Online Roulette introduction

Roulette is a classic game that has been enjoyed at casino all over the world for hundreds of years. Though it originated in Europe it was well received and became hugely popular in the US during the late 19th century. And with the advent of internet technology came the chance to bring roulette into the world of virtual gaming. Today every top internet casino includes several popular versions of online roulette in their line of games.

Playing online roulette is easy. First start off by choosing a software system that looks good to you. There are so many to choose from. You may try out downloadable software or a no-download online roulette game that is played through Flash or Java technology, which allows for instant play and does not require the player to install any additional software.

Sun Java Runtime and Macromedia Flash practically an Internet standard when they comes to viewing multimedia content on the Web. Animations and graphics created for the Flash player are often engaging and well executed.

You'll be amazed at how realistic the graphics and game play are for online roulette. Roulette is generally available in two standard versions on the net: American and European. One roulette strategy worth noting is that European roulette offers better odds than the American version so if you have the choice always go with the former.

You can find out more about the rules of roulette and the different variations here. If you're interested in finding out more about how online roulette works then click here. Remember, practice makes perfect so take advantage of free online roulette and improve your chances of winning by playing often and learning more about all the aspects surrounding this great game.

Roulette Strategies and tricks

Roulette is a popular casino game that falls into the category of luck-based games. Essentially the outcome of each game is based solely on luck. For more on the rules on how to play roulette click here. But that's not to say there aren't things a player can do in order to improve their chances of winning at roulette. For instance it's very important to understand the odds of winning before placing a bet. There are a lot of resources that can help you learn about all the aspects of the game including how roulette works. The golden rule is an informed player is a better player; so check out some of the roulette strategies we've featured here.

Probably the most common roulette strategy you'll hear over and over again is to play European roulette over American roulette when given the choice. Because the European version of the game has only 37 slots on the wheel versus 38 on the American version, it simply offers the player a better chance of winning and the house advantage is reduced to 2.70%. Many land based and online casinos feature both versions of the game so be sure to go with European roulette every time for greater winning odds.

It's also important to understand the winning odds before placing any bets. The table below outlines the odds of winning and the payout based on the basic bets of roulette.

United States Roulette Rules

• Bet - Pays - Odds
  
• Red - 1:1 - 47.37%
• Black - 1:1 - 47.37%
• Odd - 1:1 - 47.37%
• Even - 1:1 - 47.37%
• 1 to 18 - 1:1 - 47.37%
• 19 to 36 - 1:1 - 47.37%
• 1 to 12 - 2:1 - 31.58%
• 13 to 24 - 2:1 - 31.58%
• 25 to 36 - 2:1 - 31.58%
• Any one number - 35:1 - 2.63%
• Two number combination - 17:1 - 5.26%
• Three number combination - 11:1 - 7.89%
• Four number combination - 8:1 - 10.53%
• Six number combination - 5:1 - 15.79%
• 0,00,1,2,3 combination - 6:1 - 13.16%

Not only is it important to understand the bets but it's a good roulette strategy to have a betting limit. Before you start playing be sure to set yourself an upper and lower limit. As soon as you reach either it's time to call it quits. This is a much more enjoyable way to play and ensures that you won't end up digging yourself into deep losses. In the long run having a roulette betting strategy will help your odds of winning. Finally, remember to have fun!

Roulette Hints

• Play roulette for fun rather than for profit.
  
• Set yourself a budget before you start to play roulette and be prepared to lose this amount of money, and make sure that it's an amount you can afford to lose. Don't be tempted to When you've reached your limit give it a rest for a while.
• If you haven't played roulette before and want to try and get used to the rules and how to play before gambling any money, try one of the free online roulette games offered by many of the major bookmakers and casino websites. You can also return to these once you have reached the budget you have set yourself if you want to continue playing without financial risk.
  
• Try and play single zero roulette rather than double zero roulette. The house edge is much lower with Single zero.
  
• If you are able to play with surrender rules, it's a good choice. These lower the house edge, giving you more chance of winning.
  
• Try to predict the outcome of the next spin of the roulette wheel based on previous spins. If there's a streak of reds, for example, this means that black is more likely to win on the next spin.
• Avoid bets with low odds such as single number bets or the five numbers bet. You're better placing a bet that covers more than one number at a time, such as a square or columns bet. Although the payout is lower, you have more chance of winning without spending too much on chips.
  
• Be consistent with your bets. Don't just go choosing random numbers on each spin. However, part of the fun of roulette is that you have less control over what happens than in other casino games such as blackjack or Caribbean stud poker, and therefore the game is based far more than luck.
• Don't be tempted to parlay your bet (leave it on the table along with your new bet for the next spin). If a number has just been lucky, there is no reason to think that it will be lucky again next time, as roulette is purely a game of luck.
  
• As the game is based mainly on chance, you are better to play for a few spins each time and then move onto something else, as the longer you play, the more likely you are to lose anything that you have won. Any money you win, try to save it and not spend it on more spins of the wheel.

roulette rules and variations

Roulette was invented during the 17th century by Blaise Pascal, a French scientist, and it soon became a popular European gambling game featured at Monte Carlo and other world renounced gambling hot spots. The game eventually made it's way to the US during the early 19th century and it remained more or less the same apart from the addition of a double zero slot. Today, just about every internet casino features both the European and the American versions of online roulette for players to enjoy. As a rule of thumb, European roulette offers slightly better winning odds for the player so it should be chosen over American roulette if both games are offered. Read more about roulette strategies here.

The American roulette wheel contains 38 identical slots numbered from 1 to 36 and also includes a 0 slot as well as a 00 slot. The numbers don't run consecutively and each slot alternates in color between red and black. In the European version of roulette there are only 37 slots on the roulette wheel ranging from 1 to 36 plus a 0 slot. Because European roulette does not feature a 00 slot the odds of winning are slightly better (the house edge is 2.70%) in the player's favor in comparison to American roulette.

Playing roulette is quite easy and the rules are straightforward. Players must place their bets by putting chips down on any number of bets from odd or even numbers, to groups of numbers, and individual numbers. There's even an option to bet based on which color will win -either black or red. Each type of bet pays out odds accordingly. Once all bets are placed the roulette wheel is spun and the croupier drops a small ball about the size of one slot onto the spinning roulette wheel. As the wheel slows down the ball will eventually land in one of the slots and the outcome of the game will be determined. Payouts are then distributed accordingly. If you're interested in finding out more, check out how roulette works .

how roulette works ,roulette rules

Some old school gamblers who have enjoyed roulette at land based casinos for years may be skeptical about just how online roulette works. Using sophisticated software technology, it is possible to recreate the game of roulette and the odds of winning each type of bet in exactly the same experience a player would get from a land based casino. Using what's known as Random Number Generation, the software is programmed to offer the same odds of winning as a real game of roulette.

In the roulette strategies section we outlined the odds of winning on each type of bet in our chart. The simulation software that can be found at various sites and online casinos on the internet is designed to offer the same odds you'll see on this chart. Using a complex set of algorithms the RNG software can actually determine the outcome of each spin of the roulette wheel based on the true odds of the game and the bets being placed.

So when you see an roulette software that says they offer certain odds you can believe it's true so long as the software integrity has been tested. In fact due to the nature of the RNG technology, the odds and outcome of games such as roulette can be played with and manipulated to sometimes offer the player higher odds than what they would receive while playing a real version of the game. Our recommendation is to try out free roulette software for yourself and you'll see how realistic the experience can be.

All about Roulette: new roulette players

If you are new to Roulette the first thing you should do before stating to play is walk into a casino and find yourself a roulette that you can watch for a while. This is the single best thing that a rookie roulette player can do to quickly get a grasp of the game so that when they finally do sit down to start playing they are not holding up the game by having to ask everyone what they should, or should not do every time there turn comes around. When you walk into a casino to watch a roulette game you will no doubt feel compelled to head towards the roulette table where the largest number of people have gathered, so I feel I should make a note about this. Because Roulette is such an exciting game, large numbers of people routinely gather around roulette tables to catch the thrill and adventure of watching such a dynamic and high intensity game. But in almost any casino there will be certain tables that attract abnormally high numbers of people. This is usually due to the fact that certain high rolling players that like to bet huge amounts of money are very exciting to watch and therefore attract a huge number of people around the table. You will instinctively be drawn to these tables because of the perceived action and excitement. But as a new player, looking to get familiar with roulette, you should avoid heading to these tables, although there is no shortage of action at these tables and you will, no doubt, have a good time. But what you won't get is an easy to understand and deconstruct exhibition of how to play roulette and how to play well. The thing is that the high rolling players that end up attracting these huge crowds often end up getting caught up in the attention of their audience rather than trying to play a serious roulette game. Often their play changes from being primarily concerned about winning to being primarily concerned about bravado, performance, and praise. These players are people who couldn't care less about how much they win and normally don't care about how much they lose as long as they can maximize the attention of others for a huge ego boost.

These players will not teach you anything about how to play roulette. For the newbie player that wants to gain as much insight as they can into how to play the game and the etiquette involved, you should locate a roulette table in the casino where a small number of people have gathered. The perfect number of players is around 4 to 6, or a full table and from 2 to 3 people standing around watching the game.

For the new player this group of people at a table is the perfect little roulette community to join so you can learn the maximum amount it in the shortest period of time. The players at the table give you the chance to see a variety of different players playing at the same time, and will also give you the opportunity to see how several players play together and how they feed off one another. A really helpful little game that new players can play while watching a game, is to try and rate the players at the table form best to worst. Now this is anything from the easiest task. It may take several hours, or in fact, an entire day, and then when you think you've got the list down perfect, the game may change and your list will seem totally wrong. The truth is that this is almost an impossible list to construct, especially for a new player. But what it will do is focus you on the game and on the individual moves and bets that each player makes. You will quickly become astutely aware of the different playing styles at the roulette table, and how each is in it's own way different. You may, in fact, choose to utilize one of these very playing styles for yourself later on. Or you may even wish to combine several of the styles together, or, after seeing what these playing styles has to offer, you may decide to invent a whole new style of your own.

It's clear that the benefits of this little rundown game can be great, and if you enjoy it you should not think twice about actually bringing a note pad and pen into the game. This will allow you to make notes on how the game goes and make notes on important bets and bet combinations, so you won't forget them later.

The other good thing about playing with a small number of other observers at the table is that you have the opportunity to talk and discuss how the game is going with others. You should never underestimate how much there is to learn from someone else's point of view of the game and opinions on how the game of roulette is played over all. Feel free to discuss potently how each player is doing, and don't be shy about criticizing players when you think they are doing a bad job. And intern let them criticize you. This kind of open free flowing dialogue during a game is exactly the best environment for a new player to learn fast, and learn well.

how to play roulette

Roulette is a game of chance, where math happens to play a significant role. The first thing you should keep in mind when playing roulette is that the best roulette players are the ones that have the best knowledge of probability and mathematics. It is highly recommended that everyone that intended to play roulette well spend the proper amount of time studying the game. This is the only way you will be able to increase your skill from beginner to novice.

In general Roulette has a core of very simple rules that make it easy to start playing, but they get more complicated the more involved you become in the game. Roulette is played by spinning a metal ball, which is sometimes white, around a spinning wheel which is embedded in the roulette table. When the wheel and the ball lose their momentum, the ball falls into slopped edges of the wheel's base and hits the metal frame of the carousel. The carousel, or wheel, has 37 slots that are labeled with numbers from 0 to 36. When the ball eventually comes to a complete stop in one of the slots, the number that is on that slot is the number that the ball has fallen on. This number is the number that will be the winning number. If you have chose the winning number for your bet then you are a winner.

The winning number has several properties which may affect bets placed on the Roulette table layout. Unless it is Zero, it will either be High or Low, Red or Black, Odd or Even. It will also be in a particular Dozen and Column. The numbers on the wheel are displayed in this regular form on the table which is almost identical where ever you are in the world. You'll notice that there is more to bet on than just numbers. There are:

Even Chances - Red, Black, etc.
Dozens - 1 to12, 13 to 24, 25 to 36
Columns - 1st, 2nd, 3rd
Numbers - 1,2,3,4 etc.
Splits - Between adjacent numbers
Streets - Strips of three numbers
Corners - The corner of four numbers
Six-Lines - Strips of six numbers

Online Roulette For Fun!

For the newbie player that wants to gain as much insight as they can into how to play the game and the etiquette involved, you should play our free roulette game for few days and practise your skills before betting any real dollar in the casinos. You can click the following screenshot to enter the game.

You have without a doubt seen roulette played at least once in your life, in fact, you've probably seen it many times. Even if you didn't know what game it was when you did see it, you will definitely remember it. Roulette is the classic casino game easily identified by its distinctive spinning wheel.

The roulette wheel makes roulette arguably the most active and dynamic game on the casino floor. The game always gathers a huge crowd drawn in by the ever present clickity-clank of the wheel and the excitement of the game itself.

To a lesser extent Roulette is also known for its unique and, to the unacquainted observer, bewilderingly complex table layout. This is so, because Roulette has a notoriously complex and dynamic number of betting options that dictate a lot of different sections and numbers on the game table, but we'll get to this later, don't be scared off though, it's not as complex as it sounds.

As stated the roulette game basically consists of two physical elements-the wheel, and the table. The game functions by tossing a metal ball into the wheel as it's spinning. The wheel itself, has a series of numbers running around it's out edge, with a wedge or ridge between each number. The numbers are also marked red or black which represents odd or even numbers. As the wheel spins the ball rattles, hops, and, pops around the wheel until, finally, when the wheel comes to a stop the ball will come to rest between two ridges and on a specific number.

The object of Roulette is to place bets on what number the ball will land on-and of course be correct. Now although all this sounds simple enough, but what makes Roulette far more complicated than it appears is the fact that there are so many different betting options one can make.

The extremely high number of betting options turns Roulette from what would be a relatively straight forward guessing game into a deeply complex and involved game that you can spend years trying to master.

Don't be overwhelmed by the large number of betting options though. Despite the fact that they are a mess of numerical specifics, the great thing about Roulette that although it's so involved there are betting options and ways of going about playing the game that prevent it from becoming as complicated as some people say it is.

play roulette for fun

At The Table and Ready to Play

Okay, so you're seated at the table, you've got your chips and you're ready to start playing roulette. The first thing that happens is the dealer will say "place your bets". When you hear this put your chips where ever you like. You will have but a few moments to do this so you have to be quick. In just a few seconds the ball will be dropped into the wheel and it will be too late to place a bet. There is usually a little bit of overlap, in other words, for the first few seconds while the wheel is spinning you will have a few more seconds to place bets, but in short order the Dealer will announce that there is to be no more bets. All this happens very quickly, and you are well advised to get your betting done as quickly as possible. Choose your bet amount, take a short moment to think and place your chips on the table. Now there is a big difference when it comes to pacing and time scale when you compare online Roulette with live action roulette. The big difference is that with online roulette the wheel cannot be spun until you have placed all your bets. This allows you to play entirely at your own pace. When you're playing online you can take as much time as you like to decide how much money you want to bet. This can be a huge advantage to new layers who may feel pressured to make bets in a hasty fashion. If you are new to the game and playing live roulette, you might end up making mistakes and betting way too much because you are forced to make your bets so fast. Luckily with online roulette around you will be able to get familiar with the game. Take the time to feel out your own roulette rhythm so that when you walk into a real casino and sit down with real players, a real wheel, a real dealer, and real chips, you won't feel the pressure and you won't make the mistake of betting more or less money than you should.

What do the different bets mean and how to play our free Roulette?

• Even Chances Chips placed on Red, Black, Odd, Even, High and Low are all even chance bets. This means that winning bets are paid at evens, in other words you are paid an extra amount equal to your bet.
• Dozens Numbers from 1 - 12 are in the 1st Dozen, 13 - 24 in the 2nd and 25 - 36 in the 3rd. Winning bets are paid at odds of 2-1, that means you win twice as much as you staked.
• Columns Numbers forming columns along the table layout are said to be in one of the three column bets. i.e. 1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22,25,28,31,34 are all in the 1st column. Winning bets are paid at odds of 2-1.
• Numbers The simple bet of placing a chip, or chips, on a number. If you are a winner here, you will be paid at 35-1. (E.g. three chips worth ¡ê1 each placed on a winning number will win 3x35=105 chips or the equivalent of ¡ê105 in cash chips)
• Splits Chips can be placed on the line between two numbers and will return a winner if either of the two numbers are the winning number. The odds paid here are 17-1. This is the same effective odds as playing single numbers.
• Streets A line of three numbers like 4,5,6 or 22,23,24 is called a street. To make this bet place one chip on the left border line of the left number. (E.g. For 4,5,6 this is the line separating 4 and the 1st Dozen) This is the same effective odds as playing single numbers.
• Corners These are corners between four numbers. (E.g. 28,29,31,32) Paid at odds of 8-1. This is the same effective odds as playing single numbers.
• Six-Lines Six numbers that form a wide line across the table. (E.g. 13,14,15 and 16,17,18) A chip is placed on the corner of 13 and 16 with the 2nd Dozen. Paid at odds of 5-1. This is the same effective odds as playing single numbers.
• French Bets and Call Bets. Roulette has been around for more than two hundred years in one form or another and in that time it has picked up some curiosities. These are dying out because of the inexperience of new staff and new players.
• French Bets These come from the French version of the game where it is difficult to play many numbers due to the fact that there are no colored chips to tell players' bets apart. Thus one bet covers many numbers and also a section of the Roulette wheel itself. The image shows how a European wheel is split up into sections that are the main French Bets.
• Voisons du Zero For convenience this has been shortened to just Voisins, pronounced 'Vwazon'. All the numbers from 22 to 25 inclusive.
• Tiers du Cylindre This is shortened to Tiers, pronounced 'Te-yare'. Numbers from 27 to 33 inclusive.
• Orphelins and Orphans These orphans are so called because they don't belong in either of the two main bets. They are generally played as one bet. Numbers 1,20,14,31,9 and 17,34,6.
• Finale Another French bet fast dying out is the Finale. 'Seven finale' means that you wish to bet numbers the 7,17 and 27, or numbers that end in seven.
• Call bets An extension of the French bets, which are 'called out' to the dealer, is the Call Bet. These are more precise in that the player can identify any discrete section of the wheel. By far the most popular is the Neighbor bet. 'Eight neighbors' is a five piece bet that implies one piece (chip) on each of 11,30,8,23,10.

roulette history

Roulette is believed to have originated from French culture as the name is a French word which actually means "small wheel" There have been stories, however, that the game actually began in China, and was brought to Europe by communications between the Chinese and Dominican monks. Further stories have shown that the game may have also originated in Europe, as ancient Romans used to play games by spinning chariot wheels on their sides.

The game of roulette as we know it dates back as far as the 17th century to a famous French scientist named Blaise Pascal. It is believed that the game is a product of Pascal's attempts to build a perpetual motion machine, but some say that this is actually just a story.

The year 1720 saw the first spinning ball and rotating horizontal wheel combination to be used as methods of gaming. This game was called "roly-poly". The gaming acts of 1739 banned this game in England. Beau Nash, the Master of Ceremonies at Bath England, ignored these laws, and began a new game called "Even-Odd" which was similar to roulette. This game too was banned in 1745.

The game carried on developing over the next fifty years, into the one that we all know today. Paris casinos featured the modern roulette wheel around 1796, which had similar elements to today's roulette wheels. Europeans visiting New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1800's introduced roulette to the United States. People began to stop playing roulette as gaming establishment proprietors became greedy. As proprietors become greedier, more and more gamblers became unhappy with the 5.26% house edge, and were even more outraged when some roulette operators made a 31-number wheel which had a staggering 12.9% house edge.

The single "0" roulette game was invented in 1842 by two French brothers named Francois and Louis Blanc. From then on the history of roulette began to drastically change. The house edge was reduced from 5.26% to 2.70%, and the game became a remarkable success. Gambling was illegal in France at the time, so it was piloted in Hamburg (Bavaria), Germany and was both profitable and well-liked.

"En Prison" was another option that was offered, which further lowered the house edge for even money wagers down to 1.35%. After looking at this figure, it makes sense that the game accounts for over 50% of revenues in casinos in Europe, compared to only 5% of those in the U.S., considering that U.S. casinos do not offer the "En Prison" option, and many still have double-zero wheels.

Prince Charles, the ruler of Monaco in the 1800's, brought gambling to the country. He was not sure how well gambling would do in Monaco, but he still decided to try it out. Louis Blanc accepted Prince Charles III invitation to visit Monte Carlo after gambling was banned in Germany. Together, they established the casino which is considered the gold standard by which other European casinos are measured. Blanc's aim was to attract wealthy members of society to Monte Carlo, which therefore led to the return of roulette in France. He managed to persuade French authorities to extend the railways from Nice, and build a new highway that led straight to Monte Carlo, making it easier for people to reach the gambling capital of Monte Carlo. Even though gambling became legal in France, roulette in France was exclusively played in Monte Carlo, keeping its casino popular, and surrounding roulette with a certain mystique.

Roulette became popular up until World War II when Americans began to lose less to the game of craps and they found interest in the fact that blackjack was a beatable game. At that point, roulette became less popular. Despite that, many people still play roulette, and it is the oldest existing game in casinos today.

Even though America's double-zero, and Europe's single-zero version roulette were developed in France, The double zero wheel is called the American wheel, as it has survived the longest in the U.S., while Europeans still prefer the single-zero version.