Before you step up to the roulette table, it helps to know the rules of the game. That way, you can avoid confusion and make better decisions when you put your coins down.
There’s no reason to put yourself at a disadvantage, even if roulette is a luck-based game, so you should understand the basic casino roulette rules.
Fortunately for you, we’ve covered the rules of roulette right here. We’ve included:
- How the standard roulette game plays out
- How the rules shape your experience
If you want to know more about this popular casino game, have a look at our main roulette guide first.
Roulette Game Rules
The rules of roulette are really quite simple. You must predict where the ball will land, from numbers ranging from 0 to 37 (or 38). When putting coins down, you can back specific numbers, groups of numbers, or numbers that are odd, even, red, or black. We’ve explained that more below.
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During the decision round, you should place coins on the outcome(s) you expect. You won’t be able to interact with the board if the decision round has ended. From there, all that’s left is to spin the ball so you can see if you’ll win or lose.
Roulette Plays
Your plays are divided between inside plays and outside plays. Each play has minimum and maximum limits for the coins you can place on them.
Inside plays are more specific, placing coins on individual numbers, or a small set of them. It’s a higher risk, but yields bigger prizes if the numbers hit.
Outside plays are broader than that, covering as many as 50% of the numbers in the wheel. This lower risk means their prizes are smaller, but they can hit more often.
Difference Between European and American Roulette Wheel Rules
There are two different roulette wheels – European and American. Each one has a different layout, unique plays, and other features that don’t apply to the other version of the game.
The biggest difference is that European roulette wheels have just one 0 space, while American roulette wheels have a 0 and a 00.
This doubles the house edge for the American version of the game. In traditional roulette table layouts, the addition of that 00 pocket also changes the order the numbers are displayed. Keep this in mind if you hop between different roulette versions often!
As for those version-specific plays, the European roulette game rules support called plays (voisins du zero, orphelins, tiers du cylindre) which choose groupings of numbers based on their wheel position, not how they are displayed on the table.
Additional Roulette Game Rules
Besides the standard casino roulette rules, there are also optional rules that vary from table to table. The two most notable rules are La Partage and En Prison, found in French roulette and sometimes European roulette. They both focus on what happens if the roulette wheel lands at 0.
While other roulette game rules treat the 0 like just another pocket, La Partage/En Prison give a little back to players.
The La Partage rule allows players with an even-odds play (red/black, even/odd, 1-18/19-36) to reclaim half their coins if a 0 turns up.
En Prison is a spin on the La Partage rule that gives players a choice instead. They can either take half their coins and lose the other half, or leave the whole play on the table for another all-or-nothing spin.
And there we have it! All the rules you need to start playing roulette, including all wheel types and live roulette. Enjoy this special casino game at McLuck.
