How to Win at Roulette: Step 1 (The Roulette Wheel and Table)
A Europen Roulette Wheel
Before you learn how to win at roulette you should be familiar with the roulette wheel, so let’s take a look at it.
THE ROULETTE WHEEL
The roulette numbers are numbered 1 through 36 and are colored either black or red.
Additionally, in European roulette there is one green number, and that is “zero.” In American roulette there is a green zero but also a green “double zero.”
On the left you have a picture of a European Roulette wheel with just one green zero.
As you can tell every other number is either black or red.
The double zero (American) wheel is predictably found in the Americas and the Caribbean, while the single zero (European) wheel is common in Europe and most other parts of the world.
sidenote roulette tips : Play European Roulette if it’s available, it has slightly more favorable odds.
Here is the exact order of the numbers on a roulette wheel:
European Roulette wheel
0-32-15-19-4-21-2-25-17-34-6-27-13-36-11-30-8-23-10-5-24-16-33-1-20-14-31-9
-22-18-29-7-28-12-35-3-26
American Roulette wheel
0-28-9-26-30-11-7-20-32-17-5-22-34-15-3-24-36-13-1-00-27-10-25-29-12-8-19-31
-18-6-21-33-16-4-23-35-14-2
American Roulette Table Layout
…and that’s all there is to the roulette wheel. Next we’ll discuss the roulette table layout and how to actually play the game of roulette.
sidenote roulette tips: All-in-all, the best way to win at roulette is to quit while you’re ahead.
THE ROULETTE TABLE
Knowing how to win at roulette boils down to knowing your betting options. So let’s take a look at the roulette table layout and betting options. The presence of the zero (and double zero) is what gives the house it’s advantage. So if you put one dollar on any single number on the table (a single inside bet), your chances of landing on it are 1 in 37 in European Roulette and 1 in 38 in American Roulette.
However, almost all casinos pay just 35 to 1 for any given number. That’s why in the long run there is what’s called a “negative expectation” for the outcome of your play.
In other words, you should generally expect to lose over the long run. This is the basis for all casino games, and for gambling in general…or else the casino would also be gambling..and they don’t like to do that.
Of course, ever so often, someone finds a way to outsmart the casino and not only do they steal back the “house advantage” but can sometimes take an advantage themselves. Before getting into any specific tactics or roulette strategies let me go over the type of bets you can place at the roulette table.
There are two groups of bets, inside bets and outside bets.
Inside bets are bets placed on the individual numbers 1-36, including zero and double zero. They are generally smaller bets with higher payouts because they have tougher odds.
Outside bets are bets placed specific groups of numbers (ie. even/odd, red/black, etc.) These bets are usually larger bets that have better odds but less payout.
Inside bets include…
Straight-up
a single number bet. The chip is placed entirely on the middle of a number square.
Split
a bet on two numbers that are next to each other, either on the vertical or horizontal (as in 1-2 or 4-7). The chip is placed on the line between these numbers.
Street
a bet on three numbers on a single horizontal line. The chip is placed on the edge of the line of a number at the end of the line.
Corner (or square)
a bet on four numbers in a square layout (as in 1-2-4-5). The chip is placed at the horizontal and vertical intersection of the lines between the four numbers.
Other inside bets
Other roulette bets include the “six bet” which is basically a double street bet, and “basket” bets which involves betting on combinations of 0, 1, 2, and 3.
Outside bets include…
1 to 18
a bet on one of the first low eighteen numbers coming up.
19 to 36
a bet on one of the latter high eighteen numbers coming up.
Red or black
a bet on which color the roulette wheel will show.
Even or odd
a bet on an even or odd nonzero number.
Dozen bets
a bet on the first (1-12), second (13-24), or third group (25-36) of twelve numbers.
Column bets
a bet on all 12 numbers on any of the three vertical lines (such as 3-6-9-12 on down to 36). The chip is placed on the space below the final number in this string.
