What About Roulette?

16 October 2021

By Jerry Stickman

This is the third article in a series that examines several aspects of popular casino games. Each article briefly explains how the game is played as well as highlighting some of the positive and negative features of that casino game.

This article explores roulette.

Roulette is French for “little wheel.” It is a table game that has a wheel divided into 37 to 39 numbered slots with a pocket in each slot. 18 of these slots are colored black, 18 are colored red and one to three are colored green. The green colored numbers are 0, 00, and 000.

The wheel spins clockwise.

To start a game, the dealer sends a small white ball spinning counter-clockwise around the inside of the wheel.

Players around the table can make bets on individual numbers, odd or even numbers, red or black numbers, high numbers (19-36), low numbers (1-18), as well as several other combinations.

The dealer waves his hand across the table and all betting ceases.

When the ball lands in one of the pockets, that number is marked on the table layout. Losing bets are raked off the layout and winning bets are paid out.

The casino makes their money at roulette by paying winning bets at less than true odds.

The payoffs on bets range from a low of 1-to-1 (2-for-1) to a high of 35-to-1 (36-for-1). Hitting a bet on a single number (which pays 35-to-1) can cause a sudden surge in the bankroll. This is one of the major attractions of the game.

For those players interested in action, roulette can feed their need. There is a flurry of betting as the ball is spinning around the wheel with players placing multiple bets as quickly as possible.

Another advantage of playing roulette is the play is relatively slow. There is a fairly long gap between spins to allow for clearing the layout of previous bets and paying the winners. There is also a good deal of time allowed for placing bets. These traits keep the number of spins to well under 60 per hour.

There are also downsides to roulette play (naturally).

Probably the most important is players have to learn how and when to properly place bets. They must also learn the sequence of paying winning bets.

Also, like all table games, roulette is a community game. Unlike playing slots, there is a certain code of conduct to be followed while playing at the table.

However, once the proper betting technique is learned and the code of conduct mastered, having several people playing together can dramatically increase the excitement level. It works both ways.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of playing roulette is the house edge. It is 5.26 percent for the standard double zero (0 and 00) wheel in the U.S. This is relatively high for a table game.

Another disadvantage is the amount of money bet. Even though the table minimum can be low (25-cents to a dollar or so), many players place several bets on each spin of the wheel. This quickly eats into the player’s bankroll as there is usually only one of the players bets that wins. All of the others lose.


Summary:

Advantages:
• Lots of action.
• Can play with a small bet.
• Some bets can win decent money (35-to-1).
• Relatively slow-paced game.
• As with most table games, there is a camaraderie among the players

Disadvantages:
• High casino edge for a table game – 5.26 percent.
• Even though the table limit can be low (25-cents to one dollar), most players place multiple bets which adds to the money at risk.
• The player must learn the bets available as well as the proper betting and payoff procedures.

Conclusion:
Roulette can provide a lot of excitement and camaraderie. However, the player must be careful to watch the amount bet and not get caught up in a betting frenzy.

The next article in this series looks at the game of Pai Gow poker. Stay tuned.

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.

Jerry “Stickman”

Note: Jerry Stickman’s email address has recently changed. See below.

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines. He authored the video poker section of Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker! You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com