Roulette Rules: Complete “How to Play Roulette & How to win at Roulette Guide”
If you’ve ever wanted to find out how to play Roulette, the Casinobest.co.uk guide to Roulette Rules will set you on the path towards winning at Roulette, whether on land, at sea or online. While it may seem that Roulette rules require only the wagering of money on where the little ball will stop on the big wheel, the truth is that understanding Roulette rules allows players to make smarter, more informed decisions. More informed decisions mean better bets, a protected bankroll and knowing when to say when.
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Roulette Rules: The Wheel
All wheels contain either thirty-seven or thirty-eight slots, known as “pockets”. The pockets alternate between red and black (and odd and even). All pockets, with the exception of the zero pockets, contain a number between 1 and 36. The numbers are not in sequence nor are their placements totally random. The numbers have been arranged to attain the best balance between red and black, odd and even and high and low.
The number of zero pockets depends on the type of wheel in use. Some casinos use a wheel that has a single zero (0). This type of wheel is known as a “European” or “French wheel”. The single zero gives players a better chance to win at Roulette and lets the player extend his bankroll, thus allowing for more play.
The other variety of wheel you will encounter is a wheel that has both a single zero (0) and a double zero (00). This type of wheel is referred to as an “American wheel”, since players will often find it in Las Vegas casinos and other gaming sites in the States. Double zero games significantly reduce a player’s odds of winning at Roulette.
Roulette Rules: Bet Types
In order to learn Roulette rules, you have to learn how to bet. Several betting options exist. These include selecting a favorite number (between 1 and 36) or group of numbers, picking a color, and placing special bets. Below are explanations of each betting option, according to standard Roulette rules.
- Inside Bets
Inside bets get their name from the fact that the chips are placed “inside” the numbered grid on the game table. Roulette rules allow players to make inside bets on a single number or a group of numbers adjacent to each other on the grid.
- Outside Bets
As their name suggests, outside bets involve placing your chips outside the table’s main grid. These bets involve wagering on either a group of numbers or a color (red or black).
- Special Bets
A few special types of bets are not displayed on the table. Most of these special bets have French names like “en prison”, “la portage” and “voisins du zero”. Read the Casinobest.co.uk Roulette glossary for in-depth explanations of these bet types.
Roulette Rules: Table Layout
The Roulette table layout displays inside bets and outside bets in two contrasting fields. The inside field lists each number displayed on the wheel from lowest to highest, starting from the table’s upper left corner. The first row of inside bets includes 1-2-3, the second 4-5-6, and so on and so on, up to 36. Thus, there are 12 rows and three columns.
Above the first row of inside bets is the area reserved for either single or double zero bets. Tables employing a European wheel display only single zero bets. Players may wager on anywhere from one to six numbers per bet.
Elsewhere on the table is the outside field, where players may place outside bets. One part of this field is located just under the final row of three inside bets. Here, one outside bet is displayed beneath each inside bet column, for a total of three betting options. Placing your chips on one of these three spots indicates to the Croupier that you wish to bet on all numbers in the above inside bet column.
Additional outside bet options are located opposite the Croupier, along the table’s outer edge. Here is where you will find bets for groups of numbers within the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rows. You may also bet on the set of top numbers (1-18) or bottom numbers (19-36). Bets on Odd or Even and Red or Black can also be found here.
Roulette Rules: Payouts
An important thing to keep in mind if you want to win at Roulette is that, like every other game in a casino, the house eventually wins. How much it wins is based on a percentage called the “house advantage”. This percentage measures how much of each average bet the house takes in. For single-zero, European wheels the house advantage is 2.7%. It is 5.26% for double-zero, American wheels. The effects of various house advantages are covered in our Roulette Odds section.