Simple Rules of Playing Roulette

Roulette is one of the widest-known games in the casino industry and comes in two primary game types--American and European. It is a table game that is based upon luck and only requires the player to predict where the ball will land on the wheel.

Bets

Playing roulette requires players to know the differences between all of the bet types. Here is a chart that depicts the most common bets and their typical payouts.

Even Bets

The following are called 'even bets' because they always pay out 1:1.
• Even or Odd - Players choose whether the ball will land on an even- or odd-numbered pocket.
• Red or Black - Players choose whether the ball will land on a red or black pocket.
• First Half or Second Half - Players choose whether the ball will land on pockets one through 18 or pockets 19 through 36.

Other Bets

The rest of the bets that players can make have their own unique payouts.
• Thirds - Players can bet on the first, second or third column of numbers on the table or the first, second or third dozen. The payout for winning bets is 2:1.
• Six Numbers - Players make bets on six numbers across the board. Winning bets pay 5:1.
• Five Numbers - Only available on American wheels, this bet is on the 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 pockets. It pays out 6:1 when won.
• Four Numbers - On European wheels, the bet is on the 0 through the 3 pockets. On American wheels, a bet is placed on the corner of these numbers. It pays out 8:1 when won.
• Three Numbers - A bet on any row of numbers on the table that pays out 11:1.
• Two Numbers - A bet placed on a line between any two numbers that pays out 17:1.
• Single Number - Also known as a straight-up bet, players place the chip on any number on the table. It pays out 35:1.

Knowing the different types of bets available is really the only thing that players must familiarize themselves with. After this, everything else falls into place in both land-based and online casinos.