Online roulette
Just as exciting as it is to play the game of roulette is to know the game really well. From its origin and how it came to be one of the favourites among the casino games, with the rules and strategies that will help you put every game to your advantage, knowing more about it will be an interesting tactic as well.
One of the reasons why roulette is such an appealing game is that it allows its players to select from so many combinations of betting options, making the payouts more exciting. Also, there is just something about the thrill produced in watching the ball spin around and, at the same time, hoping for the ball to land on the numbers we bet on.
A lot of its players are often heard saying, "I just can't get enough". Well, there's no need to worry about that because anyone can be sure to find a roulette table twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on the Internet.
Okay, enough of that, and let's get started on learning to play the game. The sooner you get to know how to play the game, the sooner you'll be on your way to a time of excitement and winning.
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Roulette rules
The Wheel
First, the wheel: a roulette wheel has a spinning area that is marked from 0 to 36 in alternating colours. In European wheels, you will find only one zero with the numbers on the wheels in the following sequence.
0•32•15•19•4•21•2•25•17•34•6•27•13•36•11•30•8•23•10•5•24•16•33•1•20•14•31•9•22•18•29•7•28•12•35•3•26.On the other hand, on an American roulette wheel, you will find the numbers in the following sequence.
0•28•9•26•30•11•7•20•32•17•5•22•34•15•3•24•36•13•1•00•27•10•25•29•12•8•19•31•18•6•21•33•16•4•23•35•14•2.On the outer part of the wheel is an inclined plane that surrounds the spinner. This area is where a tiny ball is rolled in the opposite direction to that in which the wheel is spun. So now you have a spinning wheel, spinning in a clockwise direction and a rolling ball rolling on the outer rim of the wheel in a counterclockwise direction. Eventually, friction and gravity will stop both from moving, causing the ball to rest on one number with a designated colour. Each number with a colour in the wheel is called a pocket.
The main rule: predict what pocket the ball will end up in when the wheel stops turning is a quite impossible feat, but explainable with probability, as the game was really intended as a probabilities game by its mathematician inventor. This one characteristic of roulette as an entirely random game is the one that attracts most players.
Since roulette is a casino game of chance, there is no difficult or complicated skill or technique that can be mastered, even just to gain the slightest advantage. Everything depends on pure luck. It's pretty simple, isn't it? Well, more excitement lies in the part where different betting strategies and options can be made, but before we discuss that, let's get to know the betting section, which is what you will be using to indicate your bets.
The Table
Now we know that one part of the roulette table is the wheel. The other part, which is the betting section, is called a layout. The layout in your online version of the roulette game will have numbers and colours that correspond to the numbers found on the wheel, just like in the ones you find in actual land-based casinos.
If the wheel has double zeroes, the layout will have one too; otherwise, the European or single zero is used. The numbers on the layout are arranged into three columns and twelve rows. For some betting options that we will discuss in detail in a while, the twelve rows are grouped into three with an equal number of rows.
There are also two table designs: the French table, where a roulette wheel is situated at the centre with two layouts placed on opposite sides of the wheel, and the American table. The American table will have one wheel right at one end and the layout on the other. The latter one is a more popular table design and the one you will probably encounter in online casinos.
If this were an actual land-based roulette game, to indicate your bet, a chip is placed on the layout in a specific position depending on a specific colour, number, or group type. In an online game, the same betting options are available but are indicated a little differently depending on the game interface. Now let's get to know the betting rules.
Placing the bets in roulette online
Land-based roulette games offer plenty of different kinds of bets to choose from. It allows you to bet on more than one number per spin, giving you more chances of winning. Get to know the following rules and discover how these varied options will make your game time more exciting. Please refer to the layout samples given.
Single: Making a bet on one number only, including 0 and 00, gives you a 35 to 1 payout. To indicate this bet, drag and place a chip exactly on top of the number of your choice.
Split: Making a bet on two numbers that are found adjacent on the layout, like a 4 and 4 (crosswise), or 4 and 7 (lengthwise). To show the bet on the table, just place your chip on top of the line between the number pair. The payoff is 17 to 1.
Trio: Making a bet on three numbers adjacent to each other with a common intersecting point on the layout, like 1, 0, and 2, or 1, 2, and 5. Here, the chip is dragged and placed on the intersecting point between the three adjacent numbers you're betting on. The payoff is 11 to 1.
Corner: Making a bet on four adjacent numbers on the layout with a common intersection like 10, 11, 13, and 14. To make this bet, place your chip right on top of the intersecting points of the four numbers. The return on investment is 8 to 1.
Four numbers: This is a bet on four adjacent numbers in an L-shape, like 1, 4, 5, and 6. Simply place the chip on the intersecting line between the four numbers. In the first example, the chip is dragged and placed on the line above the 5 to indicate the bet. The payoff is 8 to 1.
Street: This is a bet on an entire row of three numbers like 10, 11, and 12. To place the bet, the chip is placed in an empty cell at the end of the row or street as it's called. The payoff is 11 to 1.
Line: A line is a bet on two adjacent "streets" or rows, like the 10, 11, 12, and 13, 14, 15 rows. Here, place the chip on the line dividing the two empty cells at the end of the 2 rows to show you're betting for both streets, which is called a Line. The payoff is 5 to 1.
Dozen: Betting on the first, second, or third group of 12 numbers which corresponds to rows 1 to 4 for the first group, 5 to 8 for the second group, and rows 9 to 12 for the last group. The chip is placed on the side of the layout indicating the perimeters of the group. The payoff is 2 to 1.
Column: Making a bet on an entire column of numbers, like the 2 to 35 column. To indicate the bet, just place your chip in the empty cell at the end of the column to show you're betting on all the numbers that fall in that column. The payoff is 2 to 1, as there are a total of 3 columns.
High of Low: This is a bet made on either the first group of 18 lower numbers or the second group, comprised of 19 to 36. On the left, the largest part of the layout are areas that indicate bets like high, low, red, black, and odd or even. Just place the chip that shows the high or low. The payoff is 1 to 1.
Red or Black: This is a bet made, not on the number, but on the colour of the pocket in which the ball falls in. If the ball falls in a zero, it doesn't count. Like the way the high and low bets are indicated, here, the chip is also placed in the particular area for the specific bet. The payoff is 1 to 1.
Odd or Even: Making a bet on all of either odd or even numbers. If the ball falls in a zero, it doesn't count. Place your chip on the odd or even cell at the left most column of the layout. The Payoff for this bet is 1 to 1.
Bets for advanced roulette players
The roulette wheel, as you know, has 37 or 38 pockets with numbers ranging from 0 and 00 to 37 that are arranged into five different series. Bets on one or more of these series are also called "French Bets".
- Neighbours of zero ("Voisins du zéro" in French)
This series is composed of the seventeen numbers, placed on the wheel between 22 and 25 including both 22 and 25. On the European wheel, the series is: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25. 9 chips or multiples of 9 must be placed on the table layout to cover this bet.
- 1 chip is placed on the split: 32/55
- 2 chips on the corner 25/26/28/29
- 1 chip on the split 19/22
- 1 chip on the split 18/21
- 1 chip on the split 12/15
- 1 chip on the split 4/7
- 2 chips on the trio 0, 2, 3
- Zero Game (Jeu zéro in French)
This is a kind of bet where you wager on the numbers closest to zero. The numbers are as follows: 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15. 4 chips or multiples of 4 must be placed on the table layout to cover this bet.
- 1 chip placed straight up on 26
- 1 chip on the split 32/35
- 1 chip on the split 12/15
- 1 chip on the split 0/3
There is also another type of Zero Game bet, with 5 chips placed on the layout where the fifth chip is placed straight up on 19.
- Thirds of the Wheel ("Le tiers du cylindre" in French)
The Tiers bet as it is on a regular basis referred to by the players, is a bet made on the twelve numbers situated between 27 and 33, including both 27 and 33. The series is as follows: 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33. 6 chips or multiples of 6 should be placed on the table layout to cover the bet.
- 1 chip placed on the split 5/8
- 1 chip placed on the split 10/11
- 1 chip placed on the split 13/16
- 1 chip placed on the split 23/24
- 1 chip placed on the split 27/30
- 1 chip placed on the split 33/36
There is also another type of Thirds of the Wheel bet with 10 chips placed on the layout and an additional bet of 1 chip straight up on 5, 8, 10 and 11. This one is called "Tier 5, 8, 10, 11".
- Orphans (Orphelins)
The Orphans bet is called on an eight-number series, being placed on the two slices of the wheel on the outside of Voisins and Tiers. The series is as follows: 17, 34, 6 and 1, 20, 14, 31, 9. 5 chips or multiples of 5 chips must be placed on the table layout, as follows.
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 1
- 1 chip is placed on the split 6/9
- 1 chip is placed on the split 14/17
- 1 chip is placed on the split 17/20
- 1 chip is placed on the split 31/34.
- The Neighbors
Using this type of called bet, you can back up a certain number using the two numerals that are placed on either side of it on the wheel. As an example, we will use "8 and the Neighbours". If you, for example, have 10 chips, they will be placed as follows.
- 2 chip is placed straight up on 11
- 2 chip is placed straight up on 30
- 2 chip is placed straight up on 8
- 2 chip is placed straight up on 23
- 2 chip is placed straight up on 10
You can also use this called bet in a combination, e.g. 1, 9, 14 and the Neighbors. 15 or multiples of 15 chips must be placed on the table layout to cover this bet, as follows.
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 18
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 22
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 33
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 16
- 2 chips are placed straight up on 9
- 2 chips are placed straight up on 31
- 2 chips are placed straight up on 20
- 2 chips are placed straight up on 1
- 3 chips are placed straight up on 14.
This is another type that you can use at the roulette table. The best way to explain such bets is by using next examples.
- Final 4
Final 4 is a 4 or multiples of 4 chips bet on all the numbers ending in 4 on the table layout as follows.
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 4
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 14
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 24
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 34.
- Final 7
Final 7 is a 3 or multiples of 3 chips bet on all the numbers ending in 7 on the table layout, as follows.
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 7
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 17
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 27
Final bets starting from 0 to 6 will cost you 4 chips or a multiple of 4, while the last three final bets (7, 8 and 9) will cost you 3 chips or a multiple of 3.
Maximum bets are a type preferred by the high rollers – it refers to placing all the inside bets on a certain number. This maximum amount can be easily calculated using a progressive betting model. But the best way to demonstrate this is to use an example.
Let's say that the maximum amount allowed to be wagered on a straight up bet is $1000. Then, the maximum wager on a split bet will be $2000; each one corner containing your number of choice will have a maximum wager amount of $4000. On every street, you will be able to bet a maximum of $3000, and each of the six lines containing your number will allow a maximum wager of $6000. When we add everything up, you will see that, in fact, the wager is $40000 on a maximum bet.
We will go even further with the example and designate our number of choice to be 17. In order to make a maximum bet, you will need to lay 40 chips on the table, placed as follows.
- 1 chip is placed straight up on 17
- 2 chips are placed on the split 17/14
- 2 chips are placed on the split 17/16
- 2 chips are placed on the split 17/18
- 2 chips are placed on the split 17/20
- 3 chips are placed on the street 17/16/18
- 4 chips are placed on the corner 17/16/13/14
- 4 chips are placed on the corner 17/18/14/15
- 4 chips are placed on the corner 17/16/19/20
- 4 chips are placed on the corner 17/18/20/21
- 6 chips are placed on the six line 17/16/18/13/14/15/6
- 6 chips are placed on the six line 17/16/18/19/20/21/6
This bet will pay out 392 chips if number 17 comes up. In the case of the example we just gave you, the player wagered 40 chips, each valued at $1000 and won 392 chips, each valued at $1000.
If you follow this progressive betting model, you can determine the number of chops necessary to make a maximum bet for all the numbers on the wheel.
- Zero will cost you 17 chips to complete and will pay 235 chips
- Numbers 1 and 3 each will cost 27 chips and pay 297 chips
- Number 2 will cost 36 chips and pay 396 chips
- The 1st column will cost you 30 chips for each number and pay 294 chips/number
- The 2nd column will cost you 40 chips for each number and pay 392 chips/number
- Numbers 34 and 36 each cost 18 pieces and pay 198 pieces
- Number 35 is a 24-piece bet which pays 264 pieces
However, one chip can be worth anywhere from $1 to $1000. Going back to our example we remember that if you choose number 17 to bet on, you will have to lay 40 chips on the table and that will bring you a profit of 392 chips in case you win, but each chip can have a value between $1 and $1000.
Announced bets or "Call Bets", as they are on a regular basis referred to by the players, are wagers where the player calls a bet and immediately places the amount of money required to cover it on the table before the croupier announces the stop.
House edge in American and European roulette
The house edge, or house advantage, is the amount of money that a player loses on average for any bet he makes. Therefore, if you plan to play online roulette, it is very important to be aware of differences in payout percentages when two popular formats are compared. For example, in the American format, there is a probability of 1:38 that a player will win a bet on a single number, and there is also a possibility of 37:38 that the player will lose when he makes the same bet.
For American roulette, you can calculate the house edge by using the next equation.
−1×37⁄38 + 35×1⁄38 = −0.0526 (5.26% house edge).In the case of the European wheel, a single number bet sets the probability of winning at 1 in 37 and losing at 36 in 37. Here you can calculate the house edge with the next formula.
−1×36⁄37 + 35×1/37 = −0.0270 (2.70% house edge).Technically, the 0 and 00 pockets on the roulette wheel constitute the only advantage of the house. This is because when you make an outside bet, you will always lose if the ball lands in one of the 0 and 00 pockets, but in fact, this is not the only house edge because they only pay 35 to 1 for a winning single bet, even if mathematically there is a probability of 1 out of 37 to win a bet on a single number. For example, if you place a $1 bet on all inside numbers and also on 0 and 00, you will certainly win, but only $35, while your original bet cost you $38.
In the early days of gambling, the casino could set the roulette odds at 27 to 1. This meant that upon betting $1, you would win $27 and the house kept your dollar. Nowadays, the casino odds are set by law, and they must be either 35 to 1 or 34 to 1.
Playing tip for the end
When you're playing, you must remember that roulette is a game of chance and luck. Every spin offers an entirely different outcome. You don't need to understand any mathematical equation to calculate the outcome of the game. That's why you don't need to learn and apply any strategy when playing, but there is still one tip that you can use to improve your winning odds.
You can play European roulette instead of American. The chances of winning in this type are higher because you will be dealing with only one zero and not two, as we have in the American version.
