1. Learn How to Play Roulette (Variants, Bets & Edge)

Roulette is one of the simpler casino games you’ll come across. Most of the action takes place on the croupier’s side of the table. All you have to do is place your bets on the table. The croupier will announce ‘No more bets’, spin the wheel, and drop the ball into play. Fate determines the rest…

Our Complete Beginner’s Guide to Roulette will teach you everything you need to know about the table, the wheel, the ball, and sequence of events.

It’s important to know that all roulette games are not created equal. If they were, there wouldn’t be more than one, now would there? The three games you need to know about are:

• American Roulette
• European Roulette
• French Roulette

American Roulette is the worst version on the market. It’s also the one found in 99.9% of all North American casinos. It’s not because it’s so popular here. It’s because these casinos are out for more money. The American version has two green positions – the zero (0) and double zero (00). This effectively doubles the house edge on all bets (compared to European/French roulette) to 5.26%.

European Roulette has only a single zero (0). With only one position that instantly awards all bets to the house (except for bets on 0, of course), players are getting far greater odds in this European favorite; in this case, an edge of 2.7% on all wagers.

French Roulette is a unique game that is rarely found in land-based casinos. It is similar to European roulette, with one slight alteration to the rules, known as La Partage. All even-money bets (i.e. Pays 1 to 1) that lose due to the ball landing on zero (0) will be returned at 50%. This means that a player wagering $10 wager on Black, will only lose $5 if zero (0) hits. The other $5 is returned to the player. This effectively cuts the house edge on all even-money bets in half, from 2.7% to 1.35%.

You can learn more about the La Partage Roulette Rule here.

2. Inside & Out: Roulette Betting and Odds

Roulette offer a wide range of betting options. They are grouped into two categories – Inside Bets and Outside Bets.

Inside bets include all bets placed on the inner portion of the roulette table, where the colored range of numbers 0-36 are displayed. Outside bets include all wagers placed outside of this partition; (those labeled 2 to 1, 1st/2nd/3rd 12, etc).

The following is a brief description each bet and its relative payout.

There are also a few unique bets known as Announced Bets, or Wheel Bets. At a walk-in casino, you must verbally announce to the croupier that you want to make this type of bet. At an online casino, an oval shaped like a race track displays them for ease of betting. These bets center around each number’s position on the wheel, instead of the table. They include Voisins du Zéro (Neighbors of Zero), Tiers du Cylindre ( One-Third of the Wheel) and Orphelins (Orphans).

These are less common wagers, often placed by more experienced/adventuresome players. You can learn more about them, and their respective payouts, here:

3. How to Apply Roulette Strategies & Betting Systems

Now that you’re familiar with the game and all of its myriad betting options, it’s time to talk strategy. Let me start by quickly reiterating the casino’s house edge in the three most common variants of roulette:

American Roulette: 5.26% house edge

European Roulette: = 2.7% house edge

French Roulette: = 1.35% house edge on 1:1 bets; 2.7% on all others.

The simplest advice I can give you is to only play French Roulette, and to only place even-money wagers. The purpose of any strategy is to decrease the house edge, thereby increasing your expected return (theoretical return to player, or RTP). If the house edge is 1.35%, the RTP is 98.65%. That is the highest RTP you will find in any roulette game.

Do Patterns Exist in Roulette?

There was a time when patterns were worth observing. However, such patterns only existed on worn out wheels. Due to extensive wear and tear, a wheel might become more prone to stopping on one side than the other, or the lines between each number might be worn away enough to cause noticeable patterns in where the ball stops. That is no longer the case.

Today’s physical wheels are constantly being tested and replaced with new wheels to prevent influential behavior. At an online casino, the wheel is a virtual, digitally rendered mechanism. The results are algorithmically programmed to be 100% unpredictable, and 100% accurate in terms of 1/36 probabilities. Again, no discernible pattern should exist.

Roulette Betting Systems

Throughout the centuries, a number of betting systems have been conceived. Some are progressive betting systems, meaning the player should increase their bet with each loss until they win. Others are negative betting systems, meaning the opposite – start big, end small. Either way, the profit is minimal, typically ending each round with a 1-unit addition to your bankroll.

I don’t generally recommend using betting systems, because they are all inherently flawed. They rely entirely on the player not losing too many consecutive bets. If that does happen, the player can lose a very large amount of money.

If you decide you’d like to try a betting system, I can only recommend the Paroli System. It has the best overall win/loss ratio. There’s also an interesting bankroll management technique known as Rat-Holing that’s worth looking into.

4. Learn How to Play Roulette Online

Playing online roulette gives you the best opportunity to maximize your strategy. Good luck finding any French Roulette tables honoring the La Partage rule in Canada. If they exist, I sure haven’t found them. Yet the game exists in hundreds of online casinos.

A word of caution: If you’re going to gamble over the internet, you need to make sure you’re gambling at a safe, secure, and reputably licensed online casino. Please refer to the following lessons for more details: