GUIDE ON HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE. LEARN ROULETTE RULES

Roulette is arguably the most exciting game that can be found at almost all the online casinos out there. As far as table games go, roulette games offer a relatively unique concept that relies on statistical probability more so than skill.

The rules are straightforward, and the game offers a variety of bets with different payouts and odds of winning. If you are a beginner and don’t know how to play roulette, then here’s what you need to know before you start placing bets on that spinning roulette wheel.

In this post, we’ll cover how to play roulette, the basic rules of roulette that you should know about, the different roulette games out there and the different bets that could be placed.

HOW TO START PLAYING ROULETTE?

Before venturing out into the world of live casino to start playing live roulette, grasping the basics of the game wouldn’t be the worst decision in the world. In fact, we advise players to always read up on the basics of live casino games before trying them out with real money.

Roulette is one of the most popular games in casino history, and now that online casinos are gaining traction, table games like roulette are a cornerstone for any noteworthy online casino. With so many grids and different sections, it might seem complicated to play roulette but we can assure you that that’s not the case.

Here’s how the roulette action unfolds:

1. Players bet on a number they think the ball will land on.
2. The roulette table features all the possible numbers and bet types, so players just have to move their chips onto the respective boxes in order to place a bet.
3. The dealer releases the ball onto the roulette wheel.
4. If the roulette ball lands on any number the players have bet on, they will be paid.

Roulette rounds last slightly longer in physical casinos than they do in other casino games, such as baccarat and blackjack. In live roulette, however, the change of pace is noticeable.

In fact, live dealers at live roulette tables simply have to pull a lever to trigger the ball while adding some commentary in the meantime. Since chips are placed virtually, the live dealer doesn’t need to physically gather them all to resume the game.

BASIC ROULETTE RULES YOU NEED TO KNOW

We’ve covered the basic format of a roulette game, but what about the specific rules that you need to know about? To that end, here are some important tidbits that are good to keep in mind when playing at some roulette wheels.

LA PARTAGE

This rule comes into effect when the ball lands in the ‘0’ slot. The dealer must divide all even money bets in half; half for the house and half for the player. This rule significantly reduces the house edge from 2.70% to 1.35%, which implies that the player’s odds are more favourable when placing Outside bets.

EN PRISON

The En Prison rule is a similar variation of the La Partage rule, only covering even money bets. This rule comes into play when the ‘0’ arises as the winning number. The player may decide to either win half their wager as in the La Partage rule or lock their wager for the next spin. This wager would then be ‘imprisoned’, hence where this rule gets its name. If the player wins the next round, they will receive their original wager back in its entirety, if not, the wager will be lost.

MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM STAKE

The minimum and maximum bets depend on the game being played. The minimum wager can be anything from €0.10 to €1, whereas the maximum wager can range from €50 to €1,000. It’s important to always keep tabs on your bets and never go overboard.

HOUSE EDGE

As you’ll discover later on, the house edge (or house advantage) of roulette varies depending on the roulette table. American roulette is notorious for its high house edge of 5.25%, whereas that figure dips to 2.7% in European and French variants. Visit our dedicated page to learn more about the roulette house edge in roulette.

ROULETTE VARIANTS

The good news is that there are quite a few roulette variants for you to test out a roulette bet or two. Should you want to experience the casino world of Las Vegas, feel free to try out any of the roulette games below.

EUROPEAN ROULETTE

Starting off with this much-loved classic is a must. European roulette is the most popular of roulette games, mostly owing to its lowly house edge of 2.7%. In other words, the probability of winning is higher in this roulette variant compared to others.

In the European game of roulette, there are 37 pockets where the ball can end up, ranging from 0 to 36. Numbers 1 to 36 alternate between red and black colours, while 0 is green.

Although the numbers follow a chronological order on the grid, you’ll notice that the same cannot be said for the wheel. This makes for a very random outcome each time the ball is played.

AMERICAN ROULETTE

If you place a European and American roulette table side by side, you might not notice any difference. A closer look will reveal that, in American roulette, there is an extra number thrown into the mix, the double zero (00).

This minor difference is nothing but bad news where odds are concerned. In fact, the double zero bumps up the house edge to 5.25%, meaning that your long-term win rate will be quite low in comparison to European or French roulette. Also, the numbers on the wheel are in a different order as well.

Here’s another way how this roulette variant differs from the European version — the Five bet. In the American variant, you’ll be able to place a bet that covers the first five numbers, double zero, zero, 1, 2 and 3.

The payout stands at 6 to 1. Does the double zero mean that you can’t win real money in this roulette variant? Far from it. Some players enjoy the increased betting options, even if it means that their winning probability takes a dip in return.

FRENCH ROULETTE

French roulette is almost identical to the European variant, in that there are the same amount of numbers in the wheel. One look at French roulette tables, however, and you’ll notice some differences.

First off, this version incorporates the ‘La Partage’ rule, which means that if you lose an even-money bet, you’ll split the loss 50:50 with the house. This lowers the casino edge to just 1.35%, a stark difference from the 5.25% in the American version as you’ll soon find out. Secondly, there are more betting options in this version of roulette.

Don’t be fazed by the French bet names. There are French roulette games out there that use English translations instead. If you’re getting bored with the standard roulette betting options, this variant might pack a better punch.

LIVE ROULETTE

Live roulette is not a particular version of roulette per se; rather, it is a way how to play roulette online. A live dealer will be present to conduct every aspect of the game. This includes adding commentary, spinning the same wheel, announcing when the betting window is open and when players should stop betting.

Playing online games live offers players an opportunity to enjoy their favourite casino game as if they were at a casino — only that they’ll be dressed in their pyjamas!

ROULETTE TABLE LAYOUT

There are a couple of things to take note of when examining the table layout of roulette. Inside the betting area, one will see all the individual numbers featured on the wheel. Keep in mind that this differs slightly depending on which roulette game is being played. You will find columns for the Odd/Even and Red/Black bets outside the betting area, along with any other groups of numbers included in the Inside, Outside and Neighbour bets.

The numbers inside the betting area are arranged in twelve rows and three columns. When playing at a Live Casino, players are presented with a horizontal table layout where the Inside and Outside bets would be in the centre, and the Neighbour bets would be on the right. The placement of such bets might differ depending on the roulette variant being played. To find out more about the roulette table, visit this post.

ROULETTE WHEEL

Roulette wheels feature several red numbers and several black ones. The numbers on a roulette wheel vary slightly depending on which roulette variant you play. To discover more about the wheel in roulette, visit our post dedicated to that aspect of roulette.

EUROPEAN ROULETTE WHEEL

European roulette, also known as single-zero roulette, features 37 numbered pockets. This includes all numbers ranging from one to 36, as well as a single zero-numbered pocket. European roulette also has a house edge of 2.70%.

AMERICAN ROULETTE WHEEL

Contrasting European roulette is American roulette, which features 38 numbered pockets with numbers ranging from one to 36, a zero and a double zero numbered pocket. The house advantage increases to 5.25%, due to the double zero creating more possible outcomes. Note that both the single zero pocket and the double zero pockets are both green.

TYPES OF ROULETTE BETS

There are multiple different bets available in roulette, each with its associated odds. Knowing the bets will help you understand the intricacies of roulette, how to play even better and how to hedge your bets. To place your bet, simply select the number and value of your chips and place them on the roulette board. The betting layout is roughly the same for most variants out there.

Here is a list of all available bets, from inside bets to outside bets.

INSIDE BETS

NUMBER BET

Let’s start off with the inside bets. Also called a Straight Up bet, a number bet allows you to place a bet on any number on the grid, including 0. With 37 different numbers in play, you can imagine why this bet pays 35 to 1. If you want to place this bet, you must place your chips directly above the number you predict the ball will land on.

SPLIT BET

If you want to include two numbers in a single bet, you could try this. The roulette chips must be placed on the line between the two numbers for a potential payout of 17 to 1.

STREET BET

A street bet covers all three numbers in a row, so this bet type might be up your alley if you have three magic numbers in mind! In this case, chips are placed at the beginning of the row in question. This bet pays 11 to 1.

CORNER BET

This bet features four different numbers. Chips must be placed in the centre of the four numbers, where all corners meet. The payout is 8 to 1.

LINE BET

With the highest amount of outcomes inside bets could cover, the line bet features two rows of three numbers, meaning six different numbers in total. Chips are placed at the end of the rows. This bet pays 5 to 1.

OUTSIDE BETS

COLUMN BET

Now come the Outside bets. As the name suggests, column bets cover an entire column of 12 numbers. If you want to try a column bet, place your chips at the very end of the column. This bet pays 2 to 1.

DOZEN BET

Do you think that the ball will land on a low number? Well, with the Dozen bet, you’ll be able to cover numbers in different ranges. The three sections of a Dozens bet are 1 to 12, 13 to 24 and 25 to 36. Place your chips on either one of these sections for a chance to win a payout of 2 to 1.

RED OR BLACK BET

You can also bet on which colour the ball will land on. Simply place your chips on either the red or black box for a possible payout of 1 to 1.

ODD OR EVEN BETS

The odd or even bet features every odd or even number, so just place your chips on the respective box for a chance of a 1-to-1 payout.

HIGH OR LOW BET

Bring the number of outside bets to a close are the low/high bets. This bet divides all the numbers on the grid into two; the “low” numbers are 1 to 18, while the “high” are 19 to 36. There are two separate boxes for either choice, which pay 1 to 1.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF WINNING AT ONLINE ROULETTE?

Seeing as roulette is a game of pure luck, you’ll simply have to leave it up to Lady Luck to deliver some wins. Nevertheless, it’s important to get accustomed to the odds of different roulette bets, which is why we’d suggest visiting out dedicated page to find out more.

ROULETTE PAYOUTS

The casino pays differently depending on the bet placed. Straight up bets are known to pay very well (35 : 1), but the likelihood of them paying is very low. Visit our dedicated page to find out more about roulette payouts.

LEARN HOW TO PLAY ROULETTE AT HOTSLOTS ONLINE CASINO

Allow us to answer the question that might be floating around in your head right now: why should you pay attention to HotSlots and play at their roulette tables?

First off, our Casino is regulated by several iGaming authorities, which isn’t to mention our gaming license from Curacao. Therefore, it is safe to say that HotSlots is operated with its players’ best interests in mind.

Our Casino was an instant hit the moment it went live. The sheer number of fantastic roulette games — both online and live roulette — has struck a chord with the online casino industry, so much so that our community keeps growing by the minute.

Should you need a break from playing roulette altogether, you’ll be glad to know that we’ve got many more games worth trying, including slot machines and card games.

If you want to be a part of our community, head to our Casino and we’ll take care of the rest!

The HotSlots blog will keep you abreast of all things roulette, and live roulette is definitely a part of the equation. Online roulette doesn’t differ from its live counterpart in too many ways, but there are a number of key differences that are worth noting. Their common denominator, however, is that both are well worth a spin!

Before giving roulette a spin, leave it to our writers to guide you to roulette mastery. This corner of the internet is devoted to sharing a good roulette strategy, tips, tricks, rules and news in order to help keep you up to date with all the recent developments within the roulette community. Putting our roulette tricks to the test at any of HotSlots’s roulette variants could be worthwhile, so feel free to give it a shot!