Roulette Rules

The rules that the game of roulette is conducted by are relatively simple. There is a roulette wheel, in which the ball will land in a slot somewhere. All of those slots correspond with a number, and whatever number comes up will dictate which bets win and which bets don't. Of course, that is just the beginning of it. There are different versions of roulette, and such a thing must be noted. There is, for example, an American version of roulette, in which the wheel has the numbers ranging from one (1) through 36, along with the single zero (0) and double zero (00). Then there is the European version, in which the numbers 1-36 are also a part of the wheel, but there is only the single zero (0). When you think about it, this obviously means something. When you are going to bet an individual number, there is a better chance of that number landing in the European game than in the American game, and therefore the player's odds are a little better in the European version.

The individual numbers (those from 1 through 36, but not zero) pay off at odds of 35-to-1 if they win. Wagers that are made on individual numbers are known as "inside" bets, because they are played on the inside of the payout. These include bets on small groups of numbers. For example, you can wager on two numbers that appear next to each other on the layout, or play a "corner" bet on four at an intersection. There are other combinations as well, and some roulette games offer "neighbor bets," where you can bet on one number and the numbers on either side of it as they appear on the wheel itself. Obviously that is an interesting option.

Then there are the "outside" bets, which are located on the outside of the general layout. They are bets that include large groups of numbers. For example, you could bet on the Red group or Black group; the Odd or Even numbers, or the High (1-18) or Low (19-36) numbers. Those particular bets have a better chance of winning, obviously, than do the bets on the single numbers, but they pay off at even money. It is very important to remember that roulette is not a game like craps, where bets you put on the layout can stay out there through more than one round of play. They are all "one-off" bets, meaning that they are either going to win or lose, and the result of your wager is instantly known.