How to Not Shoot Yourself in the Foot Playing Roulette

You may have noticed our clever play on words there, comparing online roulette to the notoriously difficult Russian version (which we do not recommend trying!). There is a reason for the title however since roulette is one of those casino games that seems to always create endless misconception and myth. You’d think that a game that is over two hundred years old would have sorted itself out by now!

If you have always wanted to give online roulette a try but have been put off by how complicated the roulette table looks, or by other players that have not had good luck – then this little primer on roulette odds is just for you! Contrary to popular belief or myth, roulette is actually a very easy game to understand, and just about as easy to play too.

The secret to success in online roulette is understanding how different roulette odds and betting options work. Once you’ve got a handle on this, the game can really open up, presenting you with a host of options.

Basic Roulette Table Geograph

Possibly the single biggest culprit in putting potential roulette players off is the actual table layout itself. To the uninitiated, the roulette table looks massively complicated and gives the impression that you need to get a pilot’s license just to place a bet or two!

Playing online roulette is also no different, since the virtual version uses exactly the same table layout. Of course it does depend to some extent on which version of online roulette you decide to play. There are essentially three basic versions of this game offered by most online casinos: French Roulette, American Roulette and European Roulette.

The single biggest difference can be found in the American version, which features a double zero position as opposed to the French (and European) version which only has a single zero position. The zero position on the roulette wheel/table is marked as green and the American version consequently has the highest house advantage at over 5% just because of the extra double zero position (the standard single zero plus the extra double zero).

It is generally a better idea to play French or European roulette versions, especially if you are new to the game. These versions have a much lower house edge of just 2.70%, quite a bit lower than the American version.

A closer look at the table and you can see that the wheel is numbered in alternating red and black segments. This is mirrored on the actual table in a numbered grid with a bunch of additional betting options marked within the grid as well as the outside of it. The idea is to place one or more chips wherever you think the little ball will end up once the wheel has come to a stop.

Getting to Grips with Roulette Betting and Odds

The best place to start with roulette betting if you’re an absolute newbie, is the so-called outside betting. Outside betting is so named because these are the betting options found outside of the main table grid. These are also often referred to as even money odds as they pay out at 1:1 for simple bets like betting on a colour or odds/even numbers.

The easiest roulette bet in the world is to simply place a chip on either the red or black square. Regardless of the number that the ball lands on, if it is black, and you bet black – you win, that simple. Odds and evens is the same kind of bet as betting on a colour, except you’re betting on whether an odd number will win or an even one.

Of course ‘inside betting’ is where the game really opens up and gets a lot more interesting. Inside betting is also not as complicated as you might initially think since the grid is divided in specific ways. Once you understand the inside betting options you will easily be able to make multiple bets at the same time. The highest inside bet in terms of odds is betting on a single number which, if it comes in, will pay you 36:1 odds, which could be massive!