Historically Roulette was always one of the most popular games at the land-based casinos. With the opening of more and more online casinos roulette is now available 24/7 on your computer, phone and tablet. Therefore you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home anymore to enjoy all the thrills, excitement and one-of-a-kind action a game of roulette can bring.
Roulette is a game of chance that started in the late 1700s in France but then quickly spread out throughout. Its popularity is proven by the fact that there is almost no casino you could visit that would not offer at least a roulette table.
Roulette game basics
When looking at the roulette table and wheel first it might look daunting, but as you learn the rules and setup it becomes an exceptionally simple and fun game to play. The game starts with the player (you) picking one or more bets to make. You do this by clicking on the part of the board that represents your chosen bet.
You’ll have an unlimited amount of time to place bets in standard online roulette, but those playing live dealer roulette will have to make their bets within a time limit. Once you’ve finished placing your bets, you’re ready to spin the wheel.
When ready, click the relevant button to get the wheel spinning or wait for the live dealer to do it. Look out for the ball which will be spinning around the wheel – this is the part where should hold your breath as you wait for it to land on one of the numbers… If the ball lands on your number or the colour you’ve placed your bet on, you’ll get a cash prize corresponding to how much you staked and what was you betting choice.
Roulette wheel
While very similar, the wheels you might see when playing online could come in a few variations out of which three are the most popular: European, American, and Triple Zero. Each wheel functions differently and it has its own unique sequence and internal logic.
The European type wheel has 37 slots or numbers, the American type adds a double zero slot and the Triple Zero adds, as its name suggest, a triple zero slot bringing the total number of slots to 39.
The numbers on the wheel are not placed in arithmetic order but rather in a mixed format that may first seem random to the naked eye but which in fact designed to make it extremely hard for a person to take a look at the wheel and see any relation between the numbers and other betting sectors. Generally, you will observe that:
- Red and black slots always alternate completely which means that two neighbouring pockets should always have different colours.
- Low (1-18) and High (19-36) roulette wheel numbers alternate as much as possible. You will rarely see a low and a high number next to each other in European roulette – the only exception being 5 and 10. The American wheel doesn’t do a pretty good job at this, and there are many low and high roulette numbers that are adjacent to each other. That is why the European wheel is known to be the better balanced of the two.
- Even and Odd numbers are evenly distributed along the wheel. No more than two even or odd numbers are next to each other in the European wheel.
Roulette table layout
The table layouts are for the most part the same. They offer dozens of bet options, including some interesting combinations. The layout is design to be simple so that everyone may enjoy the game. You will need to place your chips on the designated positions and hope for a winning number.
The picture below gives an example of the European table so you can get a general understanding. The American table top would show an additional 00 box.
Additionally, as part of the layout the casinos offer players a history of the winning numbers from previous spins and re-bet options – especially useful for placing complex wagers, automatic bet increases, and more. The virtual roulette table layouts allow you to systemize your gameplay in a way that is not possible with physical versions of the game.
The serious job for you as a player is the decision on which roulette variation to play taking into account the benefits and risks associated with each betting option. Make sure to check our detailed article on types of bets and strategies to use.