Roulette is perhaps one of the simplest games to learn - consisting of a ball, a wheel with alternating red and black checkered numbered slots, and a red and black checkered board with corresponding numbers. The structure of the game consists of players making bets by placing chips on the board, followed by a spinning of the wheel and ball-dropping by the dealer. Where the ball settles - which has an equal chance for all thirty-eight numbers - will determine the outcomes of the various bets made. The odds of winning bets vary, depending on the type of bet made.
When learning the rules of roulette, one needs to become familiar with the table layout. The largest portion of the layout is made of three intersecting columns and rows making up 36 numbered boxes (1 thru 36). All boxes alternate from being red and black in color (which serves to designate Red and Black bets, explained below). Within all of these boxes and on the lines separating these boxes are where Inside Bets (Any Number, Street, Corner, Five Number and Line) are made. The other type of bet made on the roulette table are called Outside Bets, consisting of column bets, dozens, low/high, and even/odd bets. The outside bets are the ones that most roulette strategic roulette players make, for they offer the best odds. Three boxes to the right of the three columns of numbers labeled 2 to 1 are the column bets. The three boxes adjacent to the first column of numbers labeled 1st Twelve, 2nd Twelve and 3rd Twelve are the dozens bets. The remaining six boxes closest to the seated players are correspondingly labeled.
The two categories of sixteen total bets possible are listed below with their corresponding odds:
Even Bet - Predicting any even number will come up - 1 to 1 odds - Place chip in "Even" box.
Odd Bet - Predicting any odd number will come up - 1 to 1 odds - Place chip in "Odd" box.
Red Bet - Predicting any red number will come up - 1 to 1 odds - Place chip in "Red" box.
Black Bet - Predicting any black number will come up - 1 to 1 odds - Place chip in "Black" box.
Low Bet - Predicting any number 1 thru 18 will come up - 1 to 1 odds - Place chip in "1-18" box.
High Bet - Predicting any number 19 thru 36 will come up - 1 to 1 odds - Place chip in "19-36" box.
1st Twelve Bet - Predicting any number 1 thru 12 will come up - 2 to 1 odds - Place chip in "1st Twelve" box.
2nd Twelve Bet - Predicting any number 13 thru 24 will come up - 2 to 1 odds - Place chip in "2nd Twelve" box.
3rd Twelve Bet - Predicting any numbers 25 thru 36 will come up - 2 to 1 odds - Place chip in "3rd Twelve" box.
Any Column Bet - Predicting any number in a selected column will win - 2 to 1 odds - Place chip at end of corresponding column in "2 to 1" box.
Any Number Bet - Predicting a selected single number will win - 36 to 1 odds - Place chip on desired number.
Two Number Combo - For American Roulette only; Predicting the 0 or 00 will come up - 17 to 1 odds - Place chip on line between 0 and 00.
Street Bet - Predicting three numbers in a single row will come up - 11 to 1 odds - Place chip on line at end of row.
Corner Bet - Predicting one of four numbers with a common corner will win - 8 to 1 odds - Place chip on the corner point in the center of all four numbered boxes.
Five Number Combo - For American Roulette only; Predicting the 00, 0, 1, 2 or 3 will come up - 6 to 1 odds (High House Edge) - Place chip on outside line between the 1 and 0.
Line Bet - Predicting one of six numbers in consecutive rows will come up - 5 to 1 odds - Place chip on center point of bottommost line between two rows.
