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Roulette Rules – The Beginners Guide

Roulette is considered the most classic casino game and is available on every casino online but also in every land-based casino.

This page contains all the important information you need to know about Roulette rules, types of bets and many more interesting roulette facts.

Most people, even the ones that are not gambling often are familiar with the roulette game. This is because it is a very simple game and doesn’t require any special skills. Therefore it is very easy to learn the roulette rules and start playing straight away

We created this roulette beginners guide for anyone that is not familiar with how to play roulette and wants to find out a bit more about this casino game.

Roulette Rules and How to Play Roulette

Some will say that Roulette is like any other gambling game. Some will even compare it to Bingo or the Lottery because luck is a common factor between these gambling games and a roulette game.

But if you play roulette you will realise that the thrill of the game can’t be compared to other gambling games that involve numbers and luck.

The main roulette rules you need to keep in mind are:

  • You need to know what you are betting on. Different bets have different probabilities and payouts. So get familiar with these and make sure you know what you are betting on
  • You have limited time to bet between every round. Like most casino games, you need to make sure you make your decisions before the next round begins ( “No More Bets”). Otherwise, your bets won’t be accepted

Let’s have a look at the structure of the roulette game.

Roulette Types

There are three types of Roulette tables that are available in most land-based and Online Casinos:

  • American Roulette
  • European Roulette
  • French Roulette

The main difference between them is that European and French Roulette has one 0 where American Roulette has a 0 and a 00 on the wheel.

european roulette
European Roulette

This makes European Roulette more popular for some casino players as the casino edge is lower.

american roulette example
American Roulette

French roulette has a slightly different layout sometimes. It has also the so-called “Roulette French Bets” but these are just different the same types of bets as in the other types just with a french name.

French Roulette

There are no other major differences between these tables.

The best live casinos online offer all 3 roulette tables.

European vs American Roulette House Edge

We mentioned lower house edge for European roulette earlier.

What does this mean practically for roulette players?

European Roulette has a 36:1 odds of winning when betting on a number while American Roulette has 37:1.

If we look at the odds in casino edge percentages there is a 2.6% edge in European Roulette and 5.27% edge in American Roulette for the Casino.

If you want to learn more about house edge you can check our page Live Casino Games House Edge.

The Roulette Table and Roulette Wheel

The roulette wheel has 37 (European/French Roulette) or 38 (American Roulette) numbered pockets around its inner circumference.18 pockets with red numbers, 18 pockets with black numbers and 1 or 2 pockets that are green for 0 and 00 (depending on the type of table)

roulette pockets screenshot

Players can place roulette bets on single numbers, or on combinations of numbers or colours, with different odds for every type of bet.

As we have already mentioned above there are 18 red numbers on a roulette wheel and 18 black numbers. The black numbers on a roulette wheel from small to big are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33 and 35. The red numbers from small to big are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34 and 36.

Types of Bets and Odds

If you are a regular Roulette player you are probably aware of the types and odds in roulette. But if you are a newbie or never really played Roulette seriously until now you will find the information below very useful.

It is must-read information for Roulette beginners. Because it is always better when you know your roulette bets and what the odds are for these. There is no best way to bet on roulette. You just have to follow your instinct or any strategy you have in mind.

Inside Bets

Inside bets are any wagers placed inside the standard betting table. Usually placed on specific numbers or small groups of numbers.

Single number bets or Straight bets

Bet on a single number. Winning odds are 35:1

Split bets

Betting on two numbers that are next to each other on the roulette table. Winning odds are 17:1

Corner bets

Betting on four numbers that are next to each other. Winning odds are 17:1

Outside Bets

Outside bets are the ones that are outside the numbers betting area on the roulette betting table like red or black, odd or even etc.

Red or Black

This is the most popular outside bet. You just bet for the winning colour and the odds to win are 1:1 odds

Odd or Even

This is another popular roulette bet, you bet for the winning number to be odd or even and pays out 1:1

High or Low

High and Low are outside bets that are also called 1 to 18 and 19 to 36. The odds for those bets are also 1:1

Dozens

Dozens bets payout at 2:1 and are the 1st 12 2nd 12 and 3rd 12 numbers.

Column bets

These are bets for all 12 numbers on any of the three vertical lines. Payout is 2:1

Here is a table showing bets, number of pockets and chance of winning.

BetNumber of pocketsChance of Winning
Single number bets or Straight bets 12.7%
Odd, Even, Red, Black, High, Low1848.6%
Dozens, Columns1232.4%
Six Line 616.2%
Corner410.8%
Street38.1%
Split25.4%

How to Play Roulette

Now that you know the basic roulette rules, the roulette table structure and the odds, let’s have look at the step by step process of how to play roulette

  • Choose your table

If you are playing online you have two options. Choose between the classic roulette games where you play against the software or the live dealer roulette tables where you play with a live dealer. We recommend the live dealer option as it is miles better for many reasons.

We also recommend choosing a low stakes roulette table to start with. That way you can stick to small bets until you become more familiar with the game.

  • Place your roulette bets

Click on the chips that represent the amount you want to bet on and start placing bets around the roulette table.

Usually, chip values start from £0.10 and can go quite high if you want to place big bets.

  • Make sure you place your bets on time

Roulette casino games have a time limit between rounds where you have to place your bets. This is the case for every casino game. There is always a button you can click to automatically repeat the same bet as well as to double your bet.

These options help you to make sure you place your bets on time without having to place individual bets from scratch.

Play with Live Dealers

Experience the excitement and fun of playing roulette online with a live dealer, not a computer simulation. This makes the experience of playing roulette more real as the online player is able to play roulette with a human roulette dealer.

At Best UK Live Casinos we have a list of the best UK casinos where you can play live roulette online.

Live roulette beginners guide

Similar to the video online roulette or a land-based casino roulette, live roulette has the same features and the same roulette rules.

The game involves the roulette wheel, the live dealer and your chips. You place your bets as usual by clicking on the chip amount and then choosing your bets.

The difference is that the live dealer will spin the ball and will announce the winning number. You can also interact with the live dealer via the live chat function.

Some casinos might have a Confirm Bet Button and will not accept your bets if you don’t click that on time. You have a clock countdown warning you how much time you have to place your bets.

Final Thoughts

So let’s summarize what you’ve learned in our roulette rules beginners guide:

  • Roulette Basics (structure, numbers, colours)
  • Roulette Bet Types and Odds
  • How to play Roulette
  • Roulette Types (European, American, French) and house edge
  • Live Roulette

Now that you learned the basics of Live Roulette Online you can check out the UK Live Casino Bonus list and pick the casino you want to play at.

You can also try Immersive Roulette at bet365 casino with HD cameras and slow-motion replays. Or even choose the new Lightning Roulette with a totally different style and is considered one of the best live casino games.