Roulette

La Ruota Americana

This wheel is found in casinos across North and South America and in any American Roulette game. It consists of a disc divided into 38 numbered pockets: 36 for the numbers 1 through 36 plus 2 for zero and double zero.

Half of the 36 pockets are black and the other half red, with the colors alternating. The zero and double zero pockets are both green. The zero pockets are always on opposite sides of the wheel.

The numbers appear in the following sequence when counted counter-clockwise: 0, 2, 14, 35, 23, 4, 16, 33, 21, 6, 18, 31, 19, 8, 12, 29, 25, 10, 27, 00, 1, 13, 36, 24, 3, 15, 34, 22, 5, 17, 32, 20, 7, 11, 30, 26, 9, 28. This wheel differs from other styles because it has an extra double-zero pocket.

For this reason, it is sometimes called the double-zero wheel. The addition of the double-zero pocket raises the house edge to 5.26%, which is relatively high compared with the other popular roulette games.

La Ruota Francese

This wheel is used in both French and European roulette because they are virtually identical. You will mostly find it in continental Europe and Asia. Unlike the American wheel, which has 38 pockets, the French wheel has only 37.

There are 36 pockets for the numbers 1 through 36, colored alternately in black and red, plus a single green zero pocket. The number sequence is unique to this wheel and runs as follows: 26, 3, 35, 12, 28, 7, 29, 18, 22, 9, 31, 14, 20, 1, 33, 16, 24, 5, 10, 23, 8, 30, 11, 36, 13, 27, 6, 34, 17, 25, 2, 21, 4, 19, 15, 32. As you can see, there is no double-zero pocket on the French wheel, which means it has a low house edge of 2.7%. This is the main difference between the French and American wheels.

However, there is still some difference between European and French roulette. For instance, the French version offers the additional “en prison” and “la partage” options. These rules further reduce the house edge to 1.35% on even-money bets, making French roulette the most favorable version of all.

Scommesse interne

Inside bets are placed on the numbered grid that contains 1 through 36 as well as zero and double zero (the latter appears only in American roulette). Here, you can wager on single numbers, rows, columns, and other combinations. Below is a full list of these bets and their respective payouts.

Inside bet payouts

• Straight up (one number): pays 35:1
• Split (two numbers): pays 17:1
• Street (three numbers): pays 11:1
• Corner (four numbers): pays 8:1
• Basket (0-00-1-2-3): pays 6:1 (available only in American roulette)
• Line (six numbers): pays 5:1

Scommesse esterne

Outside bets are located around the grid and offer several wagering options. When you place an outside bet you are betting on elements such as color, odd or even numbers, or high and low ranges. If the ball lands in a zero pocket, any outside bet loses. Below, you will find all outside bets and their respective payouts.

Outside bet payouts

• High or Low: pays 1:1
• Red or Black: pays 1:1
• Odd or Even: pays 1:1
• Dozens (a group of 12 numbers): pays 2:1
• Columns (a column of 12 numbers): pays 2:1

Roulette americana

American roulette is perhaps the most frequently played version in brick-and-mortar casinos. This type of roulette spread throughout the United States in the nineteenth century as the country expanded westward. Today, American roulette is played mainly in the Americas, while French and European roulette are more popular in Europe and Asia.

American roulette differs from the other versions because of the double-zero pocket. This extra pocket further tilts the house edge in favor of the casino. The number sequence on the wheel is also slightly different from those on French and European wheels. In some American casinos you may encounter the “surrender” rule. It is virtually identical to the “la partage” rule in French roulette, allowing you to keep half of your stake if you have placed an outside bet and the ball lands in a zero pocket.

Roulette francese

French roulette is almost identical to European roulette except for slight rules changes. The French version of roulette features the “la partage” or “en prison” rule. “La partage” literally means to split and is applied if you have placed an outside bet and the ball lands on zero. When this happens, half of your stake is returned to you and the other half goes to the house.

“En prison” means “in prison” and is applied when the ball lands on zero and you have placed an outside bet. Under the “en prison” rule, you do not lose your money immediately; instead, your stake remains on the same outside bet for the next spin, which determines whether you win or lose.

These rules are very advantageous to the player because they allow you to recover at least part of an otherwise losing bet. For this reason, French roulette is the most favorable roulette variant in terms of winning odds.

Roulette europea

European roulette is one of the most popular roulette versions worldwide. You will find it in many land-based casinos around the globe as well as online. This version features 37 pockets, with numbers 1 through 36 and a single zero. Unlike American roulette, it has only one zero pocket, which makes the winning odds much more favorable.

Numeri "freddi"

When a pocket has not been hit for a long time, you may hear people say that it is an “overdue” or “cold” number and that it will come up soon. This belief is also called the Gambler’s fallacy. The idea is that something must happen because it has not happened for some time. There is no logical basis for this.

While it is true that a number is unlikely to never hit, you must also understand how probability works in casino games. The reality is that casino games have no memory regardless of whether you are playing online or in a land-based venue. The previous spin has no effect on the next one because each spin is independent. Although it is highly unlikely, a number can come up several times in a row. This occurred in 1959 when, in a casino in Puerto Rico, the number 10 appeared six consecutive times. The odds of that happening are absurdly low, 1 in 3,010,936,384. The point is that no spin is influenced by those that came before it and no number is ever “overdue” at any time in the game.

Numeri "caldi"

This is a situation similar to the previous one. When certain numbers appear more frequently than others, some players may say they are “hot” and that you should bet on them. Disproving this claim is easy. Just like “overdue” numbers, “hot” numbers are not influenced by any previous spins.

The odds of the ball landing in a given pocket are fixed and do not change. If the same result occurs on several consecutive spins, it is purely the product of chance. There are simply no other factors at work.

Numeri fortunati

You have probably heard this before, even outside the gambling world: someone has a lucky number. It would be nice if it were true, but reality is quite different.

Whether you are betting on your anniversary date, your grandmother’s birthday, or the number of children you have, it will have no effect on the game’s outcome. The only positive aspect of lucky numbers is that they give you an immediate choice of what to bet on if, for some inexplicable reason, you cannot decide.

Imprecare contro la pallina

In some gambling circles, the idea has taken hold that cursing at the ball will make it drop into your winning number’s pocket. This is absurd and, in a way, amusing.

The ball is obviously an inanimate object, so whether you plead with it, swear at it, or speak kindly to it, the result will not change.