European Roulette Rules
One of the easiest casino games to understand and one of the most popular to play, European Roulette, offers lots of exciting action. Additionally, when compared to American Roulette, it gives players a much better chance of winning.
What a difference one number makes
The primary difference between European roulette and its American cousin is that the European wheel has one zero, while the American wheel has a zero and double zero. What you may not realize is that the additional zero pocket in the wheel greatly enhances the casino’s advantage without offering the bettor a higher payout. The European wheel has 37 numbers and the American 38. That one additional number takes the house edge from 2.7% in the European version and ups it to 5.26% in the American. The lesson—play European Roulette.
Game Setup
One of the reasons that roulette is so popular is that of all casino games, the payout is substantial for hitting a single number—35 to 1. Of course, it’s tough to pick that number, but there are many other types of bets in European Roulette that carry less risk, including those that pay even odds.
Basic Rules
Inside Bets
In European Roulette there are two basic types of bets—inside and outside. You can see each type on the diagram below.
The inside bets in European Roulette are all of the numbers, including zero. You may wager on these numbers in a few different ways and each manner carries certain odds. When you wager on numbers individually, you’re paid 35-1. You may also split your wager, betting on any two side-by-side numbers. This has odds of 17-1. There is also the corner bet where you put money on any four adjacent numbers. This pays 8-1.
Wager on a row of three numbers and you’ve made what’s called a street bet. This pays 11-1. When you wager on two rows of numbers, six total, that’s known as a line bet. The odds when you wager the line are 5-1.
Outside Bets
The inside bets carry relatively high odds while the outside ones offer players lower payouts but more safety in terms a bettor’s ability to hit them. Of course, nothing is guaranteed when you play casino games.
There are a few bets that carry 1-1 odds. These include the high and low wagers, with 1-18 being low and 19-35 qualifying as high. You may also wager on color, red or black, or even/odd coming up. Each of these is 1-1.
There are three different dozens you can play and each pays 2-1. They are 1-12, 13-22 and 23-35. Column bets also carry 2-1 odds and are placed at the bottom of each column.
En Prison Rule
You may find the En Prison rule, which only affects outside bets, used at some casinos that offer European Roulette. The way it works is if zero comes up, your wager is in effect for the next spin of the wheel. It is, in essence, “in prison.” On the next spin of the wheel if zero is hit again or you simply lose the bet, you lose the wager, but if you hit your bet, the original wager is returned with no further payout. Play at casinos with the En Prison rule because it lowers the house advantage for outside bets to 1.35%.
As you can see the game requires a fair amount luck in order to win, but that does not mean that there aren’t ways to improve your odds so you can go home with a fatter wallet instead of an empty one. We have put together a European Roulette Strategy Guide that can help.
So what are you waiting for, you can play roulette for free now at any of our reviewed casinos!
