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Nothing in the casino speaks more about the pizzazz and showmanship of a classic Vegas experience than roulette — a game of chance revolving (pun intended) around a small ball, a wheel, and peak excitement all around!
Nonetheless, walking up to a roulette table can be an intimidating affair, even for those who have the experience, and especially if there’s already a crowd congregating around said table.
Thankfully with the advent of online casinos (might we recommend Play88 online casino Malaysia here?), this isn’t a big issue anymore. However, it would still be beneficial for you and your wallet to learn about the basics of roulette as there are slight variations of the rules from casino to casino.
With that being said, this piece aims to shed light on the basics of the classic wheel game, roulette.
What is Roulette?
In roulette, players make attempts to guess where the ball will land on a spinning wheel. A ball is spun in one direction around the inside of a bowl enveloping the tilted track of a wheel (while the wheel is spinning in the opposite direction) which allows it to slowly lose momentum — and the ball will eventually land on one of the 37 divisions once both wheel and ball stop spinning.
The divisions around the wheel are randomly numbered from 0 to 36 for the traditional French/European style, whereas the American style roulette features double 0s while the “Sands Roulette” features triple 0s. Each division also alternates in colour from red to black and the 0 sections are coloured green.
Prior to the croupier rolling the ball, players will place bets on a betting mat with a variety of options for where the ball will land. The options range from single number bets to various groupings of numbers to the colours (red, black, or green) to even/odd bets to low (1 to 18) or high (19 to 36) numbers.
With this many betting options, it can certainly be a daunting experience for beginners of roulette. But not to worry, that’s why we’re here!
Roulette Bet Types
Indeed, much of the excitement in roulette stems from the massive number of different bets that can be made and their associated odds. And while there are plenty of variations of roulette, the basic bets remain standard across the board for all modern forms of this game.
Here is a list of available bets in roulette and their associated payouts:
The Straight Up (En Plein): You may place a wager on one or more numbers by placing your chips on the box showing the number(s) on the table. Zero (0) bets are also allowed here. This bet pays at a rate of 35 to 1 if the ball lands on one of the chosen numbers.
The Split Bet (En Chaval): With this bet, you may place your stake across the line dividing two numbers. If the ball happens to land on either one of the numbers, you’ll get a payout of 17 to 1.
The Street Bet (Carre Simple/Transversale): If you want to place this bet, simply put your chip(s) on the outside border of a row of three numbers. This bet will reward you with a payout of 11 to 1.
The Corner Bet (Carre): This bet can be staked when you place your stake on the intersection of a square where four numbers meet. Upon landing on any one of the four numbers, you’ll get a winning bet that pays 8 to 1.
The Five Bet: This particular bet only applies to the American double-zero format. The bet revolves around five numbers (0, 00, 1, 2, and 3) and a winning wager is paid at 6 to 1.
The Line Bet (Sixain): For this bet, place the stake on the outside borders (on the intersection of the edge of two rows of three numbers) of the six numbers you wish to bet on. Winning this bet will afford you a reward of 5 to 1.
The Column Bet (Colonne): This bet allows you to place a wager on one of the three columns available on the table, each column comprising of 12 numbers. Simply place your chip on one of the squares at the bottom of the column to make the bet. A winning Column bet is paid 2 to 1.
The Dozens Bet (Douzaine): Similarly paying out 2 to 1, this bet is divided into three categories: the first dozen (1 – 12), the second dozen (13 – 24), and the third dozen (25 – 36). You may bet on up to two categories of this bet but in the event that the ball lands on 0 or 00, you lose.
The Odd/Even Bet (Impair et Pair): This bet is as straightforward as they come. You place a wager on either the Odd or Even section on the roulette table and there are 18 odd and even numbers each to bet on. However, neither the 0 nor 00 will count as an even bet and the house wins if either one hits. This bet pays 1 to 1.
The Red/Black Bet (Rouge et Noir): This is another even-money bet in which you will have to pick either red or black that the ball will land on.
The High/Low Bet (Passe et Manque): This is also another bet which pays 1 to 1. You place a bet on a range of numbers (either on the 1 to 18 or 19 to 36 sections) on the table. Similarly, if the ball lands on either 0 or 00, you lose.
The Roulette House Edge
Similar to craps, each variation of roulette brings with it a multitude of bets — the standardised ones have been discussed in the section above. But unlike craps though, the range of house edges on roulette bets is not as great or as varied as compared to craps.
For instance, the American double-zero wheel has a house edge from 2.63% to 7.89%. Whereas, the usual house edge for the standard American variation is 5.26%.
On the other hand, the European single-zero wheel has the house edge range from 1.35% to 2.70%, while the usual house edge for a standard game is 2.70%.
Comparatively, you can see that the European version of roulette is simply more superior compared to the American version.