How to Play Roulette
How to Play Roulette Online Guide
At Bet UK, we aim to bring you the most helpful guides to all of our best online casino games, so that you’re not only aware of the fantastic variety we have to offer, but also up to speed with how to play each title. Here, we’ll explore the wide-ranging aspects of Roulette, such as the most effective strategies and exactly how to play Roulette. If you’ve ever wondered what the differences are between the European and American versions of the game, what the various betting options are, or if you’ve heard some phrases at the Roulette table that you haven’t fully understood, read on for our comparison, betting guide, and our glossary, along with some previews of the best Roulette games you can play right here at Bet UK.
What is Roulette?
At its core, Roulette is a simplistic casino game that can award substantial wins if luck is on your side. The exact history of Roulette is up for debate - Frenchman Blaise Pascal may have created a primitive form in the 1600s, or the Italians could lay claim with their similar game of Biribi - but 18th century France saw the first version of Roulette as we know it. However, this game actually had more in common with modern American Roulette, as there was a zero pocket as well as a double zero. A small German town in 1843 saw the creation of the classic European Roulette wheel, which over time has become the staple version of one of the best live casino games in existence, and is the style used in most of our online Roulette titles.
How to Play Roulette Online
So how do you actually play Roulette? The basic set up is incredibly simple. You attempt to predict which numbered pocket the marble will land in as it is spun around the wheel, and place your bets accordingly, with more profit being made for predictions that are more specific. European Roulette tables feature 37 of these numbered pockets, with 18 being red, 18 being black, and the final one being a green zero slot. You are free to bet on the zero coming up, as it is just as likely as any other number, but isn’t covered by some of the wider betting options.
Most people probably know the Roulette betting options of ‘red or black’ and ‘odd or even’, or the alternative of placing chips on a single number. However, beginners may be unaware of the more diverse bets that can be placed on each round of Roulette, such as corners and columns. A few of them have complex French names, but once you know the translation and how they work, you can begin to see how valuable they can be. So let’s take a more in-depth look at inside and outside bets, as well as the slightly less conventional call bets.
What Are Inside, Outside, and Call Bets in Roulette
The terms inside and outside refer to the positions you place your chips across the betting area to make certain wagers. Inside bets are those that cover one or more specific numbers, such as straight-up and splits, which cover either one or two numbers. You also have the likes of streets, corners, and lines, which are bets on three, four, and six numbers respectively.
Outside bets are propositions, such as betting on the colour of the winning number, whether it’s odd or even, and whether it appears in the first or second half of the 36 numbers. You can also bet on one of three columns, which covers 12 numbers in a long line on the racetrack, while dozens bets allow you to bet that the winning number will come from the first, second, or third block of 12 consecutive numbers. Each is worth a 2/1 payout.
Finally, call bets are designed to cover larger areas of the wheel, but can be difficult to place manually. Thankfully, a lot of Roulette games online allow you to place these kinds of bets at the touch of a button, although not always. The main three call bets are Voisins du Zero, Tiers du Cylindre, and Orphelins. You can learn more about each of these in our Roulette bets guide below.
Online Roulette Strategy
There are a wide variety of Roulette strategies that you can adopt as you play a session in a live casino or land-based environment. Some are fairly easy to get to grips with, while others take a degree of study and patience to implement accurately. It’s worth noting that these are all dependent on luck, at least in part, as no amount of experience can ever help you determine exactly where the marble is going to land as the wheel spins. As such, these Roulette strategies are simply designed to help you get the most out of your budget, and to theoretically maximise wins where possible.
To learn more about the likes of the Fibonacci Sequence, and the Martingale System, read our handy guide to Roulette strategy below.
Differences Between European and American Roulette
Some of the most frequently asked questions about Roulette relate to the differences between the American and European versions. There’s one major distinction that should be relatively obvious if you look at the wheels featured in each game, but if you’re unaware, European Roulette features a single green pocket numbered as zero, while American Roulette also includes a double zero pocket. The order of the numbers on the wheel also varies between the two variants, but is largely less important. But what does the double zero pocket mean from a player perspective?
Mainly, it means that the chances of having a successful bet in American Roulette are worse, given that there are now two additional elements not covered by standard outside bets. Essentially, the designers of American Roulette wanted to give the casino a higher house edge, and therefore European Roulette is the advisable version to play if you’re looking for better chances of winning. There’s a bizarre trend that began in 2016 at The Venetian resort in Las Vegas of having a Roulette wheel with a triple zero. This has since spread to a few other locations, but for similar reasons to why one zero pocket is better than two, it is best avoided.
Play Roulette Online For Real Money at Bet UK
Live Roulette
If you’re after a relaxed but sophisticated real-time Roulette experience presented by live hosts from the comfort of your own home, then look no further than Live Roulette. This game has a welcoming atmosphere, and our experienced croupiers are on hand to guide you through each round. Place your bets during the allotted window using the interactive betting area. You can place your chips however you choose, and the ability to place call bets at the touch of a button is a useful feature if that suits your playing style. You can also keep track of the results history on the right hand side of your screen.
European Roulette
If you’re not quite ready for the live casino experience, then you may be interested in Microgaming’s automated version. The bonus of European Roulette is that you can get to grips with all of the core and advanced aspects of the game in a private setting. What’s more, each round of gameplay only begins when you’re ready for it to, which allows you greater flexibility when placing and weighing up your next bet. Looking to try out a new Roulette strategy? Then look no further than European Roulette.
Lightning Roulette
If the standard game of live Roulette has lost its charm in your eyes, then Evolution Gaming’s Lightning Roulette is on hand to offer a fresh and dynamic experience. Place your chips in the relevant betting area as standard, and wait for the round to commence. Once all bets have been placed, up to five lucky numbers will be determined at random, with each having a multiplier value attached, potentially worth 500x. When the marble lands in one of the pockets, if the number is one of the lucky ones, then all straight up bets on this number will be multiplied by the corresponding multiplier to potentially create huge wins.
Roulette X2
Much like Lightning Roulette is to the live table versions, Golden Rock Studios’ Roulette X2 is an innovative alternative to the standard automated experience, as it offers the potential for increased wins. After any successful bets, the four red dice displayed on screen will be rolled. If they all land on the same number, then your winnings will be doubled. If you’ve just won on a straight-up bet, this means your return will be valued at 70/1 instead of 35/1, which is a fantastic boost.
Play Roulette Online For Free
The automated versions of our Roulette games can be played for free in demo mode. This allows you to get to grips with how the game works, as well as to learn more about how each bet is placed, and how often they may be successful. Free Roulette is also useful in determining if this is the right table game for you, or if perhaps you may be more interested in the likes of Online Blackjack or example. Simply sign up at Bet UK to play our Roulette demos.
Key Roulette Terms: A-Z
American Roulette
The American version of Roulette has two green pockets, including a double zero section.
Call Bets
Call bets are more complex wagering options that can cover larger areas of the wheel.
Columns
Columns are long lines of 12 numbers that you can place a bet on, with payouts valued at 2/1.
Double Zero
This is an extra space on the wheel in American Roulette games, and gives the house a better edge at keeping your money.
Dozens
Dozens are blocks of 12 sequential numbers on which you can place bets, either 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36.
European Roulette
European Roulette is the standard form of the game found here at Bet UK, and contains just one green pocket on the wheel, valued at zero.
Inside Bets
Inside bets are those that are placed directly on one or more numbers on the betting area.
Orphelins
Orphelins is a type of call bet that covers the eight numbers not featured in either Voisins du Zero or Tiers du Cylindre.
Outside Bets
Outside bets are proposition bets that cover options such as red or black, odd or even, and high or low. Columns and dozens are also examples of outside bets.
Pockets
The coloured segments on the roulette wheel are referred to as pockets, and in European Roulette there are 37 of them (18 black, 18 red, 1 green).
Straight-up
A straight-up bet is one that is placed on a solitary number. This is the least likely to be successful, but offers a payout of 35/1, hence its popularity.
Tiers du Cylindre
Tiers du Cylindre is a call bet that covers 12 numbers that are opposite the zero on a European Roulette wheel.
Voisins du Zero
Voisins du Zero is a call bet that consists of multiple smaller bets that cover the green zero pocket, and 16 of its ‘neighbours’ on a European Roulette wheel.
How to Play Roulette at Bet UK
From this guide, you should now have a clearer understanding of how to play Roulette, as well as some of the key strategies that can be used at the table. Perhaps one of our diverse Roulette games has piqued your interest, and now you’re ready to take to the casino floor with a better knowledge of the likes of call bets, and other Roulette terminology. We’re incredibly proud of our live casino guides here at Bet UK, and if you fancy learning about another of the most popular table games, why not take a look at our handbook for how to play Blackjack?