Roulette Rules You Need To Abide By

Roulette is a very simple game and it is one that most players can pick up on very quickly. After all, you can march into a casino, place all of your chips on black and then walk away a very rick man or woman. Or you could walk away a broken person after losing everything on just one spin of the roulette wheel! There is the potential for roulette players of all levels to have fun with the game but if you want to get ahead and make the best decisions, it is better to know the rules. Of course, you could apply this about anything in life but given that this is an article about roulette, it makes sense to stick to roulette rules!

There are three main types of roulette, European, American and French and unsurprisingly, they all have slight nuances in the way they are played out. If you want to make the most of your time at the roulette table, get to know the rules and differences for these games and you will go a long way. Okay, roulette is a game of chance so the fickle mistress of fate may play a part in winning and losing but knowing the rules is essential for any player wanting to maximise their chances of winning at the roulette table.

European roulette rules are not hard to master

The wheel for European roulette has thirty-seven pockets with a zero and then numbers 1 through to 36. The pockets are coloured red and black alternatively and the green pocket is coloured green. A player gets involved in the game by predicting what pocket the ball will come to rest on.

There is a wide range of bets available at the European roulette table and it is possible to place a number of different bets on one game. A player can place a bet on a specific number coming up, a combination of numbers, the colour or even making a choice between odd and even. Many players like playing the European version of roulette because there is a lower house edge than the American counterpart.

You will find that the roulette table for European roulette is split into two with inside and outside bets available for players to choose from. The outside bets are the more simple bets while the bets that provide a greater return can be found on the inside of the table.

American roulette rules need to be followed

Even the most casual observer will notice that there is a difference between American and European roulette, which is just as well because if they were both the same, it would be foolish calling them by different names. The American roulette wheel has thirty-eight pockets with a 0, a 00 and then numbers 1 through to 36.  The 0 and the 00 are on green pockets with the rest of the numbers being featured on red and black pockets alternatively. Aside from that, there are minimal differences to American roulette and European roulette. The aim of the game is still to correctly determine where the ball will land and there are a number of bets that can be placed with this in mind.

To accommodate the 00 pocket, there is a slight difference in the layout of the American roulette table. Where there was just a 0 at the top of the inside table section in the European table layout, the American roulette table layout has a 0 and a 00 section sitting aside each other. Apart from that, the game plays out in the exact same fashion, making it easy for players to switch between the two games if the opportunity arises. This is becoming particularly relevant in the online casino era with the opportunity for all roulette types to be offered by a particular site.

French roulette rules have a certain je ne sais quoi

French roulette is perhaps the least common of the three main roulette types and is seen by many as being a variant of the European roulette game, as opposed to being a stand-alone roulette option. It is certainly removed from the American roulette wheel by the fact that there is only zero on the wheel, giving a slightly reduced house edge in comparison to the American option. Anyone who believes that Americans are capitalists ruled only by greed and the desire to make more money may have some of their thought process influenced by the American roulette wheel.

The layout of the French roulette table is different, the outside bets are split into two and placed either side of the inside bets but there are no differences in the main rules or how the game is played. If you stumble upon a French roulette table, don’t be spooked by the differences, there isn’t too much to worry about.

The La Partage rule is another element to bear in mind with French roulette. If the ball lands on the 0 zero wheel, players only lose 50% of their even money wagers. This is a far more attractive proposition than the other roulette games and could be a deciding factor in choosing which roulette game you wish to play.

Take a step by step roulette guide approach to playing

Roulette is a simple game but everyone can benefit from help at times so here are some step by step rules to follow.

  1. Enter the casino and observe the minimum and maximum amounts for each roulette table. Look for any house rules, which particular roulette wheel is in operation and then choose why option suits you best.
  2. Take a seat and ask the dealer to convert your money into roulette chips.
  3. Place your bet(s) according to the rules of the game.
  4. Wait for the wheel to stop and for the dealer to announce the result. The dealer will then present any winning player with their chips while removing the losing chips.
  5. Ensure the table is cleared and that the dealer has announced that new bets can be placed and then repeat step 3.
  6. When you have finished with roulette, cash out your chips (if you have any left!)