Last Updated: Tuesday, 02 January 2024 16:22
Full Guide to European Roulette
For almost two hundred years, roulette has been considered the most "classic" title in the gambling world. Indeed, it has managed to gain tremendous popularity among a huge number of gamblers all over the world. Whether it be a ground-based or an online casino, roulette titles are surely some of the most frequently played games to date. So what is it that makes this game so prominent? Here's the thing: roulette features terrific dynamics coupled with an ample choice for betting options. Players are free to enjoy all the variety of stakes in an interesting and exciting way. We will talk about that later, and now let's proceed to the subject matter of our guide — European roulette.
As it’s well-known, European roulette occupies a special place among all the varieties of this wonderful game. The other renowned roulette variation is considered to be the American one; the French version should also be mentioned as rather sought-after. The reason for Euro roulette being so demanded among numerous players is its house edge, which is considerably lower in comparison with the American version. This in turn ensures pretty high odds for a win — quite a significant factor. Speaking about the differences from the French variation, they are mostly blurred, so we’re not going to compare these two.
To begin with, let's discuss how the two most demanded roulette incarnations actually differ from each other. Thus, you can get a clear insight into some features that are inherent in Euro roulette. These are related to the wheel and consequently the table, resulting in the disparity in the house advantage. Next, we will touch upon the Euro roulette table, betting options (which are rather numerous), pay-outs, and the peculiarities of playing online. After the bottom line, you are welcome to read some interesting facts about this game and expand your knowledge!
Roulette Varieties: European vs American
Formerly, the European roulette game would be chiefly played at ground-based gambling establishments in Europe, hence its appellation. Over time, it turned out to be immensely popular, so any decent Internet casino now offers online real money European roulette. Besides, players can entertain themselves by practising for free and improve their skills.
Aside from this variation, gamblers are rather fond of the American one as well, so it is usually presented alongside European roulette online. Our question is, what represents technical distinctions between these types? Why does the casino advantage of two similar varieties prove to be so differing? The answer is straightforward, so let's find it out!
Wheel Layout
First things first, it will be relevant to touch upon the technical aspect, which constitutes the principal distinction between the game varieties in question. The fact is, gamblers deal with two zero holes (pockets) when they play the American version, while the Euro roulette system is notable for only a single one. Therefore, in total, there are 37 holes in this sort of roulette. Besides, it should be stressed that the Euro roulette wheel features a different sequence of pockets, and the figures face the interior of the wheel, which is quite the opposite when compared with its American counterpart.
The number arrangement seems to be random. 18 red coupled with 18 black sectors alternate: 2 even numbers follow 2 odd ones. Numbers 1...18 are named "low"; "high" ones are 19...36.
The right side contains nine red as well as the same number of black holes. On this part, the red numbers turn out to be high, so the black ones are accordingly low. To the left, the arrangement is quite the opposite: the red figures constitute 9 low figures while the black sectors have 9 high ones.
During the game, the wheel itself is spinning counter-clockwise; as for the ball, it is the other way around.
Table (Layout)
The next topic to highlight is the actual layout of the Euro roulette table. As you have probably guessed, it is meant for the guest to place his bets. The layout must be divided into sectors associated with the two principal bet types: these are named "outside" and accordingly "inside" bets. The former ones are normally placed by gamblers in the interior section — there are thirty-seven wheel numbers in special boxes. As for the outside betting sectors, it contains various combined areas. Betting options will be explained in a separate chapter. So, the layouts in the varieties under consideration are virtually the same — the only distinction is the presence or absence of double-zero.
House Edge
As was already mentioned, the overwhelming majority of roulette enthusiasts favour the European incarnation of this amazing game owing to the higher win odds when compared with the American incarnation. Now it's time for us to provide actual figures so that you can understand what the distinction lies in.
As concerns the American variant, the house has an edge of 5.26% — it is to the presence of a double-zero hole. With Euro roulette featuring one zero holes only, the house edge is lowered to as little as 2.7%. It should also be relevant to mention the rule called La Partage, which provides the following benefit: half of the even-money stakes made by the gambler will be returned should zero come up. This in turn cuts down the house advantage furthermore — to 1.35%. However, it is worth noting that this rule is applied predominantly in French roulette, being employed in European roulette quite rarely.
Another special rule under the name En Prison is, too, capable of lowering the casino advantage by half: if the ball stops at the zero pockets, gamblers will have to give away only half of the cash they've bet. Remember, though, that both the rules are applicable to solely even-money wagers.
Curiously enough, when either of those rules is employed, roulette boasts the lowest casino edge compared with any other casino game (except for baccarat). At the same time, the house edge will remain the same though the pay-outs turn out to vary in accordance with a bet type.
European Roulette Pay-Outs and Bets
Although the European roulette rules are fairly straightforward and quite understandable (the same is true of other roulette types), it is very significant that guests should learn the sorts of bets and their respective pay-outs. Thus, you’ll be completely aware of how to beat European roulette since you'll manage to take considered decisions and implement appropriate strategies. Read on to discover relevant information on the most lucrative type of roulette.
The game has an ample choice of betting options to offer. The two principal kinds are outside/inside bets, which, in their turn, and subdivided into several other types. Keep reading to learn what they are.
Inside Bets
We are going to begin with the type that is far riskier than the other one. The odds for winning here are considerably smaller. Still, they have bigger pay-outs, being thus very profitable for gamblers. Inside stakes are made on particular numbers or their combinations — guests place them in the grid with the thirty-six boxes.
The Straight Up stake is definitely the simplest option in this game because it relates to solely one specific number. It is the riskiest one as well, with the pay-out amounting to as much as thirty-five to one.
Split bets will cover 2 adjacent numbers. Gamblers put their chips on a particular line located between the 2 figures they’ve chosen. The pay-out in this stake is seventeen to one.
The Street bet, in its turn, consists of a row that covers 3 numbers — for instance, numbers 13, 14, and 15. In this case, chips must be positioned at the bottom of a row. The pay-out is eleven to one. The street stake is not the same as Trio bets — although the latter also have the pay-out of eleven to one and cover 3 numbers, it’s noteworthy that one of the figures is mandatory to be zero.
Square (Corner) bets will cover 4 numbers sharing the same corner. To make such bets, the gambler places his chips right on this corner. The pay-out will be eight to one.
The Square bet is frequently confused by novice players with the one called Four-Number stake. Actually, they are two different bets. The Four-Number stake can relate only to number zero, one, two, and three — this is the only combination possible in this case. Gamblers place their chips at the line positioned between zero and the 1st three number boxes.
The Six-Line stake (or just a Line stake) is similar to the Street. Yet, it is related to 2 adjacent rows. For instance, numbers four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine. Players have to put their chips on a line situated between two rows. The pay-out for this kind is five to one.
Outside Bets
Novice players typically start with outside bets since they represent higher odds for winning. Yet, they also feature smaller pay-outs. Outside stakes include number combinations rather than numbers themselves. Thus, they are somewhat easier to handle. At the Euro roulette table, all outside stakes usually lose when zero has been spun.
The stakes on Red/Black is perhaps one of the most prominent sorts of outside bets. The idea is that the following number to occur will reflect the colour that the player has chosen. The pay-out will be respectively one to one.
One more prominent kind of such bets is a stake on Even/Odd: gamblers stake that the ball is about to stop at an odd number or an even one. The pay-out here is not different from the above-mentioned case: one to one.
Stakes on Low/High are, too, a good variant for gamblers who are not eager to take a big risk. In this particular case, players stake that the coming figures will be 1 to 18 (that is, low) or 19...36 (high). The pay-out for this stake is one to one.
When players make a Column stake, they choose a specific column in the layout and stake on it. The table has three columns, with each of them encompassing twelve numbers. For instance, it may be numbers one, four, seven, ten, thirteen, sixteen, nineteen, twenty-two, twenty-five, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-four. This particular bet results in the pay-out of two to one.
The Dozen stake also consists of twelve numbers. All the boxes represent 3 dozens — the 1st one includes the first twelve numbers, and so on. As is clear from the chances, the pay-out in this kind of bet is two to one.
So, the number of stakes at the Euro roulette table is quite impressive. If you want to gain a real profit during the game, it is advisable that you carefully learn all the bet options along with their respective payouts.
European Roulette Online
As was mentioned, some gamblers consider Euro-style roulette the most stunning game in the whole history of gambling. It remains extremely popular at both ground-based and Internet casinos, especially with the rise in the popularity of the latter.
It is said that once Albert Einstein was asked if, in his opinion, there is any system of playing roulette that guarantees 100% winnings. He replied something like, "Yes. To steal chips when the dealer does not see," meaning that roulette is an absolutely chance-based game — you cannot use any system to win it. Nevertheless, if you do want to gain profits, you’d better be an expert in the rules and certainly the gameplay itself.
Online roulette is virtually the same as its ground-based counterparts. Online Euro-style roulette has thirty-seven pockets in which you’ll see numbers from one up to 36 along with one zero. The task is to guess in which hole the ball is about to land. Apart from that, you’re given the possibility to bet on a few numbers at once to boost your odds.
Prior to the beginning of a round, gamblers must decide on the betting amount. Certainly, they should take into consideration not only valid denominations of chips but also the limits usually available once the game is loaded.
Gamblers have bet options identical to those at tables in ground-based casinos. That is, they can make such kinds of bets as we already discussed in the previous chapter. For making a bet, the player just needs to click a chip of the value that he/she prefers and select a field corresponding to this or that bet.
Sometimes, Euro roulette games inform players about the prize they can get if a bet turns out to win before they actually make it.
There are evidently some differences between playing Euro roulette at land- and web-based casinos. The most apparent distinction seems to be the pace. When playing at Internet casinos, there won’t be any other people except for you (aside from the occasions when you enjoy live European roulette assisted by a dealer). Thus, gamblers will go through more rounds for one hour than they do at "physical" casinos. Besides, games by prominent developers tend to boast exceptional graphics and a great interface to have an ever-growing number of users.
Conclusion — The Advantages of European Roulette
The main advantage of the European variation of roulette is that, unlike other types, it features the openness of rules and obvious simplicity. Each of the bets is completely visual, and the coefficients are known. Any player, even a beginner, can easily calculate the amount of their possible gain. Even without going deeply into the principles of the game, one can understand that the amount of a win will depend on the likelihood that the prize number will come up. European roulette is often advised for beginners because it does not require inventing any complex strategies. Of course, there are also various game schemes here, but most of them boil down to the player raising the bet.
Another advantage of European roulette is the only zero sectors. In the American version, for example, there are two of them (0 and 00), which increases the chances of the casino and reduces the odds of the player. As for French roulette, it has more complicated and confusing rules than the European variation.
There is also the European roulette free practice — online casinos offer their visitors a demo game function. Thus, you can play European roulette for fun and not risk any money, while learning to place bets and gradually becoming familiar with the rules. When you think you've learned the rules and are ready to start playing for real money, you should decide on the bank. That is, the amount you are willing to risk. No one is insured against loss, so count on your opportunities so that the possible loss of money is not catastrophic for you. Next, you will need to select the type of bet, which will determine the chance of winning. Take your time and weigh each stake carefully.
Bonus: Interesting Facts About Roulette
- Roulette got its name from French and literally means "little wheel".
- Englishman Ashley Revell once sold all property and went to Las Vegas to play roulette. That evening he won $135,300 by betting all his money on red.
- The appearance of this famous game is accidental. It is known that Blaise Pascal came up with the roulette wheel during another experiment to invent the perpetual motion machine.
- In real gambling establishments, the weight of the roulette wheel reaches 60 kg, and dealers only set the pace of rotation. After the dealer makes a push, a special mechanism maintains a damped counter-clockwise rotation of the wheel.
- Sean Connery who played James Bond (a secret agent and avid gambler) won about $30,000 at roulette in a row, betting on number 17.
- The system invented by mechanical engineer William Jaggers earned its author $180,000. Jaggers' system was based on the fact that there are no perfectly balanced roulette wheels, which means that physical inaccuracies will somehow affect its rotation, and as a result, some numbers will certainly come up more often than others. Jaggers hired six assistants, who were to play at one gaming table.
- Every day they watched the game and wrote down all the numbers that came up. The engineer collected the notes and analyzed them. After painstaking calculations for a month, he could say with certainty that the frequency of several numbers coming up does not fit into the framework of probability theory. After that, Jaggers himself went to the casino and took part in the game, placing bets on pre-determined numbers. Four days later, he was the owner of a huge amount.
- While working on the hydrogen bomb, John von Neumann and Stanislav Ulam developed a method of independent statistical testing, now known as the Monte Carlo method. One of the main difficulties in developing was the lack of random number generators at that time. Then Neumann suggested using one of the roulettes in the Monte Carlo casino to generate sequences of random numbers. The gambling house had the best roulettes, and, therefore, the best random numbers were generated there. The military department agreed to lease one of these devices — Ulam and Neumann played a lot at the state expense, and in memory of this, they called their development the Monte Carlo method.
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