Roulette Tutorial

Roulette is one of the simplest casino games around. A ball is placed in a spinning wheel marked with 37 or 38 numbers – 1 through 36, which are randomly colored red and black and often 0 and 00, which are green. You place wagers on what number the ball will land on and if it does, you win. If it doesn’t, you lose.

Note that most American tables have 0 (zero) and 00 (double zero) while most European tables do not have the 00 (double zero).

Take a look at the standard roulette betting field here:

Here’s a rundown of the various bets you can place:

Outside Bets

The 9 boxes on the side and 3 at the bottom are called Outside Bets. These include:

  • 1 to 18: Betting that the ball will land on a number between 1 and 18. Pays even money (a $5 bet gets you another $5).
  • Even: Betting that the ball will land on an even number (2, 4, 6, 8, etc.). Pays even money.
  • Red: Betting that the ball will land on a red number (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, etc.). Pays even money.
  • Black: Betting that the ball will land on a black number (2, 4, 6, 8, 11, etc.). Pays even money.
  • Odd: Betting that the ball will land on an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.). Pays even money.
  • 19 to 36: Betting that the ball will land on a number between 19 and 36. Pays even money.
  • 1st 12: Betting that the ball will land on a number between 1 and 12. Pays 3 to 1 (a $5 bet gets you an additional $10).
  • 2nd 12: Betting that the ball will land on a number between 13 and 24. Pays 3 to 1 (a $5 bet gets you an additional $10).
  • 3rd 12: Betting that the ball will land on a number between 25 and 36. Pays 3 to 1 (a $5 bet gets you an additional $10).
  • 2 to 1: Betting that the ball will land on one of the 12 numbers in the column adjacent to the 2 to 1 field bet (ie: 1, 4, 7, 10, etc.). Pays (appropriately enough) 2 to 1.

You make these bets by placing your chips directly in the center of the box.

Some casinos allow you can also make combination bets by placing your chips on the line between certain boxes. For instance, by placing your chips on the line between 1st 12 and 2nd 12 you are betting that the ball will land on a number between 1 and 24. The bet pays 1 to 2 (a $5 bets gets you an additional $2.50). Casinos that allow these Combination Outside Bets are rare in the United States.

Inside Bets

The 38 boxes in the center of the table with the individual numbers are called Inside Bets. There are several types:

  • Straight Up: Place your chips in the center of a single numbered box (for instance 17). This is betting that this specific number will come up on the wheel. Pays 35:1 (a $5 bet would get you an additional $175). 0 and 00 count as single number the same as any other number on the table.
  • Split: Place your chips on the line between two numbers (for instance 17 and 18). This is betting that one of these two numbers will come up on the wheel. Pays 17:1 (a $5 bet would get you an additional $85).
  • 3 Line: Place your chips on the line at the end of one row of numbers (for instance 16, 17, and 18). This is betting that one of these three numbers will come up on the wheel. Pays 11:1 (a $5 bet will get you an additional $55).
  • Corner: Place your chips on the intersection of the lines between four numbers (for instance 16, 17, 19, and 20). This is betting that one of these four numbers will come up on the wheel. Pays 8:1 (a $5 bet will get you an additional $40).
  • 6 Line: Place your chips at the end of the line that divides two rows, near the Outside Bet boxes. This covers the six numbers that border that line (for instance 16 through 21). Pays 5:1 (a $5 bet will get you an additional $25).
  • 1st Five: Place your chips at the end of the line that divides the 0/00 and the numbers 1 through 3. This covers all five of those numbers. Pays 6:1 (a $5 bet will get you an additional $30). This bet is only available on tables with 0 and 00.
  • 1st Four: Place your chips at the end of the line that divides the 0 from the numbers 1 through 3. This covers all four of those numbers. Pays 8:1 (a $5 bet will get you an additional $40). This bet is only available on tables with a single 0 and no 00.

You may bet any combination of Inside and Outside bets provided you are meeting the table minimums. Make sure to examine the signs on the tables to determine what the minimum bets are before you play.

Place your money on the table between spins. The dealer will change your money for chips that have a unique color from the other players. Place your bets on the table. The host will start the wheel spinning and drop the ball into play and then wave his or her hand above the betting area to indicate that no additional bets will be allowed.

The ball drops into a numbered slot and the host will place a marker on the table to indicate what number has come up on the wheel. The host will then make the appropriate payouts to the winning bets and remove the losing ones. Once this is complete, the host will remove the marker from the table and you may recover any chips that you have won. Do not touch your chips until the marker has been removed.

V4V Hints, Tips, & Tricks

Since there is nothing you can do to influence the outcome of a spin of the Roulette wheel, the only control you have is in how you wager. A comprehensive betting strategy is important with Roulette in that placing a combination of inside and outside bets will hopefully allow you to win on more bets than you lose on and therefore make money.

Let’s take a look at the following betting scenario:

A player places the following bets:

 

Bet
1st 12
Red
17/18 split
32/33/35/36 corner
1/2/3 3-lineTotal:		 Wager
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5$25

The wheel spins and it lands on 5. Here’s what the player would win:

 

Bet
1st 12
Red
17/18 split
32/33/35/36 corner
1/2/3 3-lineTotal:		 Wager
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5$25		 Won
$15
$10
$0
$0
$0$25

The bad news is that the player didn’t win any money but the good news is he didn’t lose any either, ending up with the same $25 he started with.

But let’s use those same bets with a different outcome. Let’s say the ball lands on 18. Here’s what the player would win:

 

Bet
1st 12
Red
17/18 split
32/33/35/36 corner
1/2/3 3-lineTotal:		 Wager
$5
$5
$5
$5
$5$25		 Won
$0
$10
$90
$0
$0$100

The player is now up $75!

But now, let’s look at one more scenario. The wheel spins and it lands on 31. The player would lose his entire $25 bet since 31 doesn’t fall into of the categories wagered on.