Playing roulette – what you need to know
Whether you’re an old hand or a complete newcomer, roulette is a simple game to pick up – but that’s not to say there’s not a variety of ways to play, if you’re prepared to look a little closer.
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If you really want to learn your way around the wheel of fortune, this guide tells you what you need to know. Let’s walk you through the basics…
How to play Roulette
If you’re starting from scratch, no problem. Roulette really is a pretty straightforward game: A small ball is released into a spinning wheel made up of slots or ‘pockets’, as they’re generally referred to; players bet on which pocket the ball will come to rest in. It’s that simple.
Traditionally, there are 37 pockets (38 on US style tables, which also include a zero and also a double zero pocket) numbered 0 to 36, coloured either red or black. So, before the wheel is spun, players place their chips on the ‘layout’ – a cloth-covered betting area that lists the numbers, together with a few other options which we’ll explain presently.
Players can choose to bet on the colour of the pocket the ball will end up in, or the number of the pocket, or a combination. It’s common for players to make several different bets in one spin, in a bid to give themselves a better chance at winning. See below for a full list of the different types of bets.
Different bets offer different rates of return. Betting on a number gives you a return of 35/1, while betting on a colour offers a straight evens return, since there are only two options – unless the ball lands in the zero slot, which is green (that’s where the house edge comes in).
There are also two different categories of bets – inside and outside. Inside bets generally offer a better return when they come in – but it’s a trade-off, since they are also less likely to come in.
See below for the full list of bets (Please note, not every bet will be available on every online roulette table).
Inside bets
Straight / Single – this is a bet on a single number.
Split – this is a bet on two adjacent numbers – the player’s betting chip is placed on the line separating the two numbers.
Street – this is a bet on three consecutive numbers on a horizontal line – the chip is placed on the outer edge of the line.
Corner / Square – this bet is placed in the centre of four numbers, covering all four.
Six Line / Double Street – this is a bet on six consecutive numbers, over two horizontal lines – the chip is placed on the outer edge of the line dividing the two lines.
Outside bets
1 to 18 (Low) or 19 to 36 (High)
Red or black
Even or odd number
Dozen bet – this is a bet that the ball will land in one of three numerical ranges – 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36.
Column bet – this is a bet that the ball will land on a number in one of the table’s three columns (these run from 1-34, 2-35, or 3-36) – the chip is placed next to the final number of the column.
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