Roulette Rules
Roulette was first played in France in the 18th century. The first official report involving the word roulette comes from 1796, though the game had existed for some years before that. Roulette has grown from a French game of chance to a worldwide phenomenon, one of the most popular European gambling games.
Basic Roulette Rules
Up to eight players compete simultaneously against the house. In roulette, the house’s interests are covered by a dealer called the croupier. The croupier spins the roulette wheel and controls all payouts.
You’ll find two different types of roulette games in casinos: European roulette and American roulette. The only difference in the rules (besides some optional wagers available for both) is the number of slots on the betting surface and the wheel itself. The European roulette wheel has 37 slots for 36 different numbers and a single zero space. American roulette wheels have two zero spaces and 38 total slots.
Roulette chips tend to be different from other casino games. In most roulette games, every player has a different color of roulette chips. This simplifies the payout process, since as many as eight people can play roulette at once. When play is over, you hand the croupier your roulette chips in exchange for cash chips. The cash desk will be happy to exchange your cash chips for actual money.
Playing Roulette
Playing the game of roulette means placing your bets on numbers you think will win. Once everyone has placed their bets, the croupier will start the spinning wheel and launch the ball into it. Many casinos allow you to continue placing bets until the croupier calls out “No more bets.” The croupier does this at a predetermined time.
The House Advantage
Since there are two distinct roulette wheels to play, there are two distinct house advantages you’re playing against. European wheels with just one zero space offer a house edge of around 2.7%. American roulette wheels offer worse odds by adding a single zero space: around 5.26%
‘En Prison’
‘En Prison’ is a special rule used at some roulette tables. This rule applies to even-money bets. In casinos where the ‘En Prison’ rule is in effect, players can choose to take back half of their bet or leave the bet “in prison” for another spin. If you leave the bet in prison and the next spin is another zero space, you end up losing your whole bet.
The ‘En Prison’ rule should always be taken if offered, as it decreases the house edge.
Roulette Payouts
- All bets on a single number only, sometimes called a straight-up bet, pay 35 to 1.
- All two-number bets, called split bets, pay 17 to 1.
- All three-number bets, called street bets, pay 11 to 1.
- All four-number bets, called corner bets, pay 8 to 1.
- All six-number bets pay 5 to 1.
- A bet on the outside dozen or column pays 2 to 1.
- A bet on the outside even money bets pays 1 to 1.
Your best value for your gambling dollar in roulette comes with bets that are as close to 1 to 1 as possible. Since these bets also pay out the least amount of cash, these bets are generally safe.
Winning at Roulette
The object of roulette is simple enough: place a bet on a spot where the ball lands after each spin and you win. You can see how much luck matters in the outcome.
There is a tendency in games of chance like roulette to stick to recently winning numbers, sometimes called hot numbers. This flies in the face of gambling math, since each outcome is unique and has nothing to do with the previous outcomes.
The same applies for betting on numbers that haven’t come up as winners in a while. Thinking that these numbers are “due to win” has sunk many a roulette player.
Remember that each turn of the wheel is a brand new turn, and avoid placing wagers on hot or cold numbers.
French Roulette Rules
Rules of so called French roulette are almost the same as the rules of European or American roulette. French roulette uses the same wheel as European roulette, a wheel with 37 numbered spaces and a single zero. The only difference in French roulette is that the betting surface is laid out a little differently, especially for outside bets.
Roulette odds are even better for French roulette than they are for European roulette, because the game has the same number of potential winning numbers and a single zero space. In fact, in Euro or French roulette, there are betting options that are essentially even money bets: 50% of your even-money bets in European roulette win if the outcome is zero, thanks to the French ”La Partage” and “En Prison” rules.
No matter what kind of roulette you’re playing, the object is the same. Your job as a roulette player is to place a bet on the spaces you think the ball will land on.
Here’s a look at how to call for bets on American and European style wheels. The French translations are especially useful if you’re playing roulette outside America.
Inside bets:
- One number Straight up = En plein
- Two numbers Split Bet = Cheval
- Three numbers Street Bet = Transversale
- Four numbers Corner = Carre
- Six numbers Line Bet = Sixainne
Outside bets:
- Twelve numbers Column = Colonne
- Twelve numbers Dozen = Douzaine
- Red or Black = Rouge, Noir
- Even or Odd = Pair, Impair
- Low or High numbers = Manque, Passe
Based on its success in the last three hundred years, roulette will probably always be a part of casino gaming. People who play roulette with a little knowledge of the game and how it’s played will continue to post modest winnings and occasional big jackpots, while those who jump into a roulette game without any preparation will continue feeding cash to the casino.