Roulette Basics

Even though roulette is a fairly basic game, it is important that you take some time to educate your self before you start playing. Remember, you are playing with real money so you should probably know what is going on at the table before you risk anything. Learning how to play roulette is essential to protect your bankroll.

What is roulette?

Roulette is a popular casino table game, and to fully understand it, you should break the table into two parts: the wheel, and the layout.

- The Wheel

Roulette is one of the most popular table games in modern casinos, and there is not too much to it. Basically, there is a spinning wheel laid flat on the table with either 37 or 38 pockets evenly spread across its outside edge. Each pocket in the wheel has its own number, and every other pocket alternates between being either red or black.

Roulette wheels come in two major varieties. In American roulette there are 38 different pockets, but in the European version there are only 37 pockets. The difference is that the American wheel has two '0' pockets (one is '0', the other is '00'). This difference means that European wheels, have lower house edges.

Roulette Wheel Sequences:

European wheel (single-zero): 0 - 32 - 15 - 19 - 4 - 21 - 2 - 25 - 17 - 34 - 6 - 27 - 13 - 36 - 11 - 30 - 8 - 23 - 10 - 5 - 24 - 16 - 33 - 1 - 20 - 14 - 31 - 9 - 22 - 18 - 29 - 7 - 28 - 12 - 35 - 3 - 26

American Wheel (double-zero): 0 - 28 - 9 - 26 - 30 - 11 - 7 - 20 - 32 - 17 - 5 - 22 - 34 - 15 - 3 - 24 - 36 - 13 - 1 - 00 - 27 - 10 - 25 - 29 - 12 - 8 - 19 - 31 - 18 - 6 - 21 - 33 - 16 - 4 - 23 - 35 - 14 - 2

While the roulette wheel spins in one direction, a ball is sent spinning the opposite direction on a slanted track around the circumference of the wheel. As the ball slows down, it loses the momentum that keeps it on the track, and it tumbles into the wheel. After a little bouncing around, the ball will come to rest in one of the numbered pockets.

- The Layout

As mentioned above, the ball will come to a rest in one of the numbered pockets, and this is what you are betting on. There are a lot of different types of bets that cover what number or what color pocket the ball lands in and you can learn more about these bets here. The layout is the area on the table where you put your chips to make a bet. Different types of roulette bets are placed on different parts of the layout.

Roulette Tips

Before you start playing, there are a few simple things to keep in mind that can easily make you more successful. Here are three of the most simple, but effective tips to help you get started.

- There are two different types of roulette wheels. The American Wheel (double-zero), and the European Wheel (sing-zero). The European Wheel has a smaller house edge, and is therefore better for you! These wheels are generally found on European online casinos/sites.

- Not every casino offers the 'surrender option', but it is great for your bottom line. If you can, play in a casino that makes a point of offering it.

- Don't buy into any strategies that sound too good to be true. There is NO strategy/system that can mathematically give you an advantage of the house, so be cautious of anyone who claims otherwise.

In a game like roulette where the house has a mathematical edge, doing anything to help your odds could be the difference between going big or going bust.