Exciting, thrilling and easy to learn, it’s no wonder that roulette is one of the most popular casino table games. Played worldwide, the game attracts a lively and comradery atmosphere that other table games struggle to replicate. Due to its fun and social nature, the past few decades have seen roulette go from casino halls to living rooms as the accessibility of home roulette tables has become more significant. Here are the ins and outs of roulette and how to play it from home.
The Basics of Roulette
Simple and quick to set up, all you need is a sturdy table and of course, the betting layout, spinning wheel, ball and chips. The wheel you use will dictate which version of roulette you play. An American roulette wheel is made up of 38 numbers — including 0 and 00, which are colored green — while a European wheel has 37 numbers — with just a single green 0. Once a croupier has been picked, all that’s left to do is spin the wheel.
Betting Rules
While the game is simple to play, deciding where to place your bets and how much you’ll be paid if your bet is successful can get a bit tricky. When you play at a brick-and-mortar or online casino, you don’t need to know the payouts on any of your bets. But when you play at home, someone at the party will need to know them.
When betting, you can either stake your money on odd or even numbers, low or high numbers (1–18 or 19–36,) and red or black or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can choose green and enjoy a 35:1 payout, meaning if you stake $10, you’ll win $350. Here lies the objective of the game: you choose a bet, stake your money and watch the ball effortlessly glide around the wheel to find out the result.
Regarding betting options, it’s worth understanding roulette terminology to understand the proper terms used to declare a bet.
Outside Bets
In outside bets, the odds are even (1:1.) Instead of choosing a single number, it refers to colors or groups such as odd or even, high or low and red or black. And if you want to impress your friends with your newfound knowledge, you can even bet on dozens: 1–12, 13–24 and 25–36.
Moreover, you can choose from one of the three columns, which is the only outside bet that will double your money (2:1:)
- Column 1: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34
- Column 2: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 25
- Column 3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36
Inside Bets
While outside bets focus on grouping, inside bets are all about specific numbers, with the biggest payout being a straight-up bet. At 35:1 odds, it entails you picking a single number.
If you want to improve your chances of winning, you can make a split bet which comes in at 17:1 odds. Here, you’re choosing two numbers that are next to each other on the layout (the cloth-covered betting area), such as 1 and 2 or 13 and 14. Then there’s a street bet that offers 11:1 odds, which means choosing a row of three (1, 2 ,3 or 10, 11, 12.)
Other inside bets include a corner bet which pays 8:1. Here, you’re placing your chips on four different numbers via the layout, such as 2, 3, 5, 6. Lastly, a line bet which has 5:1 odds, occurs when you bet on two rows of three numbers, such as 1-6 and 4-9
Call Bets
So, what is a call bet in roulette? Firstly, it’s important to remember that call bets only occur in European casinos. This is the action of calling out your bet rather than placing your chips on the layout. A great way to spread your bets, you’ll notice call bets include a variety of the bets mentioned above. If successful, the same odds apply. For instance, if you call “Voisins du Zero” and the ball lands on either of your split bets, you’ll activate its 17:1 odds. The only catch is that you’re required to stake more money than making a single bet.
Since call bets originated in France, the sayings are in French, such as “Voisins du Zero” which translates to “neighbors to zero.” While the bet focuses on numbers closest to 0, one must place a minimum of nine chips to activate the bet. For example, two chips are placed on 0, 2, 3, one chip each (split bet) on 4 and 7, 12 and 15, 18 and 21, 19 and 22, 32 and 35 and a further two chips on 25, 26, 28, 29 (corner bet.)
A “Jeu Zéro” (zero game) requires four chips: three chips on 0 and 3, 12 and 15, 32 and 35 (split bet,) and one chip on number 26 (straight-up bet.) Then there’s “Tiers du Cylindre” (thirds of the wheel) which includes staking six split bets: 5 and 8, 10 and 11, 13 and 16, 23 and 24 and 33 and 36.
Lastly, another call bet includes “Orphelins,” which includes eight numbers: 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31 and 34. Here you’re required to place four split bets (6 and 9, 14 and 17, 17 and 20, 31 and 34,) and one straight-up bet (number 1.)
For beginners, it’s worth having a list of the betting options with you to avoid wasting time. And once you’ve mastered the understanding of these options, you can move on to the more complex bets, such as a final bet (which includes betting on all numbers ending with the same digit) or a maximum bet (the highest amount of money you can stake.)
Tips for Playing at Home
Before inviting your friends over for a game, you need to buy the kit. As daunting as this may seem, fear not — they’re very accessible online. Providers like Amazon have a variety of roulette sets to choose from at a very reasonable price.
Once you have this sorted, it’s time to host. A good tip to ensure a seamless game is writing the rules and betting options on a piece of paper so your friends can see. Remember, just because you know the rules doesn’t mean others do.
It’s important to remember that playing roulette should be fun and exciting. So, to create a lively atmosphere, be sure to have an assortment of snacks and drinks to carry you through the evening. Set limits such as minimum and maximum bets, so people can gauge how much money they should bring. And if you’re feeling extra inspired, come up with a dress-up theme to lighten the mood.
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