Roulette is one of the oldest and most colorful casino games to play. Its name is taken from the French word which means ‘little wheel’ which tells a lot about its design and gameplay. In this game, you’ll find a roulette wheel with numbers from 1 to 36 in alternating colors of red and black. The objective is to place a bet on the number or a color, or space where the roulette ball will end its spin. With its easy-to-follow gameplay and colorful layout, it’s no longer surprising to know that it’s one of the most popular casino games to play online.

Types of Roulette

Just like other casino games, roulette is also available in different variants. Two of the most popular roulette variants to play online are European and American Roulette.

Both games share the same general objectives- you bet on a number or a color, and if you win, you collect a payout. You can also find the same game components, the roulette wheel, and the table where you can place your bets. However, they vary in terms of the wheel layout.

In European Roulette, you have 37 different positions or slots to bet on that includes numbers 1 to 36. Of these numbers, 18 are in red, 18 in black, and a single ‘0’ in green. On the outside, you can find 12 betting positions, where 8 of these are a combination of numbers and the 4 offers you a chance to bet on even/odd or black/red.

As mentioned, American Roulette is very similar to the European variant except that this game boasts 38 numbers. There’s an extra slot for ‘00’ which stemmed from the requirement of many casinos before for a bigger house edge. Since there’s an extra ‘00’ to bet on, American Roulette offers a lower theoretical Return to Player (RTP).

With this slight variation in the layout, European Roulette boasts a house edge of 2.70% while its American counterpart stands at 5.26%.

How to Play Online Roulette

In roulette, you simply bet on your favorite numbers, from 1 to 36. Or you can be on color, even/odd, or if it's a high or low number. The croupier spins the wheel, and if your number or other selection comes up, you win. And if you stick on just blacks or reds, you have a nearly 50 percent chance of ending the game as a winner. And if the roulette ball lands on red and when you choose it, the payout is double your bet. 

With these basic rules and friendly payouts, it’s no longer surprising to know that roulette is now a popular casino game to play. 

If you have just signed up for an online casino account, simply follow the steps below on how to play and bet on the game.

1. Login to your account and proceed to the Games Lobby.

2. Choose your preferred roulette game to play and open the game.

3. Select your wager by clicking on a casino chip and place it on a slot that represents your selection.

4. Once ready, just click ‘Spin’ to play the game.

5. If the roulette ball stops its spin in your selected bet, you collect a payout.

Aside from the traditional online roulette, casinos also offer a live casino version. In live roulette, you play in front of a croupier in real-time even if you’re playing at home. With live dealer roulette, you can experience a realistic way to play the game since you can witness the throw of the ball on the wheel, its spins, and how it settles down in one of the slots.

Rules to Keep in Mind

Roulette rules are standardized regardless of the variant you play. Before you play roulette in real money, it’s important that you understand the basic rules of the game form the types of bets, house edge, and payouts for specific bets.

Inside and outside bets

In this casino game, roulette bets are categorized in one of two ways: Inside and Outside bets. The inside bets are those that are located on the inner section of the roulette table. For example, you can place a bet on a single number. Other types of Inside Bets you can play are the Split Bet, a bet on two adjacent numbers, Street Bet or a bet on three numbers, and the Corner Bet, a bet on four numbers. Inside bets are hard to win but they provide you with the bigger payout.

You can also play Outside Bets which offer a lower payout but better chances of winning. If your strategy is to play the game conservatively, then consider placing these types of bets. Instead of single or two numbers, the objective here is to put your money on a ‘broader set of numbers’. Some of the popular types of Outside Bets to play are column bets, odd/even, or a bet on a color. As a general roulette rule, inside bets offer higher payouts but the chances of winning are lower.

What are the payouts for these types of bets?

Now that you know the types of bets, the next thing to consider is the payout. As a rule, the straight bets offer the best payout at 35:1. Straight and Split bets on the other hand pay out 17:1 and 11:1.

For outside bets, colors and the odd/even bets pay 1:1. The other types of bets will offer you a payout of 2:1.

Other special rules to keep the mind

Aside from these general rules, this game also offers specialized rules depending on the variant you play. For example, in the French Roulette, there’s the ‘La Partage’ and ‘En Prison’ rules which apply to bets with 1:1 payouts like even/odd and red’/black. In ‘En Prison’, if the roulette ball lands on the green zero, your wager is not immediately lost. This will remain for another spin and if you win, the stake is paid back. Under the ‘La Partage’, half of the stake is paid if the roulette ball lands on the green zero.

Strategies

Roulette is a game of chance that’s run by a Random Number Generator (RNG). But this doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your chances of winning in this game. There are some tested strategies that you can use to become successful in the game.

One popular strategy is to adopt a betting system. There are several betting strategies to use with the Martingale as the most popular. Under this strategy, you’ll double your bet if you lose a decision. The Reverse Martingale is the complete opposite of the Martingale where you increase your wager following a win.

The Paroli betting system is another betting strategy where you increase your bets in every win. Generally, the system requires you to go three decisions before decreasing your wager to its base amount.

Tips and Tricks on How to Win Your Roulette Games

Aside from the popular betting strategies, there are a few more tips and tricks that you can use to improve your chances. Here’s what you can do the next time you pull a seat at your favorite roulette casino.

• Pay attention to the house edge. Before you play, always check out the house edge. The lower the house edge, the better it is for you. For this reason, we always recommend that you pick European Roulette over its American counterpart. European Roulette offers a 2.70% house edge while the American version boasts a 5.26% casino edge due to the addition of another slot for ‘00’.
• Set and stick with your bankroll. Before you play, it’s important to set a bankroll for your roulette game session. It can be $100 or $500 as long as you can afford to lose that money without compromising your budget for household expenses. But once you used up your funds, learn to exit from the game. There’s no point in chasing losses since we already know that every spin is at random, and it's impossible to predict the next outcome.
• Stick with the outside bets. If you’re a beginner, we recommend that you play the outside bets, for example, placing your chips on odd/even or red’/black. The payout may be small but you have a better chance of ending the game as a winner.

Common Terms You’ll Encounter When Playing Roulette

• Surrender: This is a betting option available on even-money bets. Under the surrender rules, if the 0 or 00 wins, the croupier returns half your bet.
• Split Bet: This is an inside bet where you place your chips on two adjacent numbers.
• Street Bet: You place your money on three numbers that appear on a row. The payout for this type of bet is 11:1.
• Line Bet: This covers two rows containing 3 numbers each, and the chip is placed right a the end of the two rows, between each other. Your payout for this bet is 5:1.

FAQ:

What is the best strategy for roulette?

The best strategy to use in roulette is to play with a bankroll and stick with it. Here, it’s impossible to predict the outcome of the next spin. But with a budget, you can protect yourself while enjoying the game.

What are the best bets in roulette?

For beginners and conservative players, the outside bets are highly recommended.

Can you hack the roulette wheel to win more?

No. The game is run using an RNG and if you play at licensed casinos, the roulette game is regularly checked and inspected. What you can do is to adopt a set of tips and strategies to improve your results.

What is the house edge on roulette?

This depends on the type of roulette you play. If you play European Roulette, the house edge is set at 2.70%.

What is the difference between the arrangement of numbers on the wheel and on the betting layout?

The wheel and the table are two critical components of the roulette game. On the wheel, you will find the numbers from 1 to 36 and an extra slot for 0 or 00. They are assigned in alternating colors of red and black. The table, on the other hand, shows the different types of bets that you can play.