A Deep Dive into Roulette: Rules and Strategies

Roulette is an iconic casino game, instantly recognizable by its spinning wheel and the small white ball that determines players' fortunes. As a game of pure probability, roulette is easy to learn and offers a unique kind of excitement.

Understanding the Roulette Wheel

At its heart is a large wheel sectioned into pockets, each with a unique number. You will encounter two main types of roulette wheels:

• Single-Zero Roulette: It features numbers 1 through 36 plus a single green zero, for a total of 37 slots. Due to the single zero, the house advantage is a favorable 2.7%.


• American Roulette: This variant is identified by its 38 pockets, which include both a "0" and a "00". The extra pocket significantly increases the house edge to 5.26%, making it less favorable for players.

The aim of the game is simply to bet on the winning number.

Placing Your Wagers

Roulette offers a wide variety of betting options, which can be divided into two main categories: Inside Bets and Outside Bets.

Inside Bets

Inside bets are wagers on the numbered section of the table. They offer big payouts but are harder to hit.

• Straight Up: A single-number bet that pays 35:1.


• Split: A bet on two adjacent numbers. Payout is 17 to 1.


• Street: Betting on a three-number row.


• Corner: A four-number bet that pays 8:1.

Outside Bets

Outside bets cover large sections of the wheel. They are easier to win but offer smaller payouts.

• Red/Black: A simple color bet that pays even money.


• Odd/Even: An even-money bet on the number's property.


• High/Low: Betting on the number falling in the 1-18 or 19-36 group.


• Dozens/Columns: These bets cover a third of the numbers (excluding 0) and pay 2:1.

Is There a Winning Roulette Strategy?

Because roulette is a game of pure chance, there is no strategy that can guarantee a win or casino overcome the house edge in the long run. While popular, betting systems like the Martingale are flawed and can wipe out your funds in a short amount of time. The smartest approach is to play responsibly, set a budget, casino and stick to the European version of the game.