How to Play Online Roulette
Online roulette is one of the most iconic casino games, combining simple rules with exciting gameplay and diverse betting options. Whether you're new to online gambling or transitioning from land-based casinos, this guide will help you understand the fundamentals of this classic game.
The Main Objective - Quick Overview
Regardless of the variation, there are methods common to every roulette game. Here is how you play roulette:
There are 30 pockets in the roulette wheel. The player has to spin and watch the pocket the ball falls into when it stops.
Before the wheel moves, the players get to place a bet on a certain colour, number or sets of their choice. If their guess turns out right, they win. If not, better luck next time.
Here are a few things you should know about Roulette:
- Roulette is merely a game of chance, and therefore it is hard to predict the odds involved in a spin.
- There are various kinds of roulette chips available which come in different colours.
- As many as six people can sit on a standard roulette table.
- You can also make use of various bonuses to earn big.
Understanding the Roulette Table Layout
For beginners, it's essential to understand the betting areas on the roulette table:
The Numbers Grid: Shows numbers 1-36 arranged in 3 columns and 12 rows
The Zero: European has single 0, American has 0 and 00
Outside Betting Area: Contains bet options like Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low
Inside Betting Area: Where you place bets on specific numbers or groups of numbers
This is all you need to know about the table layout to start playing online roulette. The virtual wheel animation is handled automatically by the software.
Understanding the Different Types of Roulette - What's the Difference?
While all roulette games share the same basic principles, there are three main variations:
European Roulette
Single zero (0) wheel with 37 pockets
House edge: 2.7%
Most popular version online
American Roulette
Double zero (0, 00) wheel with 38 pockets
House edge: 5.26%
Less favorable odds for players
French Roulette
Single zero wheel like European
Special rules: 'La Partage' and 'En Prison'
House edge can be as low as 1.35%
Offers the best player advantage
Apart from these you also might come across the following variations if you play online roulette:
- 3D Roulette (cheers to the digital technology)
- Low stakes Roulette
- Deal or No deal Roulette, etc.
Roulette Rules - How to Play
Here are a few rules you need to know to learn to play online roulette:
Inside bets
These bets can be placed on either a specific pocket or a range of pockets. Such bets provide better payouts, but they have longer odds. They are:
- Split: Here the bet is placed on a pair of inside pockets
- Straight: the bet is placed on a single pocket
- Street: you need to place bets on three pockets
- Corner: the bet is placed on a four square layout
- Six line: the bet is placed on two adjoining streets
- Trio: here, you can bet on the point between 2 and 3, 0, 1 and 2 or 00.
Outside bets
These bets are placed on sets and categories of pockets. They have worse payouts, but definitely better odds. These include:
- Dozens: these include 25-36, 13-24 and 1-12.
- 1-18: these bets can be placed on the first eighteen numbers on the wheel
- Red or black: Depend on the colour that the wheel will show
- Columns: bets can be placed on all the 12 numbers present on the three vertical lines.
- Even or odd: as the name indicates, the bet can be placed on an odd or even number
Specialty bets
These bets are used in European and French roulette tables. Here, the bets are placed on specialized sections of the table that have certain names designated to them. These sections are represented by corresponding phrases and numbers on an ellipse.
These specialized bets include Tiers du Cylindre, Voisin du zero and Orphelins.
How to Win at Roulette
- Stick to the Outside of the Table
One of the best practices, especially for beginners, is to stick to the outside of the table. Yes, this strategy might not provide large profits for you, but it is much more consistent.
It is highly recommended to place your bets on odds/even, red/black or high/low. This way, you are able to minimize your chances of losing money, since you will be playing with 1:1 odds.
As said, this strategy would not guarantee a huge amount on a short game, but it could help you in saving big in the long run.
- Double Up
Follow this strategy if you are betting odd instead of even or black instead of red. Under this strategy, double the amount which you have lost the first time every time you lose. Further, do not change your colour combination, instead, continue placing the bet on the same combination until you win.
- En Prison Rule
This strategy is just a variation of the La Partage strategy which is applied to European wheels. According to this, once you lose a certain amount of money, you might have an option to "in prison" your original stake.
This way the stake you left on the previous stage is held by the croupier. If you win the next spin, your held amount is returned to you.
Learn More - Roulette Strategies
Roulette is all about luck, so you can’t look for a strategy that will guarantee you winning. But in spite of this, there are things you can do which will increase your probability of winning.
- Progressive Betting: progressive strategy asks you to double your bet after every loss. This might sound like a stress to take, but new players normally tend to follow it. Another method is doubling your bet after every victory.
- Non-progressive Betting: In this, there are no progressive bets. Throughout the game, you are either asked to keep the bet the same or change it entirely after each round.
Ready to become a Roulette Pro? Read our Advanced guide with 9 Roulette Strategies
