Roulette is a historic game that hales from Europe, but it also caught on in America during the early 20th Century. Before the Web gave it a diverse new following of players, it had been known as a game for elite casino players and the very rich. We’ll first take a quick look at super places to play online roulette before we get into the game itself:
Stellar Roulette Spots
Lucky Admiral Casino
Lucky Admiral has just re-launched and now offers up to 500 free spins on your 1st deposit!
Rizk Casino
Rizk Casino offers its own Wheel of Rizk, along with the new Rizk Power Bar to help deliver specials to members keen to play its Roulette Touch game. The welcome bonus is 100% up to £100.
Roulette Rules
The rules for spinning the so-called ‘little wheel’ of roulette (a French word, and, that double-t means you pronounce this sound) are all in the betting. You do not spin the ball, so the only decisions to make are:
- how much to bet
- numbers and colours on which to bet
Two Basic Types of Bets
We’ll tell you why betting is #1 above (that is, why it is so important to decide how much you are playing with for your bet) in the next section on online roulette strategy — right now it is time to learn how to bet.
In Roulette there are two types of bets: the Inside and Outside bet. Inside bets are the most specific, and outside bets are general, like this:
- There are 6 Inside bets, which amount to choosing from 1 to 6 numbers with one wager of chips.
- You choose which Inside bet by placing your wager on specific places on the betting grid.
- There are 5 Outside bets, which are ranges, like all Black, or all Even, or number spreads.
- You choose this bet by placing a wager on marked spots on the betting grid.
Roulette Strategy Tips
Now that you know your betting options, the strategy is quite simple, since this is mainly a game of pure chance. There is no way to influence the ball’s landing on one coloured numbered slot. Your strategy is to handle your betting in a systematic way, and know when to end your session:
- Decide beforehand what your betting budget is and stick to it, no matter what.
- Decide beforehand what your minimum goal to win is and when you hit it, stop playing!
For each round, decide how much you are going to wager, then decide how to divide that amount on the Inside and Outside bets of your choice. Good Roulette players tend to stick to one betting method (choosing from the types of Inside and Outside bets for their personal reasons), and proceed by skimming any winnings from rounds while leaving their basic wager.
TIP: Doubling up after losses is another strategy, until you decide to start again with another method of betting.
Odds and RTP for Roulette vs Other Games
The RTP (return to player percentage) for Roulette is different for the 2 main variations on the game:
- European Roulette has 37 numbered slots (one is 0).
- American Roulette has 38 numbered slots (there is a 0 and a 00).
Since players only bet on the numbers, the zero slots represent the house edge. In the European game the house edge is fixed at 2.7%, which means that its RTP is 97.3% (but remember that these figures are estimated based upon many spins and are approximate in actual practice). The American game has more of a house edge since it has the extra 00 slot.
TIP: Technically, the European version would have a better payout, but a player’s strategy and betting discipline is more important than RTP!
Compared with other table games, Roulette offers decent odds for winning, but it is not as good as Blackjack (as high at around 99% RTP), for instance. But Blackjack has significantly more skill and strategy. If you compare Roulette to slots, or Baccarat, which are other games of pure chance and betting, then it may be your best bet overall.
NOTE: Giving online roulette tips is tricky, since RTP can vary a lot in actual gameplay, and the RTP for slots, for example, will vary from the low 90%’s to around 98%. Take it with a grain of salt, and concentrate on your betting strategy instead!
Conclusion: Choosing Roulette
In closing, we want to stress the fact that Roulette is a game for those who want simple gameplay and who love the art of betting most of all. It is a stylish game, and part of its fun comes from the beauty of the wheel and enjoying the actual placing of bets. So, just get familiar with your Inside and Outside bets (which is much easier with online Roulette) and then relax into this great, historical game!
Click Here to Claim your BONUS!