Roulette is one of the most popular casino games ever and in recent years it is experiencing a new boom thanks to the spread of online roulette. Today we will explain the rules to play it and the different variations that exist
The roulette table consists of a wheel divided into numbered segments white and black, except the zero, which is in green (and possibly also the double zero in the American variant), and from a table divided into sections indicated by numbers or groups of numbers. Here are all the roulette numbers, plus groups like odd / even, red / black, first / second / third dozen and so on.
All the players at the table they place their bet by placing their chips on the number or group of numbers chosen. At that point the dealer throws the ball onto the wheel. This will determine the winning number.
The bets have different payout odds depending, of course, on the difficulty in exiting. The most profitable bets are those on the single number, but they are also those with the least chance of winning. Those where the odds of winning are higher (such as even / odd or red / black) give low winnings.
It is important to note that as in all casino games roulette is also biased in favor of the house. In fact, the presence of the number zero (and even more so when there is also a double zero) makes the odds in favor of the casino.
The main variants of roulette are the French (or European) roulette and American roulette. Let's see how they differ.
French or European roulette
This is the roulette version most played in Europe and it is also the one with the lowest house advantage (and therefore the most advantageous for the player). As we said, the whole question of casino advantage is wrapped around the number zero. In fact, players can bet on this single number, but it is neither even nor odd, and the same thing for red and black (its segment is in fact green).
In this version of roulette the wheel has only one zerowhich makes the house edge roughly 2,70%. In addition, in some casinos it also includes a rule called en prison which means "in prison" in French. In practice, when the zero comes out, all the players' bets are "imprisoned" until the next round. If in the next round the number or group of numbers on which the bet was placed comes up, this is "released" and returns to the player's possession. Otherwise it is considered lost.
Thanks to the en prison rule the house advantage is reduced compared to roulettes that don't offer it.
American roulette
As we have explained, the American roulette differs from the French or European one due to the presence of an additional segment on the wheel, that of the double zero. This addition ralmost doubles the house advantage, bringing it to 5,26%. It is therefore a particularly disadvantageous variant for players, but it is the most common in American casinos. Fortunately, by playing online we have the possibility to avoid it by betting directly on the French or European variant.
If this article has caught your interest and you would like to play the game, we recommend that you start with some free online roulette to train yourself. Our favorite roulette site is roulette-on-line.com, which offers all variants of online roulette, including French, American and European. Games they are free and no deposit is required. Real money versions of the game are also available and you can try your luck at one of the many licensed online casinos in our country.
