The glamour of a roulette wheel is the first thing that springs to mind when talking about a casino, the excitement and thrill that comes with the first spin is an alluring vision. 

It is one of the most popular games to play as it is easy and although there are no cards involved you still have the option of placing more complex bets on this game rather than simply picking numbers to win on the wheel.  You can make this game as complicated or as simple as you like which is why it is a favourite of so many even though it has one of the worst betting odds out of all the games.

The Wheel

There are 2 different types of roulette wheel, the European and American wheel. The main difference between the 2 is that the American wheel has 38 slots as opposed to 36 because there is a 0 and a 00. This makes it slightly less popular as the house edge is increased.  In both games however the ball is placed in the opposite direction of the way the wheel has been spun to increase the unpredictability.

Basics

The person in charge of the game is the croupier – they are the only person unfortunately that gets to spin the wheel.  They put a marker down on the number that wins and hand out the winning chips as well as collecting those that lose.  Like with all betting games there will be a maximum and minimum bet amount for the table.  Generally each player will have their own colour of chip so you can recognise which number you placed it on to win, so remember to use your lucky colour!  To play all you need to do is choose your bet and wait for the spin to see how it turned out- simple as that!

The complex side of Roultte comes with which bets to place. 

There are 2 types of bets for the roulette, outside and inside bets.  Inside bets are those placed on the individual numbers on the roulette table layout which match with the numbers on the wheel.  So you can choose to place a bet on any number from 0-35.  This is called a straight up bet where you place your chip on the number or several numbers you think might win. Within inside bets there are still lots of different variations in bets.  The table layout is constructed so you can place chips on the edges or between different numbers to spread the chance of winning although decreasing the winnings.  For example, there is a split bet where you place the chip on the line between 2 numbers so if either one wins you get some money but decreases the odds to a 17 to 1 win.  In the same way there is a corner net where the chip touches the corners of 4 numbers with an 8 to 1 pay out if any number it is touching wins.  Street bets or line bets are when you place your chip on the line between the outside and inside betting areas so if you win on this first line you can get 11 to 1 on your wager.  Outside bets are named such because they are the bets to place outside the numbers on the roulette table layout. They consist of 5 different types of bets to place in this area and they are broader scoping bets with lower pay outs.  There is a low or high bet so you can bet whether it will be a number between 1 and 18 or 19 and 36 that will win.  With similar odds of winning there is the odd or even bet where you decide whether the number that the ball lands on will be odd or even.

Strategy

There is no tested strategy that can decrease the house edge but there are ways to help stop you from wasting your money.  If you are a player that likes the high risks for big wins then the hardest straight up bets are probably the best choice for you.  However if you are a more cautious gambler then it is probably better to place bets on the outside area and with the minimum bet rather than putting all your chips on a lucky number on a whim. Make sure you play the European wheel rather than the American wheel as you have more chance of winning on this.