Roulette is considered the “Game of Kings”, dating back to 17th century Europe. It got its noble nickname in the 18th century when it was strictly played by aristocratic members of society. Today, absolutely anyone can play roulette for just about any stakes they wish, from $1 up to $10,000 or more per bet.
European Roulette vs American Roulette
There are several versions of roulette, the most common being American and European Roulette. The only difference is that American Roulette uses 38 numbers – 0, 00 and 1-36. European Roulette has only 37 numbers, eliminating the 00. It may not seem like much of a difference, but the house edge in European Roulette is decreased from about 5% to 2.5%!
Because European Roulette is clearly the better option, we’ll complete this tutorial based on the rules and payouts of European Roulette.
The Object of Roulette
The object of this casino game is simple enough – place a bet on a number, group of numbers or color. If the winning number/color matches your bet, you win the bet; if not, you lose the bet.
The Roulette Wheel
The wheel is where the real action takes place. It depicts all numbers on the betting diagram, 0-36. The 0 has a green backdrop, while all other numbers have a red or black backdrop (18 reds, 18 blacks). After all bets are placed, a ball is dropped into the spinning wheel. Where it comes to a stop determines the winning number and color.
The Roulette Table
The table is where all bets are placed. A betting diagram shows all possible numbers, each of which can be bet on individually or in numerous groupings.
Roulette Bets
There are two main bet types in Roulette; Inside Bets and Outside Bets. Inside bets are placed in the numbered area of the betting diagram while outside bets are placed outside the numbered area.
Roulette – Inside Bets
Single Number Bet: A bet on a single number (Pays 35-to-1).
Two Number Bet: A bet on two adjacent numbers (Pays 17-to-1).
Three Number “Street” Bet: A bet on three numbers in a single column (Pays 11-to-1).
Four Number “Corner” Bet: A bet on four intersecting numbers (Pays 8-to-1).
Five Number Bet: Found in American Roulette only, this is the worst bet you can make, having a house edge of 7.89%. It is a wager on the intersecting lines between 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3.
Roulette – Outside Bets
Red/Black: A bet on a specific color, red or black (Pay 1-to-1).
Odd/Even: A bet on any odd or even number winning (Pays 1-to-1). Note that 0 is not considered odd or even.
High/Low: A High bet is a bet on any number of 19-36; a Low bet is on any number of 1-18 (Pays 1-to-1).
Dozens: A bet on the “1st 12” numbers [1-12], “2nd 12” numbers [13-24] or “3rd 12” [25-36] (Pays 2-to-1).
Row Bet: A bet on one of the three rows of 12 numbers running the length of the table (Pays 2-to-1).