Roulette Guide
Roulette is one of the most popular table games played in casinos ever since its inception back in the 18th century.
You can jump right in and play at one of the best online casinos listed below or practice roulette online for free before betting with real money. If you want to learn more about roulette read our tutorials and guides.
Best Roulette Casinos
| Rank | Website | Visit Site | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
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5/5 |
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4/5 |
Resources
- Rules - The MUST tutorial, explaining the table layout, wheel structure and betting steps.
- Live Roulette - Play with real live roulette dealers at the comfort your home.
- Terminology - Important terms for learning exactly what the croupier and your fellow players are saying.
- Online games - play online roulette games to implement your newly acquired roulette knowledge and practice your skills.
- Mobile devices - play free mobile roulette on your mobile phone or tablet. Play on the go and anywhere your heart desires.
Overview
The word roulette comes from the French term little wheel and it is in France that its first origins can be traced back to the mathematician Blaise Pascal who invented the game in its first form.
It has long been a casino game that appeals to both veteran casino goers and new players because of its simplicity but also its depth. In its purest form, roulette is a game of chance where a wheel is spun and you must predict where on the wheel the ball will land. In its most intricate form, there are a range of more detailed bets to consider. Its availability online has also exposed it to a wider audience to players that can now play roulette online.
Roulette is also a game that caters for a variety of budgets and a range of odds. If you want a simple 50-50 bet where you want to choose red or black then you can. If you want to take more things into consideration and pick a selection of individual numbers at longer odds then you can. It is this flexibility that is appealing for people to play online roulette just as much as they play it in a land-based casino.
How to Play
A roulette table is set out with the wheel on one side and the betting area called the layout on the other side. The wheel has the numbers 0-36 spread around it with the number 00 present on American roulette wheels instead of the 0 that can be found on European roulette wheels. The croupier will then spin the wheel and send the ball spinning around the wheel. Players can place bets on the layout determining which section of the wheel they think the ball will land on when the wheel stops spinning.
There are a number of different bets that can be placed in roulette on the layout. Players can either bet that the ball will land on the numbers 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36, the first 18 numbers or the second 18 numbers, even numbers, odd numbers and red numbers or black numbers. There is also an option for players to bet on the ball landing on the 0 (or 00 if you're playing the American variation). These are called outside bets.
Players can also opt for slightly more complex bets called inside bets. For example, a straight up bet is when a player places a bet on a single number. A split bet is when a player puts a bet on two numbers next to each other on the layout. A street bet is when the player places a bet on a line of numbers on the layout. A quad bet is when the player puts their chips in the middle of four numbers of the layout. All of these bets have less chance of winning than outside bets but the wins will be bigger if they come in.
Variations
There are three main variations of this classic casino game. The European and American versions are the two most commonly used variations. As mentioned above, the only difference is that in the European version there is a 0 on the wheel but in the American version there is a 00 on the wheel as well. This does mean that the American variation favours the house slightly more. The third main variation is French roulette. This version favours the house the least so is rarely used by casinos. It also includes the La Partage rule that sees players paid back half their bet on even money bets that lose on 0.
It is one of the oldest and most iconic casino games because it can be whatever players want it to be. It can be the easiest casino game to understand or it can be one of the most multifaceted casino games to play. This versatility of this casino game is what gives it its longevity on the casino floor and its evolution in the form of online roulette.
