The Basics of Roulette

Roulette is a popular casino game, known for its glamour, mystery, and excitement. Although it’s a relatively simple game, it offers serious players a surprising level of depth and can be highly profitable.

The Wheel

Roulette consists of a spinning wheel with numbered divisions around its edge. The divisions are numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36, with the number 0 on European wheels painted green and the number 00 on American ones black.

Before a ball is spun, the player places a chip on the betting mat, which shows where the chip is placed in relation to the number or numbers being bet on. Once the ball is spun and comes to rest on a winning pocket, that player wins.

Inside Bets

There are two types of inside bets: bets on a specific pocket, and groupings of pockets that are based on their position on the board. Each type of inside bet has different payout odds and probabilities.

Outside Bets

There is also a variety of outside bets. These are bets on various positional groupings of pockets, and include odd or even, red or black.

Announced Bets

There are a few special announced bets that are most commonly featured in French roulette but can also be found in online European roulette variants. These special betting combinations are part of the rules and should be understood to play the game properly.

One of the most common announced bets is ‘5 and the neighbours’ which covers five numbers, namely 5, 24, 16, 10, and 23. This bet requires a special racetrack section and can only be placed on certain roulette tables.

Other popular announcement bets are ‘1 and the neighbours’, which covers a single number and three neighbouring numbers on each side. This bet pays 3-2.

Corner Bets or Square Bets

There are also four-number bets, which can be made by placing chips on the point shared by those four numbers. These bets pay 8-1 if the four-number bet wins, and 5-1 if any of them win.

A six-line bet is also a common announcement bet, and can be placed on two lines of three numbers each. It pays 5-1 if any of those six numbers win.

It is important to remember that roulette is a game of chance and you should not use complicated strategies or systems. You can only lose money by betting on the wrong numbers. The best way to win is to place good bets and have fun.