Chapter 8
Spinning Wheel Goes Round ’n’ Round: Roulette
IN THIS CHAPTER
Getting the Roulette lowdown
Understanding bets inside and out
Reviewing Roulette etiquette
Exploring strategies to improve your odds
Recognizing strategies that don’t work
The Roulette wheel is a readily recognizable casino icon, conjuring up images of tradition and nobility, creating an ambience of luxury and elegance. In fact, Roulette is the oldest of all the casino games and is still around for two good reasons: It’s fun, and it’s easy to play. Roulette is probably the best place for you as a novice to start your gambling experience (although not always the smartest because of the odds).
The centerpiece of this age-old game is the beautifully crafted wheel in which a small white ball spins around a groove and drops down into one compartment, or pocket, on the wheel. Over the centuries, a number of scientists and mathematicians have tried to figure out how to beat the wheel, but such systems and theories always end in failure.
The fact is that where the Roulette wheel stops is a matter of chance. And chance rarely favors the players because the stiff house odds virtually ensure a profit for the casino. So playing Roulette isn’t the likeliest route to becoming independently wealthy.
The game still has a seductive appeal, and if you catch on to some time-tested betting strategies, you can manage your gambling bankroll and stretch it into an enjoyable casino pastime. In this chapter, we explain the game’s basics, some important betting tips, and some helpful strategies.
Getting the Spin on Roulette Basics
The basics of Roulette start with placing piles of colored chips on a long, rectangular table. After all the bets are made, the croupier (dealer) spins a large, bowl-shaped wheel with corresponding slots marked by colors and numbers in a counterclockwise direction, and then she releases a small, white ball in a clockwise direction. Anticipation builds as the ball and wheel spin, whirr, and slow. You wait for the ball to drop into one of the numbered pockets (hopefully in one of the spots you bet on!).
The goal of Roulette is basically to guess where the ball will land when the wheel finishes spinning. But, of course, you need to know a little more than that. This section takes a look at the wheel and the table betting area, walks you through a step-by-step Roulette play, and explains the role of the croupier.
Starting with the wheel
The first step toward understanding the game of Roulette is to decipher the Roulette wheel — the most recognizable casino gambling symbol in the world. Beautiful and flawless, the wheel is a finely crafted device weighing in at 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and costing thousands of dollars. A Roulette wheel has the following distinguishing characteristics:
- The outside rim of the wheel is divided into numbers in alternating pockets of black and red.
- The outside rim also has one or two pockets in green (0 and 00).
- The numbers on the wheel are mixed up — they don’t run consecutively or in any discernible pattern, such as alternating odd and even.
And how many number segments are on the wheel? The answer depends on where you’re playing Roulette.
- United States: If you’re playing in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or anywhere else in the United States (including cruise ships and Indian reservations), the Roulette wheels you encounter most likely have a total of 38 numbered slots, or pockets, containing numbers 1 through 36, and two green compartments, one with a single zero and the other with a double zero. (This wheel is often referred to as the American wheel.)
- Europe and South America: If you’re gaming in Monte Carlo or another location in Europe or South America, your Roulette wheel (often referred to as the European or French wheel) has one pocket less than its American counterpart (it doesn’t include the double-zero pocket).
Check out Figure 8-1, which shows the major differences between the American wheel and the European wheel.
Roulette is more popular in Europe than in the United States mainly because the European wheel offers better odds with one less possibility to bet on (no double zero). But don’t buy that plane ticket to Paris quite yet. Although most of the wheels in the United States have 38 pockets (two green numbers), you can find European wheels in some upscale American casinos.
Taking in the table layout
The other key component to a Roulette game is the betting table where the players place their chips for wagering. The betting table is situated adjacent to the wheel and is inlaid with a variety of squares and bars. Take a look at Figure 8-2 as we dissect the Roulette table to make some sense of it.
Two sections make up the Roulette table:
- Squares showing numbers and colors corresponding to the number and color pockets on the Roulette wheel. These squares take up the most space on the layout. Unlike the wheel, the numbers on the table run in sequential order in rows of three. For example, in the third row from the top in Figure 8-2, you find the number 8 in black between 7 and 9. This betting spot corresponds to the black 8 pocket on the wheel, and it’s where you place your chips if you want to bet on the 8.
- Bars wrapping around the outside of the rows of sequential numbers. For example, you can see in Figure 8-2 bars containing the words odd and even and diamonds containing the words red and black. As you may guess, you place chips in these areas to bet on other aspects of the wheel outcome. For example, placing chips on odd is a bet that the ball lands on an odd number — any odd number.
I explain more about these various betting areas in the section “Betting: The Inside (and Outside) Scoop.” Inside bets are bets you place on any of the columns of numbers; outside bets are — no surprise — bets you place in the outside areas.
The table normally accommodates up to six players, but some double table layouts can handle a dozen or more players. Try to get a seat right in the middle so you can place a bet in any area on the table. If you’re stuck sitting at the end of the table or standing, you must slide chips toward the croupier and ask her to place bets on any area that you’re not able to reach.
Betting with chips of a different color
You make bets by placing chips on the squares that correspond to the numbers or colors on the Roulette wheel. Roulette doesn’t use normal casino chips, however. Instead, it features special color-coded chips unique to each player at the table and the particular Roulette table you’re playing at. You can’t play the chips you use at one Roulette table at a different game because the chips have no value marked on them.
Each player gets a different color of chip, allowing the croupier to distinguish one player’s bet from another’s. For example, your orange chips may be worth $5 each, while another player’s blue chips may be worth $1 each. The distinctive chip color allows all players to have bets on the table without fear of mixing the bets up. In other words, if the player next to you places a stack of blue chips on your favorite number, go right ahead and stack your yellow chips on top of his.
When you join the game, or buy in, you generally ask for a stack, which consists of 20 chips. Let the croupier know what value you want assigned to the chips. The croupier keeps track of the value by placing a marker called a lammer on your color in the chip stacks. (Although at smaller casinos or when everyone is playing the same-value chips, lammers may not be used.) When you leave the table, the croupier exchanges your Roulette chips with casino chips, which you take to the cashier’s window and cash out.
Dealing with the croupier
In the game of Roulette, the dealer is called the croupier (pronounced croop-ee-ay) and performs a variety of tasks to facilitate the play. When you’re playing Roulette, just remember that the croupier does all of the following:
Betting: The Inside (and Outside) Scoop
As we discuss in the previous section, the Roulette table layout breaks betting down into two sections: the inside bets and the outside bets. Inside bets involve betting specific numbers on the wheel; a winning bet on a single number pays 35 to 1. The outside bets are outside of the numbers on the table layout. They pay either even money (1 to 1) on red/black, high/low, or odd/even, or 2 to 1 on columns and dozens. (Check out “Making outside bets: Better odds but lower payouts” later in this section for more on columns and decks.)
Although you know what the bets mean, that information doesn’t help much if you don’t know how to make them. This section gives you the lowdown on identifying the table limits and placing your bets.
Knowing your (table) limits
Most games establish a minimum wager of, say, $1. In addition, inside bets may require a minimum spread — $5, for example. You can achieve a spread by making five different $1 bets (betting numbers 2, 13, 21, 28, and 33 for example), or by making one $5 bet (on just a single number). Basically a spread is the total of all your bets.
The Roulette table usually has a sign displaying a table minimum and a chip minimum, but you can’t mix and match inside and outside bets. For example, at a $5 table with a $1 chip minimum, you must place a minimum bet of $5 on the outside bets, or you can place five $1 number bets on the inside bets. You aren’t allowed to bet $2 on the outside and $3 on the inside.
Making inside bets: Long shots and big payouts
Inside bets (betting on single numbers or a combination of numbers) have just the right elements for drama, nail biting, and impressing others. After all, when you set your chips down on a single number on the inside of the table, you’re basically betting that, of all the 38 (or 37 on the European wheel) slots on the Roulette wheel, the ball will land in that particular number. But players typically bet on more than one number at a time to increase their chances of hitting a winner.
Although most croupiers review the layout and point out any ambiguous bets before dropping the ball in the track, make sure the croupier properly places your bets, and watch that other players don’t accidentally knock your bet onto a different spot. You don’t want the croupier to have to eyeball an imprecisely placed wager and tell you that your winning three-number street bet (paying 11 to 1) is so far out of place that it looks like a six-number line bet (paying 5 to 1).
Take a look at the circles on Figure 8-3. The following are examples of bets that players can make on the inside:
- Straight up: This bet is on an individual number, such as 21. If the ball drops on this number, the bet pays 35 to 1. For example, if you bet $1, you receive 35 times your bet, plus your original bet, for a total of $36. (See Circle A in Figure 8-3.)
- Split: This bet is on a line between two adjacent numbers, such as 29 and 32. If the ball lands on either number, the bet pays 17 to 1. (See Circle B in Figure 8-3.)
- Street: This bet is on the outside line of a row of three numbers, such as 13, 14, and 15. If the ball lands on any one of these numbers, the bet pays 11 to 1. (See Circle C in Figure 8-3.)
- Corner: This bet (also called a quarter or box bet) is on the corner of a group of four adjacent numbers, such as 7, 8, 10, and 11. If the ball lands on any one of these numbers, the bet pays 8 to 1. (See Circle D in Figure 8-3.)
- Line: This bet is on the end, on the intersecting lines of a group of six numbers, such as 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30. If the ball lands on any one of the six numbers, the bet pays 5 to 1. (See Circle E in Figure 8-3.)
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Five-number bet: This bet is on the end of the line of the zero, double zero, one, two, and three boxes. If the ball lands on any one of the five numbers, the bet pays 6 to 1. (See Circle F in Figure 8-3.)
Just say No to five-number bets! They have the distinction of being the worst bet on the table. The problem lies in the improper payout of 6 to 1 — less than the true odds (actual odds of bet hitting) — leaving the house with a hefty edge of 7.89 percent and making this bet extremely hazardous to your bankroll.
Making outside bets: Better odds but lower payouts
The outside bets involve the designated spots on the table that are not numbers — the ones on the rim of the table layout, nearest you and the other players. These bets are more likely to come up than the inside bets, but the payoffs are much less (either even-money or 2 to 1). However, if the ball lands on a green number (0 or 00), all of the following outside bets lose.
The corresponding circles (G through K) in Figure 8-3 indicate outside bets:
- Red/Black: This bet says the winning number will come up either red or black. A win is paid at even money, or 1 to 1. For example, if you have a $10 bet on red and the ball lands on red 21, you win $10, plus the return of your original bet, for a total of $20. (See Circle I in Figure 8-3.)
- High/Low: This bet says the winning number will be in the low half (1 to 18) or the high half (19 to 36), excluding 0 and 00. The house pays a win at even money. (See Circle J in Figure 8-3.)
- Odd/Even: This bet says the winning number will be odd or even, excluding the 0 and 00. The house pays a win at even money. (See Circle K in Figure 8-3.)
- Dozens: This bet is on the first, second, or third dozen numbers, excluding 0 and 00. The dozens are 1 to 12, 13 to 24, and 25 to 36, and each dozen contains six red and six black numbers. If the ball lands on one of the numbers in your dozen bet, the house pays the win at 2 to 1. (See Circle G in Figure 8-3.)
- Columns: This bet is on one of three columns of a dozen numbers, excluding 0 and 00. If the ball lands on a number in your column bet, the house pays the win at 2 to 1. Note that Column One contains six red and six black numbers, Column Two has four red and eight black numbers, and Column Three has eight red and four black numbers. (See Circle H in Figure 8-3.)
Reciting Roulette Etiquette
Roulette attracts a polite, dignified gambler who enjoys a laid-back, casual game, as opposed to the frenzied atmosphere of, say, a craps game. (For a sense of how crazy craps can be, check out Book 6, Chapter 6.) And, as with any table game, understanding a few social niceties helps you fit right in with the suave Roulette crowd. This short section provides key points you need to remember when playing Roulette.
Improving Your Odds
Remember to stay realistic about the long odds on this popular game of chance. Approach Roulette with the sober realization that, with a house advantage of 5.26 percent on the American wheel, Roulette is among the worst bets in a casino. Despite the odds, you can still use some simple strategies to stretch your Roulette bankroll and enjoy the thrill of the spin. This section contains a few tips that can help you improve your chances of winning.
Roulette is a drain on your wallet simply because the game doesn’t pay what the bets are worth. With 38 numbers (1 to 36, plus 0 and 00), the true odds of hitting a single number on a straight-up bet are 37 to 1, but the house pays only 35 to 1 if you win! Ditto the payouts on the combination bets. This discrepancy is where the house gets its huge edge in Roulette.
Starting with the basics
Strategy is critical if you want to increase your odds of winning. The first time you play Roulette, the players sprinkling the layout with chips may look as if they’re heaping pepperoni slices on a pizza. You can make many different bets as long as you stay within the table’s maximum limits. Consequently, few players make just one bet at a time.
Of course, the more bets you make, the more complicated and challenging it is to follow all the action. Here are two possible plans of attack to simplify matters:
- Stick to the table minimum and play only the outside bets. For example, bet on either red or black for each spin. This type of outside bet pays 1 to 1 and covers 18 of the 38 possible combinations.
- Place two bets of equal amounts on two outside bets: one bet on an even-money play and the other on a column or dozen that pays 2 to 1. For example, place one bet on black and one bet on Column Three, which has eight red numbers. That way, you have 26 numbers to hit, 4 of which you cover twice. You can also make a bet on red and pair it with a bet on Column Two, which has eight black numbers. Again, you cover 26 numbers, and 4 of them have two ways to win. Pairing a bet on either red or black with Column One (or on one of the three dozens) covers 24 numbers, and 6 numbers have two ways of winning. Spreading bets like this won’t make you rich, but it does keep things interesting at the table.
Playing a European wheel
If you happen to find a single-zero European wheel, you greatly improve your odds: The house edge is half that of Roulette with the American wheel — only 2.63 percent. You may see a European wheel at one of the posh Vegas casinos, such as Bellagio, Mirage, or Caesars Palace. If you can’t find one on the floor, it’s probably tucked away in the high-limit area along with the baccarat tables, so you may need to ask. You can also find the single-zero wheel at some other upscale casinos around the country.
Because casinos set aside the European wheel for high rollers, you’re likely to find a higher table minimum, say $25. But because the house edge is half that of a double-zero wheel, the European wheel is the better Roulette game to play for bigger bettors.
Avoiding Strategies That Don’t Work
Again, Roulette is a game of chance — and in such games, you’re at the mercy of the fates for the most part. Although you can follow some simple steps to stretch your money and improve your odds (for more, see the preceding section), no magic system can turn you into a consistent winner at Roulette. Steer clear of falling into these traps.
Basing your plays on history
Each spin of the Roulette wheel is completely independent, or unrelated, from the past, so don’t let previous numbers influence you. Most Roulette tables have a lighted scoreboard that displays the numbers that have hit over the last 20 rolls in two columns: red and black. However, players who try to guess what color will come up next by relying on history are wasting their time. The information means absolutely nothing. The wheel has no memory, and, although streaks of red or black for six or ten spins may occur, these streaks are no indication of the next result.
Blaming wheel bias
You don’t have to watch for wheel bias — the casino beats you to it. The house regularly balances and checks and then rechecks Roulette wheels for any suspected favoritism to certain numbers.
Sometimes a wheel becomes biased because the mechanical wear and tear results in a less-than-random play. After all, the wheel consists of metal and wood. And certainly, after a quarter-million spins every month, all that activity may cause the wheel to wear down in certain strategic points. For this reason, casinos inspect Roulette wheels routinely and monitor the results statistically with software.
Buying into betting systems
The Roulette table attracts the largest number of players attempting to apply a betting system. The most prominent progressive betting system is the Martingale system, in which you double your bet after each loss. Another popular one is the Reverse Martingale, in which you cut your bet in half after each win.
We don’t recommend using any progressive betting system because a streak of four or five bad spins can cripple your bankroll in less than ten minutes.
Despite all the systems advertised for sale, no magic bullet can help you beat a Roulette wheel. Books on Roulette systems are scams to separate you from your money. Why does someone want to share her amazing supersecret strategy with you? If you’d written such a system, wouldn’t you prefer to just make a quick fortune, buy a small island, and retire? So beware of Roulette pros. They make money by selling books, not by divulging a consistently winning Roulette system.
