If you’re new to the game of roulette, the terminologies used might make you think that it’s a difficult game. However, it is one of the easiest live casino titles that you’ll ever play.
Grasping the essence of the roulette wheel is akin to understanding the intricacies of F1 rivalries both require a deep appreciation of the underlying strategies and dynamics at play. Every other thing becomes easier. In this piece, we’ll give you the best tips and tricks to play live roulette like a pro.
Main Elements of the Game
We can’t talk about how you can enjoy live roulette at tested & rated real money online casinos without talking about what you’ll find when you launch the game. The main elements of roulette are the roulette wheel, the table, and the ball. Since it’s live roulette, there’s also the croupier. How about a brief description of each?
Roulette Wheel
The roulette wheel is the most important element of the game. It is usually coloured in black and red and can have either 37 pockets or 38 pockets, depending on the variant. However, each variant will always have the numbers 0 – 36 on the wheel. The pockets and the colours are what determine the type of bet. There are two types of roulette wheels:
- European Roulette Wheel: This is a wheel with 37 pockets. Apart from the 1 – 36 numbered pockets, there is a pocket numbered 0, which is coloured green. The house edge of the European Roulette is 2.7%.
- American Roulette Wheel: The American Roulette wheel has all the numbered pockets of the European Roulette and an additional 00 pocket, which is also in green. Because of the 38 pockets, the house edge is 5.26%.
The difference in house edge influences the choice of players a lot. Players who like better odds prefer to play the European Roulette. However, players who are more daunting and like challenges prefer to play American Roulette.
Roulette Table
The next is the roulette table. When you launch a live dealer roulette game, you’ll see the roulette table just below the wheel. There are two segments of the table. The long betting segment is for inside bets, while the wide perpendicular segment is for outside bets (more about inside and outside bets soon). For every bet you place, the live dealer will place the bet’s equivalent of chips on the table. However, some live dealer roulette games do not have actual tables, they use computer-generated ones. Some of them do this to game faster.
Ball
There’s nothing special to know about the roulette ball. It is coloured in white and where it lands is what determines the outcome of the game. After the dealer spins the wheel, they’ll throw the ball onto the spinning wheel. The ball will eventually settle in a pocket, wherever it settles is the outcome of the game. If you have correctly predicted, you’ll win the payout equivalent to the bet value.
Croupier (Live Dealer)
The person who operates and coordinates any live casino game is called the croupier or live dealer. Their roles include operating the game, monitoring gameplay, interacting with players, handling bets, and most importantly, enforcing the rules. Our detailed analysis of Australia’s best online casinos reveals that live dealers are usually highly-trained professionals. So, your gaming experience won’t be worse than in land-based casinos.
Betting Types In Roulette
In the game of roulette, there are different types of bets, but they can be categorised into two main groups. They are inside and outside bets. In some variants, there could also be additional bets.
Inside Bets and Odds
Inside bets in roulette are bets placed on a specific number or smaller groups of numbers. They usually have higher payouts, but as you would expect, they’re more risky. Let’s quickly look at the types of inside bets:
- Straight Bets: This is a bet placed on a single number. Straight bets have odds of 35:1.
- Split Bets: Split bets are bets that are placed across two adjacent numbers. They have odds of 17:1.
- Street Bets: This refers to bets placed on 3 numbers in a row. They have odds of 11:1.
- Corner Bets: This refers to bets placed on 4 numbers in a cluster. They have odds of 8:1.
- Line Bets: This is a bet placed on six numbers across 2 rows with 6 numbers. They have odds of 5:1.
Outside Bets and Odds
Outside bets are placed on a larger group of numbers. They are more likely to occur and as such have lower odds. The highest odds can only be 2:1. Let’s look at the types of outside bets:
- Red/Black: This is a bet placed on the ball landing on a red or black coloured pocket. It has odds of 1:1.
- Odd/Even: This is a bet on the ball landing on an odd or even-numbered pocket. It has odds of 1:1.
- High/Low: This is a bet that the ball will stop on a high or low-numbered pocket. It has odds of 1:1. High numbers are 19-36 and low numbers are 1-18.
- Dozens: This is a bet on a group of 12 numbers on the table. It has odds of 2:1.
- Columns: This is a bet placed on a column of 12 numbers. It has odds of 2:1.
Additional Bets
Some variants of the game allow you to place additional bets in roulette. Our experts have revealed that the most popular is the bet on zero. There are different types of bets on zero and each one has varying payouts. Zero bets are very uncommon at online casinos.
Some Tips When Playing Live Roulette
Since you know all there is about playing live roulette, you should be able to play the game at any online casino of your choice. Here are some tips that might help you get some winning. These tips are not guaranteed to always help you win because roulette is a game of chance.
- Play games with European Roulette wheels as they reduce the house edge.
- Always mix inside and outside bets.
- Minimise or avoid straight bets.
- Play demo electronic roulette to prepare you for the live dealer game.
- If there’s a bonus available, use it.
- Take breaks in between bets and always have fun.
Final Thoughts
Live roulette is a thrilling and exciting game that can be enjoyed by players of all experience levels. With its simple rules and high payouts, it’s no wonder that roulette is one of the most popular games in casinos around the world. If you’re new to live roulette, the best way to get started is to play the European variant. This variant has a lower house edge than the American variant, which means that you’re more likely to win money in the long run. Use our tips when playing and remember to always gamble responsibly.