Roulette is a game where the outcome is purely based on luck. The game consists of a wheel, a ball, and a felt. Some roulette wheels contain one zero, while others have two. European Roulette always has one zero. American Roulette generally has two. Online casino players should always choose European Roulette over the American version, if available.
The game starts by players placing bets on the felt. There are 36 numbers on the wheel. Each has its own place for a bet. There is also a zero and sometimes two on the felt, depending on the game. Players may bet neighboring numbers or a single number straight. Other options include betting sections of the felt that are divided into three betting squares or taking an even money chance on red/black, odd/even and high/low.
Once all bets are placed, the ball is dropped. Live casinos often drop the ball while players are still placing bets and wave off action as it slows.
Online casinos allow player to hit the rebet button to place the same wagers as the spin before. Video roulette in live casinos will also have this feature.
Roulette Trivia: The total of the numbers on the wheel equal 666.
After bets are placed, the ball lands in one of the 37 or 38 slots on the wheel and the croupier marks the felt with the winning call. The wagers are then resolved.
Live casinos give players different color chips at the table. This prevents any confusion about which players won at busy tables.
Types of Roulette
There are three traditional types of roulette. Most online casinos offer at least two of these, while most live casinos will only offer one.
American Roulette
Unfortunately, roulette in the U.S. is the worst in the world. That is because most wheels have two zeros on them. This puts the house edge at 5.26%. If a single zero roulette game is available, it should always be played instead of this double zero version.
Single Zero Roulette
Some high limit rooms in the U.S. will spread Single Zero Roulette. This game is the same as American Roulette except that the wheel has just one zero. The house edge is 2.7%.
European Roulette
European Roulette also has just one zero on the wheel. The difference is that even money bets only lose half of the wager if the zero is called. This makes the house edge on red/black, even/odd and high/low bets just 1.35%. The other wagers on the European Roulette felt still have a 2.7% house advantage.
Warning: Some online casinos will describe a Single Zero Roulette game as European Roulette. Real Time Gaming is one online casino platform that does this. Always make sure to read the rules of an online European Roulette game to make sure it is advertised properly. Even if it is actually single zero and not European, it is still a better option than American Roulette.
Rapid Craps
Rapid Craps is a popular hybrid craps game in live casinos. This combines video roulette with a live game. There is a dealer and a live wheel. The difference is that players buy into the game and receive credit on a touch screen machine in front of them. Wagers are placed on the screen and balances are tracked on it. A player that wishes to cash out alerts the dealer. Points on the screen are converted into chips.
Types of Craps Bets
Red – Wins even money if any red number is called.
Black – Wins even money if any black number is called.
Odd – Wins even money if any odd number is called.
Even – Wins even money if any even number is called besides zero or double zero. It pays even money.
High – Wins even money if the call is 19-36.
Low – Wins even money if the call is 1-18.
Straight Bet – Placed on any single number. It pays 35-1 if that number is called.
Split – Two neighboring numbers. It pays 17-1.
Street – Covers three consecutive numbers and pays 11-1.
Corner – Covers four neighboring numbers and pays 8-1.
First Five – Pays 6-1 and covers the first five numbers on the wheel; 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. This bet is only available in double zero games.
Six Line – Covers two streets for a total of six numbers. It pays 5-1.
