Roulette Rules

Like all great games, simplicity lies at the heart of roulette. It is quite possible to start playing and enjoying roulette with only a fundamental grasp of the basics of the game. However, it is critical that you have a far greater understanding of the intricacies of how the game works — and this guide, with clear diagrams and comparison tables, gives you exactly that.

Why Learning the Rules of Roulette Pays Off

There are two reasons to go beyond the basics. Firstly, the more you know about the game and its rules, the more you will enjoy playing it. As with any other game, once you have a deeper knowledge of how the game works, the better player you will become. If you start playing with only a superficial grasp of what is going on, you will quickly become bored — which is more likely to lead to you losing money in both the short and long term.

The second reason is that the more understanding you have of the odds and the mathematics of the game, the longer you will be able to play with your funds and the more likely you are to win. If you have no idea about the odds of the bet you are putting down, and you do not understand how the house edge works for any bet, then you are simply throwing money away. Do not be the person the casino loves. Learn how the game works and what the best bets are, and give yourself every possible chance of leaving the table with a profit rather than a loss. Nothing can guarantee a win, but understanding and knowledge will give you the edge over most of your fellow players every time.

Choosing Your Wheel: The First Rule Every Player Must Learn

Even before you begin to play, you have a very important choice to make — what type of wheel are you going to play? Not all roulette wheels in a casino are equal, far from it. You need to choose the type of wheel that gives you the greatest chance of winning: in other words, the configuration with the lowest house advantage.

Roulette wheels have been around for over 400 years in various forms. Today, whether you walk into a casino or play online, you will almost always choose between two wheel configurations — the European wheel (single zero) and the American wheel (zero and double zero). Choosing the right one will save you potentially thousands of chips over your playing lifetime.

European Roulette Wheel and Table Layout (2.70% House Edge)

The numbers on the wheel always alternate red then black, with the exception of the green zero. The numbers on the European wheel are set out in this order:

0 – 32 – 15 – 19 – 4 – 21 – 2 – 25 – 17 – 34 – 6 – 27 – 13 – 36 – 11 – 30 – 8 – 23 – 10 – 5 – 24 – 16 – 33 – 1 – 20 – 14 – 31 – 9 – 22 – 18 – 29 – 7 – 28 – 12 – 35 – 3 – 26

If you look carefully at the diagram, you can see that the numbers are located around the wheel so that odd and even numbers are spread out, and the numbers in the groups 1–18 and 19–36 are also separated. This pattern guarantees you will not find more than two numbers in a row from these groups.

On the betting table beside the wheel, the numbers appear in numerical order instead. Here you will see two black numbers following each other — for example 10 and 11, or 28 and 29 — but remember, this is not the pattern on the wheel itself. It simply makes it a lot easier to place your bets.

Diagram of the European table that sits beside the wheel — this is where you place your chips.

The fundamental point to note here is that there is only one green zero. If you place the even-money bet of red or black, you lose when the 0 rolls in. This makes the house edge on a European table only 2.70%.

American Roulette Wheel: How the Double Zero Raises the House Edge to 5.26%

The American wheel was not content with the house edge guaranteed by the single zero, so it adds another green number — the 00. In addition to this extra pocket, the sequence of numbers is different on an American wheel. The wheel runs like this:

0 – 28 – 9 – 26 – 30 – 11 – 7 – 20 – 32 – 17 – 5 – 22 – 34 – 15 – 3 – 24 – 36 – 13 – 1 – 00 – 27 – 10 – 25 – 29 – 12 – 8 – 19 – 31 – 18 – 6 – 21 – 33 – 16 – 4 – 23 – 35 – 14 – 2

You might rightly be wondering how much of a difference just adding the extra 00 makes. The difference is significant: it almost doubles the house advantage from the European table, up to a rather large 5.26%. The betting table also gains the extra 00 box:

Diagram of the American table with the extra 00 betting box above the number grid.

French Roulette Rules: La Partage and En Prison Explained

The French roulette wheel is exactly the same as the European one. However, when playing French roulette you get an extra benefit called La Partage or En Prison, which applies to even-money bets — red or black, odd or even, low (1–18) or high (19–36).

• La Partage: if the wheel rolls in a 0, you do not lose all of your stake — you lose only half of your money.
• En Prison: when the wheel spins a 0, your even-money stake is not lost. It stays on the board for the next spin — the croupier marks the bet accordingly, and you have another chance of winning on the following spin.

The effect of this rule is significant, as it brings the house edge on even-money bets down to a much more palatable 1.35%.

European vs American vs French Roulette: Rules and House Edge Compared

Summary: The Golden Rules Before You Place a Bet

Always ensure you are playing on the best table possible — the one that minimises the house edge. Never play the American wheel with the extra zero, and always try to play French roulette if possible. This rule alone will save you an enormous sum of money over your roulette playing. To go deeper, read our guides to roulette payouts and house edge, roulette odds, roulette types and roulette strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions About Roulette Rules