Online Roulette: How to Play and Tips
Roulette is one of the most popular games at both online and land-based casinos. Online roulette versions have attracted lots of players because they are much easier to access and play. In this guide, we’ll find information about roulette history and learn how to play roulette online. There’s also a section focusing on roulette strategy and tips.
About Online Roulette
If you are new to online roulette, you’ll be thrilled to learn that it’s one of the simplest games to understand and play. Roulette online games are just software versions of the roulette variants you’d find in a brick-and-mortar casino near you. Thus, you can expect to see a spinning roulette wheel, a table with numbers, and a ball that’s tossed onto the spinning wheel.
One of the reasons why online roulette games are gaining popularity is that players don’t need to travel or spend anything to train. Almost every online casino with roulette games will let you play free online roulette. You only need to visit the casino site, look for the available roulette versions, and load the demo version to practice without spending a single cent.
Another interesting thing about online roulette games is that some can be played alone while others can be played with live dealers. Live casino versions will make you feel like someone playing in a real-life casino without incurring travel expenses. Also, online roulette can be played using Windows PCs, iPhones, iPads, Mac, Android phones or tablets.
History of Roulette
Before we get to the gaming part, we’ll first talk about how the game of roulette came into existence. The available evidence suggests that roulette was invented in 1655 by a French physicist and inventor known as Blaise Pascal. This was an unplanned invention because Pascal was trying to design a perpetual motion machine. Such a machine would operate without an external source of energy, which is impossible according to physics laws.
It’s also said that the initial game did not have a zero pocket until the 19th century. The zero was introduced in the early 1840s when Francois and Lois Blanc added a single zero to the roulette wheel. Surprisingly, the zero had a significant impact on the game because it increased the house edge. In the same century, roulette found its way to America, where added an extra zero pocket (00). And that’s why American Roulette has two zero/green pockets (0 and 00) while European Roulette and French Roulette have one zero/green pocket (0).
How to Play Online Roulette
To play roulette online, you have to join an online casino using your computer or mobile device. Then, you need to choose your payment method and deposit the minimum amount required to play at the chosen casino. The next step is to navigate to the table games section and choose the roulette variant you wish to play. It could be an RNG software version that you can play alone or a live dealer roulette game that you can play with a live dealer via a video stream.
Once you load the chosen game, you need to place your bet. The dealer or software will then spin the wheel and toss a ball onto it. You must correctly guess where the ball will land once the roulette wheel stops spinning. If you are lucky, go to the payments area and cash out. But before you can even start playing roulette online, you need to understand how the game works and the different types of bets. We’ll talk about that in the following sections.
Get Familiar with the Roulette Wheel, Numbers & Layout
Today, almost every online roulette game you can play at online casinos is based on American, European, or French Roulette. And you should be aware of the notable differences in terms of layout. As mentioned earlier, the American version has two green pockets (0 and 00). European and French roulette games are generally better because they only have a single zero pocket (0), which lowers the house edge.
Besides the single zero and double zero pockets, the roulette wheel and the table have the numbers 1 to 36 written on them. The zero pockets are green in colour, while the rest alternate between black and red. Also, the roulette table is subdivided into several sections that you can bet on, including the 1st 12, the 2nd 12, the 3rd 12, 1 to 18, 19 to 36, Red, Black, Odd, and Even.
Understand Online Roulette Rules Beforehand
For someone who is playing roulette online for the first time, the rules are easy to grasp. They are even easier to understand if you’ve played roulette games at a physical casino because the basic rules and types of bets are the same. However, it’s important to mention that French Roulette comes with some extra rules.
The most common additional rules in French Roulette are the La Partage rule and the En Prison. When playing online roulette with the La Partage rule, you get a chance to receive half of your bets back on even money when the zero is called. On the other hand, the En Prison rule allows you to bet “in prison” if you place outside bets and the ball lands zero. Here, outside bets have an attractive house edge of 1.35%.
The Aim of the Game
The goal of playing roulette is straightforward – you only need to predict where a ball thrown onto a spinning roulette wheel will rest. Bets can be placed on different parts of the roulette table. Wagers placed on numbers on the table are called inside bets. Such bets are difficult to win but have the highest payout of 35:1. Bets placed outside the table are known as outside bets. They are easier to win, but they are less lucrative than inside bets.
French and European roulette games have additional bets known as announced bets or call bets. You can access these bets by opening the racetrack when playing roulette online. With that said, the following table summarizes the most common types of bets in online roulette.
Roulette Bet | Type | Description and Payout |
Straight Bet | Inside | Any bet placed on a single number on the roulette table (35:1) |
Split Bet | Inside | A bet placed between two adjacent numbers on the table (17:1) |
Street Bet | Inside | A bet on three consecutive numbers where the chip is placed on the outer corner (11:1) |
Five Bet or Basket | Inside | Wagering on the numbers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 (6:1) |
Corner Bet | Inside | Betting on four neighbouring numbers by placing the chip where the four numbers meet (8:1) |
Six Line Bet | Inside | Placing two neighbouring street bets (5:1) |
Red or Black | Outside | Bet on whether the winning number is red or black |
Odd or Even | Outside | Predict whether the winning number is Odd or Even |
High or Low | Outside | Bet on the winning number to be between 1 and 18 or 19 and 36 |
Dozen Bet | Outside | A bet covering the numbers 1 to 12, 13 to 24, or 25 to 36 (2:1) |
Column Bet | Outside | Betting on numbers in any of the three columns (2:1) |
Voisins du Zéro (neighbours of zero) | Call Bet | Bet on 17 numbers close to and including the zero pocket. This includes corner, trio, and split bets |
Jeu Zero | Call Bet | Betting on numbers that are closest to the zero pocket |
Tiers du Cylindre | Call Bet | A bet on 12 numbers between 27 and 33 on the wheel with 6 chips |
Orphelins (Orphans) | Call Bet | Betting on 8 numbers that are next to each other on the wheel. These numbers include 1, 20, 14, 31, 9 17, 34, and 6 |
Roulette Strategy & Tips
All in all, roulette is mostly about getting lucky because it involves a lot of guesswork. But you can take certain steps to become a better player. When playing online as a beginner, remember to start with free online roulette to learn the basics. Once you are ready, choose European Roulette because the house edge is friendlier than American Roulette. And don’t forget that outside bets are easier to win because they pay more often than inside bets. Last but not least, create a budget and follow it.
Online Roulette FAQ
- What are Neighbour Bets in Roulette?
A neighbour bet in roulette is a wager placed on 5 numbers next to each other on the roulette wheel.
- Who Invented Roulette?
It’s believed that French physicist and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, invented the roulette wheel.
- How Many Types of Roulette are There?
The three major types of roulette are American Roulette, European Roulette, and French Roulette. Most roulette online games are based on these versions.
- What Is The Difference Between American and European Roulette?
American Roulette has two zero/green pockets (0 and 00), while European Roulette has one zero pocket (0). For this reason, the European version has a more favourable house edge than American Roulette.
- How Much Does 00 Pay in Roulette?
The double zero (00) is found in American Roulette and pays 35:1 just like any other single number.
- What Does Green Pay in Roulette?
A bet placed on green (0 or 00) has a payout of 35:1. However, the payout reduces to 17:1 if you bet on both 0 and 00 in American Roulette.
- What is the Safest Bet in Roulette?
Bets with approximately 50% chances of winning are considered the safest bets when playing roulette outline. This includes betting on even/odd, high/low, or red/black.