Roulette FAQ

Roulette is one of the fastest growing casino games in terms of popularity. Just about every live and online casino offers the game of Roulette, in some form or another. For this reason, we thought it would be a good idea to offer our readers some common and not-so-common Roulette FAQs to help broaden your knowledge of the game.

Roulette FAQ #1 – Origins
The origins of Roulette can be traced back as far as 1796, when Jacque Lablee described a roulette wheel at Palais Royal in Paris, France in his book, “La Roulette, ou le Jour”.

Roulette FAQ #2 – Terminology
The name “Roulette” comes from the French word, meaning ‘Small Wheel’.

Roulette FAQ #3 – Variations
There are several variations of Roulette, the most common being American Roulette, European Roulette and French Roulette.

Roulette FAQ #4 – American Roulette
The American Roulette Wheel and Table contains a 0 (Zero) and a 00 (Double Zero). It is widely believed that American casinos added the Double Zero for the simple reason of increasing the house edge.

Roulette FAQ #5 – European Roulette
European Roulette is the variation of choice amongst seasoned Roulette players because it has only a single 0 (Zero), thereby offering a lower house edge to the player.

Roulette FAQ #6 – French Roulette
French Roulette is played exactly the same as European Roulette, with only a single 0 (Zero), but a few variations in the rules. For instance, if you bet on a single number and the result is 0, you lose only half of your bet, not all of it. This is called ‘La Partage’. There are also a number of bets that can be placed according to the numbers as they appear on the Roulette Wheel, rather than the Roulette Table. Theey are known as ‘Call Bets’.

Voisins du Zero (Neighbors of Zero): The 17 numbers on the wheel that surround 0 (including the 0). They are 0, 2, 3, 4, 7, 12, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, and 35.

Tiers du Cylindre (Third of the Wheel): The 12 numbers that reside opposite the 0 on the wheel. They are 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, and 33.

Orphelins (Orphans): The remaining 8 numbers on the wheel that are not included in the previous two bets. They are 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31, and 34.

Finales en Plein: A bet on all numbers that end in the same digit (i.e. 3, 13, 23 and 33).

Finales a Cheval: A bet on all numbers that end in any two chosen digits (i.e. 3, 13, 23, 33, 4, 14, 24 and 34).

Roulette FAQ #7 – Where’s the Black?
If you’ve ever seen a French Roulette Table, you’ve probably noticed the entire board is red. However, half of the numbers, 1-36, are still considered Black, and do appear in Black on the roulette Wheel. It seems that the French simply prefer an all-red table.

Roulette FAQ #8 – No Multi-Competition
Unlike many casino games, Roulette is a game with no other players to compete against. Even with a loaded house of players surrounding the table, your only competition is the casino itself.

Roulette FAQ #9 – Repetitious Betting
The question commonly arises; if I’m winning on a consecutive bet (such as Red), should I keep making the bet? The fact is, no, you should not keep repeating the bet. While it is possible to win multiple times in a row on the same bet, the odds and probabilities are working against you.

Roulette FAQ #10 – Inside VS Outside
There are two basic types of bets, Inside Bets and Outside Bets. There is a very distinct difference between the two. Inside Bets pay very well, ranging from 5:1 to 35:1, but have a much higher house edge (better chance of losing). Outside Bets always pay low, either 1:1 or 2:1 at best, but have a much lower house edge (better chance of winning).

Roulette FAQ #11 – The Worst Bet
It is a statistical fact that the worst bet in any Roulette game is a Line Bet on 0-1-2-3 (European and French roulette), or 0-00-1-2-3 (American Roulette). A normal Line Bet gives the player 6 numbers, paying 5:1 if any of them hits. This Line Bet, however, offers the player only 4 (or 5) numbers, but still pays the same odds of 5:1. It is the worst house edge, in relation to expected value, of any bet on the Roulette table.