Playing roulette might look easy, and the numerous times it’s been portrayed on screen might make you think you already know it all. However, if you want to play safely, you’ll need to ensure you know all the roulette rules.
While there’s no question that roulette is a game of chance, when you are playing online, you’ll need to be aware of the various bets that can be made, playing strategies and also the different variations of the game available. We’ll cover all of these in this guide, as well as how to find the best place to play.
There is a very good chance you’ll already be familiar with the principles of roulette, as it is often featured on many TV programmes and movies. In reality, though, a good grounding and having the roulette rules explained will help you become a more savvy player and that’s the purpose of this
online casino guide. We’ll take you through the basics and the potential wagers you can place, so you know what to expect.
Roulette is based on the simple principle of predicting where the ball will land on a spinning wheel that is divided into numbered segments, which are mostly coloured red or black. Players place a bet on this before the spin takes place, and there are very many types of bets available, from ‘evens’ bets by predicting the ball will come to rest on either a red or black segment, to predicting the actual number the ball will land on. This means there are plenty of permutations allowing for many playing styles and types of
online roulette strategy. Before we look at those, we need to look at the different versions of roulette available, as this can affect which type you choose to play:
Roulette type
Total numbers on the wheel
Number of zeros
Resultant house edge
American
38
2 – 0 & 00
5.26%
European
37
1
2.70%
French
37
1
1.35%
In all forms of roulette, the zero or zeros belong to the house and provide the house edge. In American and European roulette, a zero clears the board, but it is slightly different for French roulette, where one of two rules will apply:
La Partage: If you place an even bet and the ball lands on 0, you lose only half your stake.
En Prison: Your bet is “imprisoned” if the ball lands on zero, and if it wins on the next spin, your stake is returned.
Which Types of Roulette Wagers Are Available?
With 37 or 38 different numbers in play and two different colors, there are plenty of permutations of bets available. These are usually divided into outside bets, which are on the outside of the numbered grid in the table, and inside bets, which take place on that grid. Here are the most common, along with the in-house names they are often called by, starting with the outside bets:
Outside bet type
What are you betting on?
Numbers covered
Potential payout
Red/Black
Predict the color of the winning number
18
Evens
Odd/Even
Will the number be odd or even?
18
Evens
High/Low
Will the number be 1-18 or 19-36
18
Evens
Dozens
Which section will it be in 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36
12
2-1
Columns
Which of the three vertical columns will the number be in?
12
2-1
As you can see, these provide the lower-risk bets for players, but also have lower odds attached. For anyone feeling a little more adventurous, there is also a range of inside bets:
Inside bet type
What is it?
Numbers covered
Potential payout
Single number
A bet on a single number
1
35-1
Split
Wagering on two adjacent numbers
2
17-1
Street
Picking a row of three numbers
3
12-1
Corner
Selecting a group of four numbers
4
8-1
Line
Picking two adjacent rows
6
5-1
Basket
Top row (1-3) plus all the zeros
4 or 5
6-1
Knowing the odds and the basic rules of roulette will allow you to develop your own style or opt for a strategy that suits you.
Roulette Strategies
While you might need some sort of roulette rules chart to keep track of the different bets, you’ll need a much bigger one to list all the different strategies. There are dozens and dozens of them around, but we need to stress that, as this is a game of chance, none of them can guarantee that you’ll win, and you should steer clear of any that profess that you will. There are three that are used most often, so here is a breakdown of what’s involved in case you want to use one of them as a starting point.
🎰 Martingale System
Double your bet after every loss, so 1 win recovers all losses. Reset after a win.
Verdict: can eat through your bankroll quickly
📈 Fibonacci System
Increasing bets after losses according to the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8…)
Verdict: not as risky as Martingaling, but can still put a dent in your bank on losing runs
⚖️ D’Alembert System
Add one unit after a loss, subtract one after a win.
Verdict: more balanced and less risky
Which Type of Roulette to Play?
Not only are there different variations of roulette, but there are also different versions you can play. These fall broadly into two types: Video (RNG) games and live dealer options.
Video roulette
– this looks like a video game and the outcome of each spin is decided by a random number generator (RNG). You’ll find different speeds and formats of this type of roulette at most casinos, and there may be demo versions available for you to practice on and make sure you are familiar with all the roulette rules.
Live options
– this is where you are connected by a live video feed to a real croupier spinning a real wheel, so the outcome is also ‘real’ and not computer-generated. There are also plenty of options for you here, although they might not all be available 24/7 or at every casino you come across, especially if you are playing on a sweepstakes platform.
You are likely to find you prefer one type more than the other, and this will have some bearing on where you end up playing your online roulette. As with learning all the
baccarat rules, this is just the start of your roulette playing experience, and there are still some big decisions to make.
Finding the Best Place to Play Roulette
There is no shortage of online casinos available, although you will be limited to what is available in your state. The list will still be quite long, so using our reviews can save you time and effort when it comes to making an informed choice. Our expert team of reviewers has looked at all the available options, and you’ll likely see the highest-rated displayed on the banners around this page. We’ve checked out all the factors that make a good casino, including bonuses and VIP benefits, and of course, we’ve done a deep dive into whether or not the casino can be trusted.
Conclusion – Ensure You Know All of the Roulette Rules Before Getting Started
As with our guide on
blackjack rules, we started here with the basics, so there were no gaps in your knowledge. This included the different types of bets available, so you could plan your own strategies and find a style of play that suits you. A key part of this was picking the right variation to play, and if that meant using the RNG versions or going for a live option. This, of course, will shape where you choose to play, and we have also got some of the best options for your state listed on this page, so you can take a closer look at any of them and get started when you are ready.
Age
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There are plenty of roulette strategies, the most common being Martingale, Fibonacci and D’Alembert. Each has its pros and cons, and finding the one that fits your style of play is vitally important, although none can guarantee results in what is a game of chance.
An inside bet might hint at some privileged information, but instead it simply means a wager placed on the inside section of the numbered grid of the table, and might include a single number bet, a split street or corner which cover 2, 3 or 4 numbers respectively.
In essence, zero belongs to the house and clears all bets. Most American roulette games will have two zeros, providing a house edge of 5.26%, and European style roulette, which can also be found at US online casinos, will have just one with a house edge of 2.70%.
