How to Play Roulette
Roulette is the third most popular casino game in the world, trailing behind only blackjack and slots. Roulette players enjoy the game because of its simplicity, fast paced action, and potential for big payouts. This page will teach you the roulette rules, how to actually play roulette, and recommend the best places for playing roulette online and offline.
Roulette Rules
A roulette game begins when the players place their bets on the table. The table consists of a grid with spaces in the grid for each bet. To make a bet, you place your chips in the space that corresponds with the bet you would like to make. For example, if you wanted to bet that the next spin would land on a black number, you would place your chips on the black section of the grid. Here is what the grid looks like:
As you can see, there are spots on the table to bet on individual numbers (1-36), columns, evens/odds, red/black, first/second/third dozens, first/second halves of the numbers, and 0/00. Don't worry if that is confusing, as we are about to go over all of the bets now.
Different Roulette Bets
As you can see there are quite a few spots on the table for you to place your chips. However, all of those spots boil down to around a dozen total bets with a few variations. There are two categories of roulette bets, Inside and Outside.
Inside Bets
Inside bets are any bets that are placed on the "inside" of the table. Inside bets are placed on individual numbers, but can also be spread out to cover a few numbers with one bet. Here are the inside bets you can make, along with the respective payouts for each:
| Bet Name | Description | Payout |
| Straight Up Bet | A bet on a single number. | 35:1 |
| Split | A bet on two adjoining numbers. | 17:1 |
| Street | A bet on three numbers in a row. | 11:1 |
| Corner | A bet on four adjoining numbers. | 8:1 |
| Basket Bet* | A bet on 00, 0, 1, 2, and 3. | 6:1 |
| Double Street | A bet on a group of six numbers. | 5:1 |
*The basket bet is only available in American roulette games, as European games do not use the 00.
Outside Bets
Outside bets are bets that are placed on the "outside" of the table, and cover a broad range of numbers. Outside bets are more likely to win on any given spin, but they pay out less money when they do win. Here are the outside bets you can make, along with the respective payouts for each:
| Bet Name | Description | Payout |
| Even/Odd | A bet on all even or odd numbers. | 1:1 |
| Black/Red | A bet on all black or red numbers. | 1:1 |
| High 18 | A bet on the numbers 19-36. | 1:1 |
| Low 18 | A bet on the numbers 1-18. | 1:1 |
| Column Bet | A bet on a column of numbers. | 2:1 |
| Dozens Bet | A bet on a group of twelve numbers. | 2:1 |
All outside bets with the exception of the column and dozens bet pay out even money 1:1.
Placing Your Bet
As I mentioned before, to place a bet you put your chips on the section of the table that corresponds to your bet. Make sure to place all your bets before the croupier says "no more bets", or you will be assumed to be cheating.
Spinning the Ball
Now that you know how to place your bets, and know how each bet works, we will discuss the actual game play. Once all bets are placed the croupier (a casino employee) spins the ball around the edge of the roulette wheel. The ball will continue spinning around the edge of the wheel until it loses speed, and then it will rattle around and settle on a section of the roulette wheel.
American roulette wheels have 38 sections (00, 0, and 1-36) while European wheels have 37 sections (0, 1-36). Also note that each number on the wheel alternates between red and black.
Once the ball settles on a number, the croupier places a glass piece on the table where the ball landed. For example, if the ball landed on seven, the croupier would place the glass piece on the seven section on the grid. He/she will then sweep all losing bets off the table, and pay out all winning bets.
House Edge
Roulette has an average house edge as long as you stick to the European version. The American version (with the 00) has an additional house edge that makes it a worse gamble. Also, unlike in video poker games, there is little you can do to effect the house edge. All bets have the same house edge except for the basket bet which has a higher edge.
Playing Roulette Online
If you like what you are hearing, and would like to practice roulette online for free, check out the flash game below. This roulette game was provided by BovadaCasino.com, who happens to be the best online casino out there.