There are a few different roulette varieties, but each version follows the same basic principles. A ball is spun around a roulette wheel which is divided into 36 red and black numbers, plus one green zero (based on European Roulette).
How is Roulette Played?
As the ball slows down, it will eventually come to rest in one of the 37 slots on the wheel. The ball stopping means that one game of roulette is completed. The player must try to guess where he or she thinks that the ball will land once it has finished spinning around the roulette wheel. If the player manages to predict correctly, they will win a prize which will be determined by where the bet was placed. This is where the roulette board becomes involved.
The roulette board allows players to place their chips by selecting one or more different areas of the board based on where they think the ball may land. The Roulette table is divided into various sections of rows and columns. The first section includes numbers 1 to 12. The second section of numbers is from 13 to 24 and the third section contains the remaining numbers from 25 to 36. A bet can be placed on any one of these sections. This is called betting on a dozen and has odds of 2:1.
Roulette Odds and Bet Types
Starting from the lowest odds and ascending to the highest paying odds, additional bets that players can place include the following:
Placing a bet on Odd/Even, Red/Black, or the section with numbers 1 to 18, or 19 to 36 will reward players with odds of just 1:1 These areas are clearly marked.
Placing a bet on a column of numbers will pay odds of 2:1, which are the same odds when betting on dozens. A line bet will pay 5:1.
Corner Bets are available where four numbers can be covered by one chip. This is done by placing the chip on the junction where all four lines meet, giving player’s odds of 8:1.
Street Bets offer slightly better odds at 11:1. This means that players can place the chip on the outside of three numbers in the hope that one of them will come in. For example, placing the chip on the outside of number 10 will mean that you will win if the ball lands on 10, 11 or 12.
A Split Bet is basically betting on two numbers using one chip. The chip is placed on the line in between two numbers and has odds of 17:1.
The bet with the highest odds is called a Straight Up bet, meaning that player can bet on any individual number coming in. This has odds of 35:1.
Roulette rules are simple to pick up and players will only need a few spins to familiarise themselves with the layout. It looks and sounds more complicated than it actually is.
