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How to Play Roulette at a Casino and Make a Profit

by D.Djokic • April 29, 2021
how to play roulette

Roulette is a traditional casino game. It is one of the oldest games found in a casino, and today, virtually every land-based or online casino has it in its portfolio. If you have never had the opportunity to play roulette, it won’t take long before you’re ready to place your wager since the game is rather straightforward to play.

In our guide, we will show you how to play roulette and cover all the different types of bets you can place. In addition, we will show you several popular roulette strategies that experienced players use to win at roulette.

Eight Quick Facts About Roulette How to Play and Win

  • The current version of roulette has been played ever since 1796.
  • American, French, and European Roulette are the most popular versions of the game.
  • Evolution Gaming offers more than a dozen different versions of roulette.
  • Progressive strategies like the Martingale system and the D’Alembert system are extremely popular among roulette players.
  • The chances of landing an even money odds bet are not 50%. In fact, they are 47.37%.
  • The European Roulette wheel has a 0 pocket, but American Roulette includes both a 0 and a 00 pocket.
  • Roulette is often called the Devil’s Game because the numbers on the wheel add up to 666.
  • Each player has their colour-coded chips when playing in land-based casinos so that dealers can tell who won and how much.

How to Play Roulette for Beginners

A game of roulette consists of two parts — the wheel and the table. The table is covered with felt or cloth material with a betting area printed on it. This area is known as the layout. When it comes to the roulette wheel, it has numerous pockets on it, and each pocket is marked with a number. Another essential thing anyone looking to learn how to play roulette at a casino should know is that the numbers on the wheel match the numbers on the table where you will be placing your bets.

The European Roulette wheel has 37 numbers. These numbers range from 1 to 36 and include a 0. As far as the American Roulette layout goes, it features 38 numbers, including all the numbers from the European variance and a 00.

While there are no best numbers to play in roulette or the ones you should play every time, some strategies require you to place specific types of bets. However, we will cover that later on in the article. For now, let’s focus on how a round of roulette works.

Every round of roulette starts with players placing their bets on the roulette table. The croupier will then throw a ball into the spinning wheel. An important thing to know when learning how to play roulette is that players can make bets even while the wheel is spinning. The betting is closed when the croupier announces it. When the ball lands into one of the pockets, the croupier will announce the number and reward the winners accordingly based on the betting odds.

How to Play Roulette Like a Pro

Even though roulette is beginner-friendly and takes seconds to learn, mastering it takes time and practice. Before getting into advanced roulette strategies and systems, you should learn about the different types of bets you can place in roulette.

This section will show you how to play roulette at a casino by telling you everything you need to know about inside bets and outside bets.

Inside Bets

As the name suggests, inside bets are the ones that are located on the inside of the layout. Each of these bets comes with different odds, and we will show you how to bet on each one.

  • The straight up bet is the easiest to make. In this case, you will be betting on a specific number by simply placing how much you are willing to stake. The payout for the straight up bet is 35 to 1.
  • The split bet allows you to bet on two numbers at once. The best way to learn how to play roulette for beginners is to practice placing bets before getting into the action. As far as split bet goes, simply place your chips on a line between two numbers. The payout for the split bet is 17 to 1.
  • The street bet is also known as the side bet or the trio, allowing you to bet on three numbers. If you wish to learn how to play roulette at a casino and place this type of bet, you need to put your chips on the outside border of three numbers you wish to bet on. The payout for the trio is 11 to 1.
  • The corner bet allows you to bet on four numbers with a single chip, and it offers a payout of 8 to 1. To place a corner bet, you need to put your chips on the intersection where the four numbers you are betting on meet.
  • The six line bet is a combination of the split bet and the trio bet, and it is the last one you need to master to learn how to play roulette like a pro. To place it, you should put a chip on the line between two different numbers like you would do with the split bet. However, in this case, you would place the chip on the outside border. Out of all the inside bets, the six line bet has the lowest odds and pays off 5 to 1.

Outside Bets

Outside bets are another thing you should master if you wish to learn how to play roulette and win. Like inside bets, outside bets have gotten their name because they are located outside the roulette table’s layout.

They are much easier to place since the print makes each bet self-explanatory. Here are the types of outside bets you can place:

  • The column is placed by putting a chip at the bottom of a column. This bet is an ideal place to start if you are a beginner and are looking for the best numbers to play in roulette. In this case, you are betting on the entire row of numbers, which can help you win more often. This bet has a payout of 2 to 1. However, make sure to remember that the column bet does not cover a 0 nor a 00.
  • The dozens bet is placed on fields generally labelled with “1st 12,” “2nd 12,” or “3rd 12.” In this case, you are betting on the numbers 1–12, 13–24, and 25–36. Again, a 0 and a 00 are not a part of the dozens bet. The payout for the dozens bet is 2 to 1.
  • As the name suggests, the odd or even bet allows you to bet on odds or evens, and it has a payout of 1 to 1. One of the tips for playing roulette we have for you is to learn how even money odds bets work since you will often use them with various roulette strategies.
  • The high or low bet allows you to bet on either 1 to 18 or 19 to 36. As is the case with previous bets, it doesn’t include a 0 or a 00. The payout for this bet is 1 to 1.
  • The red or black bet is another self-explanatory bet and the last one you should master to learn how to play roulette like a pro. In this case, you would bet on whether a ball will land in a red-coloured pocket or a black-coloured one. The payout for this type of bet is 1 to 1.

One thing you should know about placing bets in roulette is that you are allowed to place as many different bets as you want. If you want to increase the betting amount, you should add more chips to your betting selection.

Of course, if you wish to learn how to play roulette at a casino, you should know that each roulette table has the minimum and maximum you can stake. Therefore, make sure to check the limits before sitting at a roulette table to play.

The last thing you should do when learning how to play roulette is to master how to calculate the profits. If the payout table states that the payout for a straight up bet is 35 to 1, this means you would earn 35 times more than your stakes and have your initial stake returned.

For example, if you place a £10 wager on a straight up bet and win, you would make a profit of £350, and your total payout would be £360. Many new players get confused seeing payouts of 1 to 1, which is where tips to play roulette like these come in handy.

A payout of 1 to 1 does not mean that if you bet £10, you will simply get your £10 returned if you win. Instead, if you bet £10 on an even money odds bet and win, you will make a profit of £10 and receive a total payout of £20.

How to Play Roulette and Win

After learning about roulette and different types of bets, the only thing you should familiarise yourself with is different roulette strategies. While these strategies are slightly more advanced than simply placing a roulette bet, they can help you make a profit in the long run.

How to Play Roulette Strategy: The Martingale System

The Martingale strategy is a progressive betting strategy. To use this strategy, you should bet on even odds bets, such as reds or blacks, highs and lows, or odds and evens.

The first thing you should do is simply place a bet on any of these fields. Let’s say that, in this case, you decided to wager £1. In case you lose your bet, you will bet again, but this time you need to double your previous wager. In other words, you would bet £2.

Even though the Martingale system is arguably the best way to play roulette to win, it requires deep pockets. In case you have a bad streak, you will have to bet £4, then £8, £16, and so forth. This process repeats until you win, at which point you will start all over again by placing a £1 wager.

As you can see, the amount you need to bet progresses every time you lose a bet so that, when you win, you can recover your losses and make a profit at the same time. However, because of how the Martingale system works, it can quickly empty your bankroll if your initial stake is too high.

If you wish to learn how to play this roulette strategy, you should make sure to adjust your initial stake based on your entire bankroll. After all, losing five to six times in a row is not all that uncommon in roulette, so make sure your bankroll can cover the losses, and you have enough for the next wager.

How to Play Roulette Strategy: The D’Alembert System

The D’Alembert strategy is a progressive strategy like the Martingale system. However, unlike Martingale, it is a lot less aggressive and will require a smaller bankroll.

If you are using the D’Alembert strategy, you should bet only on odds and evens, reds and blacks, and highs and lows. To learn how to play roulette and win with the D’Alembert system, you should first determine your initial stake. It depends on your total bankroll, and it is recommended that your initial stake is 0.3% to 0.5% of your entire bankroll, and never more than 1% of it.

To explain how to play roulette using this strategy, let’s say that your initial stake is £5. In case you lose your bet, your next bet should be your previous stake plus your initial stake. In this case, that’s £5 + £5 = £10. If you lose again, you will bet your previous stake plus your initial stake, which is £10 + £5 = £15. If you happen to lose the third time in a row, your next bet should be £20.

If you want to learn how to play roulette and win, we recommend beginning with the D’Alembert system since it is less aggressive than the Martingale system. The only thing you need to remember is to set your initial stake, add the amount of your initial stake if you lose a bet, or subtract one initial stake from your previous bet in case you win.

How to Play Roulette Strategy: The Fibonacci System

As is the case with the previous two strategies, the Fibonacci system is based on betting on the even money odds bets. The system relies on a sequence where the next number is a sum of the previous two. The Fibonacci sequence looks like this: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55.

If you wish to learn how to play roulette using this method, there are several things you should remember. For starters, each time you lose a bet, you will move up the sequence and wager more. However, in case you lose, you will move two numbers back in the sequence.

One of the tips to play roulette we have for anyone using the Fibonacci system is to calculate your initial stake beforehand and write it down on a piece of paper. This way, you won’t lose track of what your next bet should be.

Of course, your initial stake does not have to be £1. If your initial stake is £5, the amount you would bet each time you lose will look like this: 5-5-10-15-25-40-65-105, and so forth.

While you are learning how to play roulette, chances are you are going to encounter many betting systems. However, an important thing to remember is that no betting system is perfect, and each has its flaws.

Despite that, using a betting system might come in handy and, while you are not guaranteed to win every single time you use one of these strategies, they will increase your chances of making a profit.

How to Play Roulette Online for Money

Whether you play roulette online or at a land-based casino, the rules are the same. The only difference is that you can enjoy roulette from the comfort of your own home. However, if you wish to experience a little bit of the atmosphere a land-based casino has to offer, you can always find live dealer games that multiple online casinos already include in their portfolio.

If you want to learn how to play roulette online for money, the first thing you will have to do is find a reputable online casino to play at. Luckily for you, we’ve already handpicked a dozen of online casino sites where you can play roulette. We analysed the casino games and whether they have live dealer games, website’s layout, customer support, payment methods, and much more, and compiled a list of the best online casinos for roulette.

Learning how to pick a reputable casino with an excellent offer is perhaps the most essential step of learning how to play roulette since it can greatly affect your casino experience. For that reason, take your time and pick one carefully.

After you do, you only have to register and make an account. In addition, you can opt to claim welcome bonuses online casinos have to offer. Once you are done, simply head to a table that has stakes to your preference, enter the game room, and place your wager.

Additionally, if you wish to explore and try new things, you can always deviate from the traditional games and learn how to play other versions of roulette. For example, a provider like Evolution Gaming offers more than a dozen different variances you can play. Some of their most popular titles include the Multi-Wheel Roulette, Double Ball Roulette, Lightning Roulette, and many others.

While the rules of these versions are nearly identical, one of the easiest ways to learn how to play different versions of roulette is to check the game’s settings for any additional rules. Also, make sure to check the game’s payout table before playing to see if it has been adjusted to fit the new format better.

Summary

Even though roulette is extremely straightforward on the surface, there is a lot more than meets the eye with this traditional casino game. Because it is easy to learn, roulette is often a game of choice for newcomers to a casino and a big favourite among experienced players who want to master roulette.

Now that we’ve shown you how to play roulette, all that’s left for you to do is find a suitable casino, sign up, and place your first wager. Whether you decide to use a roulette strategy is entirely up to you, as long as you remember to have fun and never bet more than you can afford.