Each roulette table moves in
sessions, each session is associated with a spin of the wheel and that spin's
result. You trade in
your checks (which most people think of as regular casino chips, but they're
actually called checks) for roulette chips when a new session starts, and the
dealer assigns you a number and denomination. The
inside bets are made up of specific numbers or combinations of numbers within
the number layout, or along the border of it. Split bet - you
can place a single bet on two individual numbers if those numbers are beside
each other on the table layout. Street bet - this is a bet not unlike a split.
It allows you to bet on three different numbers with the same bet. The outside bets on a roulette board are
simply the bets that reside 'outside' of the main playing area of 38 numbers. There are no winning outside bets for 0 or 00 results. When you place an outside
bet your bet must meet the table minimum. Red or Black - you can choose to bet on
the outcome either being a red number, or a black number.
Roulette would be a great game were it not for the high
house edge - usually 5.26%, sometimes as low as 2.63%, which is still higher
than blackjack, craps, or baccarat. You should always calculate your expected
loss and how long you can play on a given bankroll before playing any game, but
with roulette it's especially important. you will likely lose money faster the more
bets you make, because you're betting more. In most games players can continue
making bets even while the ball is still spinning. Don't reach for your winnings until the dealer
removes the marker, or the dealer will scold you. That way if
two players bet on the same number (or set of numbers), then the dealer knows
who to pay, and arguments can't arise over who bet what. In other games the color of the chip
denotes the denomination, but in Roulette the color denotes only which player
the chip belongs to. Roulette chips can in fact be any denomination - $1, $5,
$25, etc. Minimum bets work differently for inside and outside bets. Here's a
handy way to remember the payouts when you're betting on a set of numbers: Take
36 divided by the quantity of numbers you're betting on, and subtract 1. There's an old saying,
"The wheel has no memory. " That means it doesn't know what it spun
before, and even if it did, the wheel can't select what number comes up out of
its own volition. You can certainly switch to
another number if you want, but that won't improve or worsen your chances. Your odds of winning a
one-number bet are 37 to 1 (37 ways to lose, 1 way to win) if you win, the
casino doesn't pay you 37 to 1, they pay you less - 35 to 1. The difference
between the true odds and what they actually pay you is 2/38, or 5.26%. On even money bets when 0 comes up, instead of losing right
away, your bet is "imprisoned" and rides again for the next spin.