Roulette
Roulette is a game that traces its origins back to eighteenth-century France. The word "roulette" is French for “little wheel”. Roulette is a simple game to learn, but, unlike most card games, a player's success at the roulette table relies more on luck than skill. The house (casino) has a greater advantage in Roulette (more than five percent in many cases) than in other games.
The game table is comprised of a wheel with numbered slots, alternating red and black, in a random order, as well as a board where players place their bets. The wheel has the numbers from one to thirty-six, including a green slot labeled zero (0). In the U.S., roulette wheels also have a green double-zero (00) slot. The dealer spins the wheel and drops a ball in the opposite direction of the spin. When the ball slows down, it will fall into one of the numbered slots. It has some similarities to "Wheel of Fortune", a popular American television game show, but without the lovely Vanna White.
The roulette betting board has an assortment of diverse choices. A player can bet on a specific number, but the likelihood of scoring a single number is less than three percent. Most veteran players back combinations of numbers. Some of the more common bets include betting on a color (black or red), even or odd numbers (zero not included), high or low, rows, columns, or any combination of numbers holding six numbers or less.
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Bets with better odds of winning and lower payouts are known as ‘outside bets’. Wagers with more particular numbers or set of numbers, higher payouts and lower chances to win are known as ‘inside bets’. Players make their bets by stacking their chips on their chosen number. If they want to bet on several numbers, they place their chips on the line that crosses between those numbers or at the head of the column.
Here is a list of inside bets:
Straight up - a bet on a single number. Pays 35 to 1.
Split - a bet on two numbers next to each other. Pays 17 to 1.
Street - a bet on three numbers in a row. Pays 11 to 1.
Corner - a bet on four numbers on the grid that form a square. Pays 8 to 1.
Six line - a bet on two rows next to each other. Pays 5 to 1.
Trio - a bet on 0, 1, 2, or 0, 2, 3. Pays 11 to 1. Also called a “basket” bet.
Here is a list of outside bets:
Low – numbers from 1 to 18. Pays 1 to 1.
High – numbers from 19 to 36. Pays 1 to 1.
Even – even numbers (2,4,6,etc.) excluding zero. Pays 1 to 1.
Odd – odd numbers (1,3,5,etc.). Pays 1 to 1.
Red – any red slot. Pays 1 to 1.
Black – any black slot. Pays 1 to 1.
Dozens – groups of twelve numbers (1 to 12, 13 to 24, 24 to 36). Pays 2 to 1.
Columns – a vertical column of numbers on the grid that starts with 1, 2 or 3. Pays 2 to 1.
Roulette games in different casinos or countries may have somewhat different versions of rules. In most U.S. casinos, the wheels have a double zero, but some high-roller rooms will only have a single zero. In Atlantic City and Europe, they use an ‘en prison’ rule, imparting a fresh innovation to the game. This rule may vary slightly between different countries, but it is always in the player's favor! If the player makes an even money bet, such as red and the ball lands on zero (or double zero in Atlantic City), the player can choose to take half their money back or the bet is ‘imprisoned’ on the table. Imprisonment entails that the player spins again with the imprisoned bet and, if they win, they get it back. This cuts down the high house advantage in roulette to only 1.35% in many instances.
Once you understand the game of roulette, it can be an easy, fun and enjoyable way to play at your favorite casino!