Roulette has offered glamor, mystery, and excitement to casino-goers since the 17th century. The game is popular worldwide in part because its rules are relatively simple and easy to understand. However, roulette provides a surprising level of depth for serious betters. And the right strategy can reap high rewards. If you want a quick and easy guide to this game before betting it all on black, keep reading. We’ll break down all the basics so you know exactly where to place your chips at the table and how to handle your winnings.
Between the shows, fantastic restaurants, and amazing nightlife, we recommend you take a little time to learn how to play roulette in a casino, so when you approach the roulette table you can confidently place your bets and understand the game.
Roulette Basics
Roulette is an intriguing game that is played throughout the world. The large payoffs that are possible for small wagers stimulate the interest of the expert as well as the novice player, playing Roulette in Vegas.
The rules of Roulette – different players use different colored chips so the bets are not confused. The value of your chips is determined by the price you pay for them. When you’re done playing make certain to redeem your chips at the same table you were playing at. Once you leave that table no one will know the value of your chips.
Each spin of the wheel provides a multitude of options for the player. A player may bet on single numbers, rows of numbers, or on adjacent numbers. A player also may play colors, odd or even numbers, among others. A bet on a single number pays 35 to 1, including the 0 and 00. Bets on red or black, odd or even pay 1 for 1, or even money.
We’re proud to offer Roulette in three variations. In addition to our popular American-style Roulette game with 36 numbered slots, a 0 and a 00, we also offer our European Roulette, which has a single 0 along with the standard 36 numbers, and is a favorite among our international customers. We also offer an exciting new version, where an additional betting option is added.
The diagram indicates the Roulette rules payout for single chip bets and the many combinations available to you. The dealer will be happy to explain any of them. The exact placement of the chips determine the bet being made. Each player is responsible for the correct positioning of their wager on the layout regardless of whether the bet is placed by the dealer.
Things You Should Know
- To make money playing roulette, correctly guess the number or type of number the ball will land on when the dealer spins the wheel.
- In a roulette round, play starts after the dealer clears the table of the previous game. At this time, place your bets on your desired number slots.
- Start by wagering on “outside bets” (groups of numbers instead of individual digits). These bets are often cheaper and have a higher likelihood of hitting.
- Avoid using grandiose or complicated strategies for roulette, because it’s mostly a game of luck. Just have fun and know when it’s time to walk away.
The Basic Rules When Playing Roulette
Roulette starts with players making bets.
- The croupier (or dealer) throws a ball into the spinning roulette wheel. Players can still make bets within the process.
- While the ball is rolling at the roulette wheel, the croupier/dealer announces: “No more bets.”
- At that point players are not allowed making bets
- The ball lands on a number in the roulette wheel. If there are winners who bet the number, section or color, they will be rewarded according to their betting odds.
Types of Roulette Bets
Okay, getting on with it: The players buy in for chips (or bring chips to the table), then place their bets on any number or propositions:
- Inside bets are placed directly on one or more numbers
- Outside bets are placed on certain propositions such as high-low, odd-even, red-black, first, second and third dozen, etc.
- There are other combinations of bets that can also be made
Playing the Game
Choose a roulette table within your budget
Each roulette table carries a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. (For example, one table might read: “Roulette. $5 minimum inside bets, $5 minimum outside bets. $1,000 maximum outside bets, $100 maximum inside bets.”) Table maximums are usually lower for inside bets, because of the higher payoffs offered.
Set a budget before you hit the roulette tables so you know what your maximum betting amount is. Then, choose a table with a minimum bet that will allow you to play multiple games within your budget.
Each table will also have a board that highlights the previous numbers the ball has landed on. Do not be tempted to calculate your odds based on where the ball has landed before. With each spin, the probability of the ball landing in each number remains the same. It’s the same wheel and the same ball every time.
Watch what’s happening at your table to improve your bets
You can practice all kinds of roulette strategies, but, because the game is so luck-based, your best chance at winning is to pay close attention to the dealer, table, and wheel itself. Keep your eyes peeled for patterns and habits.
Some dealers release the ball at exactly the same angle and velocity during a specific session. As the dealer releases the ball, the same numbers pass every time, increasing the chances that the ball ends up resting on the same portion of the wheel repeatedly.
A wheel can go off-kilter. However, casinos are pretty good at spotting this. There’s really no way to tell if a wheel is off balance unless you monitor 1000+ spins.
Purchase a roulette chip from your dealer
Once you’ve decided to play at a roulette table, talk to the dealer (or “croupier”) about buying a roulette chip. The dealer will ask what denomination you want to designate for each chip. If you’re at a $5 minimum table, you could get your chips at a $1 or $100 value (or anywhere in between). Once you’ve decided how much money you’d like to assign, the dealer will mark your colored chip to indicate its value and hand it to you.
In roulette, you do not play with normal casino chips. Each person gets a specific color of chips to help differentiate between bettors. Even spouses are recommended to separate during most roulette games.
Roulette chips have no value away from the roulette wheel. When you’re ready to leave the table, place all your remaining roulette chips on the table and tell the dealer you’d like to cash out. They will give you normal casino chips in return.
Know the procedure of a roulette round
Understanding how roulette rounds work helps you optimize your time to place a winning bet. After the dealer clears the table and pays the winners, play begins for the next round. The dealer will pause for a bit, giving everyone time to decide on their bets. Then, the dealer will spin the wheel and throw the ball, often announcing “no more bets!” to signify betting for the round is closed.
Once the ball settles, the dealer places a marker on the winning number (or winning chips). Losing bets get cleared off the table first. Then, the winners get paid and the process repeats.
Place your bets on their corresponding spots
After the dealer has cleared off the table and begun a new round, place your chip (or chips) on the table, next to their corresponding number slot(s). The first six bets are placed on the pockets numbered 0 to 36 on the game table. If you want to bet on a column, place your bets on the empty pocket under the 3 columns. To bet a dozen, choose the pocket P 12 for the first 12 numbers, M 12 for the 12 middle numbers, and D 12 for the last 12 numbers. Finally, when you want to bet on the outside bets, use the red, black, even, odd, high or low pockets.
If you win a roulette round, cash out your chips as quickly as possible. Then, continue betting with your predetermined budget. Do not dip into your winnings for future bets.
Some players like to watch the other players, either hoping the others know something they don’t or doing the opposite of their opponents’ actions. You can try this, but it won’t improve your odds more than coincidentally.
When playing multiple rounds, try using the low-risk, low-reward Fibonacci betting system. To bet with this strategy, only make 50/50 outside bets (odds or evens, reds or blacks) wagering numbers in the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89) . For example, at first you’d wager 1 dollar, then another dollar, then 2 dollars. Every time you win, go back 2 numbers for your next wager.
Avoid using high-risk, high-reward betting strategies like the Martingale. The Martingale has you double your amount on a winning bet until you lose. While it can bring high payouts, it’s more likely you’ll just lose your money.
Key Elements
- The layout where players make their wagers is not the same as the distribution of the numbers on the actual wheels.
- The layout is done in numerical order; the wheel is done by splitting up the numerical order.
- Inside bets are placed directly on one or more numbers.
- Outside bets are placed on certain propositions such as high-low, odd-even, red-black, first, second and third dozen, etc.