European Roulette

Overview

The aim of roulette is to bet on the number that a spinning ball will land on. Up to eight players stand around a roulette wheel and roulette table. The European roulette wheels consist of 37 numbers (the numbers 1 through 36 and a single 0) and the numbers on the roulette table represent the numbers on the wheel.

Rules

Players place bets on the table to represent the number that they hope the ball will land on in the wheel. The dealer releases the ball in the opposite direction to the spinning wheel. Before the ball drops into a slot, the dealer calls out “no more bets” after which time players cannot place any more bets or touch their chips until the dealer pays out the winners. Once the ball stops, the dealer places a dolly on the winning number, collects chips from the losers and pays out the winners.

Bets

There are two categories of bets that can be placed in a game of European roulette – inside bets and outside bets. There are five of each type of bet.

Inside bets are placed within the numbered section of the roulette table. They bet on specific numbers or combinations of numbers.

• Straight up bet – this is a bet on a single number. The bet is placed in the center of the number on the roulette table.

• Split bet – this is a bet on two numbers that are adjacent on the roulette table. The bet is placed on the line between the two numbers.

• Street bet – this is a bet on a row of three numbers. The bet is placed at the end of the row of numbers.

• Corner bet – this is a bet on four numbers that can be found in the corners of the roulette table. The bet is placed in the middle of the four corner numbers.

• Line bets – this is a bet on six numbers that are found in two adjacent rows. The bet is placed on the line between the two rows.

Outside bets are placed outside the numbered section of the roulette table. They bet on groups or sections of numbers.

• Red or Black bet – this is a bet on either a red number or a black number being spun.

• Odd or Even bet – this is a bet that either an odd number or an even number will be spun.

• High or Low bet – this is a bet that either a high number (19-36) or a low number (1-18) will be spun.

• Column bet – this is a bet on twelve numbers that are found in a column. The bet is placed at the end of the column.

• Dozen bets – this is a bet on a group of twelve numbers (1-12, 13-24 or 25-36).

Tips

There are those who swear by roulette systems to help you win the game. It must be noted however that roulette is a game of chance. Past spins of the wheel have no bearing on future spins of the wheel. It is therefore unlikely that roulette systems will have any affect on the outcome of the game. However, by understanding the bets that can be placed and the house advantage for each bet, as well as the rules that may be available, it is possible to play in such as way as to increase your chances of winning at roulette.

Playing European roulette, as opposed to American roulette, is key to your success. American roulette games have a house edge of 5.26%, whereas European roulette games have a house of 2.63%, simply because they have do not have the 00 slot.

When playing European roulette, make sure to make use of the ‘en prison’ rule. This rule dictates that if a player places an even money bet and the ball lands on the 0, the player does not lose the bet that round. The bet is, in fact, kept ‘en prison’ until the next round. If on the following spin, the player wins, he wins back his original bet. If he loses, he will lose his bet on the second spin. Simply by making use of the ‘en prison’ rule, players can further reduce the house edge from 2.63% to 1.35%.

The lowest house edge occurs on even money bets – bets on red or black, odd or even, low or high. It is advisable to stick to even money bets for the best long-term outcome.

Finally, if you play on a busy table, you will see more spins per minute which will decrease the amount of time that your money is exposed to the house edge.

House Odds

You can place ten different bets in a game of European roulette – five inside bets and five outside bets. The odds for each bet are determined by the probability of the ball landing on the specific number or group of numbers that you bet on. The pay out for each bet is determined by its odds.
The odds and pay outs for each bet in European roulette are as follows:

• Straight bet – This is a bet on a single number. The odds of winning are 36 to 1 and it pays out at 35 to 1.

• Split bet – This is a bet on two numbers. The odds of winning are 17.5 to 1 and it pays out at 17 to 1.

• Street bet – This is a bet on three numbers. The odds of winning are 11.33 to 1 and it pays out at 11 to 1.

• Square bet (corner bet) – This is a bet on four numbers. The odds of winning are 8.25 to 1 and it pays out at 8 to 1.

• Line bet – This is a bet on six numbers. The odds of winning are 6 to 1 and it pays out at 5 to 1.

• Column bet – This is a bet that is placed on 12 numbers. The odds of winning are 2.08 to 1 and it pays out at 2 to 1.

• Dozen bet – This is a bet on a group of a dozen numbers. The odds of winning are 2.08 to 1 and it pays out at 2 to 1.

• Red or black, odd or even, high or low bets – These are all bets on groups of 18 numbers. All of these bets have odds of winning that are 1.01 to 1. They all pay out at 1 to 1 and so are referred to as even money bets.

The difference between the pay out and the odds for a particular bet is known as the house edge or the house advantage.