A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO ROULETTE AND ROULETTE STRATEGY
Roulette is a popular live casino game for a reason. Although it looks fairly simple, mastering it can be deceptively hard. The game gets more complex the more you look into it. So, if you think that playing roulette is simply a matter of watching a ball roll around a numbered wheel while you put random chips on the table, you’re in for a shock.
Of course, that’s not to say you can’t play it like that, but experienced players will know better. A good player will know that there is a right way to play – and a wrong way.
Before playing roulette online, it’s vital to understand that you shouldn’t just bet on anything and everything. You need a roulette strategy. You need to take your time and learn the different types of bets and odds. You should memorise the roulette terms that are commonly heard when playing. It’s also a good idea to learn how to read a roulette table. Go into your game with a strategy and know the risks you are taking versus the rewards to calculate the best way to get a return on your stake.
Although there isn’t necessarily a proven ‘roulette strategy’ or even a roulette basic strategy to advise you of how to play – unlike the Blackjack basic strategy which can decrease the house edge when playing Blackjack online, that doesn’t mean you can’t improve your chances. That’s why we have put together this comprehensive roulette guide to help you understand everything you need to know about this classic casino game.
The game has four main elements – the roulette wheel, the betting table, the ball and the casino chips. Your objective as a player is to try and predict which numbered pocket the ball will end up in after the wheel is spun.
HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE
If you’re ready to get started, let’s take a look at how to play roulette step by step…
- Pick your bet: Choose a roulette strategy – do you want to try for high risks and big wins or lower risks and smaller wins? You can either bet on that one pocket, bet on the colour of it, whether the number is odd or even or even if it will fall within a certain range of numbers based on your risk tolerance.
- Place your bet: You need to choose how much you want to stake. You can place the bet on numbered squares, lines between squares, corner junctions or side bets. You need to make a note of the minimum and maximum stakes before making your bet. The value of your bet will be taken out of your bankroll. Casino roulette betting rules state that bets must be placed before the wheel spins.
- Spin the wheel! Depending on the game you are playing, either you click on “spin” or the live casino roulette dealer will spin the wheel for you.
- Wait for the outcome. When the ball comes to a stop, the marker on the table will be placed on the winning number. The live dealer will take the losing chips and pay out the winning bets. You can then keep going to try your luck on the next spin.
THE DIFFERENT ROULETTE WHEELS
The main part of any roulette setup is the wheel. How many numbers are there on a roulette wheel? It depends on the wheel. There are two main types of roulette wheels – The American Roulette wheel and the European roulette wheel. The main difference between the two is the addition of the double zero. The European Roulette wheel just has the one, single zero, which means the wheel is split into 37 pockets. Meanwhile, the American Roulette wheel has a single zero as well as a double zero, which means it is split into 38 pockets.
ROULETTE ODDS
Understanding roulette odds will help you decide what type of bet to make. Working out and knowing what each bet pays out will help you to identify exactly what the best bet in roulette is for your overall roulette strategy. Outside bets are easier to win but pay out less (bets such as odds/evens, black/red etc.) compared to betting on the numbers.
Anyone can attempt to win big by choosing a random number and crossing their fingers. However, if you know your chances of winning every time the wheel spins, it will help you to make more educated wagers with a proper roulette strategy. This is really the more advisable way to play roulette.
According to Techopedia, here is the standard roulette wheel payout and odds table for the European and American variants:
European Roulette Betting Odds and Payouts:
| Bet Type | Payout | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Outside bet – odds | 1/1 | 48.60% |
| Outside bet – evens | 1/1 | 48.60% |
| Outside bet – red | 1/1 | 48.60% |
| Outside bet – black | 1/1 | 48.60% |
| Outside bet – between 1-18 | 1/1 | 48.60% |
| Outside bet – between 19-36 | 1/1 | 48.60% |
| Outside bet – dozen (between 1-12, 13-26, 25-36) | 2/1 | 32.40% |
| Outside bet – column | 2/1 | 32.40% |
| Line (six number combination) | 5/1 | 16.20% |
| Corner (four number combination) | 8/1 | 10.80% |
| Street (three number combination) | 11/1 | 8.10% |
| Split (two number combination) | 17/1 | 5.40% |
| Straight up (one number) | 35/1 | 2.70% |
American Roulette Betting Odds and Payouts:
| Bet Type | Payout | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Outside bet – odds | 1/1 | 46.37% |
| Outside bet – evens | 1/1 | 46.37% |
| Outside bet – red | 1/1 | 46.37% |
| Outside bet – black | 1/1 | 46.37% |
| Outside bet – between 1-18 | 1/1 | 46.37% |
| Outside bet – between 19-36 | 1/1 | 46.37% |
| Outside bet – dozen (between 1-12, 13-26, 25-36) | 2/1 | 31.58% |
| Outside bet – column | 2/1 | 31.58% |
| Line (six number combination) | 5/1 | 15.79% |
| Five (0, 00, 1, 2 and 3) | 6/1 | 13.16% |
| Corner (four number combination) | 8/1 | 10.53% |
| Street (three number combination) | 11/1 | 7.89% |
| Split (two number combination) | 17/1 | 5.26% |
| Straight up (one number) | 35/1 | 2.63% |
ROULETTE HOUSE EDGE
As with any casino game, the odds paid out by online casinos will always be a little less than the odds of winning your bet. That difference is the house edge.
In order to see how this works, let’s look at the odds/evens bet on a European roulette game. Many people believe that this is a 50/50 bet – and this is what it is paid out as (1/1). But this is not the case. The zero on the table is neither odd nor even, which means there are three possible outcomes – odds, evens or zero. The presence of the 0 means that the odds of winning are slightly reduced as there is an additional outcome. As such, when placing a bet on ‘odd’ only 18 of the 37 pockets will win.
Your chance of winning will be calculated as:
18/37 = 0.486
The house will win if the ball lands on an even number or 0, which gives them 19 of the 37 numbers. So, the odds for the casino are:
19/37 = 0.513
To work out the house edge, we need to calculate the difference between the two figures:
0.513 – 0.486 = 0.027
This equates to a house edge of 2.7% for European roulette. However, this is a lower house edge than other roulette variations as it has only one zero. The addition of the double zero means more possible outcomes and a higher house edge. Using the same mathematical formula,m as above, the calculated house edge for American roulette is 5.26%.
Players will try to outsmart the house edge by using roulette gambling systems. Although a roulette strategy might seem to work in the short term, they don’t guarantee long-term success. Ultimately, the house edge means that the advantage is always with the casino and it will win in the long run – so remember to follow the rules of online casino safety – stick to a budget and only bet what you are prepared to lose.
POPULAR ROULETTE STRATEGIES
Some of the more experienced players opt to use a roulette strategy, which doesn’t necessarily increase your chance of winning, but it can help you estimate how much you stand to win or lose. The goal is of course to end up making more profit than loss. Here are some of the most popular strategies.
THE MARTINGALE BETTING STRATEGY
The Martingale strategy works on the basis that you will eventually win when playing casino. It has very simple rules and it is all about increasing your bet – you start at the minimum bet and every time you lose a bet, you double your stake – even if you are on a losing streak. The idea is that at some point, you will win – and your win should be enough to at least break even.
You can only use the Martingale system if you have the bankroll to do so – because if you have a long losing streak, you could end up spending a lot of money before recouping it all. We would also recommend starting with a fairly low wager, preferably the minimum bet.
THE GRAND MARTINGALE STRATEGY
This works in the same way as the Martingale Strategy – but just on a ‘grander’ scale. You start with the minimum bet, but instead of simply doubling your bet when you lose, you also increase your bet even more with an amount equal to your original wager. This means that it will cost more in the short term but will return more if you win.
THE REVERSE MARTINGALE STRATEGY
This again follows similar rules to the Martingale System but in reverse. You double your bet when you win, not lose. The only negative with this is that you need to have a decent winning streak to see any real benefit. This makes more sense to players because it won’t involve spending all your money if you’re on a losing streak. If you do end up going on a winning streak, this offers the chance to maximise your returns.
THE FIBONACCI STRATEGY
The Fibonacci Strategy is one of the safest roulette strategies out there – used by the more conservative player. This system is based on the Fibonacci numbers – a sequence of numbers that is the total of the two numbers before – like this:
1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55-89-144-233-377-610-987
You implement this on even-number bets only – and bets that have a 50% (or roundabouts) chance of winning. You need to wait for your first win before you move to the next number in the sequence. You start with the table’s minimum bet and when you win you increase by one. If you win again you increase by two – and then by three, then five and so on. When you lose, you start back at the beginning.
THE JAMES BOND ROULETTE STRATEGY
You could choose the James Bond roulette strategy. This is a combination of three different bets. You need to stake $14 on the high numbers (19 to 36), put $5 on a six-line so that the bet covers two rows of three numbers (13 to 18 for example) and the last bet is $1 on the green 0.
These are just some of the strategies used by roulette players, there are several other options available. So before you start placing your roulette bets, it’s always a good idea to make sure you implement the strategy that suits your goals and your bankroll, see which roulette strategy works for you… and only bet what you can afford to lose – even if that means pulling out before the roulette strategy pays off.
ROULETTE GAMES – RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR
At Rizk, we offer two types of roulette games. The first of these is the Random Number Generator game (RNG), which doesn’t involve a live dealer. But how does this work and how is the winning number selected? Is it fair and transparent? Well, yes. All of these roulette games use a Random Number Generator (RNG) to generate the outcome of each spin. The RNG uses a mathematical algorithm to generate a random sequence of numbers to ensure that every result is fair and random.
All of our roulette games are tested by third parties, who make sure that the RNG is true and fair, complying with all regulations. As such, you can rest assured that every RNG roulette casino game is completely fair and honest.
ROULETTE GAMES – LIVE DEALER
The other option for players is live dealer roulette. This is perfect for those who are sceptical of RNG games or those who simply like the social aspect of a land-based casino, but prefer the convenience of online casinos. It’s the closest you can get to playing at a real, brick-and-mortar casino without having to leave your home.
You can live stream a roulette table and wheel, with a professional live dealer and other real players directly to your computer or phone screen. As such, you can join in as the game plays out, chat with the dealer and players, and play exactly as you would at a real physical casino.
OUR TOP TIPS: HOW TO WIN AT ROULETTE
Here are our top tips for giving yourself the best chance to win at roulette.
- Practice first. You can practise for free on RNG roulette games. This will help you understand different bet types before playing for real money.
- Remember that roulette is a game of chance. Roulette success simply depends on whether your luck is in or not. You need to set spending limits and manage your bankroll so you only bet what you can afford to lose.
- Start with European roulette. European roulette has a lower house edge than American roulette.
- Remember that wins aren’t guaranteed and no strategy is foolproof. This is a game of luck, so just treat the wins as an added bonus.
ROULETTE FAQS
Q. What is the Difference between European Roulette and American Roulette?
The main difference between the two-game variants is the fact that American roulette has a double zero pocket as well as a single zero. Although this is just a small difference, it makes the house edge significantly higher and impacts your chances of winning.
Q. What Is House Edge?
The house edge is the difference between your odds of winning and the odds the house pays out for a win. For example, your odds of winning an evens bet in European roulette is 48.6% but the casino pays out as if it were 50%. This means that, eventually, the casino will always win.
Q. Does Using a Roulette Strategy Work?
There may be players who claim to enjoy more wins because of various betting systems and strategies but this is questionable. Although they can make the game more interesting, no roulette strategy or system is foolproof. This is a game of chance and nothing can overcome this.
Q. Are Online Roulette Casino Games Fair and Trustworthy?
Yes, all of our online casino games are fair, random and trustworthy. Our live casino games work in the same way as land-based casino games and our RNG games are frequently tested by third parties to ensure fair and true outcomes on every single spin.
Q. Can I Play Online Roulette for Free?
Yes, you can try out our RNG roulette games and casino games in demo mode. This is a good opportunity to practise the game and learn the different rules before playing for real money.
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