Online Roulette for Beginners

For literally centuries, roulette has been one of the most popular casino games. In the past couple of decades, roulette has moved online to satisfy roulette fans from the comfort of their home or, when on the move, through mobile gambling. Players who want to interact with a live dealer and other virtual players around their table can even choose to play roulette at Live Casinos. If you want to learn the rules of roulette, check out this ultimate guide that we’ve put together for you. We’ve outlined the rules of the game, and we’ll share a few tips and strategies that could help you win in the game.

Roulette is one of the simplest games to play at a casino. Most of the rules of the game center on the betting stage, and for that reason, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with roulette bets. We’ll explain some of the basic roulette rules in more detail below.

Most roulette tables have limits as to how little you can bet (the minimum stake), and the highest amount you can bet (the maximum stake). Before you sit down at a roulette table (virtual or otherwise), check the minimum and maximum stakes to make sure that they’re in line with your bankroll size.

The game is played out on a Roulette Wheel, featuring 36 or 37 black or red pockets and one or two green pockets, depending on the Roulette variant being played. The numbers are in a particular sequence of alternating colors. The Roulette Table reflects the numbers on the wheel, with the layout being the same for both European and American Roulette.  The table has 36 squares, numbers 1 – 36, with an extra single zero or also a double zero square. Players bet on these squares (or a combination of squares) through a number of betting options (more about that below).

1. Choose your roulette table. Things to take into account include your preference for a particular variant, your betting limit and whether you prefer playing with a Live Dealer or not.
2. Get ready to place your first bet. Choose your chip size and then click on the Roulette Table layout to place your bet.
3. The Dealer spins the Roulette Wheel. Once the bets are placed, click the ‘Spin’ button or, in the case of Live Roulette, watch the dealer spin the wheel.
4. The wheel comes to a stop and the roulette ball settles in a pocket.
5. If you’re lucky, the dealer issues your payouts, based on where the ball landed and what you bet on.

As we noted previously, one of the secrets to your success in roulette depends on your knowledge of the different bets available on the Roulette Table.  Below are just some of the options available to you.

If you look at the Roulette Table, you will see that there is a rectangle in which all the numbers from the Roulette Wheel are listed. Inside bets cover all of these. There are a number of inside bets that you can make, including:

• Straight-up bet: Betting on any number on the roulette wheel. Should the ball land on the number, you win, and if it doesn’t, you lose. This bet pays 35:1.
• Split bet: The opposite of a straight bet. Place your bet on the line that separates two numbers. If one of the two numbers comes up, you win. The bet pays 17:1
• Street bet (Trio, Steam bet): A wager on any number within a row of three numbers. If the ball lands on any of the three numbers you choose, you get paid out 11:1.
• Corner bet: Bet on one of four numbers in a particular square to come up. Payouts are 8:1.
• Line bet: Cover two rows of three numbers, with numbers landing on two consecutive rows paying out 5:1.
• Five Number bet: A wager on a group of numbers. Enjoy a 6:1 payout.
• Basket bet: A wager on the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3. Pays 6:1

Outside Bets are those that are made on the options found on the perimeter of the roulette table. Instead of betting on specific numbers, you are betting on groups of numbers or colors.

Examples of outside bets include:

• Red/Black bet: Players bet that red or black will win. Payouts are even money (1:1)
• Odd/Even bet: Players bet that the number will be an odd or an even one. Payouts are 1:1.
• High/Low bet: Players bet that the number will be low (1 – 18) or high (19 – 36). Payouts are 1:1.
• Column bet: Players bet that the outcome will be a number in one of the 3 columns of 12 numbers that are found on the roulette table. Payouts are 2:1.
• Dozen bet: Players bet that the number falls into one of three groups of a dozen numbers on the table. Payouts are 2:1

Not all online casinos offer these types of bets, and you’ll typically find them on European and French roulette tables only.

Some of the bets include:

• Jeu Zero: Bet on the numbers closest to zero, but requires four chips – 3 on splits and one on a straight-up.
• Voisins du Zero: Covers the numbers closest to zero on a single zero roulette wheel.

Roulette is a game of chance, and the outcome depends on one thing only: In which pocket the ball falls once the wheel comes to a standstill. But there are certain bets that are better than others, and reduce the house edge to very little.

Roulette pros recommend that players head to a European/French Roulette Table which offers an option called the en prison. While regular European Roulette has a house edge of around 2.7%, the en prison halves it around 1.35%.

When this rule is in effect, your even money becomes en prison (imprisoned in French) if the ball lands on zero. The outcome is then determined on the result of the next spin. Here’s an example: Bet on red, and the ball lands on zero. Your bet is en prison, and you can get it back if the ball lands on red on the next spin; but you’ll lose if it lands on black.

There are three main variations of roulette: European Roulette, American Roulette and French Roulette. They are played very similarly and the difference lies in a few tweaks in the rules and the addition of an extra zero.

• European Roulette: By far the most popular variant of the game, European Roulette is played on a wheel that has 37 pockets (the numbers 1 – 36 and a green zero). The presence of a single zero tips the scales in favor of the house, but still keeps the house advantage relatively low at 2.7%.
• American Roulette: This variant was introduced in the casinos of the US to give the house a higher advantage. How was this done? By adding an extra pocket with a second zero. Thus, an American Roulette table has numbers 1 – 36, one green single zero and one green double zero (00). This tilts the game in the house’s favor to a high 5.26%.
• French Roulette: This variant is very similar to European Roulette, with the addition of some specific rules. The first is La Partage (when half your stake is returned to you if the ball lands on the zero) and the second is en Prison (as outlined above).

These are our favourite tips to share with players when playing Roulette:

• Decide on a betting limit before you play and stick to it. Don’t go chasing losses and don’t play with money that you cannot afford to lose.
• Only play at reputable online casinos. Choose sites from our list of recommended casinos that offer roulette. 
• Stick to European or French Roulette, where the odds are much better.
• Stay away from bets with unfriendly odds.
• Test out roulette games in free-play mode before betting for real money. This allows you to get a feel for the game and the different bets without affecting your bankroll.
• Have fun! Remember that the outcome of the roulette wheel is determined by a random number generator. Roulette is a game of chance, and you can’t master skills to play it.

Although we’re told that roulette strategies don’t really work, professional casino players swear by them. We’ve explored three of the most popular ones so that you can try them out for yourself.

• Martingale System: In a nutshell, this system calls players to double their bet every time they lose. The theory is that when you eventually win, you will recover any money lost, and also make a small profit. Players only bet on options with a 2:1 payout rate.
• Labouchere System: Following a losing bet, you increase your stake. An intricate calculation is used in this system which involves determining how much you want to win and planning your bets accordingly.
• Andrucci System: The system claims that each number should be covered by the wheel over time after around 30 – 36 spins. Keep track of the numbers that appear in this cycle, and then choose one number and stick to it for the next 15 – 25 spins.

When it comes to online casinos, they use software programmes that mimic the random generation of numbers that are usually produced by a real roulette wheel. A sequence of numbers is continuously produced by this software. When the roulette wheel comes to a stop, the latest number is the one which the ball lands on.

Online roulette is operated by software or a machine, whereas Live Roulette games are hosted by real-life dealers. Live Roulette games are streamed to the player’s PC or mobile device using state-of-the-art online technology from gaming studios or brick-and-mortar casino floors.

Our team has put together a comprehensive list of online casinos where you can play roulette for free or real money. These sites have been chosen with game variety and reward potential in mind, but most importantly, we have checked the fairness and security of the site. They are ideal for South African players as they accept payment in ZAR.