Online Roulette Guide

Roulette Basics - The Table

We will start this full Roulette guide by explaining what the most important things are in this game. These are the dealer, chips, market, rake, the wheel, and the ball.

In the wonderful world of Roulette, a lot of French terms are being used. This isn’t too weird, as it is originally a French game. It may be the case that you are familiar with the American terms instead because the game is very popular in the United States as well. For this reason, our experts will explain the different terms in both languages so that you know exactly what they are talking about.

The Chips or Jetons

The chips or jetons are round game pieces that players use to place their bets. Each player has its own set of chips or jetons with different values.

The Dealer

This is the person that supervises the game. He or she spins the wheel, places the ball in it, and is responsible for handling all bets and payouts. Whenever the dealer says: ‘’no more bets’’ or ‘’rien ne va plus’’ it means that you cannot place any more bets. From this moment, you will have to wait for the ball to land in one of the pockets on the Roulette wheel.

The Rake or Râteau

This is a long wooden stick with a curved end, sometimes from plastic or metal. The dealer uses this rake to remove chips from the table and to payout winning bets.

The Pawn, Roulette Marker or Dolly

This is a special market that is being used by the dealer to mark the winning number on the table layout and that removes the losing bets.

The Roulette Wheel or Cylindre

The Roulette wheel or Cylindre is a turning disk with pockets numbered 0 to 36. The wheel always turns in the opposite direction of the ball until it lands in one of its pockets.

The Ball, Bullet, or Bille

The Roulette ball or bullet is a small white ball that is being spun in the wheel by the dealer or the computer. The ball spins in the opposite direction of the wheel until it comes to a halt in one of its numbered pockets.

The Different Types of Roulette Bets

Although the game of Roulette might look quite complex for beginner players, the rules of the game are actually fairly simple. To play, you will need to place one or more chips on the layout, indicating your bet(s). There are multiple betting options and each Roulette table has its minimum and maximum betting limit. Meaning that players of all walks of life can play.

Most of the time, you can see what the table limits are by checking a small sign next to the wheel in land-based casinos. Or by clicking the information button in online casinos. Naturally, you should only play Roulette at a table that suits your budget.

Inside and Outside Bets

In European Roulette and other variants, you can place both inside and outside bets. The inside bets are bets that can be placed directly on numbers whilst outside bets are bets that can be placed outside of the numerical betting options, such as red or black, high or low, even or odd, or column and dozen bets.

Inside Bets - Bets on Numbers 0 to 36

Straight Up: 1 number

Split Bet: 2 numbers

Street: 3 numbers

Corner: 4 numbers

Outside Bets - Bets on Series and Sections

Column: 12 numbers

Dozen: 12 numbers

Red or Black: 18 numbers

Even or Odd: 18 numbers

Line: 6 numbers

High or Low: 18 numbers

Apart from inside and outside bets, you can also use the so-called Roulette racetrack to place the following unique bets:

• Neighbours or Neighbours bets
• Voisins du Zero or Zero game
• Orphelins
• Tier du Cylindre

Roulette Neighbour Game

Whenever you hit the Roulette tables regularly, you must have had these moments where you bet and are convinced that you will win. The ball looks like it's going in the right direction, only to eventually land just one number next to the one you have placed your bet on. This is exactly why the Neighbour Game was invented.

With this playstyle, you can choose a number to bet on and also bet on its neighboring numbers. You then bet on the 2 numbers left and right of the number on the wheel. If you place a neighbor bet on 19 for instance, you bet on 32, 15, 4, 19, and 21.

Voisins du Zero or Zero Game

Voisins du Zero means ‘’neighbors of zero’’ in French. With this playstyle, 9 chips are divided across 5 split, 1 corner, and 1 basket bet on the numbers 0, 2 and 3 (basket), 4 and 7 (split), 18 and 21 (split), 19 and 22 (split), 25, 26, 28, and 29 (corner), 32 and 35 (split). The chances of winning this bet are 45,90%.

Tiers du Cylindre, also called ⅝ Serie

Tiers du Cylindre is French for ‘’a third of the cylinder’’ and is a bet placed on the numbers surrounding the zero. 6 Chips are being used, all for split bets, on the numbers 5 and 8, 10 and 11, 13 and 16, 23 and 24, 27 and 30, and 33 and 36. The chances of winning this bet are 32,40%.

Orphelins

Orphelins means ‘’orphans’’ and refers to the numbers that are situated on the wheel between the ‘’tier du cylindre’’ and ‘’voisins du zero’’. The bet uses 5 chips: a straight up bet on 1 and 4 split bets on 6 and 9, 14 and 17, 17 and 20, and 31 and 34. The chances of winning are 21,60%.

Chances of Winning and Payouts per Roulette Bet

Depending on the type of bet, the amount you bet, and where you bet on the table, you will receive a payout whenever you predict correctly where the ball will land. The payouts are always correlated to the statistical chances of winning the bet.

The most money can be won in Roulette by placing straight up bets on single numbers.

Straight up bets pay out 35:1. This means that when you bet R100 on number 17 and the ball ends up in its corresponding pocket, you will receive your own R100 back and 35 times R100 = R3,500 on top of it.

The so-called house edge differs between French, European, and American Roulette, with American having the worst odds and French having the best odds. Thanks to the so-called La Partage and En Prison rules, which we shall outline in the next section of this guide.

Roulette Variants

Outside of the ‘’standard’’ European version, you can also play French and American Roulette online. The rules for French are pretty similar to the ones used in European. It uses the ‘’regular’’ wheel with 37 numbers, of which a single zero. Only the different betting sections differ. The rest of the rules are similar to the ones from the European version.

Differences Between Roulette Variants

The difference between French and European versus American Roulette is significantly bigger. The payouts are exactly the same, but because the American variant has both a single and double zero, the house edge is even bigger with this variant.

Apart from these three Roulette variants, there are also other variants. In the 80’s, you had Golden Ten. Nowadays, software providers and gaming studios have developed all kinds of new variants. Including Evolution’s Lightning, Pragmatic Play’s PowerUP, and Playtech’s Quantum Roulette.

French Roulette

In some cases, South African online casinos happen to offer French Roulette. French is the variant with the highest chances of winning and the lowest possible house edge thanks to two additional rules; En Prison and La Partage.

En Prison Roulette Rule

Whenever the outcome of a spin is zero, some casinos allow half of the initial bet to be returned to the player. However, the initial bet is placed again for another round on the same numbers, hence the term ‘’En Prison’’, meaning ‘’in prison’’. If the next spin, the ball ends up in the zero pocket again, the bets are lost indefinitely.

La Partage Roulette Rule

The La Partage rule works similarly to the En Prison rule. With this special Roulette bet, you lose half of your initial bet, you cannot lay it for the next round. The La Partage rule only affects bets on red, black, high, low, even, or odd. It always pays out half of your money back, reducing the casino’s house edge from 2,70% to 1,35%.

No Zero or Without a Zero

You may have encountered No Zero Roulette before; a variant without an apparent zero on the wheel. You might think that such a game doesn’t favor the house in any way. Nothing could be further away from the truth. The casino will always implement ways to statistically make a profit, even if it means removing the zeros from the wheel. In fact, even a small ‘’psychological advantage’’ is enough for a casino to offer a game of Roulette without zeros.

How does the casino make money without an edge?

The answer to this question is fairly simple: a commission. No Zero Roulette is often offered with a commission of around 10%. The more you win, the more the casino will earn on you over the long run. Converted to house edge, this 10% commission often translates to about 5%, almost as horrible odds as American compared to the European variant.

If you ever get offered ‘’No Zero Roulette’ by any operator, know that the statistical odds of you winning over the long run often are nearly as bad as the American varaint. You are better off playing European, French or one of the unique variants developed by some live software providers. Such as Evolution, Pragmatic Play Live, and Stakelogic.

Triple Zero Roulette - With 3 Zeros

Just like No Zero Roulette, there are also variants with three zeros. This is a special, ‘’American’’ type that is prevalent in Las Vegas. Traditional American Roulette already has one more zero than the European version, but Triple Zero increases the house edge even further, from 5,26% to 7,69%.

Despite the fact that the house edge is significant in this type, it is quite a popular variant. You might wonder why this game is so popular, but the reason is fairly simple to explain: people simply like action and something new. 

This variant has lower table limits and allows you to bet on all three zeros. If the ball ends up in one of the zero pockets and you’ve placed a bet on it, you will be paid out 11:1. Triple Zero Roulette isn’t that popular in South African casinos, but can be played here and there.

Lightning Roulette - The Most Popular Live Game

Lightning Roulette by Evolution gaming is a live variant with added multipliers. Every game round, up to 5 numbers are randomly chosen to be ‘’Lightning Numbers’’. These numbers will receive added multipliers from 50x to 500x. If you place straight up bets on these Lightning Numbers and the ball lands in one of their pockets, you’ll receive the regular payout multiplied by the multiplier, which can lead to gigantic wins.

Immersive Roulette - The Most Immersive Variant

Immersive Roulette is the most immersive variant. With 14 different camera angles, including close-ups, you can follow every second of action in the most detailed way possible. If you’re looking for the most immersive experience, we definitely recommend trying out this type of live Roulette at least once.

Double Ball Roulette - With Two Balls

Double Ball Roulette is, exactly as the name suggests, a variant that isn’t played with a single ball, but with two. They can land both in the same pocket and payouts go as high as 300:1. Keep in mind that the house edge is a bit higher in this game to make up for the fact that payouts are significantly boosted on some bets.

Strategies

Although some players like to use certain Roulette strategies and systems, you should know that none of these increase your actual chances of winning. The statistical chances of winning always stay the same. So why would you use a strategy? Because it is not only fun to use one but also applies proper bankroll management to your bets. It also stretches your Rand further, meaning that you can play for a longer while.

The three most popular Roulette strategies are the Martingale System, Labouchère System, Pivot, Fibonacci, and d’Alembert.

Martingale Roulette System

The most commonly used Roulette system, where you basically lose in an oriented way. By doubling your bet after each loss, you eventually end up in profit. The Martingale system is also called a ‘’negative progression system’’. You keep doubling your bet as long as you keep losing and once you win, you start betting your initial wager again.

Labouchère Roulette System

Also called the Cancellation system or Split Martingale system, the Labouchère system aims to play for a certain amount of profit from the start. The player creates a list of positive numbers that added up together, form the sum of the profit target.

Pivot

This is a fairly simple strategy that is being used by many players because of its simplicity. With this strategy, you bet on a number that you choose beforehand. Betting on a single number offers the opportunity for fast and high profits. The chances of winning are, of course, lower than placing ‘’even money’’ bets.

Fibonacci Roulette System

The Fibonacci system uses the Fibonacci sequence of numbers to determine the next stake: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, etc. With each loss, the player moves on to the next number in the sequence and with each win, the player goes back two numbers in the sequence. Only even money bets are placed with this strategy, as other types of bets will not work as effectively.

d'Alembert Roulette System

The d’Alembert betting system can be used in both Roulette and Blackjack. Using this strategy, your balance will go up and down a bit, but hopefully end up in the green, although you have lost as many times as you have won. It works by setting a certain number as your betting unit, and then increasing your betting unit as you lose. Let’s say you start with a R100 bet on red and lose. You then place a R200 bet on black. If you lose again, you wager R300 on red. If you win, you place a R200 bet on black, and if you lose again, you place a R100 bet on red, etc.

Other Well-Known Roulette Strategies

Although the systems we described above are certainly the most commonly used ones, there are also some other well-known strategies, namely the:

• Dealers signature System
• Cancellations System
• Redbet Roulette Strategy
• Shotwell Strategy
• Columns Betting Pattern
• One Hit Wonder System
• James Bond Strategy

The Fairness

While you can follow the exact course of the game in land-based Roulette, this isn't always the case in the online version. If you aren't playing live games, you are playing against a computerized software-based system that doesn't show you how it works behind the scenes.

Yet, you can fully trust the fairness of these systems as long as you play at licensed and regulated online casinos.

Both online casinos and bookmakers have to adhere to the strict rules and guidelines set out by gaming authorities across the globe. Additionally, they work with Random Number Generator (RNG) software that decides the results of each individual round. These Random Number Generators are often used by casino software providers and gaming studios rather than the casinos themselves.

Nobody can influence the course of the Roulette game, and everything works completely randomly. If you choose to play Live Roulette in an online casino, you do get to see to a certain degree how the dealer supervises the game.

For this reason, playing Live Roulette is almost the same as playing the game in an actual casino. Added to this, you can make use of the handy chat feature to communicate with both the dealer and other players. It is not wrong to think that playing live is the closest one can get to playing the game in an actual land-based casino.

Only Play At Reliable Online Casinos

Just as important as the reliability of the actual online Roulette game is the casino where you are playing it at. It should be quite obvious that playing in a dodgy or even scam casino won't benefit the fairness of the game. For this reason, our experts suggest only playing at safe, licensed, and regulated online casinos. However, how do you know whether the casino you're playing at is reliable?

This is actually easier than you might initially think. You simply check the online casino or gambling platform you want to play at for logos of the Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, eCOGRA, and BMM Test Labs. These third-party, independent institutions are license issuers and testing agencies that test online casinos and the games that they use.

Malta Gaming Authority - The Malta Gaming Authority oversees all online casinos with a Maltese gambling license. It is considered the most strict and professional gambling authority. If a casino or gambling platform has an MGA license, you can rest assured that you are playing at a safe and reliable online casino.

UK Gambling Commission - The UK Gambling Commission is the institution that regulates the UK gambling market, both online and offline. Every online casino that accepts UK players should be in the possession of a license issued by this institution. Once an online casino or gambling platform has a UK Gambling Commission license, you are almost guaranteed to play at a trustworthy site.

eCOGRA - eCOGRA is a London-based testing agency that specializes in online gambling. It was the industry’s first self-regulation system and checks the fairness of slots and other casino games by online casinos and gambling platforms. When you see the eCOGRA logo at an online casino, you know it only offers provably fair games, where you have a fair chance of winning.

BMM Testlabs - BMM Testlabs is the longest established and most experienced private independent gaming test laboratory in the world. It rigorously tests online slots and other casino games on their fairness and randomness. Whenever you see the BMM Testlabs logo at an online casino or gambling platform, you can rest assured that it only provides players access to reliable casino games that pay out as they should.

All these parties ensure safe and reliable online gambling. The best South African casinos also have responsible gaming in high regards. Meaning that not only the casinos are being watched, but the players as well.

If you show unusual betting behavior that indicates problem gambling, a member of the customer support team of the casino you're playing at might contact you and ask a few questions. This way, not only the integrity of the game is being protected, but also the well-being of you as a player.

Software Providers

Most Maltese, UK, and South African online casinos only work with reliable and trustworthy software providers and gaming studios. Although the list of game providers is a lot longer nowadays than it was in the past, the top gaming providers of Roulette games are clearly Evolution, Pragmatic Play, Playtech, Authentic Gaming, and Ezugi.

Out of these software providers, only Pragmatic Play and Playtech also develop other casino games, such as slots, and other table games. Ezugi, Evolution, and Authentic Gaming focus on Live Roulette and other Live table games only.

Roulette Terminology

Just like every other casino game, Roulette also has its own terms and terminology. Below, our experts will highlight each of the most important terms so that you know exactly what they mean and what to expect.

• American Wheel or American Roulette Wheel: The wheel that is being used in the American version, featuring 38 pockets, including the numbers 1 to 36 and both a 0 and 00.
• Backtrack: Edge of the wheel, where the ball spins around.
• Biased Wheel: Crooked wheel.
• Carré: French for ‘’Square’’. This is a bet on four numbers simultaneously. You place your chip on the intersection of the four numbers.
• Cheval: French for ‘’Horse’’. This is a bet on two numbers at the same time, similar to a split bet.
• Chances Simples: Single chances, 18 numbers, red, black, even, and odd.
• Corner Bet: Bet on 1 of the 4 neighboring numbers.
• Double Zero: Green square with two zeros, featured on American wheels.
• Faites Vos Jeux: Dealer that says ‘’place your bets’’ before spinning the wheel.
• Rien Ne Va Plus: This is what the dealer says when no more bets may be placed.
• Greens: Chips of $25 (about 500 Rand).
• High Bet: Bets on high numbers (19 to 36).
• Line Bet: Bets on 6 numbers in two rows.
• Odd Bet: A bet placed on an odd number.
• Odds: Winning chances of certain bets.
• Racetrack: Bets on a neighbor game in such a way that it looks like a racetrack. The Racetrack can also refer to the table layout that is being used for ‘’special’’ bets like Orpelins, ⅝ series, and zero game.
• Red Bet: Bet on a single red number or multiple red numbers.
• Reds: Red chips, often valued at $100.
• Split Bet: A bet on two numbers at the same time.
• Table Hopping: The term of switching tables.
• True Odds: The probability of winning a spin.
• Wager: Your bet placed on a certain number or series of numbers.

Tips for Beginner Players

Below, our experts will share some Roulette tips for beginner players. If you are still learning about the game, these tips will help you improve your gameplay and play as long as possible with your bankroll, without ‘’blowing’’ it all in a few unlucky spins.

Place Outside Bets

The first tip is based on the types of bets beginner players should stick to. We strongly advise sticking to ‘’even money bets’’ in the beginning, which are bets placed on the outside of the table, such as red and black, even and odd, high and low.

The chances of winning are almost 50% on these bets and they all payout 1:1. If you place a R100 bet on red and win, you will receive R200. Additionally, you could place column bets, which pay 2:1 and have about 30% chances of winning.

Spread Your Chances

Every time the wheel spins, the ball can land on 0, red or black, even or odd, high or low. If you bet R300 at once on an ‘even’ bet (red, black, even, odd, high, or low), your chances of winning European Roulette are about 47%.

However, if you decide to bet R100 on red, R100 on even, and R100 on high, the chances of losing is only 16,21%. The chance that you will double your money is also significantly lower, clocking in at 13,51%.

Despite these reduced chances for either winning or losing the round, your chances of winning at least something are increased. Although it is less than your total wager, it is always nice to receive something in return and, therefore, be able to play the game for longer.

Bankroll Management - Setting Your Profits Aside

One of the most important strategies in Roulette is to set your profits aside. Let’s say you start out with R25 and you are lucky, doubling it to R50. In this case, you should keep in mind that this luck can fire back swiftly.

Our advice is to take your profits and only continue playing with your initial budget of R25. If you happen to lose it all, you still get to keep your winnings and you take a smaller risk surpassing your initial budget, trying to compensate for your losses. Remember: play for fun and not to win.

Play European or French Roulette Only

This tip is fairly simple yet effective and important for your bankroll. Only play European and French Roulette when available and never touch the American table. The double zero on the American wheel enlarges the casino’s house edge significantly without offering anything in return.

The American variant has a house edge of 5,26%, whilst European only comes with a house edge of 2,70%. French has even better odds for players, clocking in at 1,35%. The boosted odds in the French version have to do with the so-called La Partage and En Prison rules described earlier.

Play Free Online Roulette Games First

To get the most out of your Roulette game, it is important to practice before you put your hard-earned money on the line. For instance, you could try different betting strategies and types.

Most South African online casinos allow you to practice for ages without having to make a deposit. Our experts highly suggest adjusting and backtesting your strategy until perfection at a free table before using your system at a real money table. Free Roulette games also allow you to try out various variants of the game.

If you receive a casino bonus from the casino you signed up to, mind that in most cases you can't unlock the bonus by just playing roulette. You can still play with real money but your bonus will not be unlocked, check the bonus rules.

Play Free Roulette Before Playing Live Roulette

The most significant difference between live and virtual Roulette is that the dealer decides when the bullet is placed in the wheel. Whenever the dealer states ''no more bets'' or ''rien ne va plus'', you cannot place bets anymore. The only thing left to do is hope for the best and the ball to land in one of your anticipated pockets.

Although this live game might be daunting at first, especially in a land-based setting with multiple players at a single table. This is the way the actual game is played.

However, our experts strongly advise you to play software-based Roulette first, where you have unlimited time to think. And where you can alter your bets in the case you accidentally placed a chip wrongly on the layout or table. You can play free roulette online at most online casinos.

Online Casinos with the most roulette games

Conclusion

If you’ve read this full Roulette guide, you are now ready to practice this wonderful game. You can choose to play free first to hone your skills before putting your hard-earned money on the line. Note that the best South African online casinos have tables available with varying table limits from as low as R2 per chip.

Frequently Asked Questions About Roulette

As our experts regularly receive questions about the wonderful game of Roulette and we want our guides to be as inclusive as possible. We have decided to answer the most frequently asked questions about Roulette in the section below.