How to Play Roulette

“No more bets.”

It is a phrase you will hear at one casino game, when the ball is moving and an outcome is near.

The game is roulette, and it is one of the most common casino games in the world. It is a game of chance, and one that can be fun to play.

There are two key things to know about roulette: 1) past spins have nothing to do with future results. So if a red number has come up 10 times in a row, the 11th spin has the same odds to be red or black. Many people will look for trends in roulette, but it is truly a game of chance. 2) There are a variety of bets to choose from, and when starting out, the easier bets are the way to go – black vs. red, odd vs. even, etc.

Roulette is a simple game. There is a wheel that has numbers in red and black color from 1-36. Depending on the style of roulette, there will be a green 0 for 37 slots on the wheel, or a green 0 and a green 00 for 38 slots on the wheel. The green slots can be bet, but those create the house edge as no red, black, odd, even or row bet can be paid off.

The wheel is set in motion, and a ball is then placed on the wheel, spinning in the opposite direction of the wheel. Whatever slot the ball lands in is the winner!

Bets are paid off based on odds. Individual numbers return 35-1. Red or black returns even money, as does odd or even. Individual rows can be bet at 2-1. The red/black, rows, odd even etc bets are called outside bets.

Bets on individual numbers are called inside bets. There are many types of inside bets.

Straight – A bet placed on a single number.

Split: A bet on two adjoining number. You make this bet by placing the chip on the line between the two numbers. Street: A bet on three numbers in a horizontal line. The betting chip is placed on the edge of line of a number and at the end of a line.

Corner: A bet on four numbers in a square – the chip is placed in the intersection of those numbers.

These bets give the players more opportunity to win but also spread the odds.

Beginners should consider starting with outside bets until they get a feel for the wheel.

Roulette as a game has been around for centuries. It was first believed to have originated in France in the 18th century. It has become extremely popular in casinos.

In American roulette, there are 38 slots, with two green house numbers, 0 and 00. In European roulette, there are 37.

The house edge for American roulette is 5.26 percent; for European it is 2.70 percent.

The reason the house edge exists is the payouts are set as if the green squares did not exist.