The first thing you should know before you learn anything about the bets you
can make, is when and how you can make those bets. Each roulette table moves in
sessions, each session is associated with a spin of the wheel and that spin's
result. At this point the
dealer will say 'place your bets' and everyone at the table will start throwing
chips down like crazy. Each player plays with their own color chips. When the new session starts you can put your
chips down where you want to bet, and you don't really have to be in a hurry. Most roulette sessions move at a fairly slow pace, to accommodate the number of
people betting, and the variety on which they can bet. On inside bets, the total of all
of your bets must add up to at least the table minimum. Straight-up bet - this
is the classic roulette bet. Choose any one of the 38 numbers and put your
chips down on that number for the chance to win back at 35 to 1. Corner bet -
lets you bet on four adjoining numbers. Placing your chips at the point where
four numbers meet will indicate you want a corner bet.
Making a bet is easy - you just place your chip(s) on the number(s), color, or
sets you want to bet on. You don't have to make just one kind of bet for
each spin, you can make several, and you win if the ball lands on any of your
numbers. 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. When the ball falls into a slot, the dealer will announce the
number and the color, and place a marker on the layout where the winning number
is. 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. That's because if you're betting only inside and someone else is
betting only outside, he can give you both the same color chips and there won't
be any confusion. That way, you're not locked in
and you always have the ability to change your mind. Inside bets can
usually be as small a you like, as long as the total of all your inside bets is
the table minimum. 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. It's important to
understand that the outcome of the roulette wheel is truly random. The
chances of #27 coming up on a given spin are the same, whether it just come up
on the last spin or not - 1 in 38. On an American wheel,
there are 38 spots - numbers 1-36, plus 0 and 00. if you win, the
casino doesn't pay you 37 to 1, they pay you less - 35 to 1. The European
wheel has a lower house edge (2.63%) because it has only 37 slots instead of 38
(no 00) Atlantic City has a special rule which
reduces the house edge to 2.7% on even money bets (Red/Black, Odd/Even,
1-18/19-36): If 0 or 00 comes up on on even money bet, you lose only half your
bet.