Understanding the Roulette Rules

If you know the basic rules and bets in roulette, this classic casino game is one of the easiest and most entertaining ones you can try at Betiton UK. Although bet types are vast in this game, they’re easy to get the hang of with a little practice.

If you’re new to the roulette wheel, my Betiton online roulettte guide will teach you everything you need to know to approach the game with the right knowledge. I’ll walk you through the essential roulette table rules and the differences between the most popular types of roulette tables.

How Does Roulette Work?

Roulette is a game of chance that’s about trying to predict where the ball will land on a numbered wheel. Although different wheels with small variations exist, the way the game works is always the same.

The wheel comprises different numbered slots, and it’s usually in continuous motion. Casino chips are used to place bets on the roulette table – if you’re playing online, these will be placed ‘virtually’ on the table. The game’s croupier then throws the ball into the spinning wheel and waits for the result. The pocket in which the ball falls is the winning number/colour for that round.

Basic Rules of the Roulette Game

The first step to learning how to play roulette is understanding the essential online roulette rules that apply. This includes knowing how the elements of a roulette game work.

Roulette Table Rules

The roulette table refers to the felt table where the croupier and the players sit. In online roulette, this is the bottom part of the screen where you can see all the bets. Below is a quick summary of the table rules to remember:

• The roulette table always has the same numbers as the wheel.
• Placing your chips correctly on the table is important to avoid indicating the wrong bet.
• A marker/dolly is placed on the winning number, which can only be done by the croupier.

Roulette Wheel Rules

The roulette wheel is a wooden spinning wheel with an equal number of red and black slots. It also has one or more green pockets, depending on the number of zeros in the game.

The roulette wheel rules are summarised below:

• Only the croupier can touch the wheel and spin the ball.
• The wheel spins continuously, even in between game rounds.
• The single-zero roulette wheel has the lowest house edge. Therefore, it offers the most favourable odds for players.

Roulette Equipment and Table Personnel

Four pieces of equipment are required to play roulette at a land-based casino. These are the roulette wheel, the roulette table/layout, and the chips. This roulette equipment applies to any roulette game, whether it’s European, American, or French roulette.

Besides the standard roulette equipment, table personnel are also needed to run a roulette table at a real casino. In most cases, there are three table personnel operating a roulette game. One of these is the croupier, responsible for handling the chips and players’ bets, spinning the ball in the roulette wheel, and announcing the results.

The other personnel are the game-end and the game supervisor. These are there to ensure that the game runs smoothly and everyone abides by the roulette game rules. Game supervisors often walk the floor, checking that games run smoothly according to the casino roulette rules.

If you’re playing online roulette, everything is much simpler because none of this equipment is required. Everything is virtual in an online casino roulette game, including the wheel, chips, and roulette table. The rules of roulette are the same at online casinos, but instead of a croupier, a random number generator (RNG) is used.

American Roulette Rules

Roulette rules vary between European, French, and American roulette. The rules to play roulette are the same for the most part, but there are differences in the bet types, the house edge, and the composition of the wheel.

It’s important to be aware of the differences in roulette gaming rules when choosing your table, so let’s start by looking at the American roulette table rules.

• American roulette betting rules allow you to place a basket bet (covering the 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3), which is only available in this version.
• This version follows the double zero roulette rules with a ’00’ pocket and the single zero.
• This wheel has 38 pockets with numbers ranging from one to 36.
• Games with American roulette rules have a house edge of around 5.26%.
• The usual inside bets and outside bets are offered.

European Roulette Rules

European roulette rules are comparable to the American ones except for the type of wheel used. Additionally, there are also additional rules that are more similar to the French roulette game than the American one.

Below, we’ve summarised the most important rules every player should know before playing European roulette online.

• The European variant follows the single zero roulette rules.
• A European roulette wheel has 37 numbered slots on the wheel, numbered zero to 36.
• European roulette has a house edge of about 2.70%.
• European roulette bets include the usual inside and outside bets and sometimes call bets.

French Roulette Rules

French roulette is a popular game that uses the same wheel as the European version. This variant is considered the most favourable for players to try because of two special rules that apply. With these rules, the house edge for losing bets (even money) lost because the ball landed on zero is reduced to about 1.35%.

Here’s a summary of the basicFrench roulette rules:

• French roulette games apply the La Partage and En Prison rules to losing even money bets if the ball lands on zero.
• Inside bets, outside bets, and call bets are available when you play roulette with French rules.

The Rules of Multi-Wheel Roulette

Multi-wheel roulette is a fairly popular casino game that allows you to place bets on up to six wheels. With more wheels in play, you technically have increased odds of winning, but your overall stake will also be higher if you play on every wheel. Let’s examine the rules for these roulette tables further.

• You can play up to six wheels at once, but it’s up to you to choose how many wheels you want to activate.
• Minimum and maximum bets apply for each wheel.
• The betting options are usually the same as European roulette games because the wheel is the same.

The Rules of Multi-Ball Roulette

Multi-ball roulette has a similar concept to multi-wheel roulette, but instead of using multiple wheels, two or more balls are thrown into one wheel. The idea is to increase the likelihood of hitting one of your bets when you play roulette online, but it doesn’t always mean you’ll win more.

Here are the rules to remember before you play roulette with multiple balls.

• The minimum bet may be slightly higher than regular roulette games.

• A European roulette wheel is used in this game.
• The roulette rules for payouts are lower due to the increased odds. For example, in double-ball roulette, a straight up bet pays 17:1 instead of 35:1.

100/1 Roulette Rules

If you want to play roulette with an entirely different wheel, 100/1 roulette is an interesting game variant worth trying. 100/1 roulette is played on a much larger wheel with 100 numbers. It offers most of the usual roulette bets, but they cover different numbers due to the different wheel.

Here are the roulette rules to expect:

• This roulette wheel has 105 slots, including five zero pockets.
• The roulette rules for payouts are different in this game. For example, a single-number bet pays 100:1.
• Different bets are possible in 100/1 roulette, such as 10-number, 15-number, and 20-number bets.
• 100/1 roulette offers higher payouts than regular versions like American roulette but much lower winning odds.

Special Roulette Rules You Need to Know

You should be aware of two special roulette rules: the En Prison rule and the La Partage rule. These rules are valid in French roulette, but they sometimes apply to European roulette tables as well. If you can choose a table with these rules, the odds will be even further in your favour for even money bets.

‘En Prison’ Roulette Rule

The En Prison rule is valid for even money bets and is applied if they lose because the ball lands in the zero pocket. For example, if you bet on red and the ball lands on zero, the En Prison rule applies, and half of your initial bet will be kept for the next round. This means you don’t lose your entire bet just yet.

On the next round, you’ll get another chance to win your bet. If you lose, the entire bet is taken by the house. However, if you get a successful bet this time, you get half of your bet back.

‘La Partage’ Roulette Rule

The La Partage rule is similar in that it applies to losing even money bets like odd or even, and only when the bet loses due to the zero coming up. In this case, half your original stake will be returned right away if the bet loses.

The En Prison and La Partage rules reduce the house edge of roulette to 1.35%, but it’s important to note that this only applies to even money bets. For example, the house edge is the same if you play inside bets like a split bet, and you won’t get any of your stake back if the bet loses.

What You Need to Know Before Playing Roulette?

A good understanding of the basic roulette rules and knowledge of all the existing roulette bets are essential before playing roulette for real money. You’ll also need to know the difference between inside and outside bets, how to place your chips correctly to indicate your bet, and how the rules of roulette vary between game variants.

Once you grasp the basic rules, roulette is one of the easiest casino games you can play. Compared to blackjack or poker, which require the right skills and strategies to play correctly, roulette is a game of chance.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions about Roulette Rules