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How to Play ONLINE Roulette
How to Play ONLINE Roulette
To play roulette, all you need is a wheel, a ball, a bet, and some luck. That’s why it’s one of the most popular casino games around—both online and in person. But playing roulette is a lot different than winning roulette.
More experienced roulette players know that winning roulette doesn’t only rely on luck. It depends on skill, and most of that skill lies in learning how (and when) to bet in roulette.
How Does Roulette Work?
Roulette is a great fit for beginning table players because of its straightforward rules and gameplay. Its steps are easy to follow, and with quick bets and rounds, new players can jump in at any time.
Roulette wheel
The roulette wheel is one of the most well-known symbols of a casino. Dealers (also known as croupiers) drop a ball into the wheel and spin it, allowing the ball to fall into a random pocket of the wheel. Whoever has a bet on the pocket where the ball falls wins.
But how many numbers are on a roulette wheel? European roulette has 37 numbers, while American roulette has 38. These pockets include:
- 0 (and 00 in American Roulette)
- Red numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36)
- Black numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, and 35)
Roulette table
With its numbered grid and extra spaces, a roulette table can look intimidating at first glance. But once you know the parts of the table (and how they correspond to potential bets), much of the other roulette rules fall into place.
Roulette tables include:
- A 3x12 grid of numbers labeled 1-36: Players place bets on their desired number.
- Even and odd spaces: Bets on these spaces pay out when the wheel spins even or odd.
- Red and black diamond spaces: When the ball lands on red or black (no matter the number), bets on these spaces pay out.
- 1st 12, 2nd 12, 3rd 12: These spaces, known as “dozen spaces,” indicate that a player has placed a bet on a section of twelve numbers on the grid.
- 2:1 spaces: Place a bet on these spaces at the end of a column to receive a 2:1 payout when a number from that column wins.
Roulette rules
You’ve got the lay of the land and the chips in your hand. So what comes next? How do you play roulette? It’s simpler than it seems.
- Players place their bets on desired spaces on the table layout.
- The croupier spins the wheel and drops the ball to spin inside.
- When the wheel and ball stop, the croupier calls out the winning number and color.
- Players with winning bets collect their payouts, leave them as their next bet, or move them to a different space on the table.
Types of Roulette Bets
Once the wheel stops spinning, you’ve either won or lost your bet—and winning feels a lot better. Learning how to bet in roulette takes only a little time and experience, but it can lead to a big payout.
So what is the safest bet in roulette? What is the payout in online roulette? And what are roulette odds to know before you put your chips on the table?
Inside bets
Inside bets are any bets that you make on the “inside” of the table—namely, on the number grid. Inside bets have lower odds but much bigger payouts.
| Inside Bet | Where Bet Is Placed | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Straight bet | A single number | 35:1 |
| Split bet | Between two numbers | 17:1 |
| Street bet (three-number bet) | At the end of three numbers | 11:1 |
| Corner bet (four-number bet) | Shared corner of four numbers | 8:1 |
| Basket bet (“monster” or “the beast” | Corner of 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 | 6:1 |
| Line bet | Between two rows | 5:1 |
Outside bets
When you place an outside bet, you’re putting your chips anywhere outside the grid of numbers. These bets have lower payouts but better odds.
| Outside Bet | Where Bet Is Placed | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Column bet | 2:1 space | 2:1 |
| Dozen bet | Dozens spaces (1st 12, 2nd 12, 3rd 12) | 2:1 |
| High/low bet | 1-18 or 19-36 spaces | 1:1 |
| Odd/even bet | Odd or even space | 1:1 |
| Red/black bet | Red or black diamond space | 1:1 |
What are roulette odds?
With a large 35:1 payout, a straight bet looks like the one to make. But understanding your odds of actually winning your bet is another important part of learning how to play roulette online. Straight bets may pay out the most, but they have the lowest odds of any other roulette bet.
It also depends on whether you’re playing European roulette or American roulette. With only 37 numbers on the wheel, European roulette has slightly better odds and a lower house edge (2.7%). American roulette has 38 numbers on the wheel, giving players lower odds of winning and the house a higher edge (5.26%).
| Bet | European Roulette Odds | American Roulette Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Straight bet | 2.7% | 2.6% |
| Split bet | 5.4% | 5.3% |
| Street bet (three-number bet) | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Corner bet (four-number bet) | 10.8% | 10.5% |
| Basket bet (“monster” or “the beast” | N/A (European doesn’t have 00 space) | 13.2% |
| Double street bet (line bet) | 16.2% | 15.8% |
| Column bet | 32.4% | 31.6% |
| Dozen bet | 32.4% | 31.6% |
| High/low bet | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Odd/even bet | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Red/black bet | 48.65% | 47.37% |
What is the safest bet in roulette?
The safest bet in roulette is an outside bet—particularly a high/low, odd/even, or red/black bet. With nearly 50% odds and a 1:1 payout, players who don’t want to live on the edge feel more comfortable placing these types of outside bets.
What is the riskiest bet in roulette?
The riskiest bet in roulette is the straight bet, when you bet on one single number. A straight bet’s odds hover around 2-3%, giving the house a huge advantage. However, if players are feeling lucky, placing a bet on their lucky number could result in a huge payout.
Call Bets
In some casinos and online roulette games, including Golden Nugget Online Casino, you can use a separate betting area on the roulette table known as the racetrack. This area allows you to verbally call bets (also known as “announced bets”) to the croupier. It looks like a stretched-out version of the roulette wheel with French words inside.
Call bets are most typical in European roulette, and the most common call bets are known as the French bets.
- Voisins du Zero (neighbors of zero):Seventeen numbers closest to 0 (22, 28, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 25, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25). Players can place basket, split, or corner bets on groups of numbers for the same payouts as table bets
- Jeu Zero (zero game): Smaller portion of Voisins du Zero (12, 35, 3, 25, 0, 32, 25). All bets are split bets except for 26, which is a straight bet.
- Tiers du Cylindre (thirds of the wheel): Covers the lower third of the wheel (27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33). All bets are split bets.
- Orphelins (orphans): Eight numbers in the gaps between Voisins and Tiers (17, 34, 6, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9). All bets are split except for 1 (straight bet).
- Neighbors: Players place a straight bet on one number as well as the two numbers on each side (five straight bets total).
Voisins, Zero, Tiers, and Orphelins are fixed bets (numbers are always the same), while neighbors is a variable call bet because players choose their number.
How To Win in Roulette
Just like every casino game, winning is all about hedging your bets. There’s no way to know where the ball is going to land, so your best call is to place larger outside bets. If you’d like to play with a little risk, you can place smaller inside bets to feel the thrill of the game just a bit more.
How to Play Roulette at Golden Nugget Online Casino
Playing Roulette at Golden Nugget Online Casino has plenty of advantages over the brick-and-mortar casino. Not only can you play at any time of the day (and for free if you want—can’t do that at an in-person casino!), you never have to wait for your turn to place a bet.
You can also choose from a number of roulette options, unlike in-person casinos which may only offer one or two options.
European roulette
When you play European roulette at Golden Nugget Online Casino, you play by classic European roulette rules—with an online twist. Players can set up “favorite bets” that reset each time they play the game if they choose.
European roulette at Golden Nugget Online Casino also includes a racetrack for special bets, a billboard to show statistics, and a hot-and-cold numbers display to let you know how often particular numbers have been spun in the last 500 spins.
American roulette
The straightforward American roulette interface at Golden Nugget Online Casino helps new and experienced players alike enjoy roulette action. A double 00 on the wheel makes each bet a little more high-stakes, and a “neighbors bet” option allows players to make adjacent bets with the click of a button.
Live dealer roulette
Want the ease of online roulette with the fun of live play? Live dealer roulette provides a real-time croupier for players to chat with. Live dealer roulette at Golden Nugget Online Casino comes with a racetrack for call bets and special bets and traffic lights that tell how much time there is left to bet in a live round.
Roulette: Your New Favorite Casino Game
Now that you know how to play and win at roulette, your next step is to try it out. Play for free in demo mode, on any Golden Nugget Online Casino roulette game that isn't a live dealer version, or place a bet to win real money. Either way, some major fun is just a spin away.