets including betting on a specific number, whether the roulette wheel will land on odds or evens, red or black, or they can bet on groups of numbers. Bets are placed on a table
Once bets are placed, the croupier spins the wheel and tosses a small ball onto the wheel. The croupier is roulette’s equivalent of a dealer in blackjack. The ball is spun in the opposite direction of the wheel until it lands in one of the numbered slots. Players that bet on this slot are paid. Players that bet on other numbers lose their bets.
Roulette Bets
In roulette there are a large number of bets that can be made. Different bets have different payouts. Possible roulette bets are as follows:
Inside Bets – Inside bets are bets placed on specific numbers and are called “inside bets” because to place them you place your chips inside the boxes of numbers on the roulette table. Inside bets include the following:
- Straight Up Bets – A wager on one specific number, winners are paid 35:1
- Split Bet – A wager on two numbers that are adjacent to each other on the Roulette table, winners are paid 17:1
- Street Bets or Line Bets – A wager on three numbers in a horizontal line, winners are paid 11:1
- Corner Bets or Quad Bets – A wager on four numbers laid out in a square, winners are paid 8:1
- Trio Bet – A wager on 0, 1, 2 or 00, 2, 3, winners are paid 6:1
- Six Line or Double Street Bet – A wager on two adjoining three-number streets, winners are paid 5:1
Outside Bets – Outside bets are bets made in the area surrounding the boxes of numbers. The odds of winning with outside bets are much higher than with inside bets and, therefore, the payouts are lower. Outside bets include the following:
- Even Money Bets – Even money bets are those with a 50/50 chance of winning. These include betting on odds or evens, high numbers or low numbers, and reds or blacks. Winners are paid even money.
- Dozens Bets – Players may place bets on 12 consecutive numbers (i.e. 1-12, 13-24, 25-36). These groups of numbers are contained in boxes on the roulette table. Winners are paid 2:1.
- Column Bets – Column bet are also bets on 12 numbers. However these bets refer to all the numbers in one of the three columns on the roulette table. Winners are paid 2:1.
Roulette Odds
Roulette odds and probabilities depend on which variation you are playing. If you are playing with a European wheel the house edge is 2.7%. However, if you are playing with an American wheel, which includes 00, the house edge rises to 5.26%. Therefore, if you want to improve your odds of winning at roulette it is always a good idea to play on a European wheel rather than an American wheel when you have the chance.
When it comes to specific bets, your odds are much higher of winning when you wager on bets with lower payouts, such as the Even Money bets. These bets mirror their payout, as there is almost a 50/50 chance of winning and the payout is 1:1.
The worst odds come with the single number bets. However, these bets also offer the best payout, so many players choose to place these bets despite their bad odds because the possibility of a big payout is exciting.
Roulette Strategy
Roulette is a game based mostly on chance and luck. However, there are a few roulette strategy tips that can help you to improve your odds of winning.
The most important tip for roulette players looking to increase their odds is to avoid American roulette wheels. The addition of a “00″ slot more than doubles the house advantage and so it is better to stick to playing with a European roulette wheel when you have the option.
Money management is also a big part of roulette strategy. It’s easy to get carried away with the excitement of the game and bet more money than you had originally planned. Therefore, it is important to come into the game with a stop loss limit. Know exactly how much you are willing to lose and if you hit that amount then walk away. You can always come back another day to try your luck again. Many players set a stop win limit for themselves away in order to hang on to their winnings. When you’ve won a predetermined amount of money stop betting and walk away.