How to Play Roulette: Rules & Tips for Beginners

By Editorial Team

Posted on: May 12, 2022

Roulette is a French word for “little wheel.” And as the name suggests, the game runs as a spinning wheel containing numbers from 0 to 36 in a universally standardized order.

Roulette is very popular in major casinos and now even in online gaming platforms. Below is how to play roulette, and some basics of this popular casino game.

It has a small ball that spins around the wheel until it drops to reveal the winning number. You place your bets by guessing the number you think the ball will land on after the spin. The betting roulette table looks something like:

Understanding the Roulette Basics and Rules

The roulette table is made up of the inside and the outside.

The numbers in the oval shapes and 0 are considered the inside.

All the others: 19 TO 36, ODD, the black rhombus, the red rhombus, EVEN, 1 TO 18, 3RD 12, 2ND 12, 1ST 12, 2 TO 1, 2 TO 1, and 2 TO 1 are the outside. (Refer to the diagram above).

The dealer controls the game and is in charge of handing over the chips, spinning the ball, calling out the end of betting, claiming the losing chips, and awarding the winning chips.

Players must bet, keeping in mind the minimum acceptable bets. Furthermore, they must also observe the order of betting for both the inside and outside.

Types Of Betting And Betting Guidelines.

1. Inside Bets

If you bet on a number and it hits. That bet is called a straight-up, and it pays 35:1.
You can also bet on 2 numbers, which is a split bet. This is where you place your chip on a boundary separating 2 numbers. A split bet pays 17:1.
You can bet on 4 numbers, which is a corner bet. Here you place your chip in the middle of where the 4 lines of the 4 numbers meet. A corner pays 8:1.
You can also make a street bet. Here, you place the chip on the line of a row of numbers. A street bet pays 11 to 1.
Alternatively, bet on a double street. Here you place the chip on the intersection of where 2 lines of a row of numbers meet. A double street pays 5:1.
Finally, there is a top-line bet. You place your chip on the top-most line where the numbers 0 or 0,00 and 1,2,3 meet. A top-line pays 6:1.

2. Outside Bets

They do not involve a specific number. (Refer to the roulette table diagram above)

A bet on colors, i.e., red or black, pays 1:1
A bet on EVEN or ODD pays 1:1
On a column or 12 numbers pays 2:1
A bet on a dozen, i.e., 1st 12 pays 2:1

How to Play Roulette

First, you buy your chips. Each carries monetary value.
If you don’t see it written anywhere, inquire about the minimum chip value. That way, you budget for your money, know how many chips you can get and how to play them.
Each table or player gets a different color of chips. It enables the dealer and the players to quickly identify who has placed a bet and whom to pay at the end of each round.
Once you have placed your bets, the dealer will spin the wheel. At some point, he will then announce, “No more bets,”. After that, you can’t bet anymore for that round.
When the ball drops on a number, the dealer will call it out.
Any chips placed on that number or related values win as per the ratios stated earlier. Any chips outside the winning number lose, and the dealer reclaims them.
You then proceed with the next bet in a similar fashion.

Tips For Beginners

There are no clear-cut strategies or plans when you play roulette. But, as seen above, the little wheel and the ball spin without interference, and it could land anywhere. So the game is pure luck.

The best advice would be to learn how the game works along with the prize structures. That way, you can know how best to bet to minimize your losses if you don’t actually win.