A Beginner’s Guide to Roulette

Roulette is one of the most iconic games in the world. One of the reasons why roulette is so popular is that a range of different bets can be placed. An enjoyable social game, both in person and online, roulette is terrific fun. If you want to get involved in the action, read on to find out more about the rules, the different bets you can place and much more.

The Rules of the Game

There are two main versions of the popular casino game: European and American. The difference is a minor one, with the US-style game having an additional section for players to hit: a 00.

A double zero pays out at the same as a single 0 – 35/1 – but doubles the likelihood of it being hit for any player who opts to go for the less-than-favourable odds.

Whilst both versions then have the standardised 1-36 options in alternate red and black colours, European roulette runs with just a single zero.

In order to show you will be partaking in the next spin of the wheel, players must have placed their chips on the betting layout before the croupier (that’s the person running the game) has spun the wheel.

Placing a Roulette Bet

Players are betting on what they believe the most likely outcome will be once the ball stops circling the roulette wheel and nestles into a platform.

Those outcomes have varying degrees of likelihood from opting whether to go for single numbers or groups of numbers (for example, you could choose for it to be odd or even, or for it to be a number from the middle row i.e. 13-24).

Once the wheel has begun spinning, the croupier will then move the ball in the opposite direction to that of the wheel, around the outer edge of the roulette platform.

There are two optional special rules that will be in play on a casino-by-casino basis, and only available in the European version of the game:

En Prison: if you place a bet on something that is evens i.e. red or black, or odd vs even – and the ball lands in the pocket of 0, then you do not lose but instead that wager will carry over into the next game. The thinking is that, although you have in theory lost, the house hasn’t won because they too were waiting on red or black, but green was the outcome.

La Partage: this rule is applied when the same situation arises as with En Prison, however, it is less favourable, as the player is allowed to keep half their initial wager for the next spin, rather than it all.

What are the Different Bets that can be Placed?

Betting on red or black is arguably the most famous of all casino bets. A 50/50 bet, a player will double their stake if the colour they have predicted ends up landing. 

Another 50:50 bet that can be placed is betting on number ranges. Players can choose whether a ball may land on a number between 1 and 18 or between 19 and 36. This bet is also known as higher and lower. If the ball correctly lands where predicted, the bettor will double their stake. The final 50:50 bet on a roulette wheel is betting whether the number is going to be odd or even.

There are some bets that return odds of 2:1. Firstly, a player can bet on which third of the wheel the ball will land in. The 36 numbers on the wheel are split into ranges of 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36. A bet can be placed to predict which third will be hit. The other bet type is betting on which line the ball will land in. The numbers on the roulette betting board are placed into three columns. You can bet on which column you think the number may fall in. If you guess correctly, you will be paid at 2:1.

Betting on Numbers 

One of the most fun ways to play is by betting on specific numbers. Each number is valued the same and carries odds of 35:1.There are no rules to the number of numbers that you can bet on or how much you wish to bet, but the only way the bet will count is if your chosen number is landed on.

Soke players often bet on a split of numbers. This would mean that you would place your chip on the line between two numbers, for example, the line between 8/9. A split bet covers more possibilities, and if the ball lands on either number, you will be a winner. These bets pay at 17:1 odds.

A corner bet is where you place a bet on the corner where four numbers meet. For example, it could be where 8,9,11,12 meet. This would mean that if any of these numbers were to hit, your bet would be a winner. These bets pay out at 8:1.

Additional Roulette Bets

There are additional bets that have their own names such is the rarity or outlandish nature of them:

The James Bond bet was, of course, created by 007’s author, Ian Fleming, with a bet that sees Bond place $140 on high third (19-36), $50 on a six line (13-18) and $10 on 0 for insurance. The aim is for frequent wins, however, by opting to not cover 1-12 in any way, it’s always a risk.

The Finale bet isn’t intended to be the last bet, as the name suggests, but instead references placing a bet that covers all numbers that end with the same digit i.e. 3, 13, 23 & 33.

The Zero Spiel bet is commonplace amongst high stakes in European roulette and is when players cover all numbers near zero on the wheel, including 0 itself: 0, 3, 12, 15, 26, 32 & 35.

How do you Place Roulette Bets? 

Before each spin and through the early parts of the spin, the croupier will invite you to place your bets. To do this, you need to place your chips on the relevant section of the roulette board. If you want to bet on red, you would need to place chips on the red tile. If you wanted to bet on some numbers, you would need to allocate chips to each desired number. 

Once the chips are placed where you want them, the croupier will call for last bets. Once happy, your bets will be placed, and the ball will decide your fate!

If your fate is a promising one, then the dealer will place your winnings next to your original stake i.e if you have bet five green roulette chips on red, then the dealer will add a tower of five green roulette chips next to your initial one.

You will then decide whether to cash out your chips, in which the dealer will exchange your roulette chips for non-playable casino chips of equal value, or you can let it ride which means you are planning on playing the next spin of the wheel.