Roulette

The basics of Roulette are very simple- put the money on a number and hope the ball lands on it. But understanding the rules of it and the payout methods can be a little confusing at first.

The game is played with up to eight players and a dealer- called a croupier- and you have two different kinds of Roulette, American or European. European Roulette has the numbers 0-36 on the wheel, whereas American Roulette is the same, but has a 00 slot as well. To start the game all the players place their bet either on the numbers on the centre of the table, or on the outside of the table. The croupier then spins the wheel, and wherever the ball lands, that is the number that wins.

Roulette is based on pure luck, and there is no way you can accurately predict where the ball is going to land. The way you win more money depends entirely on how you bet and how lucky you’re feeling. The less numbers you bet on, the higher your odds and the greater the payout at the end- but it also lowers your chances.

You can win 35:1 on a straight up bet by just betting on one number and then work your way down the scale with a Two number bet (17:1), Three number bet (11:1), Four number bet (8:1), Six number bet (5:1), notice there is no 5 number bet. In addition to these you have column bets and even money bets- where you can bet on a column on the table or can bet on it being red/black, odd/even or high/low. Because these bets have a much greater chance of getting you a win the odds are only 2:1.

The house edge can be important to play, as the percentage can change the type of Roulette you’re playing. In European Roulette the house edge is at 2.7%, whereas in American Roulette- due to the extra 00 slot- it sits at 5.26%. In an online casino depending on the rules the house edge will be changed to fit. This makes it important for you to investigate the rules and odds of the game before you sign up and start playing.

There are more complex rules in Roulette, including “En Prison” where some online casinos will let players take back half of their bet if the ball lands on 0 and allow them to carry the remaining half over to the next spin. But, if it lands on zero again, the player will lose their bet. “La partage” applies to the outside even money bets when they land on zero- but unlike “En prison” the player just looses half their bet and has no chance to re-spin.