Roulette

How to Play Online Roulette

Roulette is another casino game that has been made famous by countless movies. And while those shown playing at real–life casinos dress to the nines, playing Roulette online means you can play the “game of Kings” while dressed in your pyjamas.

“Roulette” means little wheel in French and is so named as the game has a wheel that spins around. The objective of the game is for players to try predicting where the ball will land.

Once the wheel starts turning, a ball is placed on the wheel which bounces from one number to the next until the wheel comes to rest.

While this may seem impossibly random, there are, however, a few rules and strategies that could help when it comes to playing Roulette successfully.

Online Roulette Rules

The popularity of Roulette is due to its straightforward rules. There is nothing complicated about the way the game works which makes it incredibly easy to learn. 

Two types of bets 

Inside bets 

Inside bets have a lower likelihood of occurring but come with more rewarding payout 

• Inside bets: Inside bets are located on the inside area of the betting layout. You bet on a single number, or on a line between numbers 
• Placing a bet on a line between numbers is known as a combination bet, and can be made up of a bet that includes anywhere between two and six numbers 
• Straight up: Betting on single number on the table 
• Split bets: Betting on any two adjoining numbers, vertically or horizontally on the board 
• Street bets: Betting on any three horizontal numbers on the board 
• Corner bets: Betting on any four adjoining numbers in a block on the board 
• Line bets: Combination bets placed on two adjacent rows covering six numbers 

Outside bets 

Outside bets have a higher probability of occurring but have lower payouts 

• Outside bets are bets placed on the outside area of the betting table 
• Bets on dozens: Betting on one of three groups of 12 numbers 
• Column bets: Betting on an entire column of numbers on the layout 
• Colour bets: Betting on all red or all black spaces 
• Even/odd bet: Betting on all even or all odd numbers 
• Low/high bet: Betting on numbers 1-18 (low) or numbers 19-36 (high). 

Basic rules of roulette

• First, place your bets on the roulette board using your mouse 
• Remember, you’ve got choices: 
• Pick a specific number 
• a group of numbers 
• all odd numbers 
• all even numbers 
• bet on red or black. 
• Next, the croupier (or in this case the virtual dealer) will spin the wheel and release the ball 
• When the wheel slows to a stop, the ball comes to rest on a number 
• If it lands on your number or colour – you win! 

If you win, you can “Let it Ride” and leave your winning on the table for a chance to double or even triple up!

Different Bets and Odds in Roulette

Variations

Anyone can play Roulette. All you have to do is place a wager on the colour pr number where you expect the ball to land. Simply place a bet on specific numbers, groups of numbers or all the numbers of a certain colour.  

Once bets have been placed, the dealer spins a small ball along the outside of the already spinning roulette wheel. The ball rolls along a track outside the wheel — in the opposite direction of the wheel — until it slows enough to fall off the track and onto the wheel. Roulette wheels consist of either 37 or 38 numbered slots where the ball may stop. 

Once it stops, the dealer will pay out bets that align with where the ball fell and collect all losing bets for the house. 

American and European roulette diverged as they developed on either side of the Atlantic, with American roulette using a 0 and 00 wheel slot, instead of just the single 0 preferred in European roulette.  

This obviously affects the odds, which are 1 in 37 slots (0 and 1-36), or 2.70% for the European version. In the American game, the odds are slightly harder you’ll hit your slot, at 1 in 38 slots (0, 00 and 1-36), or a 2.63% chance. 

Once the table is clear, players may bet again and the process starts over. 

Along with the surging international growth of roulette came the development of variations in how the game is played and strategies to lower the house edge. The most important variations occur on the roulette wheel and are as follows:

American Roulette

The most common variation of the game, American roulette wheels have both a single and double zero slot, as mentioned above. Because there is an additional pocket or track for the ball to fall into, this gives an increased house advantage. The typical house advantage for American roulette is approximately 5.26%. If American roulette fits you best — go ahead and play at Spin Palace. This casino has the best American roulette we know of. It also offers more than 400 different games of chance, and a welcome bonus of up to C$1600.

European Roulette

European roulette is very similar to American roulette, except for the fact that there is no double zero slot, which results in a substantial difference in house advantage — in your favour. The typical house advantage for European Roulette is 2.63%, half that of the typical American roulette house advantage. Royal Vegas is known for having a great European roulette offering. Why not give it a go?

French Roulette

The ‘original’ game itself, French roulette offers superior odds and a relatively low house advantage. As with European roulette, French roulette has no double zero slot. The odds of the ball landing in a particular slot are therefore the same — 2.63% – but the house edge is slightly decreased due to the rule of La Partage, which says a player will only lose 50% of their even-money bets when the wheel stops on 0. Because of its similarity to European roulette, Royal Vegas is also our recommendation here. [wcms_widget widgetid=’71360′]

Online Roulette Strategy

Once you learn the basic principles, you can develop a roulette strategy to help tip the odds in your favour. 

• Practice play – Many online casinos offer to have free and real money online roulette games.
  • Free demo games let you without risking any of your hard–earned money.
  • It’s a great way to learn the rules and practice different strategies before putting your money on the line in the hopes of winning cash prizes.
• Start with small bets – Once you get the hang of the game, try your luck by placing real money bets.
  • We recommend starting out small.
  • Try finding a roulette game with low minimum bets and high maximum bet.
  • You can start with small bets and still have the chance to double any losing bets.
• Place outside bets – Although outside bets have lower payouts, they also have a higher probability of occurring 
  • These relatively low-risk wagers are the better option, especially when you don’t have a lot of experience. 
• Set betting limits – Many online casinos allow players to set betting limits.
  • Once you reach the limit, the casino will not allow you to place any more bets, helping you ensure you never bet more than you can afford.

Beginner’s Strategy for Roulette

The best-known roulette strategy for beginners is the Martingale system. The simplest way to explain this system is that the player has to double their stake every time they lose, up until they win.  

Then the system resets itself. 

• Let’s look at an example:  
• A player may stake $5 on red 
• If they win, they continue to stake $5 the next time 
• If they lose, they stake $10 
• If that bet wins, then the player has recovered the $5 lost from the previous bet, and also made a profit 
• If the $10 bet fails, the player would have to bet $20 the next time, and so on 

The law of averages suggests that no matter how long a losing streak lasts, it will always even out in the end.  

Players should be mindful, though, that some roulette games will have a table limit. 

Advanced Online Roulette Strategy 

There are a number of advanced roulette strategies that different players favour. Some of them include:  

• James Bond strategy 
• Oscar’s Grind strategy 
• Insurance strategy 
• Paroli system 

Paroli System 

Let’s take a look at the Paroli system as an example 

The Paroli roulette betting system is a bit like the Martingale system but in reverse: 

• Players using this method will double their bets every time they win, rather than when they lose 
• Before starting, it’s best to choose how many progressions you are willing to do, so you don’t get carried away. 

For instance, if you bet $5 on an outside bet like black or red and then win, you would leave the winnings on the table the next time you place a roulette bet.  

There is, of course, the risk of losing it all, but you would then be back to where you started, so the chances of losing a lot of money are slim. Many people think that this is a safer way of playing than the Martingale roulette strategy.

Top 10 Tips for Online Roulette

1. Systems Don’t Work – There are a number of roulette systems folks have thought up to try to slim the house edge (we feature some of them in our roulette strategies page) 
   • Creative as they might be, none of them are going to help you win any more money. The house edge is always going to exist 
2. Go European or French – The extra 00 piece on the American roulette wheel lowers a player’s chances of winning slightly compared to the European or French versions. 
3. Check Out Bonus Rules – Gambling your Welcome Bonus at the roulette table is a fine idea, but be warned, most casinos only let a certain percentage of roulette bets count toward wagering requirements 
   • Before you start placing bets, you should look into that percentage and figure out how much money you’ll have to bet to work through your bonus. Our casino reviews can help you with that. 
4. Best Bet – It’s tempting to pick a lucky number and stick with it, but be warned, single-digit bets have lower odds 
   • If you want to play it safe, stick with black/red, high/low or even/odd bets. 
5. Play for Fun – Roulette isn’t a game to play solely for the money — in the long-run, you’re likely going to finish with a little less than what you started 
   • What you’re paying for is the experience. Make it count by enjoying your time at the table with online roulette free games 
6. Find a site with good bonus offers 
   • There are literally hundreds of online Canadian options to choose from when it comes to playing online roulette, and all of these sites compete for customers by offering attractive signup deals 
   • Join a few sites that have the best-looking offers and you will find that you have some free playing money to wager with. 
7. Look for sites with a wide variety of games by major software developers 
   • There are normally different types of roulette on offer such as American, European, and Multi-wheel 
   • There are also live links to real tables at a number of online casinos. 
8. Check for sites that have a number of different payment methods 
   • This way, you know you will be able to deposit money in the way you feel most comfortable with 
   • Most sites accept major credit cards and PayPal transactions, while some are also moving towards cryptocurrency payments 
9. Make sure that the site you are using has a good customer support system which is easily accessible 
   • If problems arise, you will feel at ease knowing that you can instantly get in touch with the site operator and have the issue resolved 
10. If you are the kind of player that likes to play roulette games on the move, make sure that the site you are using has a mobile app 
    • Most online roulette options in Canada these days have a mobile app which is free to download, and players simply log in using the same details as they would on the desktop site.

Free (Demo) Play

Put everything you’ve learned to the test with the following free roulette game: [wcms_widget widgetid=’78486′]

Roulette Glossary

We’ve also prepared a quick roulette glossary of all those roulette terms you will want to know if you’re about to play. Here we go:

• Backtrack – The outer rim where the ball spins.
• Black Bet – When a players bets on the next number being black.
• Bottom Track – The inner area of a roulette wheel where the ball slides before bouncing onto the pocket.
• Chameleon Strategy – Observing someone on a winning streak and copying their behaviour.
• Corner Bet – Betting on four numbers by placing chips in the middle of them on the felt.
• Croupier – The casino employee operating the roulette wheel.
• High Bet – When players place bets on numbers 19-36.
• Inside Bet – When players bet on or between numbers.
• Low Bet – When players bet on numbers 1-8.
• Parlay – When a player places his bet on the table and leaves an added bet ready for the next spin.
• Payout – Winnings the casino pays to the player.
• Player Clocking – Watching players using Chameleon Strategy and then mimicking them.
• Quarter Bet – When players bet on one of four numbers.
• Red Bet – When players wager on the next number being red.
• Split Bet – When a player bets on two numbers at the same time.
• Straight Bet – When a player bets on just one number.
• Street Bet – When a player bets on three numbers.
• Visual Wheel Tracking – When a player has the ability to tell where the ball will land just by looking at the wheel.
• Wheel Head – A part of the roulette wheel that has numbered pockets.
• Wheel Roller – A croupier.