Roulette is an iconic casino game, instantly recognizable by its spinning wheel and the small white ball that determines players' fortunes. As a game of pure probability, roulette is easy to learn and offers a unique kind of excitement.
Understanding the Roulette Wheel
The game centers on a wheel featuring 37 or 38 numbered slots. You will encounter two main types of roulette wheels:
European Roulette: The European version contains 37 pockets in total, casino with one of them being a green 0. This version offers better odds for the player, with a house edge of 2.7%. American Roulette: The American wheel adds a second green pocket, the "00", bringing the total to 38 slots. This additional slot nearly doubles the house advantage to 5.26%.
The objective is to predict which numbered pocket the ball will land in after the wheel stops spinning.
Types of Bets in Roulette
The bets you can make are split into two groups: Inside Bets and Outside Bets.
Inside Bets
These are bets placed on specific numbers or small groups of numbers on the inside of the betting layout. They have higher payouts but lower odds of winning.
Straight Up: A single-number bet that pays 35:1. Split: A bet on two adjacent numbers. Payout is 17 to 1. Street: A three-number bet that pays 11:1. Corner: Betting on the intersection of four numbers.
Outside Bets
These are bets placed on broader categories of results on the outside of the layout. They have lower payouts but a much higher chance of winning.
Red/Black: Betting on the color of the winning number. Odd/Even: An even-money bet on the number's property. High/Low: Betting on the number falling in the 1-18 or 19-36 group. Dozens/Columns: A bet on one of three dozens (1-12, 13-24, 25-36) or one of three columns. Payout is 2 to 1.
Roulette Systems
As a game of independent random events, casino no betting system can alter the mathematical house advantage. Systems like the Martingale (doubling your bet after a loss) are extremely risky and can lead to catastrophic losses very quickly. The only effective strategy is good bankroll management and choosing the game variant with the lowest house edge.