It’s nearly impossible to know anything about casino gambling without knowing something about roulette. The “little wheel,” as it is called, is one of the most popular casino games. It has been featured in books and movies and remains a gambler’s favourite. For centuries, the game has been played by millions worldwide and continues to play a big role in today’s casino gambling setup, especially in live dealer roulette.
How Roulette Works
The game is played on a wheel featuring a ball (or balls) and a table where bets are placed. The action occurs on the wheel, where the ball is thrown in, and the movement of the ball determines the outcome of the game. Whether you’re playing in a traditional setting or using live roulette wheels, the excitement remains the same.
The object of the game is simple: bets are won or lost depending on where the ball eventually lands. If the ball lands where the punter guessed it would, the gambler wins the bet; otherwise, they lose. The wheel is marked with thirty-seven or thirty-eight slots, depending on whether you are playing the European or American version of the game.
In live casino roulette, the spots are coloured red, black, and green. In European roulette, eighteen spots are red, eighteen are black, and one green slot represents the single zero. In American roulette, there is an additional green slot for the double zero (00), which gives the house a larger edge.
Wagering Alternatives
The wagering alternatives in the game are derived from the numbered and coloured slots on the wheel. In live dealer casinos, you can bet on a number, a colour, a group of numbers, or the nature of the number (even or odd). The most popular bets in roulette are known as even-money bets, such as betting on red or black or even or odd numbers.
In this article, we will be answering a popular question related to one of these betting options.
Can You Bet on Red and Black at the Same Time?
Yes, it’s possible to bet on red and black at the same time, including in live dealer roulette. However, some casinos won’t let you follow this strategy. Betting on red and black means that you place wagers that cover both red and black spots on the table.
European Roulette: Betting on red and black covers 35 out of 37 slots.
American Roulette: Betting on red and black covers 36 out of 38 slots.
This means you cover around 94%-97% of the wheel in live casino roulette, leaving only the zero or double zero as potential losses. But is it a good strategy?
Why You Shouldn’t Bet on Red and Black Simultaneously
While it might look like a good idea to bet on both red and black slots simultaneously to cover as much ground as you can, it isn’t a wise strategy. For example, if you have $20 to wager, placing $10 on red and $10 on black seems like you’re covering a lot of possibilities. However, the outcome can only be red, black, or zero (or double zero in the case of American roulette). The best that can happen is you break even if the ball lands on either red or black.
Since the ball can’t land on both red and black spots at the same time, only one bet will win (either red or black). If the ball lands on the zero or double zero, you lose your entire bet. In the end, you’re better off placing your bet on either red or black rather than trying to cover both because the outcome can only be one or the other—not both.
