Online Roulette Bonus Guide – Best Real Money Roulette Bonuses

Roulette Rules

Red or black? Odd or even? High or low? Learn about game flow, terminology, payout percentages and more in the Casinobonus.org Rules to Roulette Online Guide. You’ll also learn the differences between the American and European Roulette game versions, inside bets vs. outside bets, and which wagers give you the best chance to win. We tell you which bets have the highest odds, best payouts and biggest house edges so you can concentrate on your online Roulette game.

If you’ve ever wanted to find out how to play Roulette, the CasinoBonus.org guide to Roulette Rules will set you on the path towards winning at Roulette, whether on land, at sea or online. While it may seem that Roulette rules require only the wagering of money on where the little ball will stop on the big wheel, the truth is that understanding Roulette rules allows players to make smarter, more informed decisions. More informed decisions mean better bets, a protected bankroll and knowing when to say when.

How to Play Roulette

Learn Roulette Rules by reading the below explanation of bets and game flow, and see our tips and strategy pages for more information on not just how to play Roulette, but how to win at Roulette. Good luck at the tables!

The Wheel

All wheels contain either thirty-seven or thirty-eight slots, known as “pockets”. The pockets alternate between red and black (and odd and even). All pockets, with the exception of the zero pockets, contain a number between 1 and 36. The numbers are not in sequence nor are their placements totally random. The numbers have been arranged to attain the best balance between red and black, odd and even and high and low.

The number of zero pockets depends on the type of wheel in use. Some casinos use a wheel that has a single zero (0). This type of wheel is known as a “European” or “French wheel”. The single zero gives players a better chance to win at Roulette and lets the player extend his bankroll, thus allowing for more play.

The other variety of wheel you will encounter is a wheel that has both a single zero (0) and a double zero (00). This type of wheel is referred to as an “American wheel”, since players will often find it in Las Vegas casinos and other gaming sites in the States. Double zero games significantly reduce a player’s odds of winning at Roulette.

Bet Types

In order to learn Roulette rules, you have to learn how to bet. Several betting options exist. These include selecting a favorite number (between 1 and 36) or group of numbers, picking a color, and placing special bets. Below are explanations of each betting option, according to standard Roulette rules.

• • Inside Bets
    Inside bets get their name from the fact that the chips are placed “inside” the numbered grid on the game table. Roulette rules allow players to make inside bets on a single number or a group of numbers adjacent to each other on the grid.

• • Outside Bets
    As their name suggests, outside bets involve placing your chips outside the table’s main grid. These bets involve wagering on either a group of numbers or a color (red or black).

• Special Bets
  A few special types of bets are not displayed on the table. Most of these special bets have French names like “en prison”, “la portage” and “voisins du zero”. Read the Casinobonus.org Roulette glossary for in-depth explanations of these bet types.

Table Layout

The Roulette table layout displays inside bets and outside bets in two contrasting fields. The inside field lists each number displayed on the wheel from lowest to highest, starting from the table’s upper left corner. The first row of inside bets includes 1-2-3, the second 4-5-6, and so on and so on, up to 36. Thus, there are 12 rows and three columns.

Above the first row of inside bets is the area reserved for either single or double zero bets. Tables employing a European wheel display only single zero bets. Players may wager on anywhere from one to six numbers per bet.

Elsewhere on the table is the outside field, where players may place outside bets. One part of this field is located just under the final row of three inside bets. Here, one outside bet is displayed beneath each inside bet column, for a total of three betting options. Placing your chips on one of these three spots indicates to the Croupier that you wish to bet on all numbers in the above inside bet column.

Additional outside bet options are located opposite the Croupier, along the table’s outer edge. Here is where you will find bets for groups of numbers within the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rows. You may also bet on the set of top numbers (1-18) or bottom numbers (19-36). Bets on Odd or Even and Red or Black can also be found here.

Payouts

An important thing to keep in mind if you want to win at Roulette is that, like every other game in a casino, the house eventually wins. How much it wins is based on a percentage called the “house advantage”. This percentage measures how much of each average bet the house takes in. For single-zero, European wheels the house advantage is 2.7%. It is 5.26% for double-zero, American wheels. The effects of various house advantages are covered in our Roulette Odds section.

Roulette Strategy

“What are the best numbers to bet?” “Should I follow the crowd, or bet my own numbers?” “If the last ten results have come up black, should I go with red or hope black comes up again?” “I read a book about Mr. X’s betting strategy for how to play Roulette online – are there actually secret Roulette codes that are worth trying?” Our online Roulette game strategy section answers all of these questions and more so you can feel comfortable and confident before placing your first wager.
More opinions on Roulette betting strategy exist than there are for all other casino games combined. The fact, however, is that game outcomes are based entirely on chance. No Roulette strategy can insure repeat successes because each spin of the wheel is unique and, therefore, independent of all preceding outcomes.

Still, there are several means of increasing your wins and sustaining your bankroll while playing. Below are just a few of the Roulette strategies seasoned players employ to increase their bankroll and have a winning Roulette experience.

How to Win at Roulette

The golden rule for those looking to win at Roulette is to bet only at tables whose rules and odds favor the player. Adhering to this golden rule can reduce the house edge by as much as 4%.

An example of a favorable rule is the ‘En prison’ rule, which allows players who made even money bets—odd/even or red/black—to cut their losses after a spin results in zero. When this occurs, these players may either forfeit half their original bet or stake the same bet on the next spin. This rule dramatically reduces player loss because it permits players to either a) lose half, versus all, of his wager or b) “erase” the losing spin and re-wager the initial bet as though it never happened.

In terms of finding favorable odds, the easiest means of achieving this is to play only at single zero (i.e. European) tables. The house advantage falls from 5.26% (American wheel) to 2.7% when playing at a European style table. The addition of another pocket on the wheel—the 00 pocket—just means the addition of another way to lose. Put simply, European wheels have 37 slots and American wheels have 38. It doesn’t take a math whiz to see that a 1 in 37 chance is better than 1 in 38.

Avoid the five number bet

If you’re unable to locate a single zero table and are forced to play at an American table, at least be sure to steer clear of what is perhaps one of the worst bets in all of gambling: the five number bet. This bet, 0-00-1-2-3, has a casino advantage of 7.89%. Translation: you’ll lose….big.

Know when to say when

Perhaps the most frequently made mistake among gamblers is not knowing when to call it quits. Make certain that you establish your loss limit prior to taking a seat at the table and don’t be afraid to cash in when you’re still ahead.

A few players bet half the board each time. Other players stay with minimum bets on each spin. Find a Roulette strategy you’re comfortable with and don’t be swayed by the excitement around the table.

Find a system that works for you

The truth of the matter is that you can’t do anything to ensure you will always win at Roulette. Many a Roulette strategy claims to have the winning Roulette secret. But, as mentioned earlier, each game outcome is entirely separate and apart from earlier outcomes. Do not be lured by schemes that appear valid on paper. Usually, they don’t work so well in the real world.

That said, you’ve probably heard the hype surrounding a few of the better known variations on Roulette betting strategy and are curious about their parameters. So, in the interest of general knowledge, the two most common are listed and explained below.

• • Roulette Betting Strategy #1 – Martingale
    When it comes to Roulette systems, Martingale is the name to know. This basic betting system is standard negative progression theory as its core. It requires that for every bet you lose, you double the amount wagered on your next bet. The idea is that when you finally win, your return offsets your previous losses. The operative word here is finally because, unless you’re Donald Trump, you’ll likely be in the poor house before you win big.

• Roulette Betting Strategy #2 – D’Alembert
  D’Alembert is different from Martingale in that it requires you increase your bet by a small fraction when you lose and decrease it by a small fraction after a win. This means the progression is linear rather than exponential (for all the above mentioned math whizzes). Most positive progression theories are based on this idea. But, once again, it must be said that there are no real probabilities in Roulette, so profits are never guaranteed.

Final Thoughts on Roulette Strategies

Now that you know the various types of Roulette strategy, the question becomes, “Do you believe the hype?” Among traditionalists, die-hards and casual players, there is much disagreement. Some believe Roulette strategy can be employed to choose higher-paying bets; some believe the correct Roulette betting strategy can offset your losses; still others maintain that all of the above is worthless and placing faith in lady luck is the only Roulette strategy any player can truly count on.

Whichever camp you fall into, knowing the differences among Roulette strategy types is important, even if you don’t employ them. Good luck at the tables!

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If you believe “experience is the best teacher”, but don’t have the bankroll to play Roulette online until your game is perfect, we can help. Play our free Roulette game, designed specifically for Casinobonus.org visitors, without risking a cent. After a few practice rounds, read our casino reviews to find a site that offers “no deposit required” bonuses and play for real cash wins before you make your first deposit.

Roulette Odds

Whether you’re looking for a slow, steady return on your bankroll or you want to risk it all on one spin of the wheel, it never hurts to know the odds. Our helpful tables will let you know which bets have the best payout rate as well as those with the biggest house advantage. As the old saying goes, “knowledge is power”; use the power of these odds to make the best bets and come out on top!

The best thing to remember about calculating Roulette odds is that, regardless of any Roulette betting system you may have learned, Roulette probability never changes. If the wheel comes up red ten times in a row, that fact doesn’t change the odds of the next spin coming up red (since it keeps hitting) or black (since it’s “due”). The wheel doesn’t remember, so you shouldn’t either.

The Wheel to Win

There is one factor that does affect Roulette odds and, more importantly, Roulette payouts. While the payout for a winning bet on each wheel is the same, the player has a much higher advantage with a “European wheel”, or “single-zero” wheel, as opposed to an “American”, or “double-zero”, wheel. Also, many European wheels offer certain special bets, while the American wheel gives players only a high house edge “five-number” bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3).

Roulette Payouts for Column, Dozen & Outside Bets

The easiest bets to make are “outside bets”. These include red, black, even, odd, high and low. The Roulette probability of each of these bets is slightly less than 50%, but the Roulette payout for most of them is even money. In the cases of the “dozen bet” and the “column bet”, where the player selects a twelve-number span, the payout is 2 to 1.

Roulette Payouts for Inside Bets

Another betting system that players employ is placing “inside bets”. These include bets placed on a single number (a “straight” bet), as well as those for two adjoining numbers (a “split” bet), a row of numbers (“street” bet), and a bet placed at an intersection of lines on the grid that encompasses four numbers (“corner” bet). These bets appear inside the numbered grid on the Roulette table.

The “five numbers” bet listed above is an example of what veteran players consider a “sucker bet”.  While the bet does offer payouts of 6 to 1, it also carries the biggest disadvantage in terms of the proportional difference between the true Roulette odds and its eventual payout. This bet attracts players who want to turn the disadvantage of the “00” on the American wheel into an advantage.

Playing with a Roulette Betting System

Other players like to adjust their Roulette odds by playing with various betting systems.  These experts take advantage of Roulette probability by using such systems as “orphelins”, “tiers et voisins” and “zero spiel” to dictate where they place their bets.  Some experienced players vary their bet sizes by using such methods as the Martingale progressive pattern and the D’Alembert incremental step system.

However, one factor that all the probability calculations must take into account is the “house advantage”.  On a European wheel, the house expects to earn $2.66 for every $100 bet.  With an American wheel, the casino typically makes about $5.26 for every $100 bet.  This discrepancy explains why most US-based casinos reserve their European wheels for high rollers and reveals who are the true beneficiaries of the game.

Whether you play for the big payouts or just for the fun of watching the wheel spin, you should always know the Roulette odds, play within your means and play smart.  The wheel might not remember its previous spins, but players should member which bets are the long shots, which ones pay off more frequently, and which will wipe out your bankroll.

Roulette Tips

When you’re ready to “turn the tables” on the casino, take a look at these tips and techniques you can take advantage of when playing casino Roulette. Learn how the game really works, how the house makes its money on “sucker bets” and how you can stay away from traps designed to suck the money out of your bankroll and the fun out of your play.

Numerous gambling gurus advise employing special systems, secret tricks and insider methods when they instruct novice players on how to win Roulette. The simple fact is, unless you find a biased wheel or faulty online casino software, no tactics exist that will ensure you win over the long haul.

The wise player knows that beating this game of chance involves adhering to a few simple strategies and sticking to the below list of Roulette tips. In the end, it’s not a matter of discovering the holy grail of Roulette tips, it’s a question of who can stretch his bankroll furthest and claim a few big wins along the way.

Tip #1 – Don’t Pay for a Roulette System

The only players who win every time are the ones who convince unsuspecting players (a.k.a. “suckers”) to buy their list of “Roulette secrets”. Aware that they can’t win consistently at a game of chance, these snake oil salesmen bait naïve players into supplementing their bankrolls via selling them their “foolproof” betting systems.

Tip #2 – Test a Free Game First

While this won’t be one of the Roulette tips that makes you money, it will save a ton of cash. If you find a system that works on a free-play table, give it a try at the money tables. If it doesn’t work, you haven’t lost any money and you’ve learned a valuable lesson.

Tip #3 – Start with Outside Bets

Good Roulette systems don’t rely on fancy betting patterns and extravagant wagers. The slow, steady approach of betting red or black, odd or even, high or low can help you establish the kind of steady playing rhythm that you need if you want to beat Roulette before it beats you.

Tip #4 – Disregard Earlier Spin Outcomes

Perhaps the most crucial tip is that “the wheel has no memory”. Roulette tricks some inexperienced players into thinking that a wheel resulting in ten consecutive even spins is a wheel that’s “due” to come up odd. No guide to Roulette secrets can tell you how the next spin will go, because the wheel itself doesn’t know.

Tip #5 – Play the European Wheel…Always

Here’s one of those Roulette secrets that isn’t all that secret: the European, or “single-zero”, wheel gives players a much lower disadvantage than the American, or “double-zero”, wheel. No advertised system will increase a player’s rate of return more than playing at a European table.

Tip #6 – Bet Small Amounts Early

Since no real set of Roulette tricks can help you actually beat Roulette, you should make small bets early. For example, if you have a $1000 bankroll and you want to test a few different Roulette systems, start out at $5 or $10 per bet. If you start losing, don’t chase your losses and increase your bets; you’ll only lose more money faster.

Tip #7 – Monitor & Protect Your Bankroll

This is a gambling tip that can apply to any game. If you’ve learned all the necessary secrets and have turned a nice profit while playing, put it in your pocket. On the other hand, if your Roulette system has failed you, get out while you can and try again another day. Remember, Roulette is all about luck. Tomorrow’s luck may be better than today’s.

Tip #8 – Enjoy the Game

It’s true that many people play Roulette systems in order to beat Roulette and get rich. Still, it should be remembered that it’s a game, and games are meant to be pleasurable. If you find yourself freaking out more than having fun, it’s time to throw in the towel.

The Roulette tips listed here probably won’t make you an instant millionaire or help you predict the future. But we do hope that they win you a few bucks and help you better enjoy your game. Whether you prefer playing on a computer monitor or in a luxurious casino, take these tips with you. Apply them to your game, have a good time and, with some luck, you’ll walk away a winner.

Roulette History

First, man invented the wheel. Then, he invented the Roulette wheel. OK, maybe that’s leaving a few important bits out, but this best of gambling games does have a long and distinguished history. Invented by a French philosopher in the seventeenth century, imported to America in the early 1800s and developed for online play in the 1990s, it has captured the minds of serious mathematicians and betting enthusiasts for generations.

The history of Roulette spans two continents, six centuries, thirty-seven (or thirty-eight) numbers and all three hundred sixty degrees of the wheel. Roulette history is filled with amazing events, colorful characters and high-stakes action. From the luxurious gaming salons of Monte Carlo to the bright neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip, casino Roulette has captured the imagination of players for years. Even online Roulette history has interesting stories.

Many historians speculate that Roulette gambling may have been around almost as long as the wheel itself. One theory has it that European merchants learned about the game from Asian trading partners along the Silk Road in the Middle Ages. Others say casino Roulette was invented by French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal in the seventeenth century. The French popularized the game and named it “Roulette”, or “Little Wheel”.

French settlers brought Roulette gambling to the New World when they created colonies in Louisiana and Quebec. The history of Roulette in North America began with the many casinos and gaming halls in and around New Orleans in the early eighteenth century. The Roulette history of New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana continues in the form of the numerous luxury casino resorts in the state.

As settlers migrated into the American West, their favorite gambling activities followed.  Casino Roulette games sprouted up in Western saloons alongside poker, faro and dice games.  Dusty mining towns and opulent California gaming palaces all featured Roulette gambling for players of all races, colors, occupations and income levels.  The history of Roulette would take many wild turns in the Wild American West.

One of the turns that would make Roulette history is the innovation of the “double zero”, or “American wheel”.  In traditional casino Roulette, a wheel had a single zero (0).  American casino owners, looking to increase their advantage over players, created a wheel that had both a single zero and a double zero (00).  The additional pocket doubled the house’s take on their games.

Roulette gambling experienced another boost in popularity when, in the 1930s, the U.S. state of Nevada legalized casino gaming. With the establishment of the “El Rancho Vegas” in 1941, the building of the extravagant Flamingo in 1946, and the growth of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, players from all over the globe began converging on the neon-lit desert town to bet on their lucky numbers.

Roulette history has also witnessed several players who bet big in order to win big.  In 1873 a team of British clerks timed the wheels in Monte Carlo and won over US$325,000, which would equal more than US$5.8 million today.  In 2004, a man bet his entire life savings, $135,000 USD, on “Red”.  He won and doubled his money to $270,000 USD.

As software developers recognized the power and growth of the internet, online Roulette history began to take shape.  The first online casinos appeared in the mid-1990s, and the “little wheel” quickly became one of the most popular games offered.

Like its on land counterpart, online Roulette history is also filled with players making big bets and bold attempts to crack the sophisticated computer codes that control the random outcomes on the virtual wheel.  As a result, hordes of books, articles, and web sites began offering “foolproof” betting systems for beating the popular game.  One of the greatest innovations on today’s wheels is the listing of previous spin results.  Many of these faulty “systems” have used these earlier spins as a guide to how to bet.

Like the wheel that carries its name, this game appears to have an endless history and to be moving toward an unknown future.  Both on land and online Roulette history is spinning its way through time, Players can be sure that, although the wheel may stop on your lucky number, the game, like a circle, truly never ends.

Roulette Glossary

If you think Roulette is as simple as choosing between black or red and then waiting for a little ball to stop spinning round a wheel, think again. Online roulette games are surprisingly nuanced—betting options and game language are specific, and Roulette bonuses are hard to come by. Read the CasinoBonus.org Roulette glossary to get a handle on the terms and phrases used in game play.

Why do I need a Roulette Glossary? I just pick a number, put down some money and spin…..Right?

Wrong. You could play this way, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Betting your hard earned money on a little white ball inside a spinning wheel is a gamble to start. Add in uncalculated risk and you’ve got a recipe for bankruptcy.

Enter the CasinoBonus.org Roulette glossary. Here, we break down Roulette terms and Roulette slang and look at the Roulette definitions you’ll need to understand in order to place well-informed wagers. The below Roulette glossary includes all the terminology heard round the Roulette table during game play. Use it to chat with fellow players, improve your game comprehension and increase your wins.

Action: Any Roulette bet or group of bets.

American Roulette Wheel: A wheel that has both a “single-zero” (0) and a “double-zero” (00).

Ball:  The small white sphere, made of either ivory or plastic, that rolls around the wheel and falls into a pocket.  The Roulette game starts when the ball starts rolling and stops when it lands in a pocket.

Biased Wheel:  A wheel that gives certain results more than can be accounted for by probability.

Black Bet:  A Roulette bet that wins if the result is a black number.  A winning Black Bet pays even money.  See also “Red Bet”.

Casino Edge:  The average amount that the casino expects to win on every bet placed.  In European Roulette, the casino edge is 2.7%.  In the American version, the casino edge is 5.26%.  Also called “House Edge” or “House Advantage.

Chasing Losses: A series of bets a losing player makes in an attempt to win back his losses.  Typically, chasing losses leads to even more and heavier losses.

Column Bet:  A Roulette bet that wins if the result falls within a selected column of numbers.  A winning Column Bet pays 2 to 1.

Croupier:  The “dealer” in a Roulette game. The croupier collects bets and pays off winners.

Double-Zero Wheel:  Another name for an American Roulette wheel.

En prison:  Also known as the Surrender rule, En Prison is a bet option offered in European versions of the game.  Players betting even money (odd/even or red/black) where the spin results in 0 may either lose half their wager or keep the same bet at stake on the next spin.

Even Number Bet:  A bet that wins if the winning number is even.  A winning Even Number bet pays even money.  See also “Odd Number Bet”.

European Wheel:  A Roulette wheel that has only a single-zero (0).

Five Number Bet:  A bet available only in American Roulette where the player wins if the result is either 0, 00, 1, 2 or 3.

Fibonacci Betting System:  A series of Roulette bets that increase according to the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, etc.).

High Number Bet:  A bet that wins if the winning number is between 19 and 36.  A winning High Number bet pays even money.  See also “Low Number Bet”.

Inside Bet:  Any Roulette bets that are placed inside the numbered grid are “inside bets”.  Inside bets are placed on numbers between 1 and 36.

Layout:  The design of the Roulette table, including betting areas, as well as the wheel itself.

Low Number Bet:  A bet that wins if the winning number is between 1 and 18.  A winning Low Number bet pays even money.  See also “High Number Bet”.

Martingale System:  A series of Roulette bets that double every time a player loses.

Odd Number Bet:  A bet that wins if the winning number is odd.  A winning Odd Number bet pays even money.  See also “Even Number Bet”.

Orphans:  A system wherein players place bets on numbers that are close together on the actual wheel, but far from each other on the table layout.

Outside Bet: Bets placed outside the Roulette table’s numbered grid.  These include bets on red, black, high, low, odd, even, and the first, second and third sets of 12 numbers.

Red Bet:  A betbet that wins if the result is a red number.  A winning Red Bet pays even money.  See also “Black Bet”.

Single-Zero Wheel:  A European wheel version with only a single zero (0), as opposed to an American wheel that has both a single zero (0) and a double zero (00).

Straight Bet:  Bet placed on a single number.  A winning straight bet pays 35 to 1.  A straight bet is the most common bet in any Roulette game and has the highest payout

Voisins du Zero:  French for “neighbors of zero”.  The name given to bets placed on numbers near the zero on a European Roulette wheel.

Wheel Tracking:  Players who track past results of series of games in order to determine future spins are said to be “tracking” the wheel.  Also called “wheel clocking”.

We hope you’ve found the above Roulette glossary helpful.  As with any game, learning the Roulette terms and Roulette slang particular to play is crucial.  Winning Roulette requires understanding, and you won’t understand if you don’t speak the language.

Use the above Roulette glossary to converse with fellow players, read game outcomes and determine which bets you want to place.  We guarantee that knowing Roulette terms will not only improve your win to loss ratio, but will also increase your enjoyment of the game.