How to Play Roulette - A Complete Guide

There are multiple casino games to choose from and play at the best online casinos. Most beginners are in search of something simple, fun, and rewarding. That is what attracts new players and keeps them coming back.

Take Roulette as an example. Roulette is a classic table game where players predict the number, color, row, or combination into which the ball falls. A short explanation, but it is not as straightforward as it sounds.

Players must learn to place sensible bets to stand any chance of winning. To do this, understanding the game is a great starting point. Today you will learn how to play Roulette, about the roulette wheel, choosing the right bet, and available strategies to win more frequently. Let's explore the rules of roulette!

How to Play Roulette Guide

1. The Roulette Table Rules
2. Know the Roulette Wheel
3. Choose the right bets
4. Effective Roulette Strategies
5. Lucky numbers in Roulette
6. Roulette for fun
7. Top Roulette Software providers
8. Summary

The Roulette Table Rules

All roulette games have a minimum and maximum amount you can stake per round. For example, a roulette pay table can specify $10 as the minimum for outside bets and a maximum of $1,000. The thing is that pay tables vary, depending on the software developer and the online casino. Use these figures to determine your playing style.

As a high roller, you may want to choose a table that allows you to risk more. Budget players can choose roulette tables with a minimum bet of $5 or even $1. You can even play penny roulette, such as Auto Roulette by Evolution and Pearl Roulette by Playtech. Some developers also include a placard displaying the hottest and coldest numbers.

With the first listable out of the way, let's continue…

How the Roulette Wheel Works

Before firing up that roulette wheel, it’s essential to know how the game plays out. That’s because the house has a mathematical advantage in all roulette bets, just like in any other online casino game. Typically, players get a 35:1 payout on the American and European wheels. So, what’s the difference?

The European tables came with up to 37 numbered and colored slots, including a single zero (0) pocket. This means your winning probability is 1 in 37, giving it a 2.70% house edge. On the other hand, the American wheel has 38 slots, including an additional double zero (00) pocket. Now that pushes the house edge slightly higher to 5.26%. And you know a higher house edge isn’t suitable for bankroll management, don’t you?

Now with some understanding of the roulette table and wheel, let's continue with how to choose the right bets when playing roulette.

Choose the Right Bets

Now that you know which wheel to play on, it’s time to select the roulette bets carefully. Roulette has an astonishing number of betting options. But whether playing on the American or European table, always make the outside bets over the inside ones.

But why the outside bets? These wagers give players almost a 50% chance of predicting correctly. For instance, the odds/even, red/black, and high/low bets have 48.65% winning odds on the European wheel and 47.37% on the American game. Note, however, that the payout is low at 1:1.

But if you’re ambitious, go for the inside bets, which involve predicting specific numbers or sets of numbers. The most common type is the straight-up or single-number bet, where you simply predict the ball to land on a particular number. Although the winning odds for this bet are 2.7%, the payout is higher at 35:1. But you will need some serious luck to win this bet.

Let's move on to the next question.

Is there an Effective Roulette Strategy?

Some players swear by popular roulette betting systems to trim the house edge. You’ve probably read books or articles recommending strategies like Martingale, D’Alembert, James Bond, and Fibonacci. A good example is the Martingale strategy, which involves doubling your initial bet after a loss. This roulette strategy continues until you achieve a win.

You should also know that there’s no proof that these strategies work because Roulette is a luck-based game to a large extent. Therefore, the losses or wins can last for as long as 5, 10, or 20 rounds. In addition, you need a big bankroll for these roulette betting systems to work. And even with that, the casino always has the edge over you. So, don’t bank on any strategies alone.

Maybe, together with your lucky number, something special might happen. Who knows 🤷🏼‍♂️

Are there lucky numbers?

This is arguably the most common question roulette players ask. The answer is straightforward; superstitions don’t work in Roulette or gambling, for that matter. That’s because each number you bet on has an equal mathematical chance of appearing on the wheel. It’s just by chance that some numbers keep appearing on player wins.

But the truth is that some numbers have proven to be more successful than others. Number 17 is perhaps the most popular roulette number among players. Reason? This number lies at the center of the board, making it highly likely to appear. The legendary MIT team even described it as the ‘most random roulette number.’

Roulette players also love the numbers 7, 3, and 13, which are considered the unluckiest number by players. But overall, there’s no better number in Roulette.

If you have made it this far, I have no doubt you are in it to win it. Because here comes the most important part…

Play Roulette for Fun

As mentioned above, Roulette is strictly a luck-based game. Therefore, no amount of strategy can tilt the odds in your favor. Consider this; the highest chance of winning a roulette bet is 48.65% on outside bets. Now, what does this mean? It means your chances of losing the wager are higher at 51.35%.

With those numbers in mind, you should only play Roulette for fun. Always avoid playing online casino games with money that you can’t lose. This can be money for your health insurance, house rent, or business loan, you name them.

In addition, don’t stake more than 5% of your total bankroll on a single wager. And another thing is to set a stop-loss limit or walk away after adding a certain amount to your initial bankroll. Believe it or not, this is the only working roulette strategy.

I'm happy you have made it this far. One more thing before we wrap up today's guide.

Roulette Software

Most online roulette players overlook this vital feature. Playing at the wrong casino and software developer only extends your losing streak. It’s an open secret that some gambling sites can partner with rogue game developers to skew the game results. So, you should only play Roulette at a licensed and regulated online casino for your own safety. The casinos should show proof of game testing from independent bodies like:

• Gaming Associates,
• eCOGRA, and
• iTech Labs.

In Summary

We hope you know how to play roulette! Make sure you play roulette games with reliable game developers. There are multiple top companies in iGaming, such as Evolution Games, Ezugi, Playtech, Betsoft, and Authentic Gaming. Why? They have a reputation worth protecting. These types of software providers take the necessary steps to stay compliant with the regulations across markets.

Lastly, remember to play roulette games with longer durations between betting rounds (at least 20 seconds) to protect your bankroll. Speed kills in roulette!