Roulette is one of the easiest games to understand in any casino. Players exchange cash for chips with no value printed on them. The house will have many different colored sets of chips, given out up to 300 at a time. The value of these chips is determined by dividing the amount of money given to the house by the number of chips given to the player. The dealer will then put a token on top of the dealer’s stack of that players color indicating the value.

Below is an example of a typical roulette table.

Roulette Table and Odds

There are 38 numbers on the table and a wager may be placed anywhere on this board. A bet place on a single number is called a straight bet. This pays 35 to 1 odds and has a probability of winning 2.63% of the time. A bet placed on one line, touching two numbers, is called a split bet and pays 17 to 1 odds. This has a probability of winning 5.26% of the time. A bet placed on three numbers is called a street bet and pays 11 to 1 odds. This bet wins 7.89% of the time. A four numbered bet is called a corner bet and pays 8 to 1 odds with a 10.53% chance of occurring. A six numbered bet is called a line bet. This bet pays 5 to 1 and has a 15.79% of winning. Each column has 2 to 1 odds printed on the right side of the table. The red and black colors each pay 1 to 1 odds. Every bet on this table comes with a 5.26% house advantage.

Whether one is playing in a casino or online, the rules are the same. Betting begins when the dealer makes the announcement. After the betting is opened, the dealer will wait a short amount of time and will then spin the ball. A short time thereafter the dealer will close the betting.

Most high end casinos also have single zero wheels as well. These wheels are exactly the same except they have no double zero on them. This decreases the house odds from 5.26% to 2.7%.

Some casinos have special rules allowing players to increase their odds of winning. One such rule is an “imprisonment” rule. If the ball lands on 0 or 00 any player with an even money bet placed on the table gets half of their wager back. The house advantage falls from 5.26% to 2.63% at these tables. Another form of this rule is used in European casinos. When the ball lands on 0 or 00, the player is still given back half of their bet but the other half is “en prison” and must be wagered on the next roll. If the player wins they are given back the other half of their bet but are not given any winnings.