Online roulette is widely considered one of the most entertaining and potentially profitable games in land and online casinos. It's also considered fairly easy to learn how to play roulette. Players bet against the casino by placing wagers on number and color combinations that appear on a wheel.
Following the placing of roulette bets, the croupier – a casino worker also referred to as dealer or banker – spins the wheel. The small white ball inside the wheel spins in the opposite direction. When the ball rests in one of the wheel’s pockets, the croupier announces the winning number and reconciles all roulette bets.
It's easy to see why, based on these simple instructions, so many people believe that learning how to play roulette is so easy. But knowing how to play roulette is not the same as knowing how to win at roulette online. While it may appear that a player need only anticipate where the ball will fall at the conclusion of each spin, the truth is that he must also understand the table's layout, when to bet, how much to bet, and how much that bet will yield or cost when it wins or loses. These are the real secrets to how to play roulette…and how to win.
THE WHEEL – HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE
The first step in learning how to play roulette online is understanding the wheel and its layout. A roulette wheel contains either thirty-seven or thirty-eight numbered slots, (1-36), zero (0), and occasionally double zero (00). The double zero is only available on American wheels. Some numbers are painted red and other numbers are colored black without thought to sequence. Zero and double zero sections are always green.
The house edge for single-zero wheels (European) is 2.7%. The house edge for double-zero wheels (American) is 5.26%.
THE TABLE – HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE
The second step in learning how to play roulette involves familiarizing yourself with the table's layout. An online roulette table typically accommodates six to eight players at once. To distinguish bettors and determine who is placing what bet, players at the same online roulette table each receive chips in a unique color. After you put down your money, you are issued a chip stack whose total value corresponds to the total value of your cash deposit. Each colored chip is equal to one betting unit as determined by the stakes at the online roulette table you are playing. If the game is a $5 game, each chip is worth $5. If you win, you will be paid by the croupier in chips of your color.
In land casinos, if you have not commenced play at a particular table but would like to make a fast bet on a particular number, you are not required to request a color from the croupier. It is permissible to put the casino chips, or even real cash, down on the table. If you win, the croupier will pay you in casino chips. Still, if you are thinking about playing for a while, it's a good idea to get a color.
While playing, your bet must meet the posted lower limit, which is why it is important to learn roulette rules for betting per table. How to play roulette – or rather, the stakes at each table – will vary. If the smallest bet allowed at a particular table is five dollars and you are playing one-dollar chips, you must bet at least five chips. Many games separate inside and outside bets when it comes to satisfying minimum bet prerequisites.
This means that players are not permitted to split the lower limit bet between the inside and outside betting areas. If you decide to play both, you must bet the minimum on both the inside bets and the outside bets.
For instance, when playing a table with a $5 lower limit, roulette rules stipulate that you must bet $10 if you would like to play both the inside and the outside betting areas, with at least $5 bet on each. In addition, each separate outside bet must typically meet the requisite lower limit. Whenever you would like to bet on Odd and Black, you must put down at least $5 on each bet.
THE SPIN – HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE
The third step in the ‘how to play roulette' process is knowing what to do when the action commences. Players place roulette bets on the table prior to each spin. Several moments after the croupier begins the spin, the ball will start to fall. At this time, he will announce, “no more bets” and will pass his hand over the table.
Following the announcement, players cannot place new bets and the bets on the table cannot be altered in any way. Should you attempt to make contact with your chips after the announcement, the croupier will give you a warning for violating roulette rules.
Once the ball falls into a numbered pocket, the croupier will place a plastic marker on the winning number on the roulette layout, gather up losing bets and pay off winners. You must always wait until the croupier withdraws the plastic marker before collecting any profits or laying the next bet.
The pace of this popular land and online casino game is much less hurried than many others. For those who play casino games like slots or blackjack, wherein a bet or exchange of cards occurs every second, roulette may seem a bit slow. But it's the anticipation that makes the game so exciting.
It is important to remember that developing a “system” for winning roulette is nearly impossible. The game is totally random and previous spin outcomes do not affect future outcomes. Six consecutive spins resulting in black do not mean red is “due” to come up. The wheel is completely impartial, has no memory, and no specific payout percentage.
A BIT MORE ABOUT THE WHEEL
The wheel is a wonder of stochastic technology. Essentially a giant bowl, it is almost three feet across, with slightly canted walls. It weighs approximately one hundred pounds, and its surface walls are separated into thirty-seven (or thirty-eight) internal slots, called “pockets”. Each pocket is just large enough to hold the twirling ball once it rests.
The pockets alternate between red and black (and odd and even). Each pocket has a number between 1 and 36. The exclusions to this are the zero pockets, which are painted green. The numbers are not in sequence nor are their placements totally random. The numbers have been arranged to attain the best balance between red and black, odd and even and high and low.
If you look at the wheel, you will notice that placed directly across from each odd number is the next even number. Two odd numbers alternate with two even numbers. You can also see a version of this system near the zero pockets.
Two main types of wheels are available—European American. The sole distinction between the two is that the American version has two zero pockets, single zero (0) and double zero (00), while the European version has only the single zero pocket.
This minor modification yields a substantial difference in the casino advantage. With a European wheel, the house advantage is roughly 2.70%, a good deal lower than the American wheel, whose house edge is 5.26%.
How to Play Roulette Online—The Table
The most dominant feature of any roulette table is the wheel itself. However, the more exciting section for players is the layout of numbers adjacent to the wheel. This layout is where all bets are won or lost. Almost all casinos use a standard length table that fits six to eight players.
In learning how to play roulette, its crucial to understand the game's players. The most important ‘player' is the croupier. He stands beside the wheel and tracks the betting, announces the numbers, and spins the ball for each betting round. A typical table layout consists of two contrasting betting fields, the inside field and the outside field. The inside field displays each separate number seen on the wheel. These numbers are sequenced from lowest to highest with 1 in the upper left corner. The first row displays 1-2-3, the second shows 4-5-6, etc., up to 36. Altogether, the layout has twelve rows in three columns.
Just above the first row on the grid is a green section for bets on either single or double zero. A European table will only display a single zero. Wagers in this field are known as “inside bets” or “layout bets”. You may bet on anywhere from one to six numbers with a single bet, depending on the positioning of your chips.
The outside field displays roulette bets on specific groups of numbers applied to the “outside bets”. Sitting at the bottom of the table, just under row 34-35-36, are three outside bets. One outside bet sits under each column for the purpose of a bet on the numbers in this column. On the side of the roulette table opposite the croupier are the other outside bets. Here you'll find the bets for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts of rows, each bearing the numbers in four related rows. You can also bet on either the top set of numbers (1-18) or bottom set (19-36). The sections for betting on Red or Black and Odd or Even are here as well. Each of these bets carries various odds and payouts. Learn these odds and payouts and you will not only have learned how to play roulette, you will have learned how to master it.
Now that you know how to play roulette online, learn roulette betting options, strategies and payout odds so you know how to win at roulette. Gambling City’s Roulette Guide covers all these topics and more!