Roulette is arguably the most famous casino game. Most people can identify a Roulette wheel even if they have never played it before! But while the game might seem simple at first glance, it’s more complicated than you may first think. If you like strategy board games where you need to think through turns carefully, you’ll likely enjoy roulette.
In this guide, we’ll be taking you through everything you need to know. Is it simply a game of chance? Or are there strategies you can use that can help you win? Let’s take a closer look at Roulette to find out.
What is Roulette?
Roulette means little wheel in French, which fits because the game originated in France during the 18th century. The Roulette wheel the game is played with has taken many forms throughout the years as well.
The design used today is considered the standard design in most countries, although there are a few variations. For example, there will often be a green double 00 square on the wheel in American casinos.
Despite its size and the unusual equipment understanding the basics of Roulette is quite simple. You make bets with chips in the game, and you’re betting on what the wheel will land on. Now there are many different kinds of bets you can make.
Many people think Roulette is all about betting on a number. But you can bet on groups of numbers, colors, and more. Now betting on a single number is much riskier but will wield a greater reward than betting on a color.
Playing Roulette in a casino is going to be a slightly different experience than playing at home. In casinos, the game is played on large Roulette tables, and typically many people all play at once.
A dealer will operate the wheel and call the bets. While at-home games will use the same rules, things will likely be a bit smaller. So, if you fancy playing Roulette at home with friends and family, let’s talk about what you need.
What You’ll Need To Play
Roulette might seem like an odd choice for at-home gaming. But it can be a lot of fun, especially if you’re playing with a group of friends. You will need some equipment to play Roulette; it’s not a simple two-player card game after all.
But you don’t need a huge Roulette table to play either! You’ll need a Roulette wheel, table cloth, and some Poker chips. You can find Roulette sets that often include all three of these things as well.
For example, this Da Vinci 16-Inch Roulette Wheel Game Set includes everything you need. Before we look at the Roulette rules and strategies, let’s take a quick look at how the equipment works.
Roulette Wheel
The Roulette wheel is, of course, the main component of the game. The wheel features many numbered segments from 00 to 36. The 1 – 36 segments are separated into two colors, red and black.
The 00 square is green; when every player has made their bet/s, the dealer will spin the wheel. A small ball is thrown into the wheel and when the wheel stops spinning, whatever it lands on is the winning bet.
In casinos, Roulette wheels are typically quite large. At-home models will be much smaller, but they work the same way. The small ball you place in the wheel will be included alongside the wheel.
Roulette Table Cloth
A Roulette table cloth is a replica of what you’ll find on a roulette table. It’s essentially where you’ll place your chips to signal your bet. The tablecloth will feature colored blocks to symbolize each number and a range of other betting squares.
These can vary, but you’ll often find squares that symbolize bets like just red or black or odd or even numbers. Or blocks that allow you to bet on groups of numbers like 1 – 12 or 19 – 36 to give you just some examples.
While a table cloth will often be included in a Roulette set, they can also be purchased separately. This Brybelly table cloth would make a fine choice, and it can also be used for Blackjack games as well.
Poker Chips
Poker chips are used to place your bets for at-home games of Roulette. You won’t need different kinds to represent various values. But we do recommend getting a relatively more extensive set like this chip set from Okuna Outpost.
Roulette Rules and Gameplay
The Aim of The Game
When you’re playing in a casino, Roulette is very much a single-player game. However, things will likely be a bit more competitive for at-home games since you’ll want to win more chips than your opponents. So, to win, you simply need to balance risk vs. reward and make intelligent bets.
The Set-Up
For at-home Roulette games, we find between 2 – 6 players works best. In casinos, most tables will only allow up to 7 players. One player should act as the dealer; to make things fair, we find it’s best for them to be independent.
This means they won’t make their own bets on the table. The dealer should start the game by giving every player the same number of Poker chips. They then give players a short time to make their bets. They’ll then call “no more bets” and then spin the Roulette wheel.
Once the wheel is finished spinning, they declare the number it landed on to the rest of the players. The dealer will also be responsible for then taking any losing chips and giving out any to the winners. This brings us to the next point, namely the many different kinds of bets you can make in Roulette.
Roulette Bets
Roulette is a high-risk vs reward game. Do you bet on a single number to win more chips or bet on whether the number will be red or black? The latter bet is more likely to win, but you’ll win fewer chips.
Now bets in Roulette are split into two different categories inside bets and outside bets. Outside bets are more likely to result in a win, but they’ll reward you with fewer chips. We’ve laid out the different bets below.
Outside Bets
If you want to win big, then outside bets are for you! However, while you’ll get a much better reward, the odds of winning are much lower. There are several different outside bets you can make, which we’ve laid out below.
Straight Up: With this bet, you place a chip on a single number. If the Roulette wheel lands on your number, you will win 35 to 1 per chip.
Split Bet: A split bet is when you place a chip between two numbers. If either number wins, you win 17 to 1 per chip.
Triple Bet: Like a split bet but across three numbers. You bet by placing your chip on the outside line across three numbers. If you win with either number, you win 11 to 1.
Square Bet: The square bet is a bet of four numbers. The bet is made by placing a chip in the center on four digits. You win 8 to 1 if the wheel lands on one of your numbers.
Inside Bets
Inside bets are much less risky, but they won’t win you nearly as many chips. But then again, sometimes playing it safe is going to be the best course of action.
Red or Black: Your Roulette table cloth will have a red and black square. Place your chip/s on either the red or black to make your bet. This is an even-money bet, so only one-to-one.
Odd or Even: Place your chips on the odd or even mark to make your bet. This is again an even money one-to-one bet, and the 0/ 00 doesn’t count.
High or Low: This is when you bet on the 1 – 18 or 19 – 36 numbers. This a one-to-one bet, and again the 0/00 doesn’t count.
Column Bet: At the end of each column of numbers they’ll be a space to bet on all of the numbers. You can bet on one of the three columns, and the reward is 2 to 1.
Roulette Strategies
Roulette is very much a game of luck. Because of this, inside bets are likely to be your go-to. For at-home games, the best way to guarantee your odds of victory is to build up chips using different inside bets.
Betting on individual columns will net you slightly more chips but are a bit riskier. When you have built up more chips, you should try moving to outside bets. Just a few wins on square or triple bets can give you enough chips to win.
Roulette – A Casino Classic!
So, that’s everything you need to know about the classic casino game Roulette. This is a fun group game you can easily enjoy with groups of friends at home. It also makes a fun bachelor party game as well. If you enjoy balancing risk vs. reward strategies in games, then Roulette is sure to be a fun time.
