Roulette certainly needs no introduction. It is the most popular gambling game of all and you can play it in almost all traditional and online casinos. Roulette is one of the games of pure chance because it is mainly a game of luck. Although there are several roulette systems and strategies that attempt to reduce the importance of luck and increase your chances of winning, in the long run the odds are always against you. However, this should not prevent you from enjoying the game of roulette to the fullest.
It is not very clear when and how roulette was created as such. The only thing known for certain is that the first accounts of roulette as a game of chance come from the first half of the 18th century in France. Since its inception, roulette has come a long way and is now known and popular all over the world.
History of roulette
Roulette rules
Roulette casino advantage
Tips for playing roulette
Truth About Betting Systems
FAQ on how to play roulette.
History of Roulette
Roulette means “little wheel” in French. Under this name lies the number game, created in Europe in the 18th century, based on ancient, long-forgotten entertainment games.
Like many other games, the history of roulette is also linked to ancient China. A game of chance with a wheel containing individual squares with animal iconography. The entire wheel was topped with the stone bearing the number 666, one of the luckiest figures in Chinese culture. It is the Dominican monks who are responsible for exchanging animals for numbers – this is because of their attempt to make the game more attractive.
The British game « EO » and the Italian « Hoca » are probably the closest ancestors. Both games included a set of 40 pockets/holes on the game table and a ball that indicated the winning field. In the EO, the area was divided into even/odd lots, in the Hoca, the pockets were numbered. It is also worth noting that there were special boxes in both games (two fields for EO, and three zeros for Hoca). If the ball ended up in one of these fields, all players’ bets were lost. The game also had a house edge.
Roulette in Europe
Roulette, as we know it today, was developed in the late 18th century in France and its colonies.
In 1796, a French novel written by Jaques Lableén, entitled « La Roulette, Ou le Jour », was created. The game and its mechanics were described in detail, including the two boxes for the banker (0, 00).
Blaise Pascal (1624-1662), French mathematician and scientist, is linked to the creation of the principle of roulette. Initially, he tried to build a mobile Perpetuum mechanism, but the wheel was useless due to friction, and it became a gaming device.
There is a myth about Blaise Pascal. Some people say that he made a pact with the devil, who revealed to him the secret of roulette and referred to the sum of 666. If you hear this story, just smile and leave quietly like the people do. Dominican monks.
Until 1842, gambling in France was considered a « hobby non grata » and therefore absolutely undesirable. Two French brothers, François and Louis Blanc, moved to the German spa town of Homburg to open a casino. However, in order to avoid the decline in popularity of roulette, mainly due to the high house edge, they decided to take a very drastic step. They removed the 00 from the wheel. The value of the house edge thus fell from 5.26% to 2.7%, which was more acceptable. And this is how European roulette was created.
The success of the casino inspired King Charles III of Monaco. He granted licenses to Louis Blanc to replicate their casino in Monte Carlo. This is how the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) and the world’s first modern casino hotel complex were created.
The Growing Popularity of Roulette
The rest is history. After roulette with a single zero became a pastime of the European aristocracy, its double-zero version came to the United States thanks to French settlers. They brought it down the Mississippi River to Louisiana, and it quickly became the cornerstone of the game in the United States. Therefore, double zero roulette is now known around the world as American roulette.
Nowadays, double zero roulette is played in North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, while single zero roulette is famous all over the world.
The history of roulette is a grand fairy tale of a true queen of the game. She was born in ancient China, traveled across Europe, crossed the ocean to Quebec, and then on to Louisiana, then on the Las Vegas Strip to the smartphone in his pocket.
Nowadays, we recognize two types of roulette. First, there is traditional European roulette with a single green zero. The other one you can find is American roulette with two zeros. Although the difference may seem insignificant at first, it turns out that this is not the case. An extra pocket – and especially a zero – has a great influence on the casino’s advantage and, therefore, on payouts and odds.
House edge for American roulette – 5.26%
House edge for European roulette – 2.7%.
Learn the Roulette Rules and Winning Probabilities
The first thing you will see are the different types of roulette bets. For complete beginners, we have prepared a list of all the basic bets that can be found on the roulette table.
Basic roulette bets
Paris Straight Up – Bet on a single number. Possible gain of 35:1.
Split – Bet on two neighboring numbers. Possible gain of 17:1.
Street – Bet on three neighboring numbers. Possible gain of 11:1.
Square – Bet on four neighboring numbers. Possible gain of 8:1.
Sixain – Bet on two lines (“street”). Possible gain of 5:1.
Dozen – Bet on “First Dozen”, “Second Dozen” or “Third Dozen”. Possible gain of 2:1.
Column – Bet on a column of 12 numbers. Possible gain of 2:1.
High/Low – “1 to 18” (low numbers) or “19 to 36” (high numbers). Possible gain of 1:1.
Red / Black – Focus exclusively on color. Possible gain of 1:1.
Even / Odd – Bet exclusively on the parity of the winning number. Possible gain of 1:1.
Bets can be combined with each other to cover any part of the playing field. It is of course possible to make bets on the entire table. These bets are nevertheless profitable, and the gain in the best case will cover the loss of non-winning chips. The most popular bets in roulette are the so-called fair bets (flush, even x odd, high x low) with almost a 50% chance of success. However, the house edge in roulette is the same for almost all bets.
The best ways to learn are to try. Play roulette online for free and try all possible bets without the risk of losing money.
Types of roulette
In the world of games of chance, we distinguish 2 types of roulette.
American roulette
There are 38 pockets on American roulette. The numbers range from 1 to 36, plus 0 and 00. Bets are the same as other types of roulette, except that there is a special bet, where you can bet on 5 numbers. The winning rate for this variant is 5.26%. The five-number special bet has a winning rate of up to 7.89%. American roulette is therefore quite unfavorable for the player.
Bet | Profit | Probability | Win rate
Red | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26%
Black | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26%
Even | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26%
Odd | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26%
1-18 | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26%
19-36 | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26%
Dozen | 2|31.58%|5.26%
Square|5|15.79%|5.26%
Top five|6|13.16%|7.89%
Transverse square|8|10.53%|5.26%
Simple transversal|11|7.89%|5.26%
Chaval (horse)|17|5.26%|5.26%
Full (full number)|35|2.63%|5.26%.
European roulette
Unlike its American version, European roulette only has 37 pockets. To be precise, there are numbers from 1 to 36 and a zero on the game board. The house edge also decreases with fewer numbers and is set at 2.7%. So, whenever you visit a casino, whether online or land-based, look for European roulette first.
Setting
Gain
Probability
House edge
Red
1
48.6%
2.7%
Black
1
48.6%
2.7%
Peer
1
48.6%
2.7%
Odd
1
48.6%
2.7%
1-18
1
48.6%
2.7%
19-36
1
48.6%
2.7%
Dozen
2
32.4%
2.7%
Simple transverse
5
16.2%
2.7%
Square
8
10.8%
2.7%
Transverse square
11
8.1%
2.7%
Sixainne
17
5.4%
2.7%
Full/In full
35
2.7%
2.7%
On very rare occasions, you may come across a European roulette that offers two very special rules:
In prison (La Partage)
The two rules are basically quite similar and say that if a player places an even bet and the number is 0, half of the bet is returned to them (La Partage) or half of the bet remains for the next round (En Prison ). These two rules are, however, very unusual these days and are found almost exclusively in French casinos.
Rules for call roulette bets
Since you can bet at roulette by covering a certain number of roulette screens with your bets, there are also « called bets », which are bets that you declare to the dealer, give him several chips and he bets them for you .
In addition to basic bets, in some cases you can also place so-called « called » bets. These are predefined combinations of bets on individual numbers adjacent to each other on roulette.
These bets are placed by asking the player to prepare some chips, announce the name of the bet and have them prepared by the dealer. At this point it is good to say that the dealer only places them on the table if it is European roulette, if he knows these bets and above all if he has time to prepare them. If you are familiar with these bets, you can place them on the table yourself.
Game 0 (Zero)
Numbers covered: 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15
Bet: 4 chips
Neighbors of zero
Numbers covered: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2.25
Bet: 9 chips
Orphans
Numbers covered: 17,34,6,1,20,14,31,9
Bet:5 chips
Third party
Numbers covered: 33, 16, 24, 5, 10, 23, 8, 30, 11,36,13,27
Bet: 6 chips
The five number bet
American roulette offers a bet called the five number bet. As the name suggests, it covers 5 numbers, namely the first 5 roulette numbers (0,00,1,2,3). This bet has become very popular, even though it has a high house edge. Therefore, the player should bet it rarely and only when he feels lucky.
The logic behind the layout of the numbers on the roulette wheel
In both American and European roulette, the numerical values are arranged differently than their arithmetic value would suggest. To make things more difficult, the arrangement of the numbers is different for the two types of roulettes. This is one of the secrets of roulette. Far from being pure chance, the arrangement of the wheel is a completely premeditated act aimed at achieving several objectives:
Player Confusion
It is very difficult for new players to form a mental image of a roulette wheel and correctly understand the relationship between the numbers.
The colors on the wheel must alternate
The same rule applies to two consecutive numbers. It applies to both American roulette and European roulette.
Low numbers (1-18) and high numbers (19-36) should alternate as much as possible
In European roulette, there is only one part of the wheel where this rule is broken, and that is when two low 5s and 10s meet. In American roulette, there are several such sectors. This is why European roulette is considered more balanced.
Evens and odd
The numbers must be distributed evenly around the wheel so that there are no more than two even or odd numbers in a row.
💡 Two interesting asymmetries in European roulette
If you cut from 0 to average in half, on the left side you will find all the low black numbers and all the high red numbers. On the right side you will find all the high black numbers and the low red numbers.
In the sector of nine numbers 29-7-28-12-35-3-26-0-32, you will not find a number from the second dozen.
The House Edge for Roulette
Roulette is one of the most popular games of chance that can be found in a casino. However, this game also has one of the biggest house advantages. So how does the house edge work in roulette?
The value of the house edge is the same for each roulette bet. It therefore depends on the variant you choose, as you will be subject to a certain house advantage accordingly.
💡 Note: The only bet that has a different advantage value is the bet on the five numbers in American roulette (0, 00, 1, 2 and 3). The house edge for this bet is 7.89%, which is the worst house edge among classic roulette variations.
So, as you already know, there are three basic versions of roulette. However, American roulette is the only one that has double the value of European and French roulette.
So if you have the choice between the American and European versions of the game, always choose the European version, because it is more profitable. You also have a better chance of winning at the game.
Why the house edge is different in European and American roulette
How to play roulette: analysis, tips and strategies | AnyGamble
American roulette has an extra « 00 » which you won’t find in the European and French versions. But the payouts are the same for all versions, so an extra zero will just set you back a lot more. A quick example: let’s say you bet €10 on red and €10 on black. The total stake is then worth €20. It’s a completely stupid bet, but that’s not what interests us now. In European roulette, there are 36 black and red numbers and only one green number 0. The odds of winning €20 are 36/37, but the odds of losing are only 1/37. You win if the ball lands on a red or black number. You only lose if the ball falls on the green 0. However, there is another green number in American roulette, and that is 00. Additionally, there are 36 other black and red numbers. As you can see, the odds of losing are 2/38. So, if you compare the odds of losing, you get the following figures: European roulette = 1/37 American roulette = 2/38 The odds of losing are almost twice as high for American roulette, and this is only due to the double additional zero. ❓ Why do online casinos offer American roulette? That’s a very good question. Of course, if you have a choice, you will always choose European roulette over American roulette. Because you have a much higher chance of winning. But why do most casinos still offer the worst roulette option? The answer: Players who are not very familiar with roulette always choose American roulette. If you don’t know about the double house edge in American roulette, you really have no reason not to play this game. So if roulette is played by players who don’t know much about roulette, online casinos will continue to offer American roulette. In fact, casinos make money this way very easily. Another reason could also be that Americans are very patriotic and therefore won’t play European roulette after all. ❓ What does the casino edge actually mean? As we already know, one roulette has an edge of 2.7%, the other has an edge of 5.26%. What do these numbers tell players? The answer: The percentages represent the portion of your bets you should lose. So, on average, this portion goes to the casino. Let’s take a simple example. If you bet €10 on a single spin of European roulette, in the long run you will lose 2.7% of your stake. In our case, it is exactly €0.27. But beware. This does not mean that you lose exactly €0.27. You can only lose or win the entire roulette bet. This figure represents the average loss on the game. This therefore means that during a gaming session, you should theoretically lose the house advantage. If you bet €100,000 on roulette over a certain period of time, you can expect to lose on average €2,700.
How to calculate the house edge in roulette
To calculate the house edge in roulette, you must first calculate what is called Expected Value. Expected Value is a mathematical value that tells us « how big a gain or loss can be expected in the long term. »
💡 The formula is as follows:
Expected Value = (loss x probability) + (gain x probability)
So, to calculate the expected value (and therefore the house edge) of a bet, you need to know these two things:
The probability of winning and the amount you will win.
The probability of losing and the amount you will lose.
Calculation of expectations in roulette
Suppose we bet €100 on European roulette. If we win, we get an additional €100. But if we lose, we also lose €100. It is very simple.
So all we need to know at this point is the probability of winning or the probability of losing.
📌 In European roulette, there are 37 possible outcomes (numbers 1 to 36, plus a green zero). So in total, there are 37 possible outcomes. On the wheel, there are 18 red numbers, 18 black numbers and a green zero. Let’s do a quick recap assuming we’re betting on red.
Probability of winning: 18/37 (red numbers)
Probability of losing: 19/37 (black numbers + green zero)
At this point we have a summary of the results. Now just substitute these numbers into the formula.
Expectancy = (Loss x probability) + (Gain x probability)
Expectation = (-100€ x 19/37) + (100€ x 18/37)
Expectation = (-51.35€) + (48.65€)
Expectation = -2.70€
So, on average, we lose €2.70 on this €100 bet. It’s unexpected, isn’t it? Because this value corresponds perfectly to the house edge in European roulette: 2.70%.
Fact: If roulette did not have a zero (0 or 00) and the payouts remained the same, such a game would have no house edge.
What are the ways to play roulette?
📌 Mobile Roulette One way to play this very popular gambling game is to play on a mobile device. The advantage of mobile roulette is the fact that you can play it anywhere and anytime. All you need is the right mobile device and an internet connection. Thanks to mobile roulette, you can have fun whenever you want. And these days, we always have our mobile devices at our fingertips 24/7, so there are no limits at all.
📌 Live Roulette Have you ever wished you could bring the classic land-based casino to your living room or office? This once seemed impossible, but today it is a reality. And this is thanks to live casinos, which most reputable casinos already offer. With a live dealer, you can play live poker, blackjack, baccarat and even roulette. You just need to register at an online casino that offers live casino, select the Live Casino section, choose roulette and that’s it. Thanks to the webcam you can see the entire table and the dealer with whom you can also chat. Just like with other players. As you can see, today you can have a land-based casino right in your apartment.
📌 Classic Roulette But you will never have the best gaming experience than in a land-based casino on classic roulette. This is the only way to enjoy the good atmosphere, excitement and celebration of winnings. Plus, it has other benefits. At larger casinos, you get free food and drinks with your play. If you’re a regular player and bet big, you might even get a room or a ticket to a show. Some players only play roulette at land-based casinos because of the social aspect and atmosphere. But there is a small problem. In most land-based casinos you will only find the American version of roulette, which has a much higher casino edge than the European version. American roulette has a 5.26% advantage for the casino, while in European roulette the casino only has a 2.7% advantage over the player.
📌 Online Roulette We’ve already talked about live roulette and mobile roulette today, but what about classic online roulette? Because there are still players who simply prefer to play the classic game at a regular online casino on their computer or laptop. The biggest advantage of such a game is the screen size. After all, a computer or laptop screen is much larger than your cell phone or tablet. So if you play roulette from home, you will probably choose this option too. This is probably the most convenient way to play.
📌 Chat Roulette If you don’t have a land-based casino nearby, don’t despair just yet. You still have the opportunity to play roulette with other players and share your gaming experience with them. And this is thanks to Chat Roulette.
Truth About Roulette Betting Systems
Since the beginning of gambling history, players have sought to develop a system that will help them beat the house edge and guarantee them unlimited profits. Even some of the most brilliant minds in history were so fascinated by casino games that they tried to figure out how to beat them. One of them was, for example, the famous mathematician Blaise Pascal, who developed the theory of probability.
Even Albert Einstein was so fascinated by roulette that he tried to beat it. After spending some time on the issue, he concluded that there was only one possible way: « The only way to beat roulette is to steal money when the dealer is looking away. » In a sense, he was undoubtedly right. His point was simple – there is no way to work out a mathematical betting setup that can beat the house edge.
Betting systems based on how to increase or decrease stakes are sometimes called money management strategies. Most of these systems fall into two categories:
– Negative progression systems
– Systems with positive progression.
➖ Negative progression
These systems consist of increasing bets after losing a game, hoping to recover your money after a victory. These systems are risky because a player can lose all their money after a series of defeats. The most popular system of this type is Martingale, which involves doubling bets after losing a game.
Martingale is the first betting system ever invented, and it would work if the player has an unlimited amount of money and there are no betting limits on the roulette table.
➕ Positive Progress
The most basic betting strategy is to bet more after a win and less after a loss. Unfortunately, it’s easy to tell because you never know what series is going to happen until it ends. A simple way to bet more after a win is to gradually increase your stakes after winning a game and reduce your stake to the minimum after a loss. This method is called a positive progression system. If you are trying a system, we recommend this type because you cannot quickly get beaten down by a long losing streak with these systems.
Can Betting Systems Work?
Many experts claim that a positive progression system will not make you more money than a constant betting system in the long term. This is true, but the question remains how many games can be considered a long-term prospect. If you play a limited number of games (and almost everyone plays because no one can play an infinite number of games), positive progress can earn you money if you have a lucky streak of wins.
You can use this betting method with any game, but positive progression works best in Craps. With this game, there are many cases where the shooter goes on a winning streak, and you can use this progression to increase your winnings.
The positive progression won’t hurt you because you only increase your stakes if you win. So if you want to try a system, we recommend this type of progression.
Why Betting Systems Do Not Work
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Why Do People Think Betting Systems Work?
Many people believe that roulette systems work because they have a relatively fundamental understanding of basic mathematical principles. This lack of awareness is great for people trying to sell roulette systems; unfortunately, it is no longer as advantageous for players who try their luck with them.
A classic example is the most famous negative progression system – Martingale. This system requires you to bet on one event (for example, on red in roulette, although in reality you can change color and the result will be practically the same) and double your bet after each loss.
When you finally win, your profit will be the original stake, so if you start, for example, with $5, you just get that $5.
This example illustrates an error in understanding basic game mechanics or the law of numbers, which says that although an event, in the long run, is about 50 to 50, a significant deviation can occur in the short term. term.
The black color in roulette can appear five times, ten times or even fifteen times in a row, and this is what destroys the player’s system, who is thus forced to bet more than he can afford or more than what is allowed.
How to Play Roulette FAQ
Yes, it is possible to play roulette online for real money. There are several ways to play roulette online. You can try roulette for free in our games section. Or you can play roulette for real money at a licensed online casino. How to do ? Find a trusted online casino site offering online roulette. Log in and deposit money into your casino account. Head over to the table games/roulette section and play. For more information, see our article on how to register with an online casino.
What number comes up most often in roulette? There is no number that stands out statistically. The results of individual rounds are determined by the Random Number Generator. If you play at a licensed casino, the numbers are distributed fairly. This means that you have the same chances no matter what number you bet on.
How to win every time at online roulette? You can cover all the boxes. For example, bet on red, black and zero. But, in this case, you don’t generate any profit, at least not in the long term. Unless you are very lucky, there is no way to win every time at online roulette. This is how roulette works.
What is the best strategy for roulette? First of all, we must say that there is no effective long-term strategy. But there are many betting systems that should minimize your losses. The most popular is the Martingale betting system, which tells you to double your stake after each loss and wager the original stake after each win. Never forget the first rule of gambling – never play with money you cannot lose. This is actually the best strategy for roulette.
What is the best bet in roulette? It depends on what you mean by “best bet in roulette”. Regarding the frequency of winnings, the best bets are the so-called « fair » bets, which have the highest probability of winning (48.65% for European roulette / 47.37% for American roulette). Fair Bets: Red/Black Odd/Even High/Low If you want to be more specific, you can compare the house edge for each bet. European roulette with one of the following rules – En Prison or La Partage – has the best house edge of 1.35%. You want to know more ? Read our article on the best roulette bets.
Is roulette rigged? It depends on the online casino. If the casino is licensed and uses software tested by an independent company, then no. In this case, the roulette is not rigged. Lorsque vous accédez au site du casino en ligne, vérifiez toujours tout en bas de la page où vous pouvez trouver des informations sur l’opérateur et sa licence.
Les stratégies à la roulette sont-elles illégales ? Non, les stratégies à la roulette sont tout à fait légales. Mais soyez très prudent lorsque vous avez réclamé un bonus dans les casinos en ligne. La plupart d’entre eux n’autorisent pas l’utilisation de stratégies de jeux de table ou de systèmes de paris tant que vous avez de l’argent bonus actif sur votre compte. La violation de cette règle peut annuler tous vos bonus et les gains qui en découlent.