How to Play Roulette

What is Roulette?

Roulette is one of the most popular casino games in the world. You must predict where the white ball will land on a numbered wheel to win a round. This fundamental rule applies to live or online roulette. If you want to know how to play roulette, you have come to the right place.

The exact beginning of roulette remains a mystery, but many believe the French perfected it in the late 18th century. However, the game has hardly changed since the early days. The croupier spins a wheel in one direction and launches a ball in the other. The numbered wheel has 37 slots for the ball to land on, starting from zero to 36 for European Roulette. Depending on the version you play, there could be more numbered segments. For example, American Roulette has 38 slots with zero and double zero available.

The most intimidating part of any table game is the betting area. For roulette, each numbered segment has its own betting area. Figuring out what each section means puts you closer to a winning bet. We outline how to play roulette, plus some online roulette betting tips in the next sections.

The Rules of Roulette

If this is your first time attempting to play live roulette, you might wonder how you can win. Well, winning at roulette is incredibly simple. Before we can explain how to win, you must fully understand how to play roulette. Every player gets around 30 seconds to place their bets for the next round. This is marked online or by the croupier at the casino. Once the betting window is over, the players wait for the ball to stop and land on one of the designated segments on the roulette wheel.

The sections on the roulette wheel correspond to the numbers on the table. This is where you can bet on an individual number and various collections of numbers. For example, bet on 21 or the immediate numbers around 21. You can also bet on the next number being odd or red, meaning you don’t have to be precise with your prediction. They group several numbers together when looking at the betting table. Instead of putting your chips on one number, you can bet on as many as 18 in one wager. This may sound confusing to new players, but once you read on, everything becomes more straightforward.

As you can see, they divide the betting area into various sections. Each section represents a type of bet. The outside bets are at the bottom and they involve several numbers. If you choose red or black, you are betting on just under half the numbers across the roulette wheel. If you choose “1st 12” you are betting on one of the first 12 numbers, except for zero. On the far right side of the table, there are three boxes marked “2-1”. Once again, this is a wager across 12 numbers on the wheel.

These are the basic rules of roulette, but we provide more detail about every live roulette betting option later in this article. For now, all you need to know is you have around 30 seconds to place your bet, and you are trying to guess which segment the white ball will land on.

How to Win at Roulette

Now on to the best part of roulette; winning. There are many ways to win a round of live roulette, but in its purest form, you are guessing the next number randomly selected by the roulette wheel. If you get your prediction right, assuming you are playing European Roulette, you can win 35 times your stake. No matter what version of the game you play, this does not change. The only aspect that varies is the amount you can win for a correct prediction.

The odds for a correct prediction on a single number are 35/1. Getting the prediction right is difficult, even for the experts. You can bet on multiple numbers in one wager to increase your chances of winning per round. You can split your bet across two numbers, divide your bet equally on four numbers, or bet on just under half the digits on the wheel in one go. The more numbers you have in your roulette bet, the lower the returns, but the higher your chances are of winning a round.

To win at online roulette, control the amount you bet on each round and handpick your wagers. When we say select your wagers, you need to avoid contradictory bets. For example, there is no point in betting on red and black in the same round. Plus, you need to avoid betting more than you can win. If you bet on 35 individual numbers and one is a winner, you only stand to make as much as you lost. You must examine the bets and understand your possible returns before making bets.

Roulette Odds and Bets

At our online casino, you can play a mixture of exciting roulette games. The games may have drastically different themes, but there are many features they all share. For starters, you can place similar wagers across games. Once you know how to play roulette, you can sample any game at our casino.

Think of inside and outside bets to help you understand the intimidating betting area. Betting on a small collection or individual numbers is an inside bet. Any of the boxes surrounding the digits is an outside bet. Inside bets are harder to get right but return more than any outside bet.

Inside Bets

• Straight: A straight-up or single bet is when you place a wager on an individual number. Tap the middle of the square for the number you want to bet on when playing live roulette. The payout for this wager is 35/1.
• Split: Instead of betting on one number, you can bet on two adjacent numbers by tapping the line between the digits. You can bet on 1-2 or 1-4 and it returns 17/1.
• Street: This is where you can bet on three consecutive numbers in a column. For example, you can bet on 1-2-3, 10-11-12, or 34-35-36. To mark a street bet for the first three digits, click on the left side of the box marked as “1”. If this does not work, click on the right edge of the box marked “3”. The location of a street bet varies depending on the rules of the table, but the European Roulette odds are 11/1.
• Corner: To make a corner bet, click on a corner where four squares meet. For example, 8-9-11-12 or 32-33-35-36. This wager allows you to bet on four numbers from one bet and returns 8/1.
• Basket: Another type of bet that includes four numbers is the basket. Placing your chip on the corner of 1 and zero will give you 0-1-2-3 as your winning numbers for the round. The odds are the same as a corner bet at 8/1, but you are a winner if the dreaded zero comes up.
• Double Street: If a street allows you to bet on one column of consecutive numbers, a double street gives you two. That gives you six numbers from one bet and returns of 5/1. To place this wager, you need to click on the middle line between two streets of numbers. Depending on the table, you can make this bet by clicking between one and four or three and six.

Outside Bets

• 1-18 or 19-36 (High or Low): This wager breaks the roulette wheel into two sections. If you bet low, you need the next number selected at random to be 18 or less. If you go high, it must be 19 or more. The bet returns 1/1, meaning you get back however much you stake for a correct prediction. However, neither option includes zero.
• Odd or Even: Once again, they split the entire roulette wheel evenly, not including the zero or double zero. You can bet on the next number being odd or even and the returns are 1/1. The odds for this wager being correct are less than 50% thanks to the zero and even lower if there is a double zero. You have a 48.65% chance of getting this wager right every spin.
• Red or Black: The most famous wager in roulette and a beginner’s favourite is red or black. Just like odd or even, the board has an equal number of red and black numbers. You have almost a 50-50 chance of getting it right, as they don’t include zero in the wager. It also returns 1/1 and is an easy and fun way to double your money.
• Column: Choosing the 1st 12, 2nd 12, or 3rd 12 is a column bet. This roulette bet breaks the board into three equal sections, not including the zero. Your bet is a winner if the ball lands on any number in your designated section. Guessing the correct dozen returns 2/1.
• Dozen: The dozen bet is the three sections marked “2 to 1” on the far-right side of the betting area. They also split the board into three sections, but this time in rows. The bet is a winner if the next number is one of the 12 in your selected dozen. Unsurprisingly, the odds for this wager are 2/1.

These bet types might sound confusing, but that makes online roulette so popular. If you look at any casino, people flock to the roulette table for excitement and high returns. When playing other casino classics like blackjack, you only stand to double your stake if you can beat the dealer. With one spin of the roulette wheel, you could secure up to 35 times your stake. Plus, if you are a fan of live casino games, you can win significantly more than 35x. Roulette variants like Lightning Roulette offer players the chance to win over 500 times their stake.

Online Roulette Betting Tips

Now that you understand how to play roulette and the various bets you can place, let’s focus on some live roulette betting tips. Roulette is one of those casino games where the more you play, the better you get. There is no reliable way to predict a roulette wheel. One day it could land three times in a row on 15, then you could go hours without seeing 15 again. It’s a game of chance and the more you think of it like that, the better. However, after our many years crouched around a table, we have some advice to help you make more winning bets!

• Use the Data: Live roulette tables and some physical casinos have a screen to tell you various statistics about the last 20 to 50 spins. You can find numbers that have not landed for a while and the most consistently hit numbers. You can also track the red or black numbers and the last time a 0 came up. While anything can happen in roulette, avoid betting on cold numbers.
• Bet Wisely: It may look like people throw chips on every number across the board for no clear reason, but that is not the case. Players have tried and tested strategies to try and win something on every spin. You need to ensure the winnings are worthwhile when you bet and win. If you place ten straight bets, you only stand to win 35x your stake. So, you want to spend a decent amount on each spin to make your win worthwhile. Betting €0.10 per number will reduce your losses but guarantee almost no returns.
• Beginners Luck: When we first started, we felt compelled to stick to outside bets like red or black and odd or even. There are two problems with just sticking with these bets. One is most tables have a minimum spend for this bet. The other is that you can easily lose all your money if you are incorrect several times. If you make inside bets, getting one right can fund your next five or six rounds.
• Spread your Bet: Betting on just one number every round is impossible to get right. You would have a 2.7% chance. Your success rate increases if you do splits, corners, and street bets.
• Don’t Bet Every Round: One of the hardest things to do at a casino or when playing online roulette is not betting. If you are on a losing streak or worried about ending your winning run, take a mini break before putting your chips down again. You should still play the round as if you had money on the line, but just see how far off your prediction is. Some of our biggest losing streaks were saved by skipping one round and coming in fresh for the next.

How to Place a Roulette Bet

Whether you visit our live casino or play in person placing a roulette bet is straightforward. Place your chips on the betting table for the wagers you want to make. Like other popular online table games, you must make your decision promptly. There could be thousands of players waiting to put their chips down between spins, depending on the roulette variant you are playing. If you sign up for Novibet, you can play live casino and online roulette.

Anyone placing a live roulette bet for the first time should take a second to familiarise themselves with the various wagers. There is nothing wrong with starting with outside bets. Just make sure you look back at some of the previous spins. If you join a live roulette table, you can watch the first two or three rounds before making your bet. Anyone who plays an online game often cannot spectate as the game only begins once the chips are down.

Remember, before betting willy-nilly, choose the size of your stake. Depending on the game, you can bet as little at €0.10 per round and as much as €50 on one number. The size of the chips depends, but just ensure you’re betting with the correct amount before clicking on the roulette table.

Difference Between Online Roulette and Casino Roulette

If you are interested in live casino games, roulette is one of the best. The live roulette tables at Novibet offer one of the most authentic casino experiences in Ireland. Feel like you’re face to face with a professional croupier, watching the wheel spin in real-time.

Live roulette was the first to experiment with increasing the maximum returns from a standard game. Players typically can make up 35 times their stake when playing online roulette. Now, Lightning Roulette gives players the chance to earn up to 500x their stake every spin. To give as authentic an experience as possible, the Novibet online casino has online and live roulette tables with rewards up to 500x your stake. Join our casino now for access to incredible live blackjack tables and the best online slots in Ireland.

Roulette Variations

If you are interested in playing live roulette, Novibet is the place to do it. With over 60 different variations to enjoy, there has never been a better time to try roulette. Originally, there were three main roulette variations: French, American, and European. We have discussed the bets you can place and the odds for European Roulette, but below is a little summary of each.

American Roulette

There are 38 slots on the American Roulette wheel, as there is an additional number. Players can bet on zero or double zero, but everything else remains the same across European and American Roulette. The only difference is that the American version has a higher house advantage, as the zeros are not included in outside bets.

European Roulette

There are 37 numbers on the European Roulette wheel, 0 through 36. We find this version of roulette one of the easiest to master, as there is less of a chance of zero coming up. The returns are the same, so it comes down to player preference for which game to play.

French Roulette

French Roulette has the same number of segments on the wheel as European Roulette. Where it varies is the layout of the betting table. There are also two unique rules to the French game. You do not lose if you make an outside bet and the ball lands on zero. You can take half your bet back (la partage) or keep the wager there and let it ride. The “en prison” rule can help turn your previous losing bet into a winner, but it only applies to outside bets.

Double Ball

Double Ball Roulette is a lot of fun. The game involves one American or European roulette wheel and two balls. You have double the chance of landing a winning bet per spin but at reduced odds. This game is a bit much for new players to understand, so we recommend sticking with one of the above.

There are over 60 roulette games at Novibet, each with different rules and bonuses for players to enjoy. Now you know how to play roulette, sign up for Novibet and claim an exciting welcome bonus to help you get started. You can redeem your bonus for roulette, blackjack, or a variety of excellent online slots.