Betting on Roulette
Overview
Each spin is a chance to do something entirely new in the game of roulette. Risk-takers can go for the big money with one-number bets, while the plodding gambler can play it safe and build up slowly with bets like black/red and odd/even.
One quick note is that all roulette wheels are not alike. The two major types are European Roulette wheels and American Roulette wheels. In the European kind, there is only one zero, the "0." However, American wheels have both a "0" and a "00." The difference affects the house edge, which is just 2.7% with European wheels and 5.26% with American ones. Always go with American wheels.
American Wheel: Kinds of Roulette Bets and Their Odds
- Single Number- This means that you're betting on just one number, and the odds are greatly against you- 35:1; you only have a 2.6% chance of winning this bet.
- Split - The odds rise to 5.3% when you bet on two numbers at a time. This merits a payout of 17:1.
- Street - An 11:1 prize goes to the winner of this three-number bet, which has a probability of 7.9%.
- Corner - A corner is four numbers, and the odds of hitting are 10.5%. Thus, you get paid 8:1.
- First Five - Those are 0,00,1, 2, and 3; if you win, you get a payment of 6:1 for the 13.2% odds.
- Sixline - Odds of 15.8% accompany a bet on six numbers, and you get a payout of 5:1.
- Dozens - You have about a 31.6% chance of hitting a set of twelve numbers, so when you bet on the first, second, or third twelve numbers you get a payout of 2:1.
- Columns - The odds and payout are the same as for dozens.
- Hi or Lo - You get your bet's worth if you win on this type, where you predict whether the roulette ball will hit in the range 1-18 or 19-36. You're looking at 47.4% odds.
- Even or Odd - You bet on whether the number hit will be even or odd. The odds and rewards are the same as for Hi or Lo.
- Red or Black - Now you're betting on whether the number will be red or black. Once again, the odds and payout are the same.
Take note of the fact that every online casino has the last say in the exact rules, and some adjust their payout for different roulette odds. The good thing is that they usually make adjustments in favor of the player. It is in the best interest of a beginning roulette player to stick to outside bets, which have a probability of around 50%. Getting lucky on these will start you on your way to competitive play.
However, there are always exceptions. One of the exceptions for a beginner is that if you have money, and you don't mind betting it, then you could potentially profit quite a bit by going for the chancier, but more rewarding, inside bets. You're definitely not at an advantage, but, if you want to play dangerously, go for it. Hopefully, you'll be able to outsmart the roulette odds.
Roulette betting is so diverse that anyone can find something to like about the game. Join the ranks.
