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How to Play Roulette – 2024 Guide

Jennifer Newell | Updated On: April 16, 2024

Roulette is a classic table game that’s a mainstay at all gambling sites. You can play this exciting game in RNG or the live version, where gamers meet and play against the live dealers. But despite being a luck-based game, it can be quite complex for a beginner. Players must understand how the bets work, choose the right wheel, and adopt a working strategy to win. In this guide, we will teach you how to play like a seasoned pro.

Roulette 101 for Beginners

Roulette has a rich and fascinating history dating back to the 18th century. Blaise Pascal invented the game ‘accidentally’ while creating a perpetual motion machine. This led to a primitive form of the game, popularly called E/O (Even/Odd) in England. One thing led to the other, and roulette found its way into land-based casinos in Europe and the United States.

History aside, roulette is renowned for its simplicity and range of bets. Unlike blackjack, poker, and baccarat, this game features straightforward rules where gamers only need to predict the wheel’s outcome. Generally, players can punt on a specific number, group of numbers, or colour. Remember that most of these bets have varying payouts.

Note also that Roulette is one of the few luck-based casino games that allow gamers to use a betting system. Players can exploit betting strategies, from Martingale and Paroli to D’Alembert and Fibonacci. The type of roulette wheel you play on, can make or break your sessions.

How to Play Roulette

The rules are just about the same whether you are playing RNG or the live game. The wheel is at the heart of the action because it determines the outcome of every betting round. So, it’s vital to learn roulette online based on the wheel formation and bets. This ultimately decides the odds and the house edge you’ll face in the game.

What you need to know before the games

Before we introduce you to how to play roulette for beginners, it’s essential to know the basics of the game. Most online games are played using American or European rules. The European wheel has 36 red and black pockets with a single green 0 pocket, giving it a total of 37 numbered pockets. This game has a mathematical house edge of 2.7% compared to the American wheel’s 5.24%, thanks to the additional 00 pocket.

After finding the perfect wheel to play, learn about the inside and outside bets. The outside bets are the most straightforward, featuring wagers like odd or even, high or low, and red or black. These wagers give players a 50:50 chance of winning, although the payout is 1:1. Conversely, the inside bets are placed inside the betting table and have lower chances of winning despite the high payouts. An excellent example is the single number bet with a 35:1 payout.

It’s also essential to learn a few online roulette tips. Although roulette is a luck-based game, players can utilize a few strategies to avoid heavier losses. A more straightforward option is playing on the European or French wheel. Players can also improve their odds of winning a payout with outside bets.

Before we get started on how to play the game, there are a few things you need to understand about the equipment, the table, and the different types of bets you can make.

The Equipment

Roulette translates to “little wheel” in French, which makes sense given that the game is based on a wheel and was invented in France.

The roulette wheel features pockets numbered from 0 to 36. Some American tables also have a second pocket that’s numbered ‘00’.

During the game, the croupier will send a small, white ball spinning. After some time, it will land in one of the pockets.

You’ll be placing bets on which pocket you believe the ball will land in.

Roulette table with people placing bets

On the table found next to the roulette wheel, you’ll see some numbers and a few other options:

  • 1st 12
  • 2nd 12
  • 3rd 12
  • 1 to 18
  • 19 to 36
  • Even
  • Odd
  • Red
  • Black

Inside Bets

In roulette, you’ll need to predict the number or the type of pocket in which the ball will land.

To do so, there are a number of different bets you can make. ‘Inside bets’ are bets that are placed on specific numbers, and they typically have better paying odds.

Here are some of the different inside bets you can make:

  • Straight Up – A bet on one number that pays out 35 to 1.
  • Split – A bet on two numbers that pays 17 to 1.
  • Street – Betting on three numbers that pays 11 to 1. This bet can be made with just one chip if you place it at the end of any row (street) of numbers on the table.
  • Corner – A bet on four numbers that pays 8 to 1. Here, the chip is placed at the intersection of the four chosen numbers.
  • Six Line – A bet on 6 numbers that pays 5 to 1. The chip is placed on the edge of two adjoining rows.
  • Five-Number – A bet that covers 0,00,1,2, and 3, which pays 6 to 1. This is only applicable to American roulette.
  • Row 00 – This bet covers both the 0 and 00 and pays 17 to 1. Again, this is only valid for American roulette.

Outside Bets

These bets are placed on the outside of the number map and don’t involve specific numbers.

Some of these bets include:

  • Colour Bet – This bet is made on red or black, and pays out 1 to 1.
  • Even or Odd – A bet on whether the ball will land in an even or odd pocket that pays 1 to 1.
  • Column Bet – A bet on 12 numbers that pays 2 to 1.
  • Dozen Bet – 1 to 12 etc., which pays 2 to 1.
  • High or Low Bet – A wager on whether the winning number will be a high or low number. 1 to 18 are considered low numbers, while 19 to 26 are considered high. These bets pay 1 to 1.

Step-by-step guide to play roulette online

Now that you have a clear picture of what online roulette is about, let’s list the simple steps to play this exciting table game:

roulette guide

Online Roulette Strategies to Help you Win

If you’re looking to learn how to play roulette and win, using a strategy is a must. First, you  need to choose the right wheel. The American variety has a house edge nearly double what you’ll face in the European game, and the French model offers an even a lower house edge at 1.35%, thanks to the En Prison and La Partage rules.

After finding a game to play, proceed to place your wager. Stick to the outside bets if you want to win more often, as these bets have higher chances of winning. In the European version, outside bets have a 48.60% chance of winning, compared to 47.40% on the American wheel. Either way, this is almost a 50% chance of hitting a bet. Consider this; a single number bet has a 2.70% chance of winning in a wager.

In addition, play roulette using a betting system. These strategies will guide your gameplay by dictating how much you stake and at what time.

Below are some standard roulette betting systems to use:

roulette strategy

Understanding the Gambler’s Fallacy

 

The Gamblers’ fallacy in roulette betting is the belief that a specific number or wager is likelier to win than others. For example, some gamblers believe that numbers 7, 23, and 24 have higher chances of appearing on a spin. Some cultures also believe that the numbers 9 and 13 are associated with bad luck.

What these players forget is that roulette is primarily a mathematical game. Put simply, each number on the wheel has an equal chance of appearing after the wheel stops. Furthermore, most online games use random number generators to produce billions of results per second, making predicting outcomes difficult.

But this doesn’t mean that roulette strategies like Andrucci don’t have tangible results. Instead, you should know that the possibility of any number appearing is purely luck-based. Although, you never know; a certain number can favour you more often than others.

Top Sites to Play Roulette

With many online casinos accepting roulette players from Canada, finding the ideal option could be challenging. We’ve curated a short list for you based on the bonus benefits to players.

Here are three casino sites that guarantee a quality roulette experience:

Casino NameBest Roulette GameSoftware ProviderBonusPlay Now!
1 TonyBet Casino American Roulette Microgaming $1,000 + 120 free spins Play Now
2 Jackpot City Casino Mini Roulette Gold Playtech $1,600 Play Now
3 888 Casino Super Stakes Roulette Stakelogic $1,500 Play Now
4 Lucky Days Casino 9 Pots of Gold Roulette Switch Studios $1,500 Play Now
More Online Roulette Sites

Final Thoughts

Up to here, you should be ready to start playing online roulette with a strategy. It’s essential to play the outside bets on games with how house edge, specifically the French or European wheels. Moreover, practice bankroll management and use the roulette betting systems depending on the size of your budget.

Regardless of the advice you choose to follow, there is no proven way to reduce the house edge. Even the renowned betting systems will only prolong the inevitable, which is a loss. So, Maple Casino advises you to play for fun and stick to your budget to avoid the pain of losing.

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