Roulette game is simple to learn and play and is, therefore, one of the most popular games – you don’t have to think about odds, you can’t affect the final outcome and if you win you’re just lucky and not a tactical genius. As the game offers a wide range of bets, from single number (paying out at 35/1) to straight even bets such as odd/even, black /red high/low (which pay out Evens), you do have to manage your money.
Never forget that the longer you play, the more the certainty of you gradually reducing your play money – albeit at a small amount per spin. So, if you put all of your gaming money on a single number on the first spin of the roulette wheel, you statistically have a better chance of winning than if you eke it all out over an hour. No one actually does this in practice as it makes for rather a short evening’s entertainment if you lose. You pays your money and you takes your choice – are you there for fun or to win?
Generally, the house advantage is 2.7% for UK or European roulette and 5.26% for its US counterpart, which has an extra zero. So, if you want to increase your odds and have the choice, always play with a single zero wheel. If playing American roulette, avoid the single bet covering 00, 0, 1, 2 and 3 (known as a five bet) which pays out 6/1 – effectively giving the house a big 7.9% advantage. On the internet it’s easy to select the European version. Some versions have La Partage where you get half back on 0. Usually, this is on the French Roulette tables so look out for that. La Partage reduces the house edge to 1.35. This makes it comparable to Blackjack, Craps and Baccarat.
Finally, don’t try to predict the numbers based on those that have come up before. If the last six numbers were all red, the chance of it being black the next time is still 50-50. Those pop-ups on your PC offering foolproof free roulette systems are scams.
TIP
This sounds moronic but works. Whenever you win, pocket the larger denomination chips and forget them. Bet freely with your remaining chips and you should at least be able to cash something out at the end of your session. Leave chips in front of you and they have a habit of evaporating.
Types Of Casino Roulette Betting
You can place a variety of bets/wagers in roulette on any number of outcomes within the two main betting categories – Inside and Outside bets.
Inside Casino Bets
An Inside bet is based upon betting on any of the numbers within the roulette table (from 0 to 36).
Straight-up bet (also called a Single Number bet)
This is based upon guessing which number, from 1 to 36, the roulette ball will land on. 35:1 payout. In European Roulette you can bet up to a maximum of £1000 (depending on the casino limit) on one number, giving you a payout of £35000 (£1000 at fixed odds of 35:1, plus your original bet back). The minimum bet is 25p giving you a return of £9 (including the stake)
Split bet (Upwards and Sideways, also called a Double or Two Number bet)
A bet on two numbers next to each other on the roulette table. 17:1 payout.
Street bet (also called a Three on a Row or Three Number bet)
A bet on any three numbers in a row on the roulette table. 11:1 payout.
Square bet (also known as a Box of Four or Four Number bet)
A bet on a block of four numbers on the roulette table. 8:1 payout.
Five Number bet (also known as a Box of Five bet)
A bet on five numbers, comprising 00, 0, 1, 2 and 3 on the roulette table. 6:1 payout.
Six Number bet (also called a Box of Six bet)
A bet on a group of six numbers on the roulette table, which covers two rows of three. 5:1 payout.
Outside Roulette Bets
An Outside bet is when you choose one of the betting options from the outside area of the roulette table – i.e. red, first 12.
Column bet
Bet on the ball landing on a number within one of the three columns on the roulette table. 2:1 payout.
Dozen bet
Bet on the ball landing on a number within one of the three rows on the roulette table. 2:1 payout.
Even-Money bet
Bet on the ball landing on a number from one half of the roulette table. Either Red or Black numbers, Odds or Evens, 1-18 or 19-36. 1:1 payout.
In Euro Casino Roulette you can also place Neighbour bets and Call bets.
Call bets are a group of bets placed on the Roulette table at the same time. To place Call bets, click the Call Bets button on the casino software. Most popular online casino rooms offer this function. Ladbrokes, Bet365 Roulette and Bluesquare Roulette all do.
Neighbour bets are bets placed on the neighbouring numbers of a Straight Up number on the Roulette table. Neighbour bets are allocated as the numbers appear on the Roulette wheel and not as they appear on the Roulette table.
En Prison and Le Partage in Roulette
If you wagered on any even-money bet (red/black, odd/even. high/low), and the ball lands in the green Zero, then your bet is “imprisoned”. You can get half your stake back or let it ride. Very similar to the Le Partage rule where you just get half your wager back.
Are online roulette tables fixed?
To put it simply no. The most important part of an online casino is the random number generator. This is the program that generates a sequence of numbers which correspond to the numbers on a roulette wheel. A good random number generator will produce numbers that are:
- evenly distributed and not correlated
- not predictable
If a random number generator is evenly distributed and not correlated, each number will be hit approximately the same number of times after a large number of runs, thanks to the law of large numbers. If a random number generator is unpredictable, you will not be able to predict the next number in a series no matter how many previously generated numbers you have studied.
If the random number generator is biased in any way, players may be able to track it and use it to their advantage. A biased random number generator would bankrupt any casino with clever customers. Therefore, it is in their best interest to make our random number generator as unbiased as possible.
Where to play roulette online?
There are many places to play roulette online. I would suggest you stick with reputable online casinos. These include the big ones with sportsbooks attached like Bet365 or William Hil. Alternatively, some big online casino names such as BGO or Videoslots.com