There are two versions of Roulette – the American and European version. The main difference between the two versions is that the American wheel has 37 numbers, while the European wheel has 38 numbers. However, no matter which version is played, the rules of play are the same.

In a game of Roulette, each player is given different coloured chips for easy sorting.  Players may choose the value of their chips, which indicates the value of their bets, or they can use regular casino chips to place their bets. Players can place their bets on a variety of scenarios, including single numbers, a combination numbers, on the colours red or black.

The game begins when the croupier spins the wheel in one direction, and launches a small ball in the other, which will eventually fall into one of the side pockets. The number of the pocket into which the ball falls, is the winning number for that game.

The amount that can be won varies according to what type of bet the player made.  If they placed a bet on either red or black they have a 50/50 chance of winning, and therefore the potential winnings will be small.  If they bet that the ball lands within a series of numbers the chances of them winning is slightly reduced, so the potential winnings increase.  If they bet on just one individual number, the chances of the ball landing on it are stacked against them, and the amount they win will be much higher.

Roulette is one of the most popular games found in casinos, however it can also be played remotely by various means.  Online casinos have a wide range of table games where roulette can be played for real money over the internet.  Mobile phone apps can also be downloaded and roulette can be played for real money provided that the phone has an internet connection.  It is also becoming increasingly popular to play roulette via the television, where presenters act as croupiers in live games and viewers can call in and play from home.

In a roulette game, a bet can be placed on almost anything, depending on your desires and the payout.  A straight bet is a single bet on a single number and gives a high payout.  Betting on two neighbouring numbers is called a split bet and the payout is 17:1.  Three horizontal numbers is called a street bet and gives an 11:1 payout.  Four numbers in a block, known as a corner bet, gives a payout of 8:1.  The five number bet can be only done with the numbers from 00, 0 to 3 and the payout is 6:1.  Betting on six numbers is called a line bet and gives 5:1 payout.  The column bet gives chances 2:1, and the lowest payout of 1:1 is received in the even bet – betting on an even or odd number, a black or red, or a low or high number.  Knowing these simple rules is important when trying to apply a more complicated roulette strategy. 

The Martingale betting strategy is one of the most famous roulette techniques.  It requires a good amount of cash and since some roulette tables have a maximum bet, it cannot be used every time.  The Martingale strategy is simple – every time the player loses, he is supposed to double his bet.  In this way, a win will pay back all the previous losses and generate profit. 

The Labouchere system is another system where the bet is carefully calculated using a series of numbers.  D’Alembert’s system is another famous roulette strategy using a pyramid-like calculation, where every time when the player loses, he increases his bet with one unit, and every time the player wins, he decreases his bet by one unit. 

Roulette is a quite easy game to grasp and many online casinos offer free trials and bets, where you can try some of these roulette strategies. 

Once a player has taken a seat at the table they exchange cash for a set of coloured chips that will represent their bets and will distinguish them from other players.  Before the wheel is spun by the croupier, players have the opportunity to cover whichever numbers they want; this includes multiples and sets.  A multiple may be the four corners of one number or the numbers from 1 to 12.  Covering more numbers will reduce the odds but covering more numbers with a single chip will increase the chance of winning.

As soon as the croupier announces that no further bets are to be placed he will spin the white ball in the opposite direction to the wheel and wait for it to stop.  A dolly peg will cover the winning number and any losing chips will be cleared from the game board.

While the croupier is settling any winning bets, players will be permitted to begin the cycle again; placing chips to cover numbers of their choice.  The most common bet on a roulette board will be ‘red or black’, which pays even money.  Selecting a single number will pay out odds of 35 to 1.

•    On a number or group of numbers.
•    On the colours of the numbers, red or black.
•    On either odd or even numbers.

The croupier spins the wheel in one direction and spins a ball in the opposite direction on a track around the circumference of the wheel.  The ball then stops its course at some point and falls onto a number and colour.  In European roulette there are 37 positions where the ball might land while in the American roulette wheel there are 38.

The players place their bets by putting casino chips on the roulette layout.  The layout shows all the possibilities to bet.  The smaller the probability of an outcome, the more winnings received if that outcome arises.  For instance, betting on a single number gives a smaller chance of winning than betting on a group of numbers, like 1 to 18, or 18-36.  Players can continue betting until the croupier says “rien ne va plus”, meaning ‘no more bets’.  He then places a marker (dolly) on the winning number.

Nowadays, even people that do not visit casinos can play Roulette online.  This is very convenient and the same basic rules apply as when you would be in a casino.  Money is deposited in a fund on the gaming site and you retrieve from that fund to place your bets.  The only difference between online and offline Roulette is, of course, online you have a virtual wheel instead of a real one.

Other possibilities for the invention of this game include, the Chinese, Italian mathematician Don Pasquale, and a French police official called Gabriel De Sartine.  This seems the most likely since the modern day of roulette wheel has a similar layout to Gabriel’s invention of 1765.  The idea for the invention of the wheel arising from Gabriel’s attempts to thwart cheating in gambling, giving more advantage to the house.

The wheel

The wheel found in most European casinos, called the single zero has begun making an appearance in casinos across North America.  This wheel gives the house 2.7% advantage over the players.  This wheel made its first appearance in 1842 Bavaria, invented by brothers Francois and Louis Blanc who operated a casino in Monte Carlo.

Introduction to North America

United States introduction to Roulette came to New Orleans Louisiana in the early 1800s.  The very first roulette wheel on American soil contained three symbols for a total of 31 compartments and 28 numbers, making it similar style to the roulette wheels in France.  Through the years the wheel changed to one that included the numbers 1 to 36, 0 and 00; this gives the house 5.26% advantage over the players, much greater than the wheels in Europe.

The roulette itself is simply a spinning wheel contained inside a static bowl.  The roulette dealer fires a small hard ball along the inside surface of the bowl while the wheel spins in the opposite direction.  When the ball slows down it naturally loses momentum and begins to drop down inside the wheel and bounces around before finally settling inside one of the numbered slots. 

Meanwhile, the players have placed markers (or chips) for the numbers they think will win on a large cloth card.  The cloth is marked with numbers and colours corresponding to the wheel itself.  The player who has placed his marker on the corresponding number of the winning slot, wins the game. 

There are many strategies employed for choosing those winning numbers ranging from a gut feeling to a to lucky break or that special lucky number that always comes in for you.  Whichever method you employ you will find roulette an exciting and fun game to play.

Roulette can be played both in casinos and online with many of the online sites offering 3D play and start up bonuses.

As a result, betting strategies tend to revolve around the values of the bets, rather than the subject.  The Martingale betting strategy concentrates on outside bets.  The system involves choosing one of the high, low, odd, even, red or black numbers, and if the placed bet loses, then the next bet is doubled.  In this system, any winning bet will result in overall profit, as it covers all previous losses.  The danger of the system lies in the quick rise in value of the bet if you suffer a losing streak.

For example, a player bets one unit on black numbers; when the result is red, the next bet placed will be 2 units, then 4, 8, 16, 32, etc.  A streak of 10 red numbers in succession is not uncommon, and in this case, to cover previous losses, the player would need a bankroll of 1024 units.  However, any time the result is black, the player will gain 1 unit, and the system restarts.

The chance of each spin’s result is always the same, regardless of the results of previous spins.  Ultimately, thanks to betting limits, no player has an unlimited bankroll to cover an extended losing streak.  Consequently, the chance of this strategy’s success is minimal.

The roulette wheel has 36 numbers.  Theoretically, this means one number should appear every 35 times the wheel is spun.  This is the payoff for betting on a single number.  If the number does in fact come up, the player will win 35:1.  That is an impressive win.

However, the odds all change when players look at the big picture.  Casinos add two spots to the wheel: a 0 spot and a 00 spot.  Both of these spots increase the house advantage.  With the addition of these spaces, the actual odds of hitting a single number increase from 35:1 to 37:1.

Not every roulette wheel will have these two extra spaces; some will only have one.  However, it is something to consider when determining the odds.  The odds of hitting a number in one of the three columns on the table are 2:1, and a two-number spread has odds of 17:1.

When you eventually win with the Martingale system, you are guaranteed to make a net profit, taking into account all your bets up to that point.  That is not necessarily the case with the Fibonacci system.

A nice trick is not to use the Fibonacci system with a bet that has a 50:50 chance of coming off.  Rather use it with one with a 33% chance of working out, such as when you bet numbers 13-24.  This way you will recover your losses if you eventually have a winning bet.

Start with £1 on the first bet.  If you are wrong, increase to 2, then 3 and afterwards 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 and so on.  (You can easily find a list of Fibonacci numbers with a web search).

With the reverse Fibonacci system, you start playing at a random Fibonacci number, let us say 55.  Then you move backwards down the row – 34, 21, 13, 8, 5, 3, 2 and end on 1.  The strength of this method is that if you win the first 3 bets, you can lose from there and still make a profit.  Even if you win only the first two bets, you will still make a profit.