An Introduction to Roulette

How to Play Roulette

In roulette, the croupier releases a ball onto a spinning wheel. The wheel is divided into segments numbered from 0 to 36, and each segment is coloured red or black segment with the exception of 0, which is green. The ball spins around the wheel until it lands on one of the numbers. Players can place money on which number the ball will land on, whether it will be a black or red segment, whether the ball will land on an even or odd number, and more. If the player makes the correct prediction, they are paid.

In roulette, there are many different bets that can be placed, ranging from bets on single numbers, to bets on large groups that share certain characteristics. It is important to take the time to understand all of the bets as they can all be used in a betting strategy.

Straight Up

This is a bet on any of the individual numbers from 0 to 36, and a winning bet will pay out at 35:1, meaning players will receive $360 on a stake of $10.

Split Bet

This is a bet on two numbers that are adjacent to each other on the betting area. This bet pays out if the ball lands on either of the numbers, and offers odds of 17:1, meaning a bet of $10 will pay $180.

Street bet

The betting area is divided into 12 rows with 3 columns. Each of the twelve rows are called streets, and are comprised of 3 numbers. A bet can be placed on any of the streets, which will mean the ball needs to land on one of the 3 numbers in each street to win. This bet pays out at odds 11:1, meaning a bet of $10 will pay $120.

Corner Bet

This is a bet on four numbers whose corners meet on the betting area, so they form a square. If the ball lands on any of the chosen numbers the bet pays out at 8:1, meaning a bet of $10 will pay $90.

Line

Streets can be combined to include 6 numbers instead of 3 and this is a bet on two adjacent streets. These bets also pay out at odds 8:1, meaning a $10 can win $90.

Column Bet

As the numbers on the betting area are divided into 12 rows, they can also be divided into 3 columns. Each column contains 12 numbers, meaning if the ball lands on any of these numbers the bet pays out. The column bet offers odds 2:1, so a $10 bet can pay out at $30.

Dozen Bet

This bet is similar to the column bet, but it is on a different group of numbers. The numbers 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36 are grouped together, and bettors can place their money on any group to try and win. The bet pays at 2:1.

Red or Black

This bet is not on which number will be landed, but what colour the number will be. There are an equal amount of red and black numbers on the roulette wheel, and gamers can place their money on whether the ball will land on a red or black number. It pays even money, meaning that a bet of $10 can pay out at $20.

Odds or Evens

Whether the ball will land on an odd or even number. This bet is a 50-50, and players who place money on the ball landing on either an odd or even number may win double their stake, which is $20 from a stake of $10.

Low or High Bet

This is also a bet that pays even money. The numbers are divided, as they are in the dozens bet, but here they are be divided into two groups. Numbers 1-18 are the low bet and numbers 19-36 are the high bet.

How to Bet On Roulette

The rules mentioned above are for the standard roulette games, but there are many variants that allow bettors to use different number combinations. For example, American Roulette has an extra segment on the wheel, a 00, while French Roulette has a few special rules of its own.

There are many strategies that roulette players use, such as trying their lucky numbers, alternating how much money they stake after each spin or trying out various number or colour combinations.

Once you have understood the different types of bet, you can begin looking into roulette betting strategies or even try constructing some of your own.