The Ultimate Beginner's Guide
How to Play Roulette: Part 1
Some people are intimidated by learning how to play a new game, especially one of the larger tables like roulette. Luckily, roulette is one of the easiest games to learn. When you walk up to a roulette table, the first thing you are going to do is place your money on the table. The dealer will take that money and exchange it for roulette chips. Each player will get a different color of chips. Since players are assigned a color, this makes it easier to figure out which chip belongs to which player. After you receive your chips, you can make your bet.
But where do you place your bet? What are you supposed to do? Let's dissect the elements of a roulette table so you have a better idea of what you're looking at. On a roulette table, you will notice that there are 36 numbers. Half of the numbers are red and half of them are black. Depending on what roulette table you are on, there will either be a single zero, double zero, or triple zero option close to the wheel. Fun fact, if you add up all of the numbers on a roulette table, it equals 666, which is also the number of the beast. That is why roulette is known as the Devil's Wheel.
The object of the game is to bet on the numbers you think are going to hit. You can either bet on a specific number, or you can bet on a group of numbers.
Inside Bets
Inside bets are associated with the numbers and the payout amount corresponds with the location of the chips.
The first bet is Straight Up. Not the song. Straight Up is when you put your chips on a single number. This pays 35 to 1. If a chip covers two numbers and one of the numbers hits, this is known as a Split and will pay 17 to 1. If a chip is placed on a number and one of the Dozens, it covers all three numbers and is known as a Street, which pays 11 to 1. Another Street involves the zeros where single zero, double zero, and 2 are selected. This still pays 11 to 1. If a chip is on a corner, it covers all 4 numbers that it touches and is known as a Corner, which pays 8 to 1. If a chip is on the corner of a zero and a 1, it covers 5 numbers (the single zero, the double zero, 1, 2, and 3). This is known as a Top Line, or a Basket bet, and pays 6 to 1. If the chip is straddling two Streets, this is known as a Double Street and covers 6 numbers, which pays 5 to 1.
If you're sitting waaaaaay at the other end of the table and you can't reach the zero and double zero split, please don't throw the chips, trying to hit your target. Instead, bet on the Courtesy Line. Betting this line is exactly the same as betting a split between single zero and double zero. It's the line between the second dozen and third dozen bets.
If you place a wager on any other line on the dozens or the columns, then this is an invalid bet and the dealer will take the bet down and give it back to you.
Outside Bets
If you want to bet on a group of numbers, then the outside bets are for you. Outside bets typically cover a range of numbers and the payouts are much smaller. Outside bets are located outside of the numbers.
The first row we will discuss are the even money bets. This consists of the Red/Black, Odd/Even, 1-18, and 19-36 bets. These bets are pretty self-explanatory. If you bet on Red and a red number hits, you win even money, and your bet is paid 1 to 1. If you bet on 19 thru 36 and the number 28 hits, you win even money. If you bet on Odd, and an odd number hits, you win! Just a quick reminder, odd numbers include 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and so on.
Even numbers include 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and so on.
The next series of bets we will discuss are called the Dozens. These bets touch the even money bets, that we just went over, and are labeled as the first dozen, second dozen, and third dozen. If the player bets on a dozen, they bet that a number in that dozen's box will hit. For example, if the player bets $10 on the first dozen, and 1 through 12 hits, they will be paid 2 to 1, or $20.
The same applies with the other two Dozens. If the player bets $5 on the second dozen, and 13 thru 24 hits, they will be paid 2 to 1, or $10.
If the player bets $25 on the third dozen, and 25 thru 36 hits, they will be paid 2 to 1, or $50.
The next series of bets we will discuss are called the Columns. These bets are located at the bottom of the roulette table and are simply labeled as 2 to 1. If the player bets on a Column, they are betting that a number in that Column will hit. For example, if the player bets $10 on the Column that is closest to the dealer, and any of the following numbers hit, they will be paid 2 to 1, or $20.
If the player bets $25 on the Column that is located in the middle of the table, and any of the following numbers hit, they will be paid 2 to 1, or $50.
If the player bets $5 on the Column that is closest to the player, and any of the following numbers hit, they will be paid 2 to 1, or $10.
When betting on the outside bets, if a single zero or double zero hits, all of the outside bets will lose. Zeros are not considered as odd or even, or as red or black. Zeros do not fall under the Dozens, Columns, 1 thru 18, or 19 thru 36. That is why these wagers lose if a zero hits.
Scoreboard
Roulette games will normally have an electronic scoreboard that tells players the previous numbers that were hit. And while some players like to use this scoreboard to figure out which number will hit next, because it's fun and exciting to gaze into a crystal ball, this is not a good way to predict the future. This is known as the Gambler's Fallacy. Past events do not predict future events. If you see seven red numbers hit in a row, this does not mean the next number is back, because "black is due to hit".
The Gambler's Fallacy, also known as the Monte Carlo fallacy, occurs when an individual mistakenly believes that a certain random event is more or less likely to happen based on the outcome of a previous event or a series of previous events. Casinos use this fallacy to increase their profits, for example by placing these electronic scoreboards on their roulette tables. While the scoreboard is fun and interesting to use, it won't help you "get better" at roulette. It's truly a game of chance.
Table Minimum & Maximum
If the player wants to bet the smallest amount allowed, glance over at the table minimum maximum sign to see what the table minimum is. If the table minimum is $5, this means the player is required to play $5 outside and $5 inside. The player is not required to bet on both inside and outside bets at the same time.
If the player decides to play outside bets, they must bet $5 on each bet. If the player decides to bet on a number, or inside bets, they must play $5 total. For example, if the player wants to bet on red, they must place $5 on red. If the player wants to bet on both red and odd, the player must bet $5 on red and $5 on odd. If the player wants to play the first dozen, one of the columns and 19 thru 36, they will have to place $5 on the first dozen, $5 on the column of their choice, and $5 on 19 thru 36. Each outside bet requires a minimum of $5 to play.
If the player wants to play the inside numbers, this is $5 as well. The player is allowed to spread out the bet, placing $1 on different numbers. The player is not required to play all $5 on one number. If the player already has $5 on red or any of the outside bets, and they want to play inside as well, they must bet $5 on the inside numbers as well.
If you want to bet the maximum, because you have all the money in the world to blow and you're feeling super lucky, take note that there are three maximum amounts on the roulette table. For example, the maximum for even money bets is $2,000. This is the highest amount the player can wager. Next, the maximum for 2 to 1 bets, such as the Dozens and Columns, are half that amount, or $1,000. The maximum for inside bets are the smallest, for example $200. Keep in mind this is per wager. So the player can bet $2,000 on red, $2,000 on even, $2,000 on 1 thru 18, $1,000 on the 2nd dozen, $1,000 on the middle column, and $200 each on the inside numbers 5, 8, and 13. For this example, on that one spin, the player bet a total of $8,600. If the player is unsure about the minimums or maximums of their roulette table, they can ask their dealer who will answer any questions they may have.
Which Roulette Table Is The Best?
One of the first decisions the player will need to make is which roulette game do they want to play. There are a variety of different roulette games, from single zero roulette, to double zero roulette, to triple zero roulette. There are also an assortment of strange variations from Rapid Roulette, to Rainbow Roulette, to Riverboat Roulette.
The best game for the player is the game with the lowest house edge. Keep in mind that the lower the house edge, the better that game is for the player. The house edge is the amount of money the casino is expected to make from the player's wager. This number is typically expressed as a percentage. On a double zero roulette game, the house edge is 5.26%. If the player bets $100 per spin, then the casino is expected to gain a $5.26 profit, per spin. If the dealer has 60 spins per hour, the player is expected to lose around $315 per hour. We can see how the losses would start to add up over time. The best thing for the player is if they choose a game that has the lowest house edge possible. The closer to 0%, the better.
One of the worst games that a player can choose is triple zero roulette. If possible, never play a roulette game that has three zeros. Triple zero roulette has the highest house edge at 7.69%. If the dealer has 60 spins per hour, the player is expected to lose around $461 per hour. The casino will profit more from triple zero roulette than any other roulette game. We cannot stress this enough, do not sit down at a triple zero roulette game! That's like sitting down at a shredder, putting money in it, and expecting to hit the jackpot.
Double zero roulette is the most common roulette game found in most casinos, with a house edge of 5.26%. It's not the worst roulette game, but it's also not the best. It's right in the middle.
Single zero roulette is one of the best games for the player, with a house edge of only 2.7%. If the dealer has 60 spins per hour, the player is expected to lose around $162 per hour. Typically, you can only find single zero roulette games at select casinos or in the high limit area. Single zero roulette is also known as European roulette. It's the same game but with a different name. When possible, choose to play single zero roulette.
The only way you can find a better game than single zero European roulette, is single zero French roulette. The American version of French roulette offers the La Partage rule, that only applies to even money bets. If zero hits, instead of losing the entire even money wager, the player will only lose half of their bet. This rule drops the house edge to 1.35%, making this the best roulette game in the casino. If the dealer has 60 spins per hour, the player is expected to lose around $81 per hour. If you play French roulette outside of America, the table may look different, with three dealers instead of one and players are allowed to bet from both sides of the table.
When looking for a single zero roulette game with the La Partage rule, ask dealers if their roulette game gives back half of their even money bet if zero hits. Some dealers don't know the name of this rule and will be confused if asked about La Partage.
Be careful. Some casinos that offer La Partage, also have a rule called En Prison, which brings the house edge back up to 2.7%. If zero hits, the player only loses half their bet, but the casino forces the player to keep their bet on the table and play for another spin. Basically, the wager is in prison. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. If the player wins the next spin, the bet is released from prison and the player can take their original bet back, without any winnings. If the wager loses on the next spin, the player will lose their original wager. Some casinos have double or triple imprisonment, where the player must win the next two or three spins in order to get their wager back. Keep an eye out for this insidious rule and try not to play on games that will imprison their players.