Roulette is a mysterious and exciting game that has existed since the 17th century. Players have enjoyed it worldwide for many years, both in person and now online. While the game is straightforward, many individuals fear it is complicated or hard to understand.
Anyone can play roulette once they understand the game layout and rules. Practice makes perfect, so playing in online demo mode is a great way to improve without losing real money. Get to know the basics below before you start, ensuring that you understand the rules so you can easily begin playing variations of roulette like American, European, and French.
The Basics
If you want to play roulette at online casinos for real cash, you must first understand the basics of the game. All roulette games have a wheel and a table. The wheel is spun, and a white ball dictates the outcome of the round.
Players must add a chip or chips to a desired space on the table. If the ball lands in the same space as your bet, you win!
Players can place the following wagers in roulette:
- 1-18
- 19-36
- Even
- Odd
- Black
- Red
- 1st 12 (1-12)
- 2nd 12 (13-24)
- 3rd 12 (25-36)
These represent the standard bets in roulette . Place your wager on the table in a section based on numbers, even or odd numbers, black or red, or the first, second, or third sections of 12. It’s best to start with these types of bets and then learn the various inside and outside wagers.
Inside and Outside Bets
Roulette also includes inside and outside bets. With an inside wager, you bet on specific numbers to win rather than a group. This lowers the odds of winning but can provide higher payouts. Inside bets include:
- Straight Up Betting on 1 number (pays 35 to 1)
- Split Betting on two numbers (pays 17 to 1)
- Street Betting on three numbers (pays 11 to 1)
- Corner Betting on four numbers (pays 8 to 1)
- 6-line Betting on six numbers (pays 5 to 1)
- American Roulette includes a 00, allowing for a 5-number bet that covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. This pays 6 to 1.
Outside bets are those that involve large groups of numbers. Options include:
- Color Betting on Red or Black (pays 1 to 1)
- Even or Odd Betting (pays 1 to 1)
- Column Betting on 12 numbers in a column (pays 2 to 1)
- Dozen Betting (pays 2 to 1)
- High or Low Bets (1-18, 19-36) (pays 1 to 1)
All you have to do is pick which bet type to place. Start slowly and then work toward more complicated wagers as you gain confidence.
Understand the House Edge
Now that you know how to play roulette and understand the betting options, it’s time to learn about the house odds. Every roulette game has specific odds, providing insight into the advantage of the house (casino) or the player.
The most basic roulette games are American, French, and European. The American version includes the 00, with a house edge of 5.26%. These odds are not bad, but you can play French or European and lower the house edge to 2.7%. Simply removing the 00 element gives you more of an advantage.
Play the Game
Once you have selected a roulette game, it’s time to start. To optimize your experience, you need to understand the procedure of a roulette round. The next round begins after the dealer clears the table and pays the winners.
The dealer will pause and give everyone time to decide their wagers. Once bets are placed on the table, the dealer will spin the wheel and throw the white ball. After the ball settles, the dealer will place a marker on the winning number. Losing bets will be cleared first, and then winners will be paid.
The process then repeats, and you can decide to place a different wager or keep your current one.
Implementing a Strategy
Advanced players like to implement strategies during roulette sessions to improve their chances of winning. A popular option for beginners is the Martingale system.
With this system, players double the size of their bet after a loss. Once a win is achieved, the stake is reset to the initial amount. This system is designed to recover losses by doubling the next round’s bet.
Strategies are a great way to change things up in roulette, but they should only be implemented once you feel comfortable playing the game. It’s best to start with a demo version to understand how the game operates. Many demo versions can be found online that work perfectly for practicing.
After you practice playing roulette, you will feel more comfortable using money via an online casino or in person to play the game.
