Want to know what Roulette is about in a nutshell? It’s really very simple:
Someone spins a really large, numbered wheel and a ball will land on a winning number. The player is to pick this number before the wheel is spun and if he guesses correctly, he wins. If he’s wrong, he loses. Can’t get more basic then that right?
Ok, so there may be a few things you need to know in between, and that’s why we’re here. Roulette gets tricky when the player considers the different type of bets that can be made in order to increase the chance of guessing that number correctly. You can bet on different colours, on odd or even numbers and take in to consideration the odds and the payouts of each wager he makes.
The Tools of the Game
In order to get a better idea of the game, you’ll need to know what ingredients you’ll need:
A Wheel, for Starters
The wheel is of course the core part of Roulette. It consists of usually 37 slots numbered 1 to 36. There will also be either a single green “0” or a “00” depending on whether you’re playing American or European Roulette.
**Note: A European wheel has 37 slots (numbered 0-36). The house edge on this wheel is 2.63%. An American wheel is the same as the European wheel but has a 00 added. The house edge on this wheel is 5.63. What’s the House Edge? The house edge is the profit that the casino will make from the game.
In every game, the wheel is spun and the ball travels around the edge of the wheel in the opposite direction and lands on a winning number. This brings us to the next point – the significance of the number…
T
he Roulette Table
Players can wager their bets by placing their chips on certain numbers or groups of numbers laid out n a table. The Roulette table is laid out with an inside and an outside betting area. The layout consists of an organized grid whereby players can lay their bets by placing chips on the numbers accordingly.
The inside area has individual numbers, and the outside are has boxes containing bets for specific columns, for example: bets for red/black, bets for odd/even and bets for number groupings.
Add in the Dealer
The dealer keeps the Roulette wheel spinning at al times even in between official spins. They spin the ball in the opposite direction of the wheel. The dealer also marks the winning number with a marker. Players can only make new wagers and place bets when the dealer has removed the marker from the previous winning number.
Fun Fact: It is customary for the croupier to place the ball on the same number as the date and spin the wheel once before starting the game. This excludes the numbers 0, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36.
Top it off with Chips
Most casinos require chips instead of cash, unless you are playing online Roulette. They are usually plastic or metal and come in different colours to avoid any confusion at the betting table
Getting Started
There are four stages involved when playing Roulette:
1) Buying Chips:
Take your seat at the Roulette table to take part and convert your cash to casino chips. The dealer will give you your chips and you can then place them on the numbers that you would like to bet on.
2) Making Bets:
If the numbers are already occupied by another player’s chips, then simply place your chips on top – they will be a different colour to avoid confusion. There are many different bets you can make which will be discussed under the Bets Section.
3) “No more bet” Stage:
Once all bets have been placed, the dealer will call out “no more bets” before or after spinning the wheel. Any wager made after this point will not be accepted.
4) Game Resolution:
After the ball has landed in a numbered slot, the dealer will place a marker, known as a dolly, on the winning number on the table. All losing wagers will be collected and winners will be paid their dues.
And there you have it. That’s the long and short of the game.
Now for the tricky part…the betting.