Roulette is an exciting game of chance that first appeared in France in the 18th century. Since its introduction to the gambling world hundreds of years ago, few changes have been made to the game. Its timeless appeal has cemented it as one of the classic casino table games globally.
Learn more about the roulette wheel and table, the basic rules of roulette, and discover a few tips to get started in this popular gambling table game.
The Two Types of Roulette Wheels
The first thing players notice when seeing a roulette table for the first time is its iconic wheel. This mesmerizing wheel has various black, red, and green pockets. The wheel alternates between black and red pockets, with odd and even numbers distributed across the two colours. There are eight red odds and 10 red evens, as well as eight black odds and 10 black evens. The total value of these numbers adds up to 666 (which is just one of the many interesting facts about roulette).
But not all roulette wheels are identical. There are actually two types of wheels to play roulette with: the American roulette wheel and the European roulette wheel.
The Difference Between American and European Roulette Wheels
At a glance, these two roulette wheels might look identical, but there are significant differences.
The classic European roulette wheel has 37 pockets in total. These pockets are numbered 0–36, with the zero being green, and the rest of the numbers alternating between black and red. These numbers are randomized in the sense that they don’t follow each other consecutively, but they do have a very simple structure. Excluding the green pockets, there are two major categories of numbers: 1–18 and 19–36. The numbers on this wheel always alternate between numbers from these two categories, excluding five and 10, which sit next to each other on the European roulette wheel.
However, the more modern American roulette wheel doesn’t follow the same rules as its European counterpart. Firstly, the roulette wheel in this casino game has 38 pockets in total. There are two green pockets labeled 0 and 00, in addition to the standard pockets from 1–36 that alternate between black and red. The layout of numbers also differs in that numbers that differ by one are almost opposite each other on the wheel, and they always alternate between red and black. For example, one and two are almost opposite each other, and one is red, and two is black. Another example is 29 and 30, with 29 being black and 30 being red.
The sequencing of numbers isn’t a major change since roulette is a random game of chance, but the extra number on the American roulette wheel is due to its impact on the house edge. The house edge for roulette, when played with a European wheel, sits at 2.70%. With an American roulette wheel, this is almost doubled to 5.26%.
The Roulette Table Layout
Roulette tables are virtually identical. On the left is the roulette wheel, and on the right are the betting options. The single bets are laid out numerically in the center, with their matching colour on the roulette wheel. Below the single number bets are the first, second, and third 12 betting options, as well as the 1–18, even, red, black, odd, and 19–36 wagers. On the right are the three 2–to–1 bets, while on the left are the zero for European roulette games or the zero and double zero for American roulette games.
On some roulette tables, there’s also the “roulette racetrack.” These are additional wagers laid out in a shape that looks like a horse racing racetrack. Despite the difference in shape, these extra bets follow the same order of numbers as their respective roulette wheels. Also, the European roulette racetrack typically has three additional side bets:
- Tiers: Numbers 27–33 on the roulette wheel
- Orphelins: Numbers 17–6 and 1–9 on the roulette wheel
- Voisins du Zero: Numbers 27–33 on the roulette wheel
The Basic Rules of Roulette
Despite how intimidating the roulette wheel and table layout might seem, it’s very easy to play roulette. All a player needs to do is decide where to place their wager by choosing from one of the various betting options on the roulette table, placing their bet, and waiting for the dealer to start the game. The dealer will spin the wheel and drop a roulette ball into the wheel. Once the wheel has stopped spinning and the roulette ball has landed in a pocket, the player will know if they won or lost.
For those who’d like to learn more about playing roulette, BetMGM Casino has a guide to playing online roulette that unpacks everything there is to know. They can also discover more about roulette betting systems and how they work in theory.
