A beginners’ guide to Roulette
Roulette is one of the most popular games in the world, with people who have never even stepped foot in a casino or tried their luck at online able to identify the so-called ‘Devil’s Wheel’. It’s stood the test of time, with the first form of Roulette believed to date all the way back to the 18th century, but for a novice gamer it can look rather daunting.
It’s as simplistic — and thrilling — as it looks, however, with not much more to it really than placing your bets on the table and watching the ivory ball whip around the wheel before coming to a stop in one of the 37 numbered pockets. It’s a game of luck, so if you’re new to this world and fancy your chances at online casino Roulette, read our beginner’s guide below.
How is Roulette played?
There’s nothing else we as players can really do other than place our bets and let the wheel do its thing. In live Roulette, the croupier will usually spin the wheel clockwise and roll the ball counterclockwise before calling ‘no more bets please’. Once that’s been said, no more chips can be placed on the table and it’s down to fate to decide where the ball will land. The table will be cleared of all chips, with all winnings paid out and losses collected before the wheel is spun again — and repeat.
The Roulette table
Roulette tables vary in different parts of the world, with the European version (which features a single zero) and the American variant (which features a double zero) the most common. Zero (and double zero in the states) are green, while 1-36 are evenly split between red and black. At the bottom of the table, you will find other betting options, these are called outside bets which we will talk about later.
How to place a bet
Placing a bet on the Roulette table is as simple as picking what you believe the outcome of the next spin will be. There are plenty of options to choose from, including straight-up bets — placing a chip on a specific number — red or black, odd or even, high (19-36) or low (1-18), 1st 12, 2nd 12, 3rd 12 and so on.
What are the different types of bets?
The grid featuring the 37 numbers (including zero) is the inside bet section, this includes the aforementioned straight-up as well corner bets (covering four numbers with one chip), split (covering two numbers with one chip), street (a bet on three successive numbers) and first four (covering 0, 1, 2 and 3). These all pay different odds.
Outside bets are everything surrounding the grid, which includes red or black, odd or even, high or low etc. These are the lowest paying outcomes, but we will talk about the odds in more detail below.
What the odds?
Straight-up bets pay the best odds at 35:1, with split bets paying 17:1 and corner bets paying out 8:1. Betting on the column or dozen pays out 2:1, while red/black, odd/even and high/low are worth even money. Below is a list of European Roulette odds.
Even – 1:1
Odd – 1:1
Red – 1:1
Black – 1:1
1-18 – 1:1
19-36 – 1:1
1-12 – 2:1
13-24 – 2:1
25-36 – 2:1
Single number – 35:1
2 number combination – 17:1
3 number combination – 11:1
4 number combination – 8:1
6 number combination – 5:1