Roulette Rules

The earliest recorded period for playing Roulette goes back to the 17th century France. It can be said that Roulette is not only Europe's but, it is also the world's most popular gambling game.

Basics of Roulette

The basic rules of the game are quite easy to learn:

  • A Roulette table consists of the dealer or the croupier, who represents the house and around eight players.
  • The dealer spins the wheel and manages the bets and payouts.
  • The European table consists of 37 slots with 36 numbers and a Zero.
  • The American table consists of 38 slots with 36 numbers and two Zeros.
  • Every player buys specific colored chips in order to avoid any mixing up.
  • When a player wins, the colored chips are exchanged for cash chips that have the amount value printed on them.
  • The cash chips can be cashed at the cash desk.
  • Bets are made on the numbers displayed on the table.
  • When every player has placed his bet, the dealer spins the wheel and sets the ball in motion.
  • A short while before the ball stops in a slot, the dealer declares 'No More Bets' and no player is thenceforth allowed to change or place a bet.
  • When the ball lands on a number, the dealer places a Dolly on it and pays out to the winners.

What is House Advantage?

In the European Table, the House Advantage is equal to 2.7%, while on the American Table, the House Advantage is 5.26%. The house increases its advantage by paying a lesser number of chips to the winners.

Popular Bets of Roulette

  • En Prison - The En Prison rule is used for bets with even-money. However, this rule is not applied my all the casinos. These casinos allow a player either to take half the bet or to leave it as it is so as to use in the next spin if the ball lands on a Zero. And, if the results is again Zero, the player loses the whole bet.
  • La Partage - This rule is also like the En Prison Rule. But, in this rule, the player loses half of his bet, but he cannot carry forward his bet to the next spin. This rule applies to even-money 'outside' bets Odd/Even, High/Low, Red/Black and applies if the result is Zero.

Both of these rules cut the edge of the casino for 'even money bets' by half. Therefore, for a European Table, the House Edge for both of these rules is 1.35% and for an American Table it is equal to 2.63%.