Are you interested in playing roulette but need help figuring out where to start? Then, this comprehensive roulette beginner’s guide is for you.
This Roulette Online guide will cover how to play roulette, the differences between the different types of roulette, the rules, the payouts, and answer some of the frequently asked questions regarding roulette.
How To Play Roulette For Beginners
Roulette may look complicated at first glance, but it is fairly straightforward once you understand the basics.
Roulette has three main variations: European, American, and French. We’ll explain these in detail later on. But all roulette games have the same objective: place a bet on where you think the ball will land on the wheel. If it does, you win, and if it doesn’t, you lose.
Roulette has two types of bets: inside and outside bets. Inside bets are placed on the grid of numbers on the layout to cover individual numbers or combinations of neighbouring numbers.
Outside bets are placed on the options surrounding the number grid on the layout, and they cover multiple numbers. Outside bets cover groups such as red or black, odd or even, high or low, dozens and columns.
These bets offer different potential payouts. Inside bets have a lower chance of winning but offer higher payouts than outside bets.
You need to place the bet by placing your casino chip on the number or colour you want to bet on before the dealer spins the wheel. If you are playing online roulette, click the Spin button once you are ready.
So, to sum it up:
- Place a bet on the layout to correspond to where you think the ball will land on the wheel.
- You must place the bets before the dealer calls an end to the betting period and starts spinning the wheel.
- The dealer then spins the wheel and drops the ball in.
- Once the wheel stops spinning, where the ball lands determines the outcome. Any winning bets are paid.
Types of Roulette
As mentioned above, this classic table game has three main variants: European, American, and French. Online casinos have additional roulette variants, which are all derived from one of these three versions.
Roulette wheels have a green pocket that gives the house its edge. The more green pockets there are, the higher the house edge. Pockets are the numbered sections in a roulette wheel, with three colours: red, black, and green. The red and black sections have numbers 1 to 36, and the green pockets have a zero.
The numbers and colours on the wheel are laid out in order on the table layout. This table also lays out the type of bets you can make, making them easier to understand. Each type of bet is written under the numbers or sections it covers. But we will explain the bet types in detail later on.
European Roulette
European roulette is the most popular and most played variant of roulette in both online and land-based casinos. This popularity is mainly because it has a lower house edge than American roulette.
A European roulette wheel has 37 pockets and only one zero (0) green pocket. Because of the single zero pocket, it has a house edge of 2.70%.
American Roulette
American roulette is almost identical to European roulette, except it has two green pockets. An American roulette wheel has green pockets showing a single zero (0) and a double zero (00).
Because of the extra zero pocket, American roulette has a higher house edge of 5.26%. In addition, the additional zero pockets in American roulette means the wheel has 38 pockets instead of 37. But the potential payouts are the same.
French Roulette
French roulette is believed to have originated from the French Revolution in the 1700s. It is identical to European roulette in that it has the same wheel layout with a single zero. However, it has two rules that are not available in European roulette: La Partage and En Prison.
Both of these rules apply if a player places an even-money outside bet (red/black, odd/even or high/low) and the ball lands on the green zero pocket.
If the La Partage rule is in place, then the player receives half of their bet back. If the En Prison rule is in place, then the bet is held for the next spin and cannot be changed. If it wins, then the bet amount is returned, but if it loses, then it is lost.
Roulette Rules
Roulette has relatively simple rules compared to other table games. All you have to do is pick a type of roulette game you wish to play, place the bets before the wheel is spun and collect your payout if you win.
Each table may have additional rules that do not apply to general roulette games. These may include table manners, the number of players allowed, and bet limits.
However, French roulette has a set of rules that do not typically apply to the other kinds of roulette games. That is due to the En Prison and the La Partage rules French roulette has, as mentioned above. Finding a brick-and-mortar casino that offers French roulette may be a difficult task due to these rules lowering the house edge slightly.
Moreover, since roulette has made its way to online casinos, there are now more than these three types of roulette with entirely different rules. For example, roulette typically has one ball and one wheel, but there are online versions, such as double-ball roulette and mini-wheel roulette, that offer something different.
Roulette Payouts
Roulette payouts depend on the type of bet you make. Below is a list of the different types of bets and their potential payouts:
- Red / Black (18 numbers) - 1:1
- Even / Odd (18 numbers) - 1:1
- Low / High (18 numbers) - 1:1
- Dozen (12 numbers) - 2:1
- Column (12 numbers) - 2:1
- Line (6 numbers) - 5:1
- Corner (4 numbers) - 8:1
- Street (3 number) - 11:1
- Split (2 numbers) - 17:1
- Straight (single number) - 35:1
Roulette Strategies: Is There a Best Strategy To Win?
While roulette is a game of chance, there are a number of strategies that players can use to help them structure their betting or provide an alternative way to place bets. But, we must stress that these strategies do not change or reduce the house edge in any shape or form. They are more like bet management systems.
With that said, the following are some of the roulette strategies some players use:
The Martingale Roulette Strategy
The Martingale Strategy is one of the most popular roulette strategies. It involves increasing your bet amount after each loss until you make a winning bet, and then you go back to the initial bet amount and repeat the process.
For example, if you place a bet of £3 and it loses, your next bet would be £6. If that bet loses too, your next bet would be £12. Say your £12 bet wins; you would then return to placing a £3 bet.
The idea behind this strategy is that landing a winning bet recuperates the losses that came before it. However, this betting strategy also involves doubling your bet following a loss, so the bet amount can increase rather quickly. Not to mention, there are maximum betting limits that could impede this strategy.
666 Strategy
The 666 strategy covers almost all the numbers on the wheel, leaving out only four. This strategy works under the assumption that the more numbers you bet on, the more likely you are to win.
However, this involves placing multiple different bets, and only one of them can win in a single spin. Therefore, even if you win something, you lose on the other bets.
This strategy involves placing a bet on red or black, then a number of split bets on numbers of the opposite colour, and finally, straight bets on all but 4 of the remaining numbers.
Red Snake Bet Strategy
The Red Snake strategy means you are betting on 12 red numbers on the grid, which make an S shape when the tokens are placed on the table layout. This is to cover different pockets spread around the wheel.
These are 12 separate straight bets, and only one of the 12 numbers can win, if any.
How To Win at Roulette
Winning at roulette is a matter of chance. There isn’t anything you can do to increase your chances of winning.
To win in roulette requires the ball to land in a pocket that is covered by the bet you placed. For example, say you have placed a bet on red. If the ball lands on any number that is a red pocket, your bet wins, and you receive a 1:1 payout. Or, if you bet on a specific number, the ball has to land on that number for you to win.
Roulette FAQs
Is There a Trick To Roulette?
No, there is no trick to roulette. It is not a game that strategies or tricks can beat. It is an entirely random game of chance.
Is Online Roulette Rigged?
Online roulette is not rigged. As mentioned above, it is entirely run by the RNG software, making every possible result a random event. That also ensures that the ball has the same chance of landing in any pocket on every spin. Besides, roulette has a built-in house edge that ensures casinos always make a profit in the long run, so they have no need to rig the game.
Can You Keep Doubling Your Bet Until You Win?
No, because casinos have table limits on roulette. Since you do not know when or if you might hit a win, there is a chance you could reach the table limit before then.
Can You Just Bet Red or Black In Roulette?
Yes, you can bet on just red or black in roulette. Many roulette players prefer to bet on red or black because they have a higher chance of landing compared to inside bets since they cover more numbers on the wheel.
What Is The Best Roulette Game To Play?
That depends on your preference and what you want from a roulette game. However, most people prefer European roulette because of the lower house edge.
If they find a casino that offers French roulette, they may also pick that one over the others simply because it offers better chances of winning. However, if you want more variation, you may play the more unique roulette types, such as Double Ball or Multi Wheel.
*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins, etc.) mentioned in relation to this game are subject to change at any time.