It never ceases to amaze us how many people will risk their hard earned money on playing Roulette when they don't even have a clue how its played. We want to make sure that you have all the information you need before plunking your money on the Roulette table and risk losing. To make it easy we'll start with some Roulette basics.

You must successfully predict where the ball will land (i.e. which number, sets of numbers, or on what colour) in order to win your bet. The Roulette wheel is divided into 37 numbers in the case of European or Single Zero Roulette and 38 numbers in the case of American Roulette. The numbers range from 0 to 36 on the Single Zero Roulette wheel and 0 to 36 with an additional slot for 00 on American Roulette. The additional 00 in American Roulette makes this game very disadvantageous to the player, so you should stick with European or Single Zero Roulette. In addition to being divided into numbers, the Roulette wheel is also divided into the colours Red and Black. Red indicates Even numbers while Black indicates Odd numbers. The 0 and 00 sections are usually green.

You place your bet on the Roulette table and wait to see where the ball lands. If the ball lands on a bet that you placed, you win! So what are these bets that we're referring to? Before we get into that, let's take a quick look at the Roulette table layout. This will make it easier to understand when we explain the various Bet Types below.

Bet Types

Bets are divided into Inside Bets and Outside Bets. Inside bets relate to specific numbers or number combinations, all located in the number area. Your bet or total bets must be higher than the table's minimum bet. Outside bets are those bets that are placed outside the area of the 37 or 38 numbers. They can win only for the numbers 1-36, but never for 0 or 00.

Inside Bets include:

• Straight Up Bets - those bets that a single number on the roulette table. They pay 35:1. or Red/Black, Even/Odd, Low/High Bets, which all pay 1:1 or Even Money.
• Split Bets - single bets on 2 adjacent numbers on the Roulette Table; e.g. 14 and 15. To accomplish this, you place the chip on the line dividing the 2 numbers. This signifies that you want to bet on both numbers. If the ball lands on either one of them, you are paid out at 17:1.
• Street Bets - single bets on 3 numbers in any vertical row on the Roulette table; e.g. 19, 20, and 21. To accomplish this, you place your chip on the line on the outer edge of that row. If the ball lands on any of the 3 numbers, you are paid out at 11:1.
• Corner Bets - single bets on 4 numbers; e.g. 13, 14, 16, and 17. The chip must be placed in the intersection of all 4 numbers signifiying that you wish to bet all 4 numbers at once. If the ball lands on any of the 4 numbers, your payout is 8:1.
• Five Number Bets - This bet is only possible in American Roulette because the 00 comes into play. It consists of a single bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. The chip is placed on the outside intersection of all 5 numbers and if the ball lands on any of them, you are paid out at 6:1.

Outside Bets include bets on:

• Red or Black - This is a single bet that the ball will land on a red or black slot on the Roulette wheel and is paid out at Even money, mainly because the odds of winning are 50%.
• Odd or Even - This bet, similar to the Red or Black bet, pays out at Even money. It simply means that you are betting that the ball will land on an odd or even number.
• Low or High - This is a bet that the ball will land on numbers 1 - 18 (Low Bet) or 19 - 36 (High Bet). This also pays out at Eevn money or 1:1. If the ball lands on 0 or 00 all outside bets are lost.
• Columns - These are bets on the areas marked "2 to 1" on the Roulette table. If the ball lands on any of the numbers you bet in that Column bet, you are paid out 2:1.
• Dozens - If you bet in the sections marked 1st 12, 2nd 12, or 3rd 12 on the Roulette table, then you are placing a Dozens bet; meaning you are betting that the first 12 numbers (1 - 12), second 12 (13 - 24), or third 12 (25 - 36) numbers will come up on the next spin of the wheel. Dozens bets pay 2:1.

In Roulette you can bet on as many numbers as you wish up to the table maximum. Some casinos use the "en prison" rule. When a 0 or 00 is hit, the player loses half there wager if they made an even bet. The player will remain in play until the next spin.

The worst bets you can make in Roulette are the Five Number bet and all Straight Up bets although the payout, especially for the latter, is extremely attractive.

Take a sneak peek at our other Roulette Strategies, which will have you increasing your chances of winning at the Roulette table in no time!

Europa just launched Roulette Royale in TV streaming format. Definitely worthwhile to check out.

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