How To Play Live Roulette

Roulette is called the queen of casino games for good reason. Whether playing in person or online, roulette is always a spectacle. In the guide below, you'll find everything you need to know about how to play roulette, the rules, tips and live roulette guides to get started.

Roulette Guide – The Set Up

You need to understand the core components of roulette to know how to play the game and use the above bet types. In this section of our roulette guide, we look at the game specifics, so you know how to play live roulette with confidence.

The Roulette Wheel

Forming the basis of the entire game, the roulette wheel is the famous spinning part of the machine, where the ball is placed. The wheel itself consists of multiple parts, but as the player you only need to know about a few of these.

First is the ball track. The dealer places the ball here at the start of a round. The ball moves around this track as the wheel head spins, until it loses enough speed to drop down into a ball pocket.

Online roulette can be entirely software-driven, but live online roulette will use physical tables. There are currently three different major forms of roulette. These are European, French and American.

The most common of the three is the European variety. This type of table offers a total of 37 numbers, in the 0-36 range. The number 0 included in European roulette gives the house an edge: that's because most bets don't include this number. European roulette has a house edge of 2.7%.

American roulette is almost the same as European, though it adds a 00 or double zero into the mix. This reduces the player's odds. Numbers on the American roulette wheel are also placed differently from the European wheel. The house edge in American roulette is 5.26%.

French roulette only offers one 0, but its rules can be more generous. In French roulette, an outside bet that loses because the ball hits 0 will still return half a player’s bet. This is called “la partage”.

French roulette also includes the “en prison” rule. This is where outside bets that land on zero can be played again at no additional cost. If the next spin wins, the player’s initial bet is returned. French roulette has the same house edge as the European version, at 2.7%.

The Betting Table

The betting table in live roulette works in the same way as betting in a physical game, using standard roulette betting rules. For example, if you want to place a straight bet, you just need to click on the number you wish to bet on. To place a corner bet, you click on the corners of four numbers. To place an even bet, select "even" on the betting table, and so on.

The Live Dealer

Live dealers in online casinos are there to perform the same work as dealers in physical casinos. The job of these dealers is to announce bets, the betting results, and physically work the tables. Active dealers also take it upon themselves to interact with and entertain the players, ensuring a back-and-forth interaction.

The only real difference between a live dealer and the dealer in a physical casino is that online payment systems are automated and the tables are digital. That means the dealer doesn’t have to handle the chips.

How to bet on roulette

The basic goal in online roulette is to bet on which pocket on the wheel the ball will land in. Players can select exact numbers or place more expansive bets that cover a larger selection of numbers. While some bets work on all roulette wheels, others are only possible on specific types. Players place bets by laying chips on the online betting table.

The layout of the betting table can be complex, and it might seem a lot to take in. However, it's easier to understand than it might seem. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the forms these bets can take.

Roulette Inside Bets

These bets are placed inside the rectangle containing all the individual numbers. Inside bets include:

Roulette Straight up bet

This is the most basic type of bet, and it's placed directly on a single number. On a European roulette wheel, you can place a straight bet on any number in the 0-36 range. A win on one of these bets pays 35:1.

Split bet

You place a split bet by putting your chip on the line that splits two numbers. Examples of a split bet would be 31/34, or 8/9 since these numbers are next to each other on the roulette board or layout. Winning a split bet on a European table rewards 17:1.

Corner Bet Roulette

A corner bet (also called a square bet or a four-number bet) is similar to a split, but you place your chip on the corner between four numbers instead. Examples of corner bets would be 16/17/19/20 and 11/12/14/15. A win on a European table would pay out 8:1.

Roulette Street Bet or 3 number bet

Street bets, also called trio bets, are wagers placed on one row of three numbers. This would mean a bet placed on 7/8/9 or 34/35/36, as an example. A win on a street bet will pay out 11:1 on a European table.

Line Bet

A line bet is similar to a street bet, only it works on two adjacent rows rather than just one. This means that a line bet will cover a range of numbers such as 10-15, or 31-36. Payouts on European table line bets are 5:1.

Basket or First Four Bet

A bet on the numbers 0-3. A winning basket bet will pay 6:1.

Betting on Zero in Roulette

The zero adds some spice to the game. European roulette has one zero, while the American version has two. You can place a straight bet on zero, or include the zero(s) in any other combination of numbers. Betting on zero doesn’t pay in a different way than any other number.

Roulette Outside Bets

An outside bet is one you place outside the boundaries of the rectangle where the numbers are kept. If you want to learn how to play roulette online, you need to understand both outside and inside bets. Like with our inside bets above, here we assume that the following are played on a European table:

Black/Red

A bet placed on either red or black. The ball landing on any red number will win a red bet; the ball landing on a black number will win a black bet. The payout for a winning bet black/red bet is 1:1.

Odd/Even

Similar to the black/red bet, an odd/even bet allows players to wager on almost half the table (excluding the 0 number) at once. A bet on even will pay out if any even number hits; a bet on odd pays out if an odd number hits. A win on an odd/even bet pays out 1:1.

Column

Column bets are similar to inside line bets, only applied over the column instead of a row. There are three columns to bet on. A winning column bet will pay 2:1.

Dozens

A dozen bet offers three choices, each of which covers a dozen numbers. Unlike columns, however, dozens bets work across sequential numbers. These are separated into the 1st, 2nd and 3rd sets of numbers on the roulette table: 1-12, 13-24 and 25-38. A win on a dozen bet will payout 2:1.

High/Low

A high/low bet offers two possible bets. Low uses numbers 1-18. High uses 19-36. Both pay out 1:1 if they win.

Special Bets

Roulette also offers a selection of special bets. These combine outside and/or inside bets. The idea of special bets is usually based around covering various areas of the wheel, rather than building a bet from the table. Special bets are famed in French roulette, and so they tend to rely on their French names. Special bets include:

Jeu Zero / Zero

This bet covers a total of six numbers around the zero. Placing this special bet requires the player to place a straight bet on 26, as well as split bets on 0/3, 12/15 and 32/35. The best possible payout on this bet is 35:1 for the 26 straight, while the split bets will return 18:1.

Voisins du Zero / Neighbors to Zero

Voisins du zero is a special bet that covers the 17 numbers closest to zero. Placing a voisins du zero wager means placing seven different bets. These include 2 units on a basket, 2 units on the 25/26/29/29 corner and single units bets on the split covering 4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22 and 32/35. The largest possible payout is the 6:1 payout from the basket.

Le Tiers du Cylindre / Third of the Wheel

This bet is similar to voisins du zero, only covering 12 numbers on the opposite side of the table. On the roulette wheel, these would be the numbers from the 27-33 range. Placing this special bet means laying six different 1-unit split wagers. These are placed on 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30 and 33/36. The maximum payout from this bet is 17:1.

Orphelins / Orphans

The remaining numbers not covered in the previous special bets are called the Orphans. These are split over both sides of the reel and require five different single-unit bets. These include a straight on 1 as well as splits on 6/9, 14/17, 17/20 and 31/34. The maximum payout from an Orphan bet is 35:1 from the 1 straight bet.

How to Play Special Roulette Games

Because online casino titles rely on software and can reach far more users than most single physical casinos, the game selection can be much more varied. At Pink Casino, we offer many different variants that you might never see in person. Some of the popular special roulette games on our website include:

XXXTtreme Lightning Roulette

Taking the already popular Lighting Roulette variant to the next level, XXXTreme Lightning Roulette gives players the ability to combine straight with randomised special lightning wins. Offering up to 500x payouts, this modern form of roulette boosts potential player winnings to the next level.

Gold Bar Roulette

Gold Bar Roulette takes things even further, allowing you to set your own lucky number and the value of its multiplier. The dealer will announce a number of gold bars that you could win if the ball lands on your lucky pick.

Roulette Tips and Tricks

Like any form of betting, the best possible piece of advice in roulette is to fully understand what you're in for before jumping in with both feet. This means knowing for sure the roulette rules, what each bet includes before you place it, and what the odds mean.

For beginners, European roulette is probably the best place to start. It offers the lowest house edge and is less complex than the French version. Of course, if you enjoy a higher risk and understand what you're in for, feel free to try the American version straight away.

After starting on simple bets, you can then try to diversify your wagers to consolidate everything you’ve learned. If you can understand and apply a special bet without needing to look anything up, you’re already well on your way.

For more general advice, we suggest setting a strict budget and sticking to it. Since roulette can involve placing many different bets, it can be easy to lose track and over-commit. With a budget, you can easily avoid this.

Finally, you also need to understand that roulette, like all casino titles, is a game of chance. No matter how familiar you are with the roulette rules or roulette strategies, you can’t guarantee a win. You might see discussions about famous betting systems, such as the Martingale roulette strategy, the Fibonacci strategy, or the Paroli roulette strategy. Truth is, no betting system or odds strategy guarantees a win. It's a common human trait to believe patterns exist where they don’t. That can lead us to engage with inaccurate beliefs like the famous gambler’s fallacy. Understand that each bet takes place in a vacuum, that previous rounds won’t affect future rounds, and that you’ll be far less likely to fall into a trap of your own making.