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A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Play Roulette
25/01/23
Table Games
NetEnt Editorial Team
In this detailed guide on how to play roulette, we will review the game’s history, rules, roulette variants and betting options. Roulette is one of the most recognised and popular casino table games worldwide. In this guide, you will find out everything there is about roulette, as well as our step-by-step tutorial for playing it.
Casino Roulette – Information and Rules
Most people know about roulette, but aside from gamblers, they rarely know how to read the roulette table or are aware of the rules. Before we guide you through the process of playing roulette, we would like to explain what this game is and its rules.
The game “Roulette” is named after the French word for little wheel. The first game of roulette has its roots back in the 18th century in France. The game was created by combining the wheel mechanism, which was a prototype for a perpetual motion machine, and the Italian game Biribi. Overall, the game of roulette is based on chance instead of skill. This low entry point makes it a suitable casino table game for both beginners and veteran gamblers. Still, needless to say, you should first know some details before you play roulette, such as the wheel, betting table and rules. Let’s cover them next.
Types of Roulette Games
The different types of roulette games are categorised based on how many zero pockets they have and how many balls are in play. Three main types of roulette are prevalent and played the most. They are European Roulette, French Roulette and American Roulette.
- European Roulette – Single Zero Game
- French Roulette – Single Zero Game, En Prison Rule, Le Partage Rule
- American Roulette – Double Zero Game
European Roulette can be considered the standard version of modern roulette. It can be found at all land-based and online venues. This guide mainly explains how to play European Roulette, as the differences between the three main variations are minimal.
French Roulette is nearly identical to European Roulette, but the betting table’s visual layout is a bit different. Also, the outside bets are the same but usually written with their French term equivalents. This type of roulette has additional En Prison and La Partage rules. The first gives a second chance to losing even-money bets in the next round, where the latter splits a losing even-money bet 50:50 between the player and the house.
American Roulette is also pretty much the same as its European counterpart, but it has an additional zero pocket. This adds another sector to the betting table inscribed as “00”, called the double zero. American Roulette has a lower overall payout percentage as the pockets are increased by one, further lowering the chances of a particular bet.
The Roulette Wheel
As you may already know, a roulette wheel is spun in this game and then a ball is released. The objective of the roulette game is to place a bet on where you think the ball will land. The spaces on the wheel where the ball lands are called pockets.
There are 37 pockets in the standard roulette game, numbered from 0 to 36 and coloured in either black or red. The only exception is the zero pocket, which is in green. There are roulette games with more than a single zero on the wheel, such as American Roulette, which is a double-zero game.
Some variations use multiple balls instead of one. They are present mostly at online casinos. The types of multi-ball roulette that you will most commonly come across are European Roulette, French Roulette and American Roulette. A great thing to note is that when the ball is released on the spinning roulette wheel, it is done in the opposite direction of the spin.
Reading the Betting Table
After learning about the roulette wheel, we would like to cover the betting options next. You can see them on the betting table. All the pockets you can bet on are shown, along with some additional sections. In general, there are two types of wagers that you can place on the roulette table. They are inside bets and outside bets.
Inside Bets
Inside bets are wagers placed on the numbered 1 through 36 pockets. A coloured square with a number inside represents each pocket. The player can place six types of inside bets depending on their preferences. Remember that inside bets have better betting odds but a lower chance to land.
- Straight Up – this is a bet on a specific pocket. The payout of this bet is 35 to 1.
- Split – this bet is made when you place a chip on the border between two pockets. This means that the wager is on both numbers. The payout for a winning Split is 17 to 1.
- Street – this is a bet on three numbers in a vertical line. You do this by placing your chips on the outer border of the bottom pocket of the chosen vertical line. This bet pays out 11 to 1 if it wins.
- Corner – you place your chips in the middle corner of four pockets of your choice. This wager pays 8 to 1 in case of a win.
- Basket – this wager is placed on five pockets. To do this, you place your chips on the border between 0 and 1.
- Line – the Line bet is placed on two adjacent vertical lines. It is like a double Street bet. You can make this bet by placing your chips on the border between two streets. The payout is 5 to 1.
Inside bets are the first step in learning the wager types from our guide on how to play roulette. They may look hard to remember at first, but once you start playing and make your first few bets, you will learn them quickly.
Outside Bets
The rest of the bets that you can place on the table are called outside bets. These types of wagers offer lower payouts but have a higher chance of landing. They represent a bet on a specific characteristic of the pocket that the ball lands during the round. Here are the types of outside bets:
- Black/Red – with this, you can wager on the colour of the pocket that the ball lands on. This is an even money bet, which pays the same as your pager.
- Even/Odd – this is a wager on whether the number of the pocket is even or odd. This is an even money bet.
- High/Low – also known as 1 to 18 and 19 to 36. With it, you place a wager on which group of numbers the ball will land. This is an even money bet.
- Column – this bet can be found on the right side of the betting table for each row of pockets with inscribed “2 to 1” on it. When you place your chips, you place a stake on the entire row. If the ball lands on any of the pockets in that row, then it’s a win. This is an even money bet.
- Dozen – three boxes at the bottom of the betting table can read either first, second or third Dozen or, say 1st, 2nd or 3rd 12. With this bet, you place a wager on a group of dozen pockets that can be 1 to 12, 13 to 24 or 25 to 36. This bet pays 2 to 1.
You could consider outside bets to be the safer option when you are a beginner and playing roulette. These types of roulette bets have the highest chances of landing, but the payouts are the lowest as well. Now that you know the basics of this game, we would like to continue our guide on how to play roulette and mention the specifics of playing at an online casino.
How to Play Roulette at Online Casinos
It is quite popular among gamblers to enjoy their favourite games at an online casino. This is due to the convenience that an online venue provides. You can play thousands of titles from the comfort of your home on your computer or mobile device. All you need is a stable internet connection and a verified account.
If this gameplay interests you, your question might be how to play roulette at an online casino. Below, we have shared the steps you need to cover in order to start playing online roulette.
1. Find a licensed and secure online casino.
2. Register an account and provide all the necessary identification details.
3. Make a deposit and start playing.
We would like to advise that the first step is probably the most crucial here. It is a must to first confirm that the operator has the proper licensing and security certificates before you provide them with your information and money. It would be best if you looked out for regulators like the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority.
Specifics of Playing Online Roulette
Nearly all online casinos offer their patrons a separate section of their platform called a live casino. This is an exciting place to play your favourite online casino table games with a real dealer. The rules are the same, and the way you play is the same. The two main factors attracting many gamblers are the comparable experience to an authentic casino atmosphere and the social aspect.
Live Dealer Roulette
Nearly all online casinos offer their patrons a separate section of their platform called a live casino. This is an exciting place to play your favourite online casino table games with a real dealer. The rules are the same, and the way you play is the same. The two main factors attracting many gamblers are the comparable experience to an authentic casino atmosphere and the social aspect.
Conclusion
Roulette is an excellent game of chance suitable for both new players and veteran gamblers. Due to the flexibility of the betting ranges, low-stakes players and high-rollers alike can find what they are looking for. We hope you have enjoyed this detailed guide on playing roulette. Remember to play with care and never wager something you can’t afford to lose.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this final section, we would like to cover players’ most popular queries regarding how to play roulette. We recommend that you go through each answer to solidify your knowledge. If you have a question and can’t find it here, feel free to contact us.
The objective of the game roulette is to make a bet on which numbered pocket, groups of numbers or even the colour of the pocket the ball will land on. Various types of roulette are usually called single-zero or double-zero games. You can find more information in this detailed guide on how to play roulette.
The best bet to make while playing roulette is a Straight Up bet on a single number. The payout is 35 to 1, but the chances of a losing bet reflect the high payout ratio. If you are looking for a type of wager with a higher chance of winning, then you should consider outside bets, such as Dozen.
Casino roulette is a game of chance, which is entirely based on luck. Of course, there are betting strategies that players can take advantage of, but in the end, it is all about how lucky you get during the round, as it is impossible to predict where the ball will land.
Playing roulette at an online casino is nearly the same as playing at a land-based establishment. The rules and bets are the same, but the atmosphere is different. Additionally, you can enjoy online roulette from the comfort of your home with the help of a computer or a mobile device.
