Roulette

Roulette game elements

Roulette is played at a table where we will find sections with numbers and other different boxes such as Even or Odd, Red or Black, 1st dozen, 2nd dozen etc., in which we will place our bets. The roulette wheel which spins is also located at the end of this table and incorporates all the numbers on the board. The ball, another key element of this game, is thrown into the spinning wheel and depending on the position in which it lands when it stops will decide the winning bet. The ball can be made of different materials since there are no regulations in this regard.

The numbers that are played in Roulette go from 1 to 36 (both included) and in the European version the “0” is added and in the American version “0” and “00”.

Game development

When you sit at a Roulette table, you will need Buy-in meaning you will pay your cash or gaming chips to the dealer in exchange for coloured chips. This is so that the house can distinguish your chips from all the other players.

Once you have taken a seat at a roulette table and exchanged money for chips to bet, you just have to get down to work but where to start? The first thing you will have to do is place your bets before the dealer announces ‘No more bets’. You still have time to place bets when the ball is spinning until the dealer calls it out. The ball will land on a winning number.

One piece of advice we give you is that before sitting at a roulette table (either physically or online), you carefully read what type of roulette it is and its game rules and that you take into account the maximum and minimum bet amount that each table requires, as the rules must always be respected. The maximum bet will indicate the maximum amount that you can bet in a round and the minimum is the minimum amount required in each round to be able to play. Once you have all this, you will have to decide what type of bet you are going to place. Below we explain the different types of bets that exist.

Types of bets

There are different ways to classify the types of bets you can place. We are going to divide them into two large groups, Internal bets and External bets depending on the area of ​​the board on which you bet and a third group that includes bets that are made based on the location of the numbers on the roulette wheel and not on the board that are called advanced bets.

Inside bets:

They are the simplest bets in which you bet on one or more numbers directly and are called internal precisely because the bet falls on the numbers that are located on the inside of the board. If you hit the number chosen within the bet, you will get big winnings, but it must also be said that the odds of winning are considerably reduced in these types of bets. You have different ways of placing these type of bets:

Straight or Single: we will start with the simplest and that does not present any difficulty. It is about betting on a single number, for this you must place the chip (s) in the center of the box corresponding to the chosen number. If your number wins, you will receive a value of 35 to 1, which means that you get your initial bet back and win 35 times the amount you bet. For example: if your bet was €10 and you hit a Straight/Single, you will win: € 10 initial bet + € 10 x35 = € 360. You can perform different straight-up sessions on different numbers within the same play.

Split: a bet of two adjacent numbers either vertically or horizontally. The chip is placed on the side of the square common to the two numbers. In this case you divide the bet into two numbers and if one of the numbers is the winner you will receive 17 to 1.

Street: a bet that is made on three horizontal numbers located in the same row of the board. You will have to place the chip in the outer row common to the three numbers and if one of the three numbers wins, you will be paid 11 to 1.

Square or corner: a bet of four numbers located contiguously on the board. To make this bet you have to place the chip in the internal angle common to the four numbers that make up the square. And if your bet is a winner you will receive 8 to 1.

Double Street or Six Line: with this option you bet on six consecutive numbers which make up two adjacent rows. To make this bet, the chip must be placed at the outer intersection of the two rows, that is, where they form a T. If you win you will be paid 5 to 1.

Trio: This bet is a triangle bet made out of either 0,1 and 2 or 0,2 and 3. To make this bet the chip must be placed on the intersection point of the triangle that forms the three numbers. In American Roulette where the 00 is also included, a trio bet is formed from just 00,2 and 3. If the ball falls on one these three numbers then the payout is 11 to 1.

Top line or Basket: This bet differs when it comes to European Roulette which is also known as ‘First Four’ or in American Roulette which is also known as ‘Five-Number Bet’. It is a bet made out of the numbers on the table 0, 1, 2 and 3 or 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. The chip must be placed on the outer corner where it intersects with the 0 square. The payout for this bet 8 to 1 for a Top line or First Four or 6 to 1 for a Basket or Five-Number Bet.

Outside bets:

These bets are the best known and played. We all know what it means to bet on red or black, odd or even, high or low numbers and so on. These are bets that are not made directly to the numbers inside the board but rather to the groups of numbers and the chips that are placed on the outside of the board.

Let’s explain in detail a little more about these bets.

Dozens: In all the boards we will be able to see on the outside three boxes, 1st dozen (from 1 to 12), 2nd dozen (from 13 to 24) and 3rd dozen (from 25 to 36)). You can place your bet in one or more of the dozens and if the ball will land on one of the numbers included in the dozen you chose, you win. The payout is 2 to 1, that is, you get your bet back and you win twice the invested bet.

Columns: on the game board there are three vertical columns of numbers and at the end of each of them, you will find a box where you can bet on the corresponding column. If you place your bet, for example in the box of the 1st column, you bet on all the numbers in that column and if the number that comes out is in the column you chose, you also win 2 to 1.

Odd or Even (Pair ou Impair): as the name indicates, the bet is on the winning number being on an odd or even figure. These boxes are situated on the outside of the board where you can place your bet. If you win, the payout will be 1 to 1.

Red or Black (Rouge ou Noir): You will also find two boxes where you can place your bet on red or black. If the outcome is in a box of the chosen color, you will win 1 to 1.

Low Numbers (Manque) or High Numbers (Passe): as you already know on the board there are 36 numbers without counting 0 (or 00 when there is one). With this option you can bet on the first 18 numbers (from 1 to 18) which are the low numbers or from 19 to 36 which are the high numbers. If your choice wins, you will receive a 1 to 1 payout.

Snake Bet: This is a bet that has a zigzag effect hence the name Snake. The numbers covered are 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32 and 34. This bet is not available for all casinos but when it is, you need to place your chip on the bottom left corner of the square marked 34. If the ball falls on any of these numbers, you win 2 to 1.

An important note to remember is that when betting on outside bets, if the ball lands on 0 or 00 you will lose your placed bet and money goes to the house.

Bets announced

The announced bets are less known to a beginner but widely used by more experienced players and are only played on European/French Roulette tables.

As they originated from the French roulette version they are known worldwide by their French names. These bets are based on the location of the numbers on the roulette wheel and not on the game board. Among the most famous announced bets we will mention:

Neighbours of Zero (Voisins du Zéro): with this option you bet on the 17 numbers adjacent to and on both sides of the 0 including the zero on the roulette wheel. To make this bet, you need 9 chips that will be placed as follows: a chip on the internal common side of each of these pairs of numbers: 4-7; 12-15; 18-21; 19-22 and 32-35 (all Split bets); two chips in the common corner of the numbers: 25, 26, 28 and 29 (Corner/Square Bet) and two chips in the common side of 0-2-3 (Trio/Basket Bet). The payment of these bets will depend on the winning number: if it is one of the numbers where you have placed the chip on pairs you will receive 17 to 1, if it is one of the square or corner bet, an 8 to 1 and if it is in the trio, a 11 to 1. This bet is also known as the Grand Series.

Neighbours to a number (5 Numbers Bet): a number is chosen and bet on it and on the two numbers immediately adjacent to that number both on the left and on the right based on the roulette wheel, not on the board, for example ‘17 and the Neighbours’ meaning 3, 34, 17, 25 and 2. To make this bet you will have to place the chips on each number on the game board.

Zero Game (Jeu zéro): You bet on 0 and on the 4 numbers adjacent to 0 on the left on the roulette wheel and on the two adjacent to 0 on the right. Therefore the numbers: 12-35-3-26-0-32-15. You will need four chips that you must place on the common side of the Split bets between 0-3; 12-15; 32-35 and one chip Straight-up on 26.

Third of the Wheel (Le Tiers du Cylindre): you bet on the numbers that are opposite to 0 on the roulette wheel. There are 12 numbers: 5-8-10-11-13-16-23-24-27-30-33-36. 6 chips are needed to be placed on the common inner side of the following number pairs: 5-8; 10-11; 13-16; 23-24; 27-30 and 33-36.

Orphans (Orphelins): it is about betting on the numbers that are not included in Neighbors from zero or the Third of the Wheel, that is, the 8 orphaned numbers that are: 1-6-9-14-17-20-31-34 . 5 chips are needed to be placed on the game board in the following way: a chip placed on the straight-up on number 1; one chip each for split numbers between 6-9 and 31-31 14-17 and 17-20.

Rules of: “La partage” and “En Prison”

You will wonder what these two terms mean, which you will surely have already heard or otherwise you will hear as soon as you start playing roulette.
They are two French terms that refer to two well-known French roulette rules that were created to favour the player. But what do they consist of?

Rule of “La partage”:

As we have already said, it is a rule that always plays in favour of the player. It is applied in French roulette for the outside bets (red/black; even/odd or higher/lower) and can be summarized in a few words. If the ball lands on “0”, the victory does not completely go to the house but it takes only 50% of the bet and the other 50% remains for the player who thus does not lose the entire bet.

Rule of “In Prison”:

This is another rule of French roulette that also favours the player and as previously mentioned, is applied to the outside bets. If the ball lands on zero, the player does not automatically lose the bet but remains ‘in prison’ for another spin as a second chance. If the second spin is a winner, the player recovers everything that was in prison unless a “0” comes out again, in which case the bank will finally take everything.

Frequent questions

Are there casinos where you can play roulette for free?

The answer is yes, most online casino platforms offer the possibility of playing in demo mode, that is, without playing for real money. It is a very good option to be able to practice and become familiar with the game without having to bet with your own real money. Another good option that you will find are the welcome bonuses that most casinos offer when you first register.

Are the rules of “La partage” and “En prison” convenient for the player?

Of course yes, these rules always work in your favour and we advise you to look for roulettes that offer them

How much can I bet every time I play roulette?

This depends on the table you play at. Have a look at the maximum and minimum bet of the roulette table.

What is the difference between inside or outside bets?

As we have already explained before, internal bets are made directly to the numbers on the inside of the game board and external bets are the boxes placed on the outside, such as (red/black; even/odd etc.).

What is the difference between French and American roulette?

The main difference between them is that in French roulette you will find 36 numbers plus the “0” and in American roulette, in addition to the above, you will find another box with the “00”.

And with all the information that we have given you in this guide on how to play roulette, you will be able to start practicing and experimenting with your own strategies, have fun and live the world of roulette to the full.

Play wisely and always on secure platforms that have a gaming license and comply with all the regulations and requirements. Good luck and enjoy!