While slot games dominate the game library, thanks to continuous technological leaps, roulette, especially live roulette, is quickly catching up with more variants. Whether you’re new to the roulette experience or looking to polish your game, this guide helps roulette players of all skill levels with expert tips and strategies.
What Is Roulette?
Roulette is French for “little wheel.” Experts and historians widely credit the French physicist who came up with the original roulette wheel. Supposedly, the inspiration for Blaise Pascal was to create a game where the game essentially did the work. Perhaps this inspiration came from ancient Egyptian and Roman times when the soldiers supposedly spun marbles inside their shields.
While many real money and new sweepstakes casinos offer themed roulette games that are only available, traditional roulette games are based on these three main roulette variants:
Understanding the House Edge
Of all the casino games, the house edge is the first feature that seasoned roulette players consider. The goal is to pick the roulette games with the lowest house edge because it means the RTP is higher. The Return to Player is how much players can reasonably expect to get back over time from a standard $100 wager.
French Roulette
French Roulette is the original roulette game. Until the 1840s, it originally had the double zero. The game layout is written entirely in French. The standard house edge is 2.70%. However, French Roulette stands out because it has special rules to help minimize losses with the single zero. Because of the La Partage rules and more, the overall house edge lowers to 1.35%.
European Roulette
When roulette soared in popularity in the 17th century, the demand carried it across Europe. To help understand the game better, the roulette layout was translated into English. Like the French variant, the European variant offers the same bets and the single zero. Also, the house edge is 2.70%.
American Roulette
American Roulette is the youngest of the main roulette variants. It was introduced to America in the later part of the 1800s thanks to French immigrants. As the game thrived in southern speakeasies like in New Orleans, the double zero was added to the wheel and has remained ever since.
American Roulette offers all the main roulette bets, including the exclusive basket bet, thanks to the double zero. However, because of the double zero, American Roulette has the highest house edge of 5.26%, which might not be ideal for beginners or those with smaller budgets.
Understanding the Basic Roulette Bets
What’s fascinating about Roulette is the incredible range of bets that are perfect for beginners and more experienced players. Of course, players can bet on a single zero or the double zero in the case of the American variant. All the roulette variants support these two main categories of roulette wagers:
Inside Bets
While inside bets offer higher payouts, the odds aren’t necessarily the best. For that reason, inside bets are more reserved for experienced players. The most basic inside bet, and for those who are in doubt, is the straight-up bet. As the name suggests, the straight-up bet is when players bet on a number the white ball lands on. Guess right to receive a 35:1 payout.
The split and corner bets are other widely used inside bets. A split bet means betting on one of two numbers that are side by side to hit, while the corner bet calls for betting on one of four numbers that intersect to form a square. Winning split bets reward 17:1 payouts, while winning corner bets produce an 8:1 payout.
Outside Bets
Outside bets offer the better odds because most of the numbers are on the outer part of the wheel. Also, outside bets offer even money payouts. The most common outside bets are odd and even, as well as red or black. Both types of bets offer 50% odds of getting the winner to be any odd or even number or red or black number. Please keep in mind that you must choose one of the other to be successful.
Other popular outside bets include high and low numbers. The low numbers are one through 18, while the high numbers are 19-36 or 37 if playing American Roulette. Bet on any number in that range to win even money.
Betting Strategies
Because roulette has been around since the 17th century, there continue to be many dedicated betting strategies to help players of all skill levels. When using any betting strategy, the first step is to consider the betting odds to match your budget. Also, overreliance on any betting strategy can cause you to go through your bankroll faster than planned.
The Martingale
The Martingale is a progressive betting strategy where players double their bet after a loss. The theory is to quickly recover your loss to get back on track. However, if players keep doubling their bets and keep losing, you can run through your budget faster than planned.
The Paroli
The Paroli, sometimes called The Reverse Martingale, has players double their bets after winning. While this is a great way to double your bankroll, if you lose and continue this strategy, it can also be an early night. Most modern-day Paroli users hold the line after three successful winning bets so as not to blow the whole thing.
The D’Alembert
This classic roulette strategy is more conservative. After winning, the D’Alembert calls for players to increase the bet by one as opposed to doubling it.
The Growing World of Online Roulette Awaits
Roulette, especially online roulette, is more popular than ever. As always, the first step is to choose a licensed site for gaming fairness and guarantees of receiving your winnings. Some online casinos offer practice play. For example, sweepstakes casinos support free gameplay with Gold Coins, which is perfect for playing live games like Gravity and American Roulette.