How to Play Roulette – The Ultimate Guide

Welcome to your one-stop-shop for learning roulette, the most popular casino game of all time! There’s not much to get your head around if you’re new to roulette or simply fancy brushing up on your skills. Luckily, this game doesn’t require an advanced skill-set or much prior knowledge to enjoy to the max. Familiarity of the wheel and table layout and basic rules are the essentials to getting going. Read on for the full disclosure on how to play roulette.

This article concentrates on the basics of getting started with a concise version of the rules and some additional features to look out for, such as which games affect the house advantage. The crucial details are the differences in your profit margin. This review includes a simplified overview of the table and wheel for absolute beginners and a roulette guide to betting types to hone your game.

Getting Started – Roulette Rules

The object of the game is pretty clear: predict where the shiny metal ball will land after each spin. In any case, let’s have a run-through of what to expect. The game functions like so: place your bets on the table with coloured chips. The roulette wheel is spun, and the dealer throws the ball into the ‘bowl’. Players then eagerly anticipate the ball dropping into the winning pocket. The pocket is numbered, and this winning number is marked on the table itself for all to see. The dealer announces the number, and all wins and losses are accounted for. Chips are moved around the table with the ‘rake’.

• Bets are placed
• The dealer spins the wheel and throws the ball
• The ball lands on a number or zero pocket
• Wins and losses are accounted

There are some elements of land-based casino roulette which unnerve new players. Follow these hints to avoid any blushes in front of the hot shots: If the number you want to bet on is already covered with chips, don’t worry. It is permissible to stack your chips on top of the other chips. Fear not, it’s the croupier’s job the remember who places bets where. If in doubt, remember that you can place bets until the moment the dealer calls out, “No more bets”. Variations of the game bring different exciting rule changes, so make sure to check these before playing.

Of course, the real-life version of roulette is a little different to playing online. Online roulette rules don’t differ from the classic casino game, but there are some benefits to playing virtually.

The ‘En Prison’ Rule

This isn’t just justice served to French convicts. The En Prison rule describes an exciting extra clause in the game offerings players the chance to recover their stake after a zero spin. There are of course conditions, the player’s bet must have been on even-odds (high–low, even–odd, red–black) and the game has to offer the En Prison rule.

En Prison works like so; the losing stake is left on the previous bet and is marked by the croupier with a placeholder showing it is En Prison. The wheel is spun once more; if the bet wins the player’s stake is returned, if it’s a loser the stake is forfeited with no more opportunities to win it back again. This rule adds some extra fun to the game and is more favourable towards the player in comparison to the other roulette games, with a high payout percentage of 98.5%.

The ‘La Partage’ Rule

Similar to En Prison. The La Partage roulette rule gives player an opportunity to recover a losing stake if the original spin was zero and the player bet on even odds. For La Partage rule, half the original stake can be recouped (‘partage’ being French for ‘sharing’). Games incorporating this have an impressive payout percentage of 98.5%, more favourable than the standard American and European roulette games.

Bizarre Games with Alternative Rules

Alongside the most popular versions of roulette, we’ve come across some unusual variations out there which affect the layout and rules of play. Be sure when picking a game to become familiar with any new roulette rules and exceptional features to ensure the best playing experience. We’ve seen minor deviations from the standard format available online. There are however some interesting picks available, with plenty of interesting versions in the states.

The Canasta Format

There are some pretty crazy roulette variations out there, and we’re looking at the Costa Rica one in particular. Native to this central American paradise is the Canasta roulette wheel. This game features a double zero layout of the table, like in American Roulette, in additon to a separat ecircular wire cage acting as the roulette wheel.

The winning number is selected from the cage with numbered balls. This process is quite similar to what you’d see in bingo halls. This looks like an entertaining way to draw – however you’ll have to voyage pretty far to have a go on this unique roulette variant. Canasta is seldom available in the UK let alone online.

California Roulette

Roulette in California also differs from the norm. In this state, it is against rules and regulations to have a roulette wheel which is spun combined with a ball drop to decide which number is the winning number on the wheel. For this reason, Californian roulette was created, a state-recognised form of the game. In this evolved version, cards replace slots on the roulette wheel to pick the winning number.

Playing Online – Same Rules Apply?

Knowing the basics of how to play roulette is more than enough to enjoy the game online. Online roulette provides a platform for fans of the classic casino game to access roulette outside of the typical bricks and mortar casino. The rules will largely stay the same since players are after an authentic roulette experience. The wheel spins the same online, and the chances to win are inevitably the same, with random number generators deciding the outcome of each spin to ensure fair gaming online.

The main difference to playing online is the atmosphere. Playing online is a more solitary affair than the bright lights of a land based casino. Think of the camaraderie playing with others trying to take the house down together and the inevitable high fives all round when the desired number is called. There’s a social aspect to playing with others, and of course the opportunity to make an evening of it, enjoy a drink at the bar, and meet like-minded people.

There are serious perks to playing online, flexibility, informality, games variety and convenience to name a few. Overall, we’re particularly impressed by the bonuses up for grabs and the wider betting limits available when you log on. It’s pointless to compare them between the two formats since online bonuses outstrip those found in walk-in joints every time. For more on casino bonuses head to our informative guide to the best rewards around.

Roulette Odds, Bets and Payouts

The betting types on the roulette table are self-explanatory, often surrounding or being the namesake of the bets they apply to. The two main types of bets are “inside” and “outside” bets. Outside bets are those which provide simple chances and lows and high (1-18 / 19-36) with a 48.65% chance of winning (European roulette odds), and dozens which split the numbers into three sets of dozens with odds of 32.43%.

Call bets and inside bets are wagers on a straight up single number or a corner bet. Chips are placed on the inside of the betting area, either on numbers or on the line separating the numbers. Each type of bet has different betting limits, mainly because payouts are higher on the inside bets, but we’ll get on to this later. The most common bets are listed in the table below.

Maximum and Minimum Bet Stakes

Typically, for each spin of the wheel, the total amount of a player’s inside bets must not exceed the maximum stake and must be higher than the minimum stake allocated. The stake refers to the maximum or minimum stake value allowed for a single number “straight up” bet. The maximum amount for other bet types increase proportionately.

In a bricks and mortar casino, betting types are displayed clearly above and around the table. Betting limits for online roulette tables are often previewed alongside the game thumbnail when you scroll through the roulette catalogues, and always on the game screen for reference when playing. Online casinos are falling over themselves to offer high limits tables. Check them out here in our guide to roulette for high-stakes games online.

Know Your Odds

Knowing your odds is essential if you want to get the best result out of your game. Why shoot yourself in the foot and shave chunks of your profit-making potential by choosing a game with a higher house edge? The payouts for each wheel is the same but the odds between games differ. It’s the layout of the roulette wheel that dictates the odds: for example, the American roulette has the unusual double zero wheel which ups the house edge.

The French and European wheel, on the other hand, has no “00” hole which gives players a much better chance of winning. Increase your chances of winning by avoiding American roulette, and then there’s implementing a playing strategy. Seeking out games with le prison and la partage will give you the best chances of loss reduction. Consult our simple roulette guide for bets on the most popular games below.

Roulette Equipment – Understanding the Layout

This guide to roulette has mentioned the European version time and again as the best example of the working of roulette since this version is the most commonly played roulette game in the UK. Players based in the UK also favour the French version with its exciting extra rules. Of course, some lavish the thrill of the American double zero setup, also commonly available in UK-operating online casinos.

Roulette Wheel Layout

We’ve looked in to some of the most curious roulette setups, but the most important wheel to understand is the standardised European roulette wheel layout. There are 37 pockets to keep your eyes on as the ball jumps between the numbers 1 through the 36, not forgetting the single green zero. The clockwise sequence of numbers on the wheel alternates between black and red pockets and goes like this: 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.

An American roulette table differs slightly in that is made up of 38 pockets. The extra pocket is a green double-zero, or 00, placed next to the the single zero. This increases the house edge significantly, and thus the game is less popular in the UK than its European brother. Still, you’ll find American Roulette in pretty much every online casino.

Roulette Table Layout

The roulette table layout is pretty much the same in all variations of roulette. The main difference is the addition of the “00” betting field to American roulette. The French and American versions clearly show inside and outside bets, with the number coloured to correspond to the pockets of the roulette wheel layout.

Uniquely, the French table features all bet names in the French language, but this superficial difference doesn’t affect the RTP ratio. For reference, glance over our more detailed guide to the European roulette table layout. Another quirk of French roulette tables is the placement of the wheel. With European and American roulette, the wheel typically stands at the end of the betting surface. In French roulette, the wheel can be found in the middle, splitting the betting surface into two separate areas.

Online Format – A Visual Feast with Many Perks

Given our experiences in both walk-in casinos and playing at the best online roulette sites, we’re pretty clear on the added value of playing online. The availability of higher betting limits and access to games with favourable odds and rules are perks which can’t be passed by. The land-based casino will always be a go-to for a good night out, but for a real session on the roulette table, we’re convinced online is the way to go.