ROULETTE RULES

ROULETTE RULE #3: HOW TO MAKE DIFFERENT BETS

If you want to bet a straight up, place your chips right on the numbers. If you place bets on the sections on the outside of the layout for e.g. red/black (French: rouge et noir), odd/even (French: impair et pair), high/low ( French: passe et manque), place them directly on the section. These all pay out 1 to 1.

For the first, second, or third dozen (French: Douzaine) and first, second, or third column (French: Colonne), place your bet directly on the appropriate section as well. These bets pay 2 to 1.

Below are other bet types that are placed in a special way and how much they pay out if they win:

Split (French: Cheval): If you want to bet on two numbers next to each other, place your chips on the line between the two numbers. A win pays 17 units for every 1 unit wagered.

Street, Three Number Bet, also “Trio” (French: Transversale or Transversale Pleine): If you want to bet on three numbers, place your bet on the outer edge of the three numbers. A win is paid 11 to 1.

Corner, square, bet on four numbers (French: Carré): after three numbers what comes? Four numbers, of course! The numbers form a square. Place your bet at the intersection where all four numbers meet. A win pays 8 to 1.

The Five Number Bet: This bet (the worst of all roulette bets as it has the highest house edge of 7.89%) is on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. A win pays 6 to 1. This mission is also known as the “beast”, the “monster” or the “mother-in-law”.

The Line Bet, Six Number Bet or Six Line Bet (French: Sixain or Transversale Simple): Split

(French: Cheval): This bet is placed on the outer borders of six numbers. A win pays 5 to 1.

ROULETTE RULE #5: HOW TO DEAL WITH OTHER PLAYERS AT THE TABLE

Most roulette players are nice people like you. But some of them are behaving a little… how to put it?… awkward! Because each player places their own bets, and multiple bets can be on the same number or section, the monkeys develop a tendency to move other players’ bets around in order to place their own. Some even knock over stacks of chips – other players’ chips.

Of course, there is no reason for such rowdy behavior, as the dealers give the roulette players plenty of time to place their bets.

You have three options:

ROULETTE RULE #6: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WIN

If a number is hit, the dealer will announce it and maybe the suit and whether it’s even or odd etc. He will place the “puck” on the number and wipe all losing bets from the table.

Then he pays out the winnings.

ROULETTE HOUSE ADVANTAGES

Like craps , roulette has a variety of bets, which I will briefly describe. However, the range of house edges in roulette bets is not as wide or varied as in craps. On the American double zero wheels, the house edge ranges from 2.63 to 7.89%. The usual house edge in the American game is 5.26%.

On the European single zero wheels, the house edge ranges from 1.35 to 2.70%. The usual house edge in European play is 2.70%. You can quickly see that the European game is superior to the American one.

HOW TO FIND THE HOUSE EDGE IN ROULETTE

The American wheel has 38 numbers and the payout on a win is 35 to 1. In a fair game, meaning one where the casino has no advantage, the payout on a win would be 37 to 1. In short, you bet 1 unit and wins 37. So you lose 37 times and win 1 time and the game is balanced; neither the players nor the casino have an advantage. That would be zero percent house edge.

Casinos couldn’t make a profit on such a game, so they pay back less than the stake was worth – 35 units instead of 37. The house keeps two units for itself. Simply divide 2 by 38 and multiply by 100 to get the house edge of 5.26%. I’ll discuss the other house edges when we cover specific bet types where the house edge is greater or less than 5.26%. This 5.26% indicates the house edge on the inside numbers and the outside sections like red-black, odd-even, etc.

As said, European roulette is better than American roulette because it only has one 0. There are 37 numbers and the casino pays 35 to 1 on a win. The casino keeps only 1 unit as opposed to the American casino which keeps 2 units. Simply divide 1 by 37 and you get a house edge percentage of 2.70%. I will later explain the other bets that have a lower house edge than 2.70%.

[Please note: the ball will be thrown in a certain direction in the ball lane, but the wheel will spin in the opposite direction. These directions can be switched every now and then or immediately after each spin.]

PLAY ROULETTE

GET INTO THE GAME

Many American casinos have special roulette chips of different colors for denominations not normally used in the rest of the casino. The player decides how much his colored chips are worth and each player gets a unique color.

This is not usually the case in Europe and the usual casino chips are also used in roulette. This can sometimes cause confusion for the croupier and frustration for the players.

“NOTHING WORKS ANYMORE”

Now the croupier will indicate that the players can place their bets and they place their bets on the layout. At some point, the croupier will say “I’m out of business” and all players will stop – except for the most troublesome players who just keep betting.

If someone bets after the dealer has said “No more,” that player’s hand will be chopped off and all spectators will nod in understanding. (Sorry, of course not, the bet just doesn’t count.) The croupier will usually say “No more bets” after throwing the ball into the groove running along the top of the wheel.

THE ROULETTE NUMBER BOARDS

Many players love to watch the ball make its rounds around the wheel, after which it slides down the wheel and bounces from slot to slot until it finally reaches its final resting place. This is reminiscent of ancestors who wanted a bike to tell them their future, which it will certainly do. Some of the more modern tables offer a video screen high above the wheel to allow players further away to see the action.

Meanwhile, a number table is also common, which indicates which numbers were hit last. Usually it is the last 16 or 20 that are displayed. This allows trend setters to figure out what trends they want to bet on.

There are also number boards that tell you what numbers are on all live roulette games tables across the casino were hit!

THE STRUCTURE OF ROULETTE: THE WHEELS

The layout of roulette has nothing to do with the arrangement of the numbers on the wheels. Look at the roulette wheels shown earlier and you will see that the numbers appear to be randomly placed and not in numerical order. Players are usually interested in placing their bets on the layout (check out the layout design) with no regard for how the numbers are arranged on the wheel, which can be seen as a small error on their part , as you will see later.

Casinos of the past knew that some wheels could tend slightly with age and use, meaning that certain deeper slots could tend to pick up the ball sooner than other, not so deep slots, or the wheel could become slightly unbalanced got and certain sections were hit earlier than others. More on that in the article on Roulette Hot Spots .

If players focused on the layout rather than the design of the wheel, all would be well with the world and the casino would keep winning – however, some players discovered that they could read the wheels . Such players could crack the casino advantage!

Let’s look at the arrangement of the numbers first on the American double zero wheel and then on the European single zero wheel.

THE NUMBER SEQUENCE ON THE AMERICAN WHEEL

• • There are 38 numbered slots, numbered 1 through 36, plus 0 and 00, for the ball to land in.

• • Half of the numbers are red; the other black and the 0 and 00 are mostly green, although on some wheels they can also be blue.

• • You can see that an odd number is directly (or almost directly) opposite every even number. Take the 34 and you’ll see that it’s located almost directly across from the 33. Then look at the 36 and you will see that it is opposite the 35.

• • However, this is not a perfect design as the numbers 18 and 19 are only separated by the number 33.

• • Odd number pairs alternate with even number pairs. Exceptions are the areas around 0, which separates 2 and 28, and 00, which lies between 27 and 1.

• The colors of the numbers in the wheel correspond to the color of the numbers on the layout. The colors refer to only one type of use – black/red.

THE SEQUENCE OF NUMBERS ON THE FRENCH OR EUROPEAN WHEEL

• • There are 37 numbered slots, numbered 1 through 36, plus 0, where the ball can land.

• • Half of the numbers are red, half are black, and the 0 is either green or blue.

• • The positions of the numbers are similar to those on the American wheel, with odd numbers placed directly opposite an even number, for example 27 opposite 28, but this is not true along the entire wheel.

• The colors of the numbers on the wheel correspond to the colors on the layout; again, this is only relevant for the black/red application.

THE KEY ELEMENTS

• • The layout on which players place their bets does not match the distribution of the numbers on the reels.

• • The layout is sorted numerically; on the wheel the order is fragmented.

• • Inside bets are placed directly on one or more numbers.

• Outside bets are placed on specific sections such as high-low, odd-even, red-black, and first, second, and third dozen.

• • The arrangement of the numbers differs on the American and European wheels.

• • There are 37 numbers on the single zero wheel and 38 on the double zero wheel.
  • The house edge on the single zero wheel is smaller than that on the double zero wheel.

• • On the American double zero wheels, the house edge ranges from 2.63 to 7.89%. The usual house edge in the American game is 5.26%.
• On the European single zero wheels, the house edge ranges from 1.35 to 2.70%. The usual house edge in European play is 2.70%.

HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE – FAQ

Question 1: What is the house edge in roulette?

At a 37 to 1 bet, the return on a winning bet is not 37 units for a 1 unit bet, but 35 units for a 1 unit bet. The house edge is 5.26%. In European roulette, the payout is 35 units at 1 instead of 36 units at 1 for a house edge of 2.70%.

Question 2: What is the difference between the number arrangement on the wheel and the betting layout?

The numbers on the layout are entered in numerical order from 1 to 36, with 0 or 00 at the top of the layout. On the roulette wheel itself, however, the numbers are arranged differently. The numbers are staggered here, usually on opposite or near-opposite sides.

Question 3: Why is the five number bet called “the beast”?

The five number bet is called “the beast” on the American wheel because the house edge is 7.89% – the highest edge in the game.

Question 4: What happens if a casino allows Surrender?

If a 0 or 00 hits, half of the even money bets of Red/Black, High/Low and Odd/Even are returned to the player. This halves the house edge of the game.

Question 5: What happens if the casino allows En Prison?

En prison also halves the house edge. If the 0 hits, the even money bet is blocked for the next round. If it hits on the next spin, the bet is returned to the player. If the opposite is the case, the bet is lost. Another 0 and this procedure occurs again.

Question 6: Translated into money, what does a house edge of 2.70% and 5.26% actually mean?

The house edge of 2.70% means that a player loses an average of 2.7 units for every 100 units wagered. 5.26% means the player loses 5.26 units out of 100 units bet.

Question 7: What is an inside bet?

An inside bet is a direct bet on the numbers.

Question 8: What is an outside bet?

An outside bet is a bet on the various propositions surrounding the number field, i.e. Red/Black, High/Low, Odd/Even, Dozen Bet and Column Bet, including the Even Money bet.

Question 9: What is the probability that your bet will land even money on the American wheel?

An even money bet wins 18 times and loses 20 times on the American wheel.

Question 10: What is the probability of your bet coming in even money bets on the European wheel?

An even money bet wins 18 times and loses 19 times on the European wheel.