Roulette Game Guide
Roulette is one of the most glamorous but also the most fun of all table games available at casinos. Although the roulette table might look a bit intimidating, it is easy to learn – a craft that can be perfected over time by players that stick with it.
There are life-long roulette fans out there, who will play roulette no matter where they are – Vegas, Monte Carlo, or a small out of the way casino. Roulette has a tendency to keep you interested and concentrated. It’s the perfect game if you love attention because curious onlookers have a tendency to crowd around the roulette tables to observe the game.
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How to Play Roulette Online
If you have ever played roulette in a real casino, transitioning to online roulette is an absolute breeze. Of course, there are two different types of roulette when you play online – the kind where you play by yourself and everything is powered by an algorithm and graphics. This is your typical video game, and you will be promoted to do every move – you can put it on “hold”, come back later, and you can be sure it’s fair because of the licensing and random number generating programs used in games like this.
Your other choice is the more social and “real” game of live roulette. This is a spectacular option and it’s fairly new. Although online gaming has been around for a very long time, live roulette is only getting perfected now. We think that it’s going to just get better and better, with augmented reality, more special effects, and eye-popping graphics.
Live roulette is a bit of a combination of a video game and a live performance because very often the roulette table will be presented to you as an interactive graphic on your screen, while the actual roulette wheel will be operated by a live dealer. This is a wonderful solution because it makes the croupier’s job easier – and in turn, they are freer to banter, interact, and entertain you.
One of the greatest things about playing any live table game is a chance to make a human connection and feel social. Live roulette can be experienced at any time of day or night – if you can’t sleep or need to see a human face at 4 in the morning, live roulette is a great option for you. It’s also completely anonymous, and the dealer won’t see your face or identity.
Basic Rules of Playing Roulette Online
When you enter a casino, skip the tempting and beautiful slot games, and instead head on over to the live table game area or roulette video games. The best option is to make your first deposit now because the casino will give you a large sign-on bonus.
This is an online casino tradition, and it’s become so popular that it’s not really a “bonus” but an expected tradition. You will get double, triple, or more the amount of your initial deposit, making it easy for you to experiment with games you have never tried for “free”.
This is especially worth it if you want to try those live tables. While video roulette can be played for free in some developers’ testing areas, live roulette has to have some cash and identity behind it, so you have to at least be signed up for an account.
Once you have sat down at a table, get ready to place your bets. Here are the steps anyone should follow once they have joined a live table:
Basic Roulette Rules
- Hand your chips to the dealer – this is the first step, because roulette chips are different from normal casino chips, simply because they are color coated to be able to tell the difference between the players’ bets on the table.
- Decide and place your bets – you can place multiple bets if you’d like.
- Place your bets.
- The dealer closes bets and spins the wheel.
- You collect your winnings or count your losses.
- Another round begins.
Online table games are a bit simpler to play for beginners because they do include prompts and automatic rule reminders. A lot of casinos welcome newcomers in person, and all you have to do if you’re in a real-life casino is to alert the dealer that you’re only just beginning to play a game.
Although they won’t give you the benefit of “dry runs” or stop the game, they will be friendly and explain the rules as you play, so you don’t get lost. Even still, new players will often spend some time at an online casino before wondering into a brick-and-mortar establishment, simply because it will give them more confidence and a basic grasp of any game.
This is a great solution if you get shy and hate to ask for directions, like so many people out there. Keep in mind that practice won’t give you better odds at winning – the odds are based on probability and are the same for the people who are only just beginning, and for the pros. The only thing that will change is the decision-making skills – these will help you to make better choices and pick the combinations that will give you better odds. But in the end, gambling is always gambling and you have to take your chances.
Basic Types of Roulette Bets
The roulette table may seem complicated at first, but in fact, it’s very organized and easy to learn. There are two types of bets – outside and inside. The inside bets are placed on all the numbers that tare “inside” the table.
Inside bets include:
Straight up, or betting on a single number
Split bet – Betting on two numbers at once by placing your chip on the line.
Corner bet – Betting on four numbers at once – you place your bet “in the corner” where the 4 numbers meet.
Five bet – A bet on 0,00, 1,2 and 3. This bet is possible only in American roulette, where the additional zero pocket is present.
Street bet – You can place your chip at the end of the row of numbers. This encompasses three numbers.
Line bet – Is a bit like a street bet except it’s split between two rows and includes six numbers.
Outside Bets include:
Outside bets are considered “safer” and are great ice-breaker bets for beginners. They are a bit easier to make and have better odds. Outside bets have better odds because they are less “specific” and include large sections of numbers instead of specific ones that are hard to win. Here is the short guide:
Bet on a color – This is one of the roulette’s favorite bets, and it’s exactly how it sounds – you bet either on black or on red. The payout is 1:1, and the 0 and the 00 are outside of this bet and will make you lose if you’re playing American roulette.
Odd/Even – You can bet on odd or even numbers – this is another half/half bet that pays out 1:1.
Low/High – The low being 1-18, and high being 19-36. Yet another way of splitting the numbers in half. The payout is, expectedly, 1:1.
Dozen Bet – This covers 12 numbers and concerns 1/3 of the wheel. Here your odds are a bit smaller so the payout is 2:1. It’s still a lot better than betting an inside bet, and your chances are 32.4% for European roulette and a slightly lower 31.6% for American roulette. American roulette will always have the worse odds because of the second 0 pocket, or 00 in play.
Column bet – Another “third of the numbers bet” where you can bet on a whole column of numbers – there are 3 columns on the table, so your payout is 2:1. Again, the odds equal to 32.4 for European and 31.6% for American types of roulette.
American vs European Roulette
You will find both of these types of roulette in online casinos – surprisingly, although the odds are worse for American roulette, it still finds its aficionados around the world. It’s mostly played in American land-based casinos, where the European version is accessible only in VIP areas and high-rolling tables.
Most Americans choose to play American roulette online as well, simply because they are used to it and don’t want to jinx themselves (gamblers are a superstitious bunch) by picking a different type of game than the one they are familiar with.
American roulette can almost never be found at a European or Asian casino, simply because it’s not popular with the regular crowd. Why would it be? After all, the odds are lower. It has an “extra” zero pocket, marked as 00, and it presents an additional chance at losing.
Even though it’s not quite as popular, it looks like American roulette is going to be around for some time, even in online casinos.
