Hand of cards and chips scattered across a table

2024-03-25

How to Play Roulette

Covered in this guide:

Understanding the basic rules of roulette
Different roulette bet types
The roulette number board explained
Table basics

Roulette is one of the most popular casino games that has been attracting players from all over the world since the 17th century. Its popularity stems mainly because it’s easy to play and its rules are simple.

Here, we will look at the basic rules of roulette, how to play roulette games, the table and wheel layout and how one wins in roulette.

Understanding the Basic Rules of Roulette: How to Play

The Objective of Roulette

Roulette is a simple casino game at heart. It involves a spinning wheel and ball - and you need to try and predict where you think the ball will land. Your win will be awarded if you correctly predict this outcome.

Here are the basic rules for playing roulette:

Select the bet(s) you would like to place by placing your chips in the correct positions on the number board
The dealer closes off any further bets, and sets the ball spinning around the wheel
Eventually, the ball will come to a stop and land in one of the pockets. This is the winning pocket for the round
Any winning bets are awarded, and the round comes to an end

Different Roulette Bet Types

The game is renowned for its huge array of betting options, each with different odds and probability of winning. Regardless of the variant, the main bet types are the same across the board.

In general, "Inside bets" are those roulette bets which are located on the inside of the table, while those located around the outside are referred to as the "Outside bets".

Depending on the type of roulette you play, you will find that the roulette wheel’s have different designs, as well as different betting options.

Our comprehensive guides on each version of roulette covers everything you need to know for playing.

However, whatever type you play and whatever bet you make, roulette is a game of chance, and there’s no way to guarantee a win, even when using a roulette strategy.

The Roulette Number Board Explained

The roulette table is where it all happens - and understanding its layout is vital. Below you can find an example of how the number board might look at a roulette table. This example is from a European game as there is only one zero, so an American game will look slightly different.

Number Board

On the number board, you can find all the inside bets (all the individual numbers) at the top of the board. Your options for selecting outside bets are around the outside of the individual numbers.

Table Basics

When you first look at a roulette table, it can look complex, but once you know what you’re looking for, it’s pretty simple to understand:

The Wheel: The wheel features numbered pockets, alternating in red and black, with a green zero pocket (plus an extra double zero in American roulette). The croupier spins the wheel in one direction, and a small ball spins in the opposite direction. Eventually, the ball will fall into one of the pockets, determining the winning number.

Betting Layout: Then you have the number board, which is where you place your bets on outcomes such as specific numbers, groups of numbers, colours, or other combinations.

Chips and Bets: You can then use your casino chips to place your bets. These chips will come in various denominations, so you can bet different amounts based on your roulette budget.

Online Roulette Tables:

To understand how to play roulette games online, the gameplay experience is slightly different.

Online roulette tables basically replicate the traditional roulette table - but online. You place your bets using virtual chips, and the wheel is spun through a random number generator (RNG) - which determines a random and fair outcome.

Generally, online casinos offer all different roulette variants, including live dealer roulette with real croupiers, where the game is live-streamed to your device in real-time. In these cases, roulette wheels spin in real time without the need for a random number generator.