Many people don’t realize that there is a major dispute about where the game of roulette originated. According to one side, Roulette is a completely American game created in Las Vegas when there was still sand and wind blowing across the Hotel Flamingo’s swimming pool. According to the other side, it was born in France in 1842.
Regardless of who is right; it has always been referred to as the Game of Chances, because for the most part, you have to make a “guess” where the little ball is going to land. The only thing that can help is to learn how to make a reasonable bet and find a way to develop your own strategy by playing.
Maybe yes, maybe no…
When you sit down at a table, you need to buy your chips which means deciding up front how much money you want to risk on the game. The dealer will give you specific color chips, because in casinos the roulette chips are color coded to tell players apart. If you decide to quit playing roulette, you need to hand your chips to the dealer and these will be replaced by house chips. Cashiers will not cash in roulette chips.
If you search online, you are bound to find dozens of “guaranteed roulette strategies” that promise you can “win a fortune”. While it is true that it is possible to win really huge amounts on roulette, the same can be said of poker, craps and blackjack. It is a fallacy to believe that you can win big amounts every time you sit down to play, or that any one “system” is actually the one that will enable you to win a fortune. If that were true, every casino in Las Vegas would be out of business before you even get there. The same is true playing at online casino sites which have a similar house edge to Las Vegas casinos. No matter how convincing the roulette system, over time the house always wins. Its better to play with your bankroll, bet on any lucky numbers and enjoy the game.
Knowing the Basics
There are two types of roulette – American and European – and they are different. The European wheel has 37 numbers and the American has 38 numbers. The American wheel has an extra number – 00 – the double zero.
The wheel is divided up between red and black slots and that numbers are divided equally on the colors by odd/even and high/low numbers. This is true on both wheels. When you place a bet you can bet just the red or black, for example. If you are playing on a European wheel, you have a 50/50 chance of winning each time the wheel spins.
If you are playing an American wheel, this odds change. The 00 on the wheel is green and any player who played red/black is going to lose. The American casinos have a built in 5.70% edge. The European Roulette pays more often because of the house edge is only 2.7%.
How to Play and Win Roulette (Rules)
These are the various ways to place bets in Roulette:
Inside Bets – these are the numbers on the wheel
- Straight Up – playing a single number
- Split Bet – playing two numbers that are side by side and place your chip on the line between them
- Street Bets or Line Bet – placing your chip on the line separating the inside bet and outside bet, straddling the first number in the row
- Corner or Quad Bet – chip is placed on the intersection of 4 numbers
- Basket Bet – where you bet on the 0, 00, 1, 2, 3
- Double Street Bet – chip straddling outside and inside as well as the row above and below it
Outside Bets – these are any of the boxes surrounding the numbers
- Red Black Odd and Even – place your chip on the numbers you want and you are betting the colors beneath them
- Dozens Bet – if you place your chip on any of the spaces on the board marked 1-12, 13 – 24 or 25-36, you are betting all of those consecutive numbers at once
- Column Bets – are placed on one of the three vertical columns and let you play 12 non-consecutive numbers simultaneously
- En Prison – say that with a French accent and you’ll have the sound right. This bet protects you from losing your money on all the bets you have placed if the ball lands on the green. You will then have a choice of letting the bet ride on the next spin or removing your bet and getting half your bet back to place a different bet.
Roulette Tips and Strategy
Pay special attention to how everyone on your table is betting, including yourself. You may discover certain patterns are occurring either in your habits of choosing what to bet or in the way others are playing. If you do not have your chip placed when the dealer reaches to spin the wheel, it will be tossed off the table and you’ll miss a turn. More roulette tips here.
Roulette FAQs
What is the house’s edge on a double-zero roulette wheel?
Regardless of any system used in roulette, the house’s edge at the very least is 4.26% to 8.89% with an average of 7.89% overall. There is no system to give the player an edge over the house for more than a few spins.
Can a one-time bet on the columns give a higher potential for winning than any other bet?
Yes. But, let’s say you put $100 on 1-12 and a $100 on 13-24. Your chances of winning are 63%. The question is: why would you spend $200 to win $100 and lose $100?
Is playing Roulette in a casino that much different from playing Roulette online?
Yes and no. The rules and odds are the same. The main difference is the hand that is releasing the ball into the wheel. Some croupiers have a faster or heavier release than others and there is no consistency to how a human hand and arm and body interacts with the ball. In online video roulette, there is a consistency because it is a computer program with specific parameters.