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Roulette is a game which almost anybody can sit down and play, with little prior knowledge. By wagering on an even-money bet (such as reds or blacks), players can rapidly start enjoying roulette, one of the most famous casino games of all time. However, just because it is possible to play roulette with knowing how it really works, doesn’t make it a good idea. Follow this guide, and we’ll have you playing roulette correctly in no time at all.
Roulette is a game played with a wheel and a ball. Players place their bets, the ball is dropped into the spinning wheel and depending on which pocket the ball lands in, players will either win or lose their bet. There is always at least one zero pocket (and two such pockets in American roulette), and if the ball lands in there, you will lose.
Like all online casino games, the first step to playing roulette requires a bet. However, unlike card games, a roulette needs to be specific. You need to ask yourself what you wish to bet on. Bets need to be placed in the correct spot on the roulette betting board to count. A typical roulette game will have plenty of options available. We’ll cover the basic ones here.
Two types of roulette bets exist – inside bets and outside bets. Inside bets will result in greater prizes being won, but they are less likely to occur. Outside bets are far more likely to result in a win, although they pay less.
Outside bets are ideal for beginners. They can include even money bets, such as putting a wager on the ball landing in a red, black, odd or even numbered pocket. Players might choose to place bets on dozens of numbers (1-12, 13-24, or 25-36), or one of three columns of numbers. Alternatively, players can choose to bet on groups of low (1-18) or high (19-36) numbers.
Inside bets are a touch more complicated. Players can choose to place a chip on a specific number, with a straight-up bet. Split bets involve betting on two numbers, with the chip set on the line between them. A street bet can see players wager on a row of three numbers, by placing their chip at the end of that row on the betting board. Alternatively, a corner bet can see players stake money on four numbers, by putting the chip on the line which forms the intersection on the board between those numbers. Lastly, a line bet involves betting on two rows of three numbers, with the chip placed on the line between two rows. American roulette also allows a five-bet, which involves betting on numbers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3.
Once a bet has been made, the game begins, and it is wholly down to luck as to what happens next. If the ball lands in a pocket which works for your bet, you will snap up a win.
Players will win prizes worth 1:1 on even money bets such as reds, blacks, odds and evens. Betting on low and high numbers will also result in a 1:1 prize. However, betting on dozens or columns can see a 2:1 payout awarded.
As for inside bets, a line bet is worth 5:1, with five-bets offering 6:1 winnings. Players can snap up wins worth 8:1 for corners, 11:1 for streets, and 17:1 for successful split bets. The top prize in almost all roulette games is 35:1, which is paid out for successful straight-up bets.
There are plenty of different roulette games out there for players at Indian casino sites to get involved with. The main three are known as European, American and French Roulette. European Roulette – with its single zero pocket – is the best for beginners, as the house edge is the lowest, at just 2.70%. However, you can cut this house edge down to 1.35% with certain French Roulette games. They also contain only a single zero pocket, but critically, they have rules such as En Prison and La Partage which can see half of your stake returned or saved for the next bet if the ball lands in the zero pocket. American Roulette is widely considered to be the worst of the three. It has a 5.26% house edge owing to the fact that there are two zero pockets.
Other roulette variants which exist include progressive jackpot roulette (there is a progressive pocket which can dish out big money prizes), and mini-roulette (played with a smaller wheel). These involve significant house edge changes and limits as to what bets can be made, so these need to be explored in detail before you choose to play them. Lest we forget, roulette can also be played as a live dealer game at many top Indian casino sites.
Roulette is a game of luck. Therefore, there isn’t such a thing as a winning roulette strategy. However, there are certainly betting strategies which players can use to limit their losses. These roulette strategies go by the names of Martingale, Reverse Martingale, D’Alembert, Fibonacci and more.
These systems involve strategic betting. In the case of the Martingale system, you are doubled your bet following a loss, and reducing it following a win. With the D’Alembert system, you increase your bet following a loss by one unit and decrease it by a single unit when you win. The Fibonacci strategy sees you using number sequences to wager. They are all very clever and can help you cut down your losses, but none are stable enough to guide you through long losing spells, unless, of course, you have a huge bankroll.
If you can’t rely on betting strategies to help you, do roulette tips and tricks help? Surprisingly, yes. Again, they can’t guarantee a player a win, but they can cut down silly mistakes and point you in the right direction.
Ideally, you should try your hand at French Roulette. These games feature the En Prison and La Partage rules, which mean that should the ball land in the zero, you haven’t totally wasted your bet. You will get a portion of it to use on the next bet. On a similar note, you should avoid American Roulette at all costs. Why would you play the one roulette game with the biggest house edge?
Players shouldn’t take too much notice of hot and cold numbers when playing roulette online. In a land-based casino, the frequency of which numbers appear may indicate imperfections in the wheel that can be exploited. Obviously, thanks to RNGs (random number generators) this cannot happen online, making hot and cold numbers essentially useless. Just because a roulette number has not come up for a long time doesn’t mean that it is due – probability doesn’t work this way.
Lastly, players should always try and avoid diving in with the straight-up bets. Explore the betting options open to you by playing roulette for free. Find a bet which you are comfortable with, and make notes of how successful you are with different types of bets. This may convince you to go with this type of bet when playing for real money later down the line.