The benefit of online roulette is that your game will always be completely fair; there are no physical or technical errors to put off your game. Practice your roulette skills at the very best American-friendly online casinos.
HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE – STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO PLAYING ROULETTE
- Choose your Game – There are three types of roulette available in casinos, though in casinos you will usually be playing American roulette. This will be the trickiest to play because the house has a higher edge due to the double zeroes on the table. There are a few casinos that will offer European roulette because of its popularity among gamblers, with odds of 35 to 1 for a player in all games.
- Choose your Stake – When playing as a low roller, chips will be between 10c to $5, with a table limit of up to $50. Standard stakes are generally chips from $1 to $100, with the table limit up to $500. High roller stakes are chips between $10 and $1000, with a table limit of up to $5000.
- Place your Bets – You must place a bet when you start a game. Many casinos place a limit on certain numbers, like zero. Outside bets pay out very little, but there is no limit to how many bets you can place below the table maximum.
- Check your Bets – Splitting bets place your chips on the lines between the numbers. Outside bets split your chips, and require smaller chips. Check your maximum betting amount, some casinos have a limit of how much you can spend on bets depending on the level you decided to play.
- Spin the Wheel – Most online roulette games will allow you to spin as soon as you place a bet.
- Claim your Winnings – When you win, the game will show you the winning number with your winning bet. Most games automatically add your winnings to your pot, but always check in case of technical problems.
- Clear your Bet or Place the same Bet – Before spinning again, make sure to place a new bet, or to place the same bet as before if you feel good about your odds.
HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE AND WIN REAL MONEY
MARTINGALE ROULETTE STRATEGY
This is a high-risk strategy that we would recommend you stay away from. This is what is known as a ‘Negative Progression’ betting strategy. It involves doubling your bet when you lose.
So, if you start betting at $1 and you lose, you double it. Lose again, double it again. The idea is, eventually you will win and get all your losses back, plus your original bet.
When you win, reset back to $1 and start again. The problem is, if you have a bad losing streak, it can quickly get to the point you cannot afford to bet enough. Even if you start betting at $1, lose 10 times in a row and you will need to bet $1024.
Even if you can afford that, you run into the table’s maximum betting limit. This strategy can be effective, in the short term, but if you lose, you lose big
Conservative Roulette Strategy
Instead of a ‘Negative Progression’ strategy, we’d recommend a positive progressive betting plan. This way, when you win, you increase your bet and reset when you lose.
It’s up to you how much you want to increase your bet by when you win, you can double it or more. We’d recommend increasing it by 50%. If you start at $1 and you win, increase it up to $1.50.
Win again and increase it to $2 or $2.50, depending on whether you want to round up or down. However, when you lose, you reset back to $1 and start again.
The good part of these types of systems is they try to limit the damage during losing streaks, but maximize performance when you’re on a winning streak. Still, like with the Martingale system, it won’t work in the long run. Sooner or later, the house will win.
One thing we cannot stress enough is not to fall victim to the gambler’s fallacy. This is when you believe that previous results have a bearing on the next spin. An example in Roulette would be when you’ve seen 5+ Red numbers come up in a row.
Surely, Black is due and more likely on the next spin, right? Wrong. Every single time the wheel is spun, every single number has the exact same chance of coming up.
Red numbers have the exact same chance, black numbers have the same chance. The fact that there have been 5+ reds has no bearing on the next spin.
Roulette Rules
Roulette is played with a wheel controlled by a dealer that rotates rapidly; a metallic ball is then inserted into the wheel by the casino roulette dealer, known as a croupier, and spins until it lands in a pocket. The pockets are numbered from 0 to 36, with American roulette having two 0 pockets. In all three variants of casino roulette, you can also bet on specific outcomes known as outside bets.
For example, the ball landing on an odd or even number or on a pocket that is black or red. You can also bet on whether the ball will land on a number between 1 to 18 and 19 to 36. Inside bets offer lower odds, but higher payouts.
These include betting on smaller ranges of numbers, or individual numbers. You will also be given different colored chips in this game so that no bets become confused and the dealer can payout your particular bet when you win.
Roulette Betting Guide
These are standard terms for inside betting in online roulette, the higher the odds, the better your payout. However, being strategic with which bets and when to place them comes with time. Online roulette has less chance of technical errors, such as a wheel being crooked, or a dealer’s specific habits influencing the game, and is then fairer to the player than land-based roulette games.
Inside Bets
These are placed on the numbers themselves, with the stakes varying from a single number to as many as 6. They are usually high in stakes, but rarely have a payout, so we recommend multiple bets when you’re starting out. Higher stake bets are recommended when you feel more confident with your odds.
- Corner bet – Betting on four numbers, with odds of 8 to 1, your chip will lie in the intersection of the four numbers.
- Five line – Betting on the numbers 0, 00, 1, 2, 3, with odds of 6 to 1, your chip will be placed in the middle of the figures.
- Row 00 – Betting on 0 and 00 with the odds of 17 to 1, this is the second-highest payout, but it happens very rarely.
- Six line – Betting on six numbers with odds of 5 to 1, usually over two lines or in 1 row on the table, your chip will be placed in the middle, or near to it if there are some bets here.
- Split bet – Betting on two numbers with odds of 17 to 1, again the second highest payout, but very unlikely.
- Straight up – Betting on a single number with odds of 35 to 1, the most money you could win, but we don’t recommend this for first-time players.
- Street bet – Betting on three numbers has odds of 11 to 1, you can bet with a single chip anywhere in the row of 3 numbers.
Outside Bets
Outside bets are placed on the “outside” of the table, where bets have lower odds than inside bets. These bets give players the best chance of winning and have the smallest house edges. We recommend these when our readers start out, just to get a feel for the game.
- 1 to 18 – A bet predicting that the ball will land on a number between 1 and 18.
- 19 to 36 – A prediction bet, that the ball will land in a pocket between 19 and 36.
- Color bet – Placing a bet that the ball will roll into a color pocket, red or black, with odds of 1 to 1.
- Column betting – Betting on 12 numbers with odds of 2 to 1, this is a safe bet for a beginner if you’re not sure which number you want to bet on.
- High or low – Betting on the ball landing on a high or low number with odds of 2 to 1.
- Number Bet – Betting that the roulette ball will land on an odd or even number with odds of 1 to 1.
Roulette Payouts
Now you know what the bets are called, the next thing to know is what each bet pays and the odds behind it. Below the table is an image of the betting layout of an American Roulette Table.
This will also show you how to place your chips, in order to place a wager. Obviously, players will modify placement depending on what numbers they want to bet on, provided they can. A Basket bet, for example, cannot be modified. But, for a Corner bet, simply place your chips between the four numbers you want to wager on.
|
Name of Roulette Bet |
Type of Roulette Wager |
European Probability |
American Probability Percentile to Win |
Payouts |
| 1 – 18 | Outside Bet | 48.65% | 47.37% | 1:1 |
| 19 – 36 | Outside Bet | 48.65% | 47.37% | 1:1 |
| Red or Black | Outside Bet | 48.65% | 47.37% | 1:1 |
| Odds or Evens | Outside Bet | 48.65% | 47.37% | 1:1 |
| Dozen Bet | Outside Bet | 32.43% | 31.58% | 2:1 |
| Column Bet | Outside Bet | 32.43% | 31.58% | 2:1 |
| Straight Bet | Inside Bet | 2.70% | 2.63% | 35:1 |
| Basket Bet (See A) | Inside Bet | N/A | 13.16% | 6:1 |
| Avenue Bet (See B) | Inside Bet | 16.22% | 15.79% | 5:1 |
| Corner Bet (See C) | Inside Bet | 10.81% | 10.53% | 8:1 |
| Street Bet (See D) | Inside Bet | 8.11% | 7.89% | 11:1 |
| Split Bet (See E) | Inside Bet | 5.41% | 5.26% |
17:1 |
Find Other Roulette Guides
- American Roulette
- French Roulette
- European Roulette
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- Roulette Wheel
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- How do you practice Roulette?
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- How do you make money in Roulette?
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- Real Money Roulette Apps
- Roulette Strategy Guide
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