Basic Roulette Rules for For Online Gambling Beginners

Roulette is one of the most popular table games around. It’s been played since the 18th century and has, of course, changed a lot as time went by. If you’re a true gambling beginner, knowing the basic rules of roulette and maybe a couple of strategies can get you on your way to your next win. Read our article to find out more about how to play online roulette as a true beginner. 

Roulette 101: Layout, Numbers, Bet Types

• Layout

A game of roulette consists of the roulette wheel and outside and inside bets which you can find on the right of the wheel. 

The roulette wheel has two-colored pockets: black and red. Alongside, the wheel also has a single green pocket marked as 0. In American Roulette, you’ll see two green pockets, one marked with 0 and the other with 00.

• How Roulette Wheel Numbers Work

On a roulette wheel, you’ll see numbers from 1 to 36. This is because different versions of roulette have different placements for the wheel numbers. 

Are there any wheel numbers that hit more than others? Because of the way the wheel numbers are positioned, this is impossible to predict. Numbers 17, 7, 23, and 24 have been considered favorites amongst pro players and have brought people plenty of wins. However, this is not to say that betting on those numbers guarantees a win.

• What Types of Bets Can You Make in Roulette

Inside bets are typically displayed in red and black at the top and correspond to the numbers you see on the wheel. 

Outside bets relate to the bets made in slightly broader categories. For example, you can bet on even or odd numbers, first 12 numbers, second 12 numbers, or third 12 numbers. In addition, if you bet on either red or black without specifying a number, you are making an outside bet.

Basic Roulette Strategies

Although many roulette strategies make more sense for experienced players, there are a couple of things beginners can try to start strategically thinking about their gameplay. First, we can split basic strategies into two types: progressive betting and non-progressive betting. 

• Progressive Betting

Progressive betting is all about paying attention to the betting round and increasing the size of your bet based on it. One of the best progressive betting strategies is known as the Martingale system. 

The goal of this strategy is to bet on even-money outside bets. These include red, black, even odd numbers 1-18 and 19-36. Because these bets have the lowest payouts but maximum odds, they’re perfect for those who are just starting to understand how roulette works. 

Another popular strategy is the Reverse Martingale or the Paroli system, where players double the amount of money they bet after every win. Both, Martingale and the Paroli strategy come with a probability that’s close to 50% Players using these strategies typically keep the betting the same until they win — then, they restart it all over again. 

• Non-Progressive Betting

Non-progressive betting strategies are more straightforward — you can change your bets as the game progresses or keep the same bet throughout the game. The most popular non-progressive bet is the James Bond strategy, where players wager the same amount throughout. 

Players can also bet on the five numbers that are positioned next to each other. However, this type of betting is only permitted in French Roulette and may be frowned upon elsewhere. 

Popular Roulette Game Variations

The most popular Roulette variations are European Roulette, American Roulette, French Roulette, Mini Roulette, and Multi Wheel Roulette. Each comes with its own set of rules. Although the main rules are the same, several tweaks make these games exciting for experienced players. 

You can find more about each roulette game variation in our table games variations guide, where you can also learn more about other table games such as blackjack and baccarat.