The game process and structure of the table – Roulette rules
A roulette table is usually the hallmark of land-based casinos and it is also an indispensable part of the digital gambling halls. The simplicity and orderly gameplay still characterize this game, developed in Italy in the 17th century . Although the roulette rules are not complicated, it is advantageous to understand and deal with them in order to really enjoy the classic casino game.
On this page I will give you a roulette guide and explain the rules, the procedure and the structure of the game table. If you have read the individual sections carefully, you are ready to bet like a pro in online casinos or to make your announcements to a croupier. First, we will take a look at the basic roulette game rules and phases of the game together. After that I will show you variants and I will introduce some of the advanced game elements. Finally, I will answer some of the questions I keep coming across when I explain this wonderful game to beginners. Useful book recommendations round off this small roulette introduction.
The basic roulette rules explained briefly & concisely
The fascination of the boiler game lies above all in its clarity. A bullet is thrown into a spinning cauldron with numbered pockets. The player places his bet on which pocket the ball falls into. If he is right, he wins, if he is wrong, his bet goes to the bank. No other gambling game that you can play in a casino is so easy to explain. But in order for the game to run in an orderly manner, there are also rules of the game in roulette that you must adhere to.
- Set Before the game starts, players place their chips on the tableau. In a casino, the croupier sometimes takes over.
- The ball is rolling After everyone has bet, the croupier throws the game ball into the roulette wheel.
- Gameresult As soon as the roulette ball has fallen into one of the numbered pockets, all players who have bet on this number are paid out.
- Keep playing, Change your bet, En Prison Before the next round, you decide whether you want to continue playing or try a new bet. With the En Prison rule, you continue playing with the last bet, but you cannot change the bet.
No matter which variant you are playing, the order is always the same. You place your bets and then the ball is thrown into the cauldron. Then you can collect your winnings or think about what you are betting on next. It does not matter whether the game is played with one or more zeros, with one or 4 boilers. Take a look at my Roulette variants page if you are interested in varied variations of the game or read below the Advanced Rules Section if you have already familiarized yourself with the procedure.
The Roulette Table
Almost all roulette tables consist of a kettle and the so-called tableau, the betting fields. Exceptions are somewhat more unusual game variants such as the Multiwheel Roulette, which has several boilers at once, or the Pinball Roulette, whose boiler does not look like one, but rather reminds of the eponymous pub game. Variations in the betting fields can be found, for example, in card roulette, where you bet on card values instead of ascending numbers. However, since most players are interested in the classic structure, I will deal with this in more detail in the following.
The Roulette Wheel
Literally translated, roulette in French means the "little wheel ", which we call in the françaisen Kessel and which is the heart of the game. As already described, there are many exceptions and sizes, but typically, it can accommodate 37 bags, the colors of which alternate between black and red, and which are numbered from 0 to 36 . Where the field for the digit zero is colored green. In American roulette, another field with a double zero is added, but more on that later. The roulette wheel can spin in both directions and it is not uncommon for a croupier to change direction with each round. After the boiler is in motion, the ball is thrown in the opposite direction. This ensures that the result is really based on chance and that neither the player nor the dealer can predict or influence the outcome.
Zero and double zero - The house edge at the roulette table
The zero in roulette represents the house edge. This is also the reason why every roulette table, no matter which variant, has at least one green field with this digit. All bets that have not been made to zero will lose. Depending on the roulette rule played, they are then completely or half lost or must remain on the table. Without this number, the probability would be a simple chance, e.g. betting on red or black, to win 50%. Progressive betting strategies such as the Martingale strategy or Paroli would then blow up every bank, since they would win infinitely. In order for the casinos to cover their operating costs, the house advantage at a roulette table with a single zero is 2.7% and in American variants with an additional double zero is 5.3%. American casino operators made this change in the 19 century to increase their profits. Nevertheless, the payout rates of this classic casino game can be quite impressive in comparison with the modern online slot machines .
Always play at a roulette table with only one zero. Due to the low house edge, your chances of winning are higher here.
betting area
Next to the eponymous boiler is the roulette playing field. Here, players can place their bets by placing their Place chips on the fields representing different bets . The arrangement of the fields is largely standardized. On the left edge are the zero and, if present, the double zero. This is followed to the right by the numbers 1 – 36 in three rows in ascending order. Here you can place the so-called inside bets. For example, you can bet on a single number, place a chip between two number fields and make a split bet, bet a street of 3 numbers, place a corner bet or evenly distribute your bet on a transversal to 6 numbers.
Around the number fields close other fields for the outside bets to. These include the simple odds such as red or black, even or odd and 1 – 18 or 19 – 36. In addition, you can bet on the first, the second or the third dozen or on one of the three rows of the so-called columns.
Before you start playing roulette for real money, you should familiarize yourself with the distribution of the numbers in the cauldron, because they are not arranged in ascending order there. Rather, it goes back to the French mathematician Blaise Pascal. The arrangement is designed to prevent a bet from being particularly advantageous, and at the same time evenly distribute the numbers over the cauldron.
Roulette Guide: The most important bets and their payouts
So let's get to the basic roulette rules and payouts. This should be internalized by every player in order to play successfully at a roulette table. Despite all this, the casino classic remains a game of chance and there is no guarantee for you to win. The only way to influence the outcome of the bet you have is to place the chips. Once the ball has started rolling, nothing works anymore: "rien ne va plus". Nevertheless, there are a number of bets that you can place. In order not to lose the overview, I will give you an overview of the possible bets and their payout.
As a small help for the roulette payout, it may be useful to remember that the amount of the win is related to the amount of the risk. The more likely it is that you will win your bet, the lower your profit will be. On the other hand, your profit also multiplies with increasing risk.
PDF Download
In the interactive graphic below you will find an overview of all possible inside and outside bets that the roulette game rules allow. It does not matter whether you are playing on an American or a dollar dollarpean roulette table. The only difference is that in the double zero variant there is a bet on the first five and with only one zero there is a bet on the first four numbers.
Bet on a single number. This bet has the lowest probability and the highest payout.
Bet on two adjacent numbers. Compared to the bet on a single number, the chance of winning is doubled, while the payout is halved.
Bet on three numbers at once. The chip is placed on the side of a row of numbers.
Bet on four numbers at once. The token is placed in the middle between the four numbers.
Bet on the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3 in French / Dollar dollarpean roulette
Bet on the numbers 1, 2, 3 and the two zeros in American Roulette.
Similar to "Adjacent numbers"; this bet covers two rows of six numbers.
Bet on one third of the tableau; accordingly, 12 numbers are covered.
Bet on an integer series; covers the 12 numbers of a column.
Bet on a red or black number. Highest chance of winning, lowest risk.
Bet on an even or odd number. Highest chance of winning, lowest risk.
Bet that a number between 1-18 will be hit. Highest chance of winning, lowest risk.
Bet that a number between 19-36 will be hit. Highest chance of winning, lowest risk.
Reminder: Inside bets are all bets on the numbers on the roulette playing field. The outer bets have their name because their betting fields are arranged outside the numbers on the tableau. They refer to characteristics of the roulette numbers such as black or even and not to the numbers themselves.
The tableau on the roulette table is used to place the bets. For this purpose, the chips are placed either directly on the desired number (s) or on the betting fields for the outside bets. The numbers on the tableau are arranged differently than in the roulette wheel itself.
Rules for advanced players
Once you have familiarized yourself with the basic roulette rules and have understood how betting on inside and outside bets works, it's time to delve a little deeper into the matter. True, for most players it is quite enough to understand the basic rules in order to have fun while playing. So that you can also use roulette strategies such as Martingale or Paroli if you are prepared, I will explain to you further rules of the game and ways to bet on roulette numbers in the following.
Betting limits and table limits in roulette
Each roulette table comes with its own table and betting limits. These differ from casino to casino and should be easily visible with every game. Betting limits refer to the amount that may be placed on a particular bet. Table limits limit the sum of all placed bets. It is common that for different bets, different limits are set. In order to limit the winnings and losses of the players and the casino, the limits increase as the probability of winning decreases. So it may be that you can bet up to $ 400 on a roulette number, but up to $ 10,000 on outside bets at the same table. Especially players who follow progressive betting strategies such as Martingale or Paroli know that the limits at a roulette table are important for success . Since most betting strategies rely on outside bets, it is worthwhile to look for a table that offers particularly high limits here.
However, the limits should also address and group different types of players. So in every casino, whether online or not, there are offers for beginners or casual players, where you can play from just a few cents. Especially virtual roulette tables offer very low minimum bets. The stakes tend to be higher in the live area of online casinos and of course in land-based gambling halls.
Whether you are a high roller, want to bet strategies or just want to bet a few cents for relaxation: first inform yourself about the limits before you sit down at a roulette table.
Announcement Games and Roulette Series
Another way to place bets are the so-called announcement games. Originally, players could announce certain series to the dealers at the roulette table via "called bets ", which they had to pay only after the round. However, since playing on credit is viewed reluctantly, or is prohibited in countries such as the United Kingdom, only the distribution of tokens on the tableau remains today.
The more or less complex roulette series were traditionally placed by the dealer. Today, a single click is usually enough in online casinos. I have compiled the most important series for you to give you an overview. The roulette announcement games refer to different areas of the boiler and cover different areas of the betting field.
racetrack
In order to better visualize the announcement games, most roulette tables in online casinos offer a so-called racetrack. Here the numbers are arranged in the order as well as in the boiler. This makes it much easier for players to cover a specific part of the pot with their bets. The roulette series refer to a part of the numbers and are shown in the middle of the racetrack. In addition, you can comfortably bet on neighbors here. Depending on the roulette rules you play, you can bet on one or up to 9 neighbors of a certain number.
La Partage and En Prison Rules
Some roulette tables have additional rules in the event that the ball remains on the zero . Don't be fooled by the French names, American roulette can also be played with these rules. If you play at a table with La Partage rule, you get half of your bet back on simple chances if the zero falls.
Also En Prison refers to the case when the green field wins and the player has placed bets on easy chances. The bets are then "caught " on the playing field and must be unlocked. If the bet is won in the next round, the bet is released, but remains on the table one more time. If the bet wins again, you have doubled the original bet.
The two special rules do not let you go empty-handed should the zero fall. So you should look for tables that offer you the La Partage rule or En Prison. Even if the first variant seems more uncomplicated, the second one offers you the opportunity to win, even though you have lost the original bet.
Tips & Tricks
Since roulette is a game of chance, there is no permanently profitable strategy. However, you can House edge systematically minimize it by always choosing a roulette table that is played according to the dollar-Paean rules. In addition, you should make sure that the La Partage and En Prison Rules get to the application. So you can reduce the risk of loss when betting on the easy chances if the ball falls to zero.
Books about Roulette rules
If you want to deepen your roulette rule knowledge even further, I can recommend you a whole series of books. Of course, you will find the basic rules of the game, which I have already explained to you, but also other exciting details about the different variants. The list that I have compiled for you below also includes experiences of successful players. After reading the roulette books, you should look for a Online Roulette Keep an eye out. A good provider is, for example, the CasinoClub.
Frequently Asked Questions
This page is intended to explain the basic roulette rules and the structure of the roulette table. I have summarized the most important bets in a short roulette guide for you, which is also available as Download ready for you. In the following, I will address some questions that I have only been able to address briefly or not at all so far.
Which roulette variant has the highest chances of winning?
Due to the Double zero the chances of winning in American roulette are worse than in the dollar-Paean variant. That's why you should avoid the first variant! If you want to bet a lot on simple chances, you should also definitely look for a game table where the La Partage or En Prison rules apply.
Can I still sit while the ball is already spinning in the boiler?
Although the same applies to boiler play Roulette Basic Rules but there are differences here. In traditional casinos, you can also bet if the croupier has already thrown the ball into the pot – until he announces with the announcement “No more bets” or “Rien ne va plus” that no more bets will now be accepted. This is not possible in the Roulette online casinos!
What is it about the “françaisen roulette”?
In the case of Live Dealer Roulette Variants you will find “françaises Roulette" more often. However, this is not an independent variant, but only roulette tables where a Français-speaking croupier leads the game.
What is the house edge in roulette?
The house edge on a simple roulette table is 2.7%. But there are Roulette variants with zero and double zero . In American roulette with an additional zero, the house edge is higher. That is why the chances of winning in simple roulette with a zero are always better.
What are Roulette Game Systems?
Mathematicians and passionate roulette players try to create higher chances of winning with certain strategies. The most well-known is the Martingale Strategy which relies on doubling the stakes in case of loss. Also known is the Paroli Strategy which uses essentially the same principle. Any strategy should always be used with caution, because in the end, luck decides on profit or loss.
Are there rules for advanced roulette players?
Rules for advanced players limit yourself primarily to various roulette strategies. Once you have decided on a system, it is important to stick to it exactly. In addition, there are still different roulette series which cover different areas of the planting field.
