Online Roulette Guide

The simple and fun game of Roulette that means small wheel can sure make you win big. Try your luck with the wheel and the ball and place bets on any particular number, a set of numbers or colors. American Roulette gives you more number of betting choices than you thought imaginable. Think you can beat the wheel?

How to Play

The game of American Roulette is basically all about betting. Since you have no control over the ball or the wheel, choosing a bet and weighing odds is the only thing you can do. Fortunately, Roulette gives you many betting options.

There are two kinds of bets – inside bets and outside bets. An outside bet is placed on large groups of numbers or on a single color. Outside bets include bets on Red, Black, Odd, Even, 1-18, 19-36, 1st 12, 2nd 12, 3rd 12, and the 2 to 1 columns. Outside bets have better odds of winning and lower payouts.

An inside bet is placed on a specific number or a small group of numbers. Inside bets include straight up bets, split bets, street bets, corner bets, five-number bets, and six-number bets. Inside bets have lower odds of winning and higher payouts.

Bets

The game of American Roulette is basically all about betting. Since there is little one can do in the spinning of the wheel, choosing a bet and weighing odds is the only thing in the players’ hands. Fortunately, Roulette gives players many betting options.

In American Roulette, you can make two kinds of bets – inside bets and outside bets.

Inside Bets

Bet	What it Means	Payout Odds
Straight Up	The winning number is the exact number that the bet has been placed on. For e.g.: If a bet is placed on the number 12 and the ball actually lands at the pocket marked 12, the straight up bet wins.	35:1
Split Bet	The single bet is divided among two numbers. A split bet has to be placed on two adjoining numbers on the table – either vertically or horizontally. For e.g.: A split bet can be made on 13 and 14 horizontally or 13 and 16 or 14 and 17 vertically. To place the bet, you can click on the line between the two numbers.	17:1
Street Bet	A street bet is a single bet divided across three numbers. The numbers have to necessarily be in one row. Clicking on the right edge of the table next to the numbers you want to select, will place your bet. For e.g.: 13, 14, 15 or 22, 23, 24.	11:1
Corner Bet	Corner bet is a bet placed on four adjacent numbers. For e.g.: 1, 2, 4, 5 or 25, 26, 28, 29.	8:1
Five Number Bet	A five number bet is placed on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. The bet is placed by clicking on the right hand border shared by 00 and 3.	6:1
Six Number Bet	A single bet on six numbers is a six number bet. The bet can be placed on two adjacent rows of numbers. For e.g.: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18.	5:1
Trio	A single bet divided into three numbers. The bet can only be placed on 0, 1, 2 and 00, 2, 3.	11:1

Outside Bets

Bet	What it Means	Payout Odds
Red	The winning number is red. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36 are the numbers that make up the red slots.	1:1
Black	The winning number is black 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 35 are the numbers that make up the black slots.	1:1
Even	The winning number is even. The even numbers on the American Roulette wheel are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36.	1:1
Odd	The winning number is odd. The odd numbers on the American Roulette wheel are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33 and 35.	1:1
First Twelve	The winning number is among the first twelve (1-12) irrespective of the color.	2:1
Second Twelve	The winning number is among the second twelve (13-24) irrespective of the color.	2:1
Third Twelve	The winning number is among the third twelve (25-36) irrespective of the color.	2:1
1-18	The winning number is from 1-18 irrespective of the color.	1:1
19-36	The winning number is from 19-36 irrespective of the color.	1:1
2-1 Column	There are three 2-1 columns. They are called so because their payout is 2:1. The first column has the numbers: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31 and 34. The second column has the numbers: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32 and 35. The third column has the numbers: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33 and 36.	2:1

Once you have decided your bet, click on the chips to select your betting denomination – $1, $5, $25 and $100. You can bet a minimum of $1 on both inside and outside bet and a maximum of $200 and $250 on inside and outside bets respectively.

After choosing your betting denomination, click on the table to place your inside or outside bet. Having placed your bet, click on the ‘Spin’ button. The wheel begins to spin and the ball is dropped onto it. When the wheel stops, the winning number is displayed and you win or lose corresponding to the bet you placed.

When the Roulette wheel determines a winning number and color, the croupier places a marker on the winning number in the table layout. When the marker is placed, you can no longer place, collect or remove any bets that you may have placed.

You can repeat your bet using the ‘Repeat’ button or can clear your bet and place a new one. You can change your betting denominations or betting amount after every spin. In American Roulette, you can place multiple bets.

Note: 0 and 00 are neither odd nor even in American Roulette.

How to Win

The balls lands up on the number or color corresponding to your bet.

Strategy & Tips

In Roulette, each spin is independent of the other and that is why there is no fool proof mathematical system to beat the table. Owing to this fact, it naturally follows that the probability for a possible outcome is the same for each spin of the Roulette wheel and a probability advantage cannot be predicted.

The Roulette wheel has no memory and a winning streak might just not mean anything in Roulette. For e.g.: If you have had six successive wins on red in American Roulette, there is no guarantee that the streak will continue or that the next win will be black. Any outcome is likely.

There have been many systems devised to beat the Roulette wheel, however the most popular and the most likely to make you win big are the Martingale System and the Grand Martingale System.

Martingale System is the most often used strategy in American Roulette. It’s a simple system that claims that losing streaks don’t last long in Roulette. Choose to bet on either Black or Red or Even or Odd. If you continue to bet on the same option, you will eventually win. If you are lucky enough, you might even embark on a winning streak. However, this is not all. The way to actually make money through this is to keep doubling your bet every time you don’t win so that the next time you do win, you cover up for the previous losses. For instance, if you bet $25 on black and lose, you will lose $25. Increase your bet to $50 and spin for black again. If you lose again, you have lost $25+$50 = $75. Double your bet again to $100. This time if you win, you will win $100 and cover up for the previous loss, as well as make an additional $25 on the win.

The other, equally popular strategy is one step ahead of Martingale and is known as the Grand Martingale. This system aims to get you a bigger profit on your wins. Basically, in this system, every time you lose, you double your bet and add to it your original bet. For e.g.: if you have bet $25 and lost, double it to $50 and add $25 to it to bet a total $75. If you win this round, you stand to win $75 and cover the $25 you lost originally, plus gain an extra $50.

History

The first forms of Roulette can be traced to 18th century France. It is believed that the Roulette wheel is a fusion of several English wheel games like Roly Poly, Ace of Hearts, E.O. and the Italian board games Hoca and Baribi.

The word Roulette literally means small wheel. The initial version of the game was the American version with both the 0 and the 00 bets. The European version with only the 0 bet came in much later.

In 1860, Roulette was being banned all over Europe. In the United States however, the French double zero wheel reached as far as New Orleans and from there moved westwards. Up to then, the wheel was not mounted on a table and was to a large extent portable. However, due to rampant cheating by players and operators alike, the wheel was eventually placed atop a numbered and marked table to prevent devices from being fitted on to the wheel. This also led to a simplification of the betting process. Eventually, the French game evolved into American Roulette as we now know it.

The American game developed in gambling dens with hastily set up makeshift games, while European Roulette evolved with style and leisure in Monte Carlo.

Still, owing to its fast and simplified betting and cashing options, it is the American version that dominates the game in casinos the world over.

Glossary

American Roulette is much more fun when you understand the terms used in the game. Below are common terms that you will come across while playing.

Backtrack – Also known as the Ball Track, this is the outer rim of the wheel where the ball spins.

Biased Numbers – If a wheel is rigged or biased, certain numbers will keep appearing again and again. This is known as Biased Numbers.

Biased Wheels – A Biased wheel is an imperfect roulette wheel which causes some numbers to appear more than the others, most often beating all probabilities.

Big Number – If a number hits more often than is allowed by probability, it is theoretically flawed and is called a Big Number. It is most often indicative of a biased wheel.

Black action – The black chips are the most revered in the online casino games. When a player bets with a black chip worth $100, it is called a Black Action.

Black Bet – Wagering on the color black or a number that has the color black.

Bottom Track – The inner area of the Roulette wheel which slopes and remains stationary. The ball slides into the Bottom Track before bouncing from the wheel onto the pocket

Carre’ – French for corner bet

Chasing Losses – To increase bets continuously so that the money that is lost can be won back. This is not always the best way to go about the game.

Check Rack -The chip tray that holds the chips.

Cheval – French for Split bet

Choppy game – A game without a consistent streak.

Croupier – Casino employee who operates the roulette table

Dozen bet – A bet on any of the three sets of twelve numbers.

Fibonacci Betting System – A strategy where the bet is placed on a progressive combination of numbers

House Edge – It is estimated as the difference between true odds and the actual pay outs that the casino makes. It is the advantage that is offered to the casino or the game operator on each game.

High Bet – Betting on numbers from 19 to 36

Low Bet – Betting on numbers from 1 to 8

Parlay – Placing a bet on the table and leaving it along with an added new bet for the next spin.

Payout or Pay Out – Amount that the player wins from the casino.

Red bet – Wagering on the color red or a number that has the color red.

Reds – $5 chips issued by the casino.

Roulette layout – The numbered grids and colors on the Roulette table where players can place their bets.

Roulette table – A table that has the Roulette layout and the wheel.

Single zero roulette – European roulette

Sixainne – French for six line bet

Transversale – French for Street bet

Voisins du Zero – French for a group of numbers on the roulette wheel which are close to the 0

Visual Wheel Tracking – The ability to foretell where the ball will land just by looking at it spinning on the wheel

Wheel Head – a part of the roulette wheel that has the numbered pockets.

Wheel roller – A croupier dealer

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