Step into any land-based casino, and you’re bound to find a crowd, including socialites and celebrities, gathered around the Roulette table. Log into an online casino, and you’re bound to find promotions about live dealer Roulette or a promotion to help encourage you to spin the wheel.
Beyond the crowd and hype, online Roulette remains one of the most fascinating table games to play because it offers the most bets to place, and we haven’t even got to side bets. But, first thing is first. How does Roulette work? And how can a beginner get their feet wet with this classic table game? We’re glad you asked. The first step is to read this guide to learn about how Roulette works.
Online Roulette in a Nutshell
When visiting an online casino lobby, chances are you are going to find captivating variants like Lightning and Auto Roulette, and you might be scratching your head about how they work. Most online Roulette variants are usually variants of American and European Roulette. The third main variant is French. Before proceeding further, let’s discuss the main similarities and differences between these three stable Roulette games.
French Roulette
French Roulette is the oldest known version of Roulette. French Roulette dates back to 17th-century France and was first a game played by the French nobility. All the lettering on the table is in French, and it can cointains 36 regular numbers, better known as pockets, and a single zero. Also, French Roulette features En Prison and La Partage rules to help players minimize losses. The house edge for French Roulette is 2.63%, which makes it ideal for beginners.
European Roulette
The European variant plays identically to the French version, but the wording is in English. Depending on the online casino, European Roulette might also offer En Prison and La Partage rules. However, these additional bonuses are usually reserved for the French variant.
American Roulette
Of all the variants, American Roulette is the most available and is the youngest of the three main variants. European Roulette was first introduced to Americans by French and European immigrants in the 19th century.
European Roulette was so popular during the American Gold Rush in the 1850s that the casinos of the day added the signature double zero that draws players today. Because of the double zero, American Roulette carries a higher house advantage of 5.26%.
Basic Online Roulette Strategy
Depending on your skill level, online roulette can be simple or challenging. The easiest Roulette bet to master is the straight-up bet. That’s where you bet on the white ball landing on a specific number. Also, the black and red wager is a go-to for beginners. Simply bet on the white ball landing on a black or red number. Likewise, the odd and even numbers accomplish something similar, as does betting on the white ball landing on the zero.
For more experienced players and for those who have bigger budgets, Roulette offers more rewarding and riskier bets like the column. This is where you bet on the white ball, landing on one of the numbers in the column or a similar dozen bet. For more advanced Roulette players who aren’t afraid to let it ride, street and corner bets are highly popular wagers. Corner bets are where you place your chips at the point of the roulette wheel where four numbers cross.
Where Can You Play Online Roulette?
When playing at real money online casinos, there’s no shortage of Roulette games. Lately, social casinos like McLuck have had a modest live dealer roulette section.
One of the most popular ways to play online Roulette is through the live dealer. However, traditional online casinos usually offer plenty of standalone Roulette games that are budget-friendly and where you can play at your own pace.
What Roulette Variants Are There?
We’ve already discussed the three main variants, but roulette games like auto roulette are highly popular. Available in the live section, Auto Roulette doesn’t have a dealer spinning the wheel. It is controlled electronically. Lightning Roulette speeds up gameplay. It also offers additional bonus features, including winning multipliers, that you would find in a slot game. For those on a budget, 25-cent Roulette is an excellent option, as is Blazing 777s, which features slot-game bonus features at affordable bets.
