Roulette Game Tips – Learn Popular Strategies

The game’s rich history is proof that it has stood the test of time. The “little wheel” is also one of the most popular games in casino gambling. It’s hard to walk into a casino and find a roulette table.

Roulette illustrated by DALL E3

Roulette is based on a simple premise. The object of the game is to predict where the ball lands. Correct predictions are rewarded, and wrong predictions end up as lost bets. The different wagering options of the game are geared towards this goal: to predict where the ball eventually ends up. The game is designed to accommodate the various wagering options available. The wagering options are cut across colours and numbers. Let’s explore the different wagering options of the game.

What Are the Basic Rules of Roulette?

We’re sure that most players have an idea of how roulette works. You’ve got a spinning wheel filled with red and black pockets and at least one zero if not two. If the ball lands in a pocket favourable to your bet, you’ll win a prize based on the fixed payouts for your bet. If it lands in the zero or any other pocket, you’ll lose.

There are three main types of roulette games you can play. They include American Roulette (with two zero pockets and a house edge of 5.26%), European Roulette (with a single zero and a house edge of 2.7%) and French Roulette, which also has a single zero but has La Partage/En Prison rules that drop its house edge to just 1.35%.

Now, let’s look at your betting options next.

How to Play Roulette

Beside the roulette wheel is a betting board, and that’s where you’ll place your chips.

There are many bets in roulette, but you only need to know the basic ones to get started. These are known as Outside Bets, located on the betting board’s outer edges. They include:

• Reds/Blacks: A bet that the ball will land in any red or black pocket. It pays 1:1.
• Odds/Evens: The same as above, but we’re talking about odd and even-numbered pockets.
• High/Low: Another even money bet that the ball will land in a low (1-18) or high (19-36) pocket.
• Columns: A wager that the ball will land on a number associated with the first, second or third column of numbers, and it pays 2:1.
• Dozens: A wager that the ball will land on numbers 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36, and it also pays 2:1.

These bets are enough to get you started. However, there are more profitable bets for you to make. Bear in mind that using these will see you win more, but they come with a lower success rate in terms of probability. Known as Inside Bets, they include:

• Basket: A bet on 0, 1, 2, and 3 found in American Roulette that pays 6:1.
• Five Number: A bet found in American Roulette, where you bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3, that pays 6:1.
• Line/Six-Number: A bet on two rows of three numbers on the betting board that pays 5:1.
• Corner: A wager on four intersecting numbers on the betting board that pays 8:1.
• Street: A wager on a row of three numbers on the betting board that pays 11:1.
• Split: A wager on two adjoining numbers on the betting board that pays 17:1.
• Straight-Up: A wager on a single number that pays 35:1.

If the ball lands in a pocket favourable to your bet, you’ll win the prize indicated above. There is also the option of using the racetrack to make more adventurous bets, as well as call bets, but that’s a story for another day.

Notable Roulette Variants You Can Play Online

• American Roulette is arguably the worst game you can play, in terms of its house edge. It has two zeros and a house edge of 5.26%. On the upside, you do get some unique betting opportunities if you wager on those zeros.

• European Roulette: European Roulette is a worldwide favourite. It has just a single zero, and thus carries just half the house edge (at 2.70% of American Roulette. It may also feature racetrack betting.

• French Roulette: The optimal game to play. It has a house edge of 1.35%, courtesy of its La Partage and En Prison rules.

• Double Ball Roulette: This roulette variant features two balls, and because of an increased chance of success, the payouts for each bet are adjusted accordingly.

• Live Roulette: These could be any variant, but the key thing to note here is that they are played using a video stream and a live human dealer. Some options, such as Lightning Roulette (Evolution Gaming) also incorporate multipliers and other unique features into the mix.

• Multi-Wheel Roulette: You’ll bet on several roulette wheels at once in this game, hence its name. Consider it akin to multi-hand card games.

• Auto Roulette: This roulette variant gets its name because gameplay automatically begins within specific time-frames.

• Mini Roulette: This is a high-risk game that is played using just twelve numbered pockets and a zero. It’s aimed at players who want fast-paced action.

• Jackpot Roulette: In this game, an extra pocket has been added. If you bet on the ball landing in it, and it does, you’ll win a progressive jackpot.

Wagering options 

The betting options available in roulette can be classified into two broad groups: Inside and Outside bets. Inside bets are wagers placed on the numbers themselves. The numbers are clearly marked inside the betting area on the table. Examples of roulette bets include:

Double Street Bet: The double street bet allows you to spread your wager across two rows of numbers. Winning bets attract a payout of 5 to 1.

Corner Bet: The corner bet allows you to place a wager on a four-number zone of the board. Winning wagers attract a payout of 8 to 1.

Street Bet: The street bet allows you to place a bet on one of the twelve rows (of three numbers) the board is arranged in. Winning bets offer a payout of 12 to 1.

Split Bet: The split bet allows you to place a bet on the ball falling on one of two numbers next to one another on the board. The wager offers a payout of 17 to 1 for winning bets.

Straight Bet: The straight bet allows you to place a wager on a single number. The bet attracts a payout of 36 to 1.

On the flip side, outside bets are wagers placed on groups of numbers. The area dedicated to outside bets is located outside the number board. Outside bets include:

Column Bet: Earlier on, I touched on the fact that the roulette board is arranged in twelve rows of three numbers. Looked at another way, this is three columns of twelve numbers. You can use the column bet to place a bet on one of the columns. Winning bets attract a payout of 3 to 1.

Red/Black Bet: The red/black bet is a wager on one of the two colors. The bet attracts a payout of 2 to 1.

Dozen Bet: Like the name of the bet suggests, the dozen bet allows you to wager on the numbers in dozens (for example 1-12, 13-24…). The bet offers a payout of 3 to 1.

Even/Odd Bet: The premise of the bet is right in its name. With this wagering option, you can bet on all even numbers or odds numbers in the game. The game attracts a payout of 2 to 1.

Low/High Bet: The low/high bet allows you to place wagers on two groups: Low (1 to 18) or high (19 to 36). Winning wagers attract a payout of 2 to 1.

Top Tips for Playing Roulette Online

• Know the Rules: It’s a waste of time playing roulette unless you know how it works. It’s a game of chance, meaning that a lot of your success will be down to luck. Understand how the game works, and this goes double when playing the more obscure variants.

• Create Your Budget: You should already know by now; don’t chase losses. However, you can avoid this eventuality by creating a bankroll beforehand. Stick to your budget, or only play with winnings.

• Choose the Best Variant: There are many different variants out there, each with varying house edges and rule changes. European and French Roulette are favourable to American Roulette if you want a lower house edge. Read the rules of each game before you bet – they may be quite different than what you expect.

• Mix Your Wagering Habits: Try wagering a mix of inside bets and outside bets to keep things fresh. You may increase the likelihood of winning, too. If you stick to odds and evens, reds, or blacks, you won’t win very much.
• Quit When You’re Ahead: If you’ve landed a few decent wins, don’t be shy about calling it quits. Part of being a good roulette player is knowing when you’ve had a great day and withdrawing from the game.

Roulette is arguably the casino world’s quintessential game of chance. It is relatively straightforward to learn, and it can be quite volatile if you’ve got big stakes at play. This makes it suitable for beginners and seasoned roulette veterans alike. However, there are many different instances out there, so you should always make a note of the particular rules your variant employs alongside its house edges and payouts. While standard American, European and French Roulette games feature similar payouts, racetrack bets can spice things up and offer different prize rates. However, if you decide to play, make sure that you do so responsibly and only wager when you’re content that you know how your particular roulette game is played.

Our Advice

We strongly recommend that you start by playing free roulette games. Most casinos offer these, and they’ll allow you to “test-drive” different roulette variants until you find one that suits you. They will also give you a window to test different strategies before you splash your cash on those roulette games. Never head to the roulette table until you know how your game works, so trying free-to-play roulette demos is just common sense.