HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE

Roulette is purely a game of chance. It’s a game that can be found at any online casino and one which has earned the rights to be classified as a ‘table classic.’ Roulette is one of the oldest casino games and over time, variations of the game were created to add more excitement to an already thrilling casino game. Roulette is present at any land-based or online casino and the fast paced action of the game is what gave rise to its popularity. If you’re a newbie to online casino, you’ve come to the right place because in this guide, we’ll be digging deeper into all the elements of the game, including the roulette table, the betting types, the variations of the game and odds, as well as betting strategies that have evolved over time.

ROULETTE RULES

Roulette is a pretty easy game to comprehend but first and foremost, we’ll need to look into the roulette wheel and the roulette table to discover how the action will unfold. The roulette wheel features numbered slots which range from 1 all the way through to 36, with one or two zeros, depending on whether you’re playing European or American Roulette. The slots are coloured evenly between red and black with the only exception of zero, being coloured green.

After all players place their bets, the dealer will spin the roulette wheel in one direction and then proceeds to throw the small ball in the opposite direction. The slot the ball lands on will determine the winners but there are many types of bets that can be placed on the roulette table. Both the roulette wheel and the roulette table can vary slightly, depending on which type of roulette you’re playing.

THE ROULETTE TABLE AND WHEEL

In order to get a fully comprehensive understanding of roulette, you’ll first need to get acquainted with both the roulette table and the roulette wheel. The layout is fairly simple and even though the numbers seem to be placed pretty random to the untrained eye, we can guarantee that this is a very calculated measure.

The European Roulette wheel has a total of 37 pockets, which essentially means that there are 37 places where the small roulette ball can land. The house edge in European Roulette is better to the American counterpart, due to the fact that it has one less pocket where the ball can land on. The house edge in European Roulette stands at 2.7%, one of the lowest out of all casino games. The following lists the clockwise sequence of numbers on the European Roulette wheel:
0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26
The American version of roulette has 38 pockets in total and this increases the house edge to almost double, at 5.26%.

THE ROULETTE TABLE

The roulette table is the same for all versions of the game, except for a minor difference in the American version of the game, where they have an option to bet on the double zero. The payouts for all the Roulette variations remains the same. French Roulette has a slightly different layout but the most prominent difference is the fact that the bets are in French. In the section below, we’ll take a closer look at all the bet types available to place in Roulette and the individual payouts of each bet.

BET TYPES IN ROULETTE

Don’t be intimidated by the roulette table. The bet types in roulette are very straightforward and each bet group have the same odds. The different types of bets is what makes roulette a thrilling game and each bet group has a different house edge. In roulette, you have the option to place bets on a single number, a group of numbers, odd or even numbers, the colour of the slot as well as other grouped bets.

We’ll now delve a little deeper into all the bets available to place on the roulette table, the odds of each bet as well as the house edge to give you a better understanding of the most valuable bets you should be placing.

INSIDE BETS

Inside bets refer to those which are placed on specific numbers or groups of numbers, but most importantly, inside bets refer to those which are can be placed on the inner section of the roulette table.  There are quite a few inside bets that can be placed and the following is a thorough breakdown of all the inside bets that can be placed when playing roulette

STRAIGHT BET

The straight bet is one of the most difficult bets to win because of the fact that the roulette ball has to land directly on the number you bet on, for example, ‘30’. The payout for the straight bet is 35-1.

SPLIT BET

The split bet is when you bet on two numbers and this has a payout of 17-1. Many players who place the split bet usually tend to bet lower amounts because of the difficulty of winning it. An example of a split bet would be betting on ‘18 & 21’.

STREET BET

This bet pays 11-1 and it covers three numbers. Players who opt for street bets usually have a number of them scattered across the roulette table.

SQUARE BET

You’re probably getting the drift of how these bets are evolving. The square bet is one where you choose four numbers and if the roulette ball falls on any of the four numbers chosen, you’ll be rewarded with eight times your original stake. An example of the square bet is betting on ‘23, 24, 26 and 27’.

SIX LINE BET

To place this bet, you’ll need to place the betting chip on the outer corner of two lines and this would mean that you’re betting on six numbers. For instance, an example of a six line bet is betting on the numbers ‘1-6’. The odds for the six line bet are 5-1.

THE ZERO BET

The zero bet can be played in seven different ways but if it’s placed as a straight bet, it pays just like any ordinary straight bet, with odds of 35:1. The zero bet can also be played in combination with the first 3 numbers, which means it falls under the split bet, which means it can either be ‘0-1’, ‘0-2’ and ‘0-3’. Needless to say, when the zero bet is placed as a split bet, the odds will be of 17:1.

The zero bet can also be played as a street bet, which covers three numbers and as explained above, it has odds of 11:1. When the zero bet is included in a street bet, it covers the following options: ‘0,1 & 2’ and ‘0, 2 & 3. 

The last way to include a zero in a bet would be when placing your chip on the outer area of the zero section and it’s the least risky way of playing the zero. It pays 8:1.

OUTSIDE BETS

Outside bets have lower payouts because they’re not as hard to profit from as opposed to inside bets and these can be found on the outside section of the roulette table. Outside bets are the preferred type of bets by newbies to the game and they’re the ones which carry the least risk. The main difference between inside and outside bets is that the latter are bets that are placed on ‘properties’ rather than on specific or grouped numbers. We’ll now delve deeper into all the type of outside bets that are available to place when playing any type of roulette.

RED OR BLACK BET

This is the most simple bet that can be placed in roulette and it’s self explanatory. This bet pays 1:1 and the bet is successful if the roulette ball lands on the numbered colour you bet on. It carries the least risk and a fun way to get started if you’re not an experienced roulette player.

ODDS OF EVENS

This bet has all the elements of the ‘red or black’ bet with regards to its odds and your bet will be a winning one depending on whether the ball lands on an even or odd number. It’s a very simple bet to place and a perfect one for the recreational player.

HIGH OR LOW

The ‘High or Low’ bet is another bet which pays 1:1. The ‘Low’ bet ranges from ‘1-18’ while the ‘High’ bet covers ‘19-36’. Most outside bets are pretty straightforward and a lot of fun to play because of the higher probability of making a winning bet.

COLUMN BETS

There are three column bets that you can place in roulette and all of which have odds of 2:1. To place this bet, you’ll need to place the chip at the bottom of the desired column and this will cover all the numbers in the said column. Each column has a total of 12 numbers and on the roulette table, the column bet is displays ‘2 to 1’.

DOZEN BETS

Dozen bets allows players to bet on 12 numbers at a time and these are grouped in ascending order. For instance, roulette players have the option to bet on the ‘1st 12, (1-12)’ 2nd 12’ (13-24) and ‘3rd 12’ (25-36).  The odds for dozen bets is 2:1, just like column bets.

ROULETTE BETTING STRATEGIES

Before we get into the different types of betting strategies that can used when playing roulette, you need to keep in mind that no guaranteed winning strategy exists in a game where the house edge is in the casinos favour. When a casino game is created, they calculate odds, payouts and house edge scientifically in order for the casino to always make a profit, in the long term.

Since Roulette is a game of chance, there isn’t a particular betting strategy that can be adopted, however, there are a few betting techniques that can be adopted to help you profit in the short term, but the most important rule of all is that you cash out when you’re on top. All the wise roulette players cash out and never continue betting with their winnings.

THE MARTINGALE BETTING SYSTEM

The Martingale system is very simple to understand and many players opt for this betting system because of its simplicity. This betting system has to make use of outside bets to make it work because most outside bets pay 1:1 Keep in mind that the Martingale system is a risky betting strategy that is hardly ever used by experienced players but it’s one that can be profitable in the short term.

The Martingale betting system states that the punter should place the same bet with the same betting amount but as soon as a bet is unsuccessful, the punter should place double the betting amount to cover any losses incurred. The problem with the Martingale betting system is that if a cold streak hits you early, you could potentially run out of money very quickly. The Martingale betting system won’t work if the roulette table has betting limits.

THE PAROLI BETTING SYSTEM

Some players don’t even consider the Paroli method a betting system because of the fact that it only works when the player is on a hot streak. With the Paroli betting system, players will double the bet size as soon as their bet becomes successful. Each successful bet should have a doubled subsequent bet and although the size of the bet can be reduced at any time, it should only be used for the short term, as the bigger the bets, the harsher the losses.

PLAYING ONLINE ROULETTE

One of the best things about playing roulette online is that many variations of the game exist and can either be played against a machine or against a real, live dealer at live casinos. When playing against a machine, the outcome of the number will be determined by a random number generator or RNG. Games played against a machine will be labelled ‘table games’ or ‘casino games’ and they’re played much quicker than their live casino counterparts.

Live Roulette, on the other hand, is played against a human dealer and all the action unfolds in real time. All live roulette games are streamed in HD directly to your desktop computer or mobile device and the experience mirrors the land-based casino perfectly without the effort of putting on fancy attire to play the age old table classic.

LIVE DOUBLE BALL ROULETTE

Live double ball roulette is a new take on the traditional roulette game, one which is exclusively found at online casinos that are partnered with Evolution Gaming. This innovative roulette game is played with two roulette balls and delivers two wins simultaneously.

At the push of a button the live dealer sends the two balls shooting down the roulette table and this creates new and exciting betting opportunities and more frequent payouts of up to 1,300:1.

The following is a quick walkthrough of Live Double Ball Roulette:

• For outside bets to be a winner, both balls need to land on the appropriate section. For instance, for a bet on Black to be a winner, both balls must fall on a black number. .
• One of the roulette balls must land on a selected bet for the inside bet to win. The payout will be double if both balls land in an outside bet selection.
• The Double Ball Jackpot will be triggered when both balls land on a single number, i.e. a straight bet. This pays 1300:1

BANKROLL MANAGEMENT IN ROULETTE

If you’re an avid casino player, you need to have a tight grip on your bankroll. It’s essential to have total control of your bankroll, otherwise you’ll quickly lose track of your profits and losses. Gambling should never be seen as a source of income, but effective bankroll management will ensure you’re on top of your betting budget.

BE AWARE OF YOUR LIMITS

The most important element in bankroll management is knowing your limits when playing any casino game, especially roulette, since it’s purely a game of chance. It’s always advisable to start betting with lower amounts, especially since roulette has a huge amount of bets that can be placed. Another important factor to consider is the time you spend on the roulette table and if you’re spending a significant time, try to calculate the profit per session duration. This will give you more insight into how much money you’re able to rake in a period of time while at the same time, helps you set benchmarks for future sessions.

CHOOSE THE BEST ROULETTE VERSION

Online casinos stock many variations of roulette and it’s your decision to choose the game which resonates best with you. Certain roulette variations have a greater house edge, so be sure to know of all the roulette types that exist before opting in a game. For instance, American roulette has a higher house edge due to the double zero, but it also has higher payouts on straight bets. Most roulette versions are very similar with regards to odds and payout but with all the roulette variations that exist, it’s always wise to filter through them to discover the most appealing one.

CHOOSE AN ONLINE CASINO WITH A GENEROUS WELCOME BONUS

Casino bonuses are active throughout the year but welcome bonus tend to be gargantuan in comparison, which is why you should take this into consideration when deciding on which casino to opt for. A good welcome bonus will give you far more than you’ve bargained for, which means that you’ll have more funds to play. Go through the online casinos’ table games to discover what’s available and the number of roulette variations that exist. The bonus funds will be a great opportunity to place some bets on the house, which will help you get familiar with online roulette.

BEING AWARE OF WHEN TO STOP

The most important element in bankroll management is discipline and knowing when to stop. This takes great character, especially when going through a cold streak but it is the only way you can cut your losses. Many roulette players feel compelled to place  additional bets to win back what they lost, but this will only distract you from the main goal and upset your emotions at the table.

Always remember that all casino games have a house edge, meaning that in the long run, the casino will always win, so when you’re in the green, take your winnings, log the time spent playing and cash out. Having self discipline when playing online roulette is a great responsibility and mastering it will have a positive influences on the choices you’ll make when playing other casino games too.

HOW TO PICK THE BEST ONLINE ROULETTE CASINO FOR YOU

If you’re a beginner, roulette is considered one of the best and easiest games to play. The rules are as simple as choosing a number, row or colour and letting lady luck decide the rest. Many online casinos offer some form of roulette and it can be hard to decide which casino is right for you.

Consider these factors before making your final choice. And when in doubt, you can always try out the free version that most online casinos offer before deciding.

LIVE ROULETTE

If you want to take the plunge into playing roulette in a live casino then live online roulette is the perfect way to start. When playing live online roulette you’re connected to the game via a live video link. This is the most social option as you’re able to communicate with the dealer and also other players.

AMERICAN, EUROPEAN

There are three variations of roulette tables. You can either choose to play the American or European form of the game.

While almost identical there are a couple of small rule changes that can make a huge difference. The European variation of roulette benefits the player by having only a single zero. This minor change cuts the house edge from 5.3% to 2.7%.

The third variation is French roulette. This form of the game is very similar to European roulette except that it has a slightly different table layout and additional bets on the racetrack area, which correspond to different groups of numbers.

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