Roulette has a fascinating history spanning centuries having been played in the salons of the nobility in France during the 1700s. Roulette quickly gained popularity in the brick-and-mortar casinos of the late 19th and 20th centuries, becoming a staple of pop culture movie moments such as in James Bond.
With the advent of modern technology roulette is available to play in more forms than ever before; often with just the click of a button thanks to the many online roulette and live roulette variants available at online casinos.
In today’s article, we are breaking down this exciting and iconic casino table game into three easy-to-follow steps, so you can enjoy the fun experienced by gamers over the past three centuries. Keep on reading to learn more.
Step 1: Select Your Game
Firstly you’ll need to select the roulette game you’d like to play. In the case of brick-and-mortar casinos this is limited to what is available, which in the UK will most commonly be European Roulette.
If playing online you have more choices, the first being whether you want to play online or live roulette. Online roulette pits you against a virtual wheel operated by RNG computer programming, while live roulette is played in real time with a real host and wheel.
After this, you’ll need to pick the variant you want to play. Roulette has three main kinds:
- European Roulette: Features 37 numbers plus one 0 and has a house edge of 2.7%
- French Roulette: Features 37 plus one 0 and has a house edge of 1.35% plus special side bets like ‘La partage’ and ‘En prison’ available on the French-language table,
- American Roulette: Has 38 numbers and two 0’s and has a house edge of 5.26%. Includes the ‘basket’ bet option and may include the surrender rule.
When you’ve selected your game, be sure to check the games’ information so you can check for any special rules of note and familiarise yourself with the paytable.
Step 2: Learn the Table and Place Your Bet
Before betting, set a budget and be sure it is an amount you can afford to lose. Be sure to also set a time limit for your session, as these are the staples of responsible gaming practices. Check the table limits for your chosen game and make sure your wager fits within this.
When it comes to making your wager, roulette bets can be split into three categories:
- Inside Bets: These are wagers on a specific number (known as a ‘straight-up’ bet), or a sequence of numbers such as split, street, corner, six line, as well as basket if you’re playing American roulette.
- Outside Bets: These are wagers on a category or group of numbers such as red/black, odd/even, high/low, column, or doubles.
- Call Bets: These can also be called ‘annouced bets’ or ‘special’ bets, and the type of available call bets depends on the roulette variant you are playing. In French Roulette common call bets are Voisins Du Zero and Orphelins, and in European Roulette, you’ll find their counterparts ‘Neighbours of Zero’ and ‘The Orphans’.
To make a roulette wager you’ll need to place your chips (be they virtual or real) on the relevant section of the layout on the table in front of you. You can place multiple wagers per round by placing chips in multiple betting zones. Outside bets are found in the section closest to you while inside bets are found furthest away. Above the general betting layout is the ‘racetrack’ which is where special bets are made. This curved segment has a succession of numbers from 0 to 36. Each racecourse section is allocated to a collection of numbers arranged by wheel proximity.
If you’re playing online roulette you can choose to start the wheel when you’ve made your wager. If you’re playing live roulette then you’ll need to wait for the betting window to elapse and the dealer to announce ‘no more bets’.
Step 3: The Wheel Is Spun and the Winner is Revealed!
Now comes the fun bit! When no more bets are called, the dealer, in live dealer games, will spin the roulette wheel (or the virtual wheel will be spun by RNG software), and a ball known as ‘the pill’ is dropped into the spinning wheel. The pill will skitter around as the wheel slows and the winning outcome is based on the segment that the pill has landed in.
All payouts are made according to the paytable of your chosen game, but in general, unless otherwise specified, the top payout is for a successful ‘Straight-up’ bet which will award a 35:1 payout, then a split which will award 17:1, followed by the Street, Corner, and Six Line at 11:1, 8:1, and 5:1 respectively.
As they cover larger ranges of numbers outside bets pay lower at 2:1 for Columns and Dozens, and 1:1 for Red/Black, High/Low, and Odd/Even.
Once all winning bets have been paid out, the next round of roulette can begin.
Is There a Difference in How to Play Roulette Online?
Roulette played online can be split into two distinct categories; online roulette, and live roulette. As alluded to earlier, in online roulette the entire experience has been made virtual with RNG computer programming controlling the roulette wheel and ensuring its outcomes are 100% random and fair. Some online roulette games are played with other players, but in plenty, the player goes solo which means they get to dictate the pace of play.
Live roulette comes in two forms, those that are designed to replicate the authentic real-world casino experience as closely as possible, and those such as Lightning Roulette and Quantum Roulette which have taken the traditional roulette formula and bonus elements like multipliers and a touch of game show flair.
Either way, in both instances, live roulette games are played in real-time against real players. The events and pace of play are guided by the live host and players will need to wait until the end of the betting window for each spin to begin.
Takeaway
With its wheel with many numbers and table layout with plenty of positions new players can be mistaken for thinking that roulette is a complex game that will take ages to learn. As you can see by our simple tips above, roulette is an incredibly straightforward game that is very beginner-friendly. If you’d like to start your roulette journey, sign up and play today at Prime Casino, and, of course, always gamble responsibly.
