Introduction To Roulette
Roulette, meaning small wheel in French, is said to have been invented in the 17th century. From the early 18th century onwards it has been extremely popular in the casinos of Europe. Online casinos offer roulette in their standard variants and also with innovations like progressive jackpots and bonus side bets. European Roulette, with only a single zero on the wheel, is most popular. American Roulette has both a single zero and a double zero in the wheel and this makes it less popular. The third land casino variant is French Roulette, which has not gained much popularity outside France.
How To Play Roulette
Players first make the wagers by placing the chips on the designated locations on the layout. The wheel with the ball is then spun. When the wheel comes to rest the ball falls into one of the pockets corresponding to a number. The bets that cover this number win and the players receive due payouts.
Therefore players must be aware what bets are available to them and how much they pay out. There are two types of bets – Inside Bets and Outside Bets. For the Inside Bets the chips are placed inside the layout and for the Outside Bets the chips are placed outside. Some common Inside Bets are as follows. The straight bet is placed on a single number and pays 35 to 1. The Split bet covers two horizontally or vertically adjacent numbers and pays 17 to 1. The Street bet covers a horizontal line of three numbers and pays 11 to 1. Four numbers in a square formation are covered by the Corner bet, which pays 8 to 1. The Six Line bet covers six numbers in two adjoining rows and pays 5 to 1.
Some common Outside Bets are as follows. The Column bet covers 12 numbers in a vertical column and pays 2 to 1. There are bets for the first 18 numbers or the last 18 numbers; the red numbers or the black numbers and the even numbers or the odd numbers. These bets pay 1 to 1. Some land casino and online roulette games offer bets known as Call Bets. These cover adjacent numbers on the wheel and numbers having the same units digit. These bets and payouts are common across all roulette variants. French Roulette has an additional rule under which half the even money bets are returned when a 0 is called.
Roulette Strategy
The three common variants of roulette offer different average returns to the player. American Roulette offers the lowest return of around 94.75% because it has both single zero and double zero on the wheel. European Roulette has an average of 97.3% because it has only a single zero on the wheel. French Roulette normally has the same average return as European Roulette, but only in even money bets it has a higher return of 98.7%. Therefore the correct strategy is to wager on French Roulette if available but to avoid American Roulette at all costs.
The next strategic decision involves choosing between the Outside Bets and the Inside Bets. The Outside Bets will win more frequently but have lower payouts. Therefore they are suitable for players who are conservative and do not want to risk too much. The Inside Bets will not win as frequently but have larger payouts. They are suitable for the players who are willing to take greater risks. In roulette players can mix caution with aggression by choosing a mix of Inside Bets and Outside Bets. One final word about roulette strategy is that it is a game of luck and no betting system can increase the player’s chances of winning. Hence such systems should be avoided like the plague.