Roullete, or ‘wheel of fortune’ in French, is a game that adds glamour and mystery to casino floors, even though it’s mostly based on luck. Despite this, it offers a surprising level of depth for serious betters. Here’s a quick introduction to the rules and types of bets in this popular game, so you can be ready for action when you visit your favorite casinos.
‘Outside Bets’ are bets on groups of numbers on the table layout (see Table Layout) which pay less than single number bets, but have a higher probability of winning. These bets include red/black, odd/even, dozens and columns. The odds of these bets are higher when they are placed on’red/black’, but lower when they are placed on ‘odd/even’ or ‘column’ bets.
A bet on a group of three numbers in the’street’ section of the table layout, and pays out 35 to 1. Also known as a ‘Trio Bet’ or ‘Transversale’ in French Roulette.
The extra green pocket on an American Roulette wheel, which is marked ’00’, and is not included in the European version of the game. This increases the house edge on American Roulette to 2.70%, as opposed to 1.35% without it.
When you want to place a bet, purchase a ‘roulette chip’ from the dealer or croupier. These chips have a different color than regular casino chips to indicate their value, and each player gets a set of them so that the dealer can easily identify who is playing. The dealer will then ask what denomination you wish to designate for each bet.
It’s best to start with a set budget for each session and stick to it, avoiding dipping into your winnings for new bets until you are able to replenish them. This will keep your gambling session more manageable, and prevent you from losing more than you intended to. When a winning bet is made, the dealer will place a marker on the winning chip and players can’t place new chips until this is removed. This is to prevent cheating by preventing players from placing additional bets after a win, which can be done by either deliberately hiding their chips or simply watching other players.