Roulette has long been one of the more popular games at the casino. But, the popularity does not translate over to playing the game at online casinos most of the time. The problem with the game is that there is not the same type of interaction that you will find at the casino. Some people think that the computerized roulette game goes too fast and it simply doesn’t appeal to those who have played the games for years.

However, the Online Casino version of roulette does give beginners a very easy way to learn the basics of the game. To begin, you need to understand that there are two main versions of roulette: American Roulette and European Roulette. The main difference between these two games is that American roulette has a 0 and 00 space while the European roulette only a the 0. We will be using the American roulette game for the purposes of this article.

First, you will need to pick at least one number between 1 and 36 (or the 0 or 00 as well). You will place a chip on this number on the betting board. If you are finished betting, you can press the spin button and the ball will be release on the wheel. When the ball lands on a number, it is compared to the bets placed on the board and winning bets are paid accordingly. This is easy enough.

If you only place a chip on one number, you will have a 1 in 38 chance of the ball landing in that numbered slot on the wheel. If the ball does land on that spot, you will win 35 times the amount that you bet. If you bet $1, you will win $35; if you bet $5, you will win $175. This is the allure of playing the game.

Betting Basics

Of course, you have a lot more options than just betting on a single number. There are multiple ways to bet on the table. There are two main types of wagers that can be placed: Inside bets and Outside bets.

Inside bets are the ones that are placed inside of the betting table where the individual numbers are located. You will be directly placing chips on one or more numbers. You can bet in the following ways: Single number bet, two number bet, three number bet, four number bet, five number bet and six number bet.

Single number bets are also called Straight Bets. These are the easiest to recognize. You simply place a chip in the center of one of the numbers on the table. This pays out 35 to 1 for a winning bet.

Two number bets are also called Split Bets. You place a chip on the line that separates two numbers on the table. A winning bet will pay 17 to 1.

Three number bets are also called Street Bets. This bet is made by placing a chip on the line of the outside row of 3 numbers. You can also place a three number bet on the 0 or 00 and two other numbers. These wagers pay out 11 to 1 for winning bet.

Four number bets are also called Corner Bets. This type of bet can be made by placing a chip on the kitty corner of four numbers that join together. This bet pays out 8 to 1.

Five number bets are also called Quint Bets. The only way to place a 5 number bet is in American Roulette. You place the chip on the outside line at the conjunction of the 0/00 and the 1/2/3 rows. This bet pays 6 to 1.

Six number bets are also called Line Bets. You place a chip on the outside line at the conjunction of two rows of numbers (for instance, the outside edge where the 9 and 12 meet to cover the numbers 7 through 12). Winning wagers pay out 5 to 1 on this bet.

Outside Bets are the betting areas that do not directly cover a number on the table. This includes the Red/Black, Even/Odd, 1-18/19-36, 1st 12/2nd 12/3rd 12, and 2 to 1 columns. You must be aware that if the ball lands on 0 or 00, none of these outside bets will pay out. This is the house advantage in the game of roulette.

Red/Black – Half of the numbers between 1 and 36 are red, the other half are black. Red numbers include 1/3/5/7/9, 12/14/16/18, 19/21/23/25/27, and 30/32/34/36. Black numbers include 2/4/6/8/10, 11/13/15/17, 20/22/24/26/28, and 29/31/33/35. A winning bet pays 1 to 1.

Even/Odd – Likewise, half of the numbers are odd and half are even. That should be fairly obvious. Winning bets occur when the ball lands on an odd or even number. The pay out is 1 to 1.

1-18/19-16 – This is also known as First Half or low numbers and Second Half or high numbers. The odds are a little less than 1 in 2 because of the 0 and 00. This wager pays out 1 to 1 on bets.

1st 12/2nd 12/3rd 12 – Also known as Thirds of the Board or 1st Third, 2nd Third and 3rd Third. The odds are a little less than 1 in 3 of winning. This wager pays out 2 to 1 on bets.

2 to 1 Columns – These betting areas are at the end of each column of 12 numbers. The first column consists of 1/4/7/10/13/16/19/22/25/28/31/34. The second column consists of 2/5/8/11/14/17/20/23/26/29/32/35. The third column consists of 3/6/9/12/15/18/21/24/27/30/33/36. The payout for a winning bet is 2 to 1 as the name suggest.

Playing at the Casino

Once you have learned how to play online, you will be ready to play at a casino. There will be a time between spins where the table will be open to bets. You can place chips on any of the betting areas you would like. Some casinos will make you place at least one bet on an Inside number betting area, so you may not be able to simply wager on an Outside bet alone. The dealer will then announce that the bets are closed.

Once this is done, the dealer will spin the marble around the rotating wheel. Once the ball lands in one of the slots, the dealer will place a marker on that number in the betting area. All losing wagers will be collected and all winning wagers will be paid accordingly. After this, the table will be open for betting once again.