How to Play European Roulette
Guide for European Roulette
European ("single zero") roulette rules
About European Roulette
Roulette is another casino game that seems complicated when you take a look at a roulette table, but a short introduction to roulette is all that's needed to show that roulette is a simple, interesting and intriguing game.
There are two popular variations of the roulette game that have minor but important differences. This guide describes the European ("Single zero") Roulette. As European roulette is subject to the same bet payoffs as American roulette but lacks the double zero pockets the house edge is lower in European roulette.
European Roulette table has a spinning wheel with 37 slots or pockets. The pockets are numbered from 1 to 36 and coloured red or black except for a special "zero" pocket that is marked with green. Players make bets on outcomes of the round. The roulette wheel is then spun up and a ball is thrown into it against the direction of spinning. When the ball settles down and rests in a pocket, the number on the pocket that has caught the ball wins. All pockets are identical and the order and position of numbers are arranged mathematically for even distribution by value, colour, high or low and odd or even so that the ball has an equal chance to end up in any of them.
The seemingly complicated part of roulette is betting, but in reality it's very easy to understand. The betting table consists of two parts, the ''Inside'' and the ''Outside''. Placing bets on the inside part is called inside betting. In a similar fashion placing bets on the outside part is called outside betting.
A roulette table is made of "inside" and "outside" betting fields which serve different strategic purposes. Roulette tables have composite minimum and maximum table limits. Players are not otherwise limited in betting. Freedom of making choices is what makes the roulette especially attractive.
Other than in betting there are no other rules or requisites in roulette. Once the bets are made and the wheel has spun there's no choices players make.
European Roulette Betting Table: Inside Bets
When betting on the inside, a player is required to make bets that at least add up to the table minimum.
The table is comprised of black and red coming from 1 to 36. Zero is the green square that's located on the inside table usually atop of the number columns
Different combinations of bets are available on the inside table. Combinations are only valid within the inner table. Here comes the list:
- "Straight up bet" - a bet on a single number. The payoff is 35 to 1.
- "Split bet" allows you to place a bet (a casino chip) on two adjacent squares. The payoff is 17 to 1.
- "Street bet" allows you to bet on a row (that is three numbers). Consequently your chip must be placed on the outer edge of the row. Street bets pay 11 to 1.
- "Line bet" allows you to make two street bets - six numbers - and pays 5 to 1.
- "Corner bet" is a situation when you place your bet on four adjacent squares. Corners pay 8 to 1.
- "Five bet" is not available in European roulette.
European Roulette Betting Table: Outside bets
When betting on the outside every single bet a player makes must at least match the table minimum.
Outside bets do not cover zeroes. Online casinos don't normally offer the surrender rule.
The outside is comprised from a number of betting conditions:
- "Dozens" - three squares that represents outcomes from 1 to 12, 13 o 24 and 25 to 36. 2 to 1 payoff - this is a double bet.
- "High and low" - two squares for the bottom half of the numbers (1 to 18 and 19 to 35). 1 to 1 payoff - this is an even bet.
- "Colours" - two squares for red and black outcomes. Also an even bet!
- "Odd and even" - two squares representing odd and even outcomes respectively. Even bet!
- "Columns" - three squares that attached to the bottom of the inside table. Columns usually have "2:1" written inside the square. With them you can bet on an entire column of numbers. As you would have guessed by now it is indeed a double bet.