The roulette wheel has a central place in any casino and to many this casino game symbolizes all form of casino gambling. It is very easy to play roulette and there are not many rules that you need to understand in order to get started. Once you get the hang of the basic play you might be interested in learning more about special rules and bets. Since roulette odds are always in favour of the house you should make use of free versions as much as you can to make sure that you know what you are doing before the real money gets into the picture.
How to Play
Roulette is all about the wheel with numbers ranging from 0 to 36 and a steel ball. In a land-based casino the players will typically stand around the roulette table and place their bets till the croupier triggers the wheel to slow down and the ball to drop. Once the ball falls onto a number everyone can see who won. In the online casino everything works more automatically but the layout and feeling is the same. You place your bet and then you press the button that will stop the wheel and let you know if you’re a winner.
Roulette Bets
The hardest bet to make in roulette is the single number bet. If this bet should win, you will walk away with the best winnings. The single number bet is exciting but many players choose to play it safer on other types of roulette bets. Many bets are named after their position on the roulette table. You can bet on colour (red or black), a line (2 numbers), one or two rows, the corner numbers, collective groups of numbers and odd or even.
Different Versions of Roulette
There are two main types of roulette called the European and the American version. The only difference between them is that the American roulette wheel has an extra number, the double zero. This makes American roulette even harder to beat and therefore most roulette strategies will tell you to pick the European version. You can also find French roulette and special progressive versions in online casinos. French roulette is similar to European with a slightly different layout of table.
Special Rules
The rules of roulette are pretty much the same in every casino but sometimes you can find roulette games with special rules that make them more attractive to play. The Surrender Rule lets the player have half of his bet back if the ball lands on zero or double zero. This applies to the even money bets. Another important rule is the En Prison Rule. It works like the Surrender in that it comes into effect when the ball lands on zero. When the result is zero this rule lets you save your bet for another spin. When you play progressive roulette you should make sure that you are making the right bets for winning the prize.
