Roulette is undoubtedly one of the most popular casino games in the world. In Switzerland, the game is widely played and also enjoys great standing in the form of online roulette. There are a variety of tactics and strategies for the game, but the basic rules are quickly learned, which is why the game is also very popular with casino novices.
To ensure you are well-prepared for your next roulette game, whether in a traditional bricks and mortar casino or online, we would now like to introduce you to the rules of roulette.
Game setup and play
Setup
The roulette table consists of two parts: the wheel into which the ball is thrown and the layout where bets are placed. The wheel and the layout show the numbers 0 to 36, and on the layout there are also other betting fields. Bets on these other fields are explained below in the section «Betting and probability of winning». Half of the numbers on the layout and also on the wheel are red; the other half are black. A special case in roulette is the zero, which can be assigned neither to red nor to black. The green zero provides the house edge of 2.70% in European roulette. In American roulette, in addition to the zero there is also the «00» (double zero), which reduces a player's probability of winning and increases the house edge to 5.26%.
Gameplay
The start of the game is heralded by the announcement «Faites vos jeux!». This French instruction means «place your bets» in English. All players now place their bets on the layout. The different ways to bet and their respective odds of winning can be found further down in the text.
Once the croupier feels that enough bets have been placed, they set the roulette wheel in motion and throw the ball in the opposite direction. Final bets can still be placed until the croupier's next announcement: «Rien ne va plus!». This expression translates as «nothing goes anymore» and in roulette means that no more bets will be accepted. The wheel now slows down until the ball comes to a standstill in a pocket.
If the ball lands in the pocket you bet on, luck has helped you win back your stake many times over. The winnings are paid out and the chips of all unlucky players are cleared from the table. The next round begins along the same lines.
Betting and probability of winning
Essentially, the bets in roulette can be divided into two categories: inside bets and outside bets. The term inside bet covers all bets on numbers. Bets on specific properties are called outside bets. The inside bets, which carry a higher risk, tempt players with higher winnings than the outside bets. In roulette there are also the commonly named call bets and finals. However, these two ways of betting are not available in all online roulette games. The different types of bets are explained in more detail below.
But beware: when playing roulette, please still check the exact rules of each table, as they can vary from game to game. Thus, some bets may not be possible in some versions, or the gameplay may vary slightly.
Outside bets
Simple odds
Included in the outside bets are the «simple odds», where you bet on one of two possible outcomes. The zero (or the two zeros in American roulette) is not taken into account in simple odds. If the ball lands on one of the zeros, all simple odds are lost (except with the «en prison» rule). Simple odds are easy to understand and have a high chance of winning. Therefore, these are particularly suitable for beginners. Since simple odds always assign half of the numbers from 1 to 36 to one category and the others to a second category, both opposing bets have the same probability and payout. Since this is the same for all simple odds, the probability of winning for all simple odds is 48.65% in European roulette and 47.37% in American roulette. The payout is 1:1 in both versions of roulette.
RED OR BLACK: As the name of the bet suggests, this involves betting on the color of the winning number. The betting fields for this bet are usually marked with a red or black diamond and are located at the edge of the layout.
EVEN OR ODD: In this bet you place your stake on whether the result is a number that is even or odd. You place this bet either on the field marked «Even» or «Odd».
LOW OR HIGH: Here the numbers from 1 to 36 are divided into the categories high and low numbers. This results in two categories, with the low numbers from 1 to 18 and the high numbers from 19 to 36. The fields for bets are usually labeled «1–18» and «19–36».
Many European casinos use table rules that further reduce the house edge created by the zero. With these rules, bets on simple odds are not automatically lost for the player if the ball stops on zero. The two best-known variants are:
EN PRISON RULE: All simple odds bets remain in place for the next round, exactly where they were placed before the zero was played. So they are momentarily «trapped», but count as a bet for the next round and so are not lost to the player.
LA PARTAGE RULE: Where this rule applies, players receive half of what they staked on simple odds if the ball comes to rest on the zero.
Douzaines
Since roulette contains exactly 36 numbers (zero excluded), it can be divided perfectly into three dozens. A dozen always corresponds to exactly four rows on the layout and the chip for the bet is placed on the edge of this. In this bet, the player bets on the number range in which the ball will come to rest. The choices for this are the first dozen with the numbers 1 to 12, the second dozen with the numbers 13 to 24 and the third dozen with the numbers 25 to 36. The probability of winning here is 32.43% (European roulette) or 31.58% (American version) and the payout ratio is 2:1.
Colonnes (Columns)
The roulette layout consists of three columns of 12 numbers each, on which bets can also be placed. Since you are betting on 12 numbers, just as with the «dozen», the probability of winning here is also 32.43% and 31.58% respectively. The payout also remains the same as with the «dozen» and therefore you also get back three times your stake if you win. The bet is placed at the end of a column.
Inside bets
Plein (single Number)
Betting on a number is very simple to understand. You place your chips on a single number and hope to win. The odds here are very small, at only 2.70% in European roulette and 2.63% in the American version. However, the payout is the highest possible in roulette, at 35:1.
Cheval (split Numbers)
Betting on adjacent numbers, as opposed to betting on a single number, increases your chances of winning by betting on two numbers at the same time. To do this the chip is placed on the line between two numbers. The chance of winning is 5.41% (5.26%), the payout is 17:1.
Carré (Square)
As the name implies, in this bet you bet on four numbers that form a square, for which the bet is placed at the corner where they meet. This increases the odds of winning to 10.81% (or 10.53% for the American version) and the payout for a win drops to 8:1.
Les trois premiers (first three)
For the first three, you place your bet on the first three numbers, which are 0, 1 and 2. The probability of winning is 8.10% (or 7.89%); the payout is 11:1.
Les quatres premiers (first four)
With this bet, you place your money on the first four numbers, i.e. 0, 1, 2 and 3 in European roulette. The odds of winning here, as with the «square», are 10.81% and the payout is 8:1. This bet does not exist in this form in American roulette, but is adapted to the first five, with a bet on the 1, 2, 3 and the two zeros. This puts the odds at 13.16% and the payout at 6:1.
Transversale plein (Street)
In this bet, the money is placed on a horizontal line consisting of three numbers. To do this, the chip is placed at the edge of a horizontal line. The odds of winning are 8.10% in European roulette and 7.89% in the American version. The payout is 11:1 for both versions.
Transversale simple (double Street)
This bet is very similar to «street», but you increase your odds by betting on two lines at the same time. The chip is again placed on the side of a line, but overlaps two lines at the same time. By betting on six numbers, the odds increase to 16.22% (or 15.79%) and the payout decreases to 5:1.
Call bets
The commonly named call bets cover different bets in which stakes are placed on adjacent numbers on the roulette wheel. The following is a brief description of the different bets.
However, with all of these bets, keep in mind that your chosen stake is placed on each field individually! So with this type of bet, you always bet a multiple of the selected stake.
Neighbors Bet
Instead of betting on a single number, in roulette it is possible to bet on a number and its neighbors. By neighbors, we mean numbers that are directly adjacent to the original number in the roulette wheel. You place the bet on a certain number and its neighbors by clicking on the desired number on the wheel shown. In the online casino it is sometimes possible to choose on how many neighbors the bet will be placed at the same time. However, this is not possible in every version of the game: often the bet can only be placed on one number and two neighbors to either side. However, the fields on which you place your bet are marked, so you can see directly on how many neighbors you place your bet.
Zero Game
In this bet, you place four chips on the adjacent numbers: 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32 and 15. You place this bet by placing your chips on the «Zero» field on the wheel shown. Betting on these seven numbers requires only four chips, not seven, since the chips are placed on the three splits 0/3, 12/15 and 32/35, and only the 26 is bet individually as a single number.
Voisins du zéro (big Series)
Here, as in the zero game, chips are placed on adjacent numbers. However, this bet involves placing nine chips on 17 numbers at the same time. The big series covers the numbers 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2 and 25, on which the bet is placed as follows: two chips each on the 0/2/3 trio and 25/29 square and one chip each on the splits 4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22 and 32/35. The bet is placed by clicking on the «Voisins» field.
Tiers du cylindre (small Series)
The small series covers the numbers 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16 and 33, the twelve numbers lying next to each other in the wheel. The six chips are placed as follows: 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30 and 33/36. You place the bet by clicking on the field labeled «Tier».
Les Orphelins
All numbers which are not included in either series belong to the Orphelins. The Orphelins thus comprise the numbers 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 17, 34 and 6. These numbers are occupied either with eight chips straight up (Orphelins en plein) or with five chips. In the latter, a chip is placed on each of the splits 6/9, 14/17, 17/20 and 31/34 and also a chip straight up on the 1. Which variant is played depends on the respective table rules. This bet is placed by clicking on the «Orphelins» field.
Finals
In addition to the types of bets already described, there are also the finals, in which you bet on a series of numbers ending in the same digit. For example, final 5 requires four chips, which are bet on the numbers 5, 15, 25, and 35.
It is also possible to play split finals. If you want to play final 2/5, you need four chips, which are bet on 2/5, 12/15, 22/25 and 32/35.
You have now learned the main bets in online roulette and some tips and tricks for casino roulette, so you are ready for your first game. Enjoy playing roulette, whether in an online-casino or offline. May the ball stop in the right field!
Would you like to apply these newly learned rules right away?
We have a wide selection of roulette games that will help you apply and better absorb the rules you have just learned. Try out the automated games in demo mode for free, or if you like you can play roulette for real money as a registered user. Give it a go and become a roulette pro!
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Simple odds
