This article first appeared in the Nov 2009 (pre-launch) issue and Chinese New Year 2010 special issue of World Gaming magazine.
The best thing about roulette is that it takes seconds to learn and anyone can play.
The very first rule about playing roulette is that you want to play the European version of the game not the American one. The American version of the game has two green numbers: zero (0) and double zero (00). The European version of the game only has one green number: zero (0). You will find in Macau that most of the tables are European. This means that you will pay a much smaller percentage of your wins to the house on a single zero game compared to a game where the house has two numbers in its favour.
In roulette, when you give the dealer your money they will change it up in chips. Unlike other casino games the cashier will give you stacks of chips that are all exactly the same colour and have no cash value printed on them. The value of the chip is usually the minimum stake on the table. So it is up to you to find out how much each individual chip is worth.
Roulette is an exciting game as the other players on the table will have their own different coloured chips and before long chips will be flying all over the table. The dealers or croupiers on this game are some of the best in the casino as they need to work out many different combinations, given all the chips scattered all over the table.
Odds
The house edge on a European roulette table is about 2.7%. This means that over time you will lose $2.70 for every $100 invested. As table games goes this is better than some but not as good as others such as baccarat. In some games there are good bets and bad bets but that is not the case in roulette. The house percentage is the same whether you bet even money propositions like red or black; or at the other extreme a straight out number at 35/1.
Strategy
Most players find that they like to have a strategy when playing any game and there is no reason why this isn’t a good idea. It keeps you focused and if it’s your day then you will clean up. Like most table games, stake management is important and it is best to use winnings to bet up bigger and bet more sparingly when you are losing or just starting the day.
Sections of the European roulette wheel
Some players like to bet the even money propositions whereas others like to spread their chips across the board playing their favourite numbers. Another very popular method is playing a section of the wheel. For example you might like to play the “Voisins” section which is 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, and 25. This section covers 17 numbers (almost half the wheel) on the zero side of the wheel. Alternatively you might like to play all the numbers on the opposite side, by playing the “Tier” section which is 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, and 33. This can be a good way to maximise your enjoyment as it is hard to see the numbers if the wheel is spinning quickly. The only number you will easily be able to identify will be the green number on the wheel which is the zero. This way you can cheer for the ball to drop in a specific area of the wheel that you have covered. Incidentally, “Voisins” is French for “neighbours”, so-named because those numbers are neighbours of the zero, and “Tier” is French for “third”, so-named because the section covers one-third of the wheel.
As with most casino games the most important part of the game is that you enjoy yourself. The best thing about roulette is that it takes seconds to learn and anyone can play. The other advantage is that you can’t harm your chances of winning by making bad decisions like in poker, blackjack or even craps. Mathematically, no bet is better or worse than any other, so pick out a few of your favourite numbers and hope that luck is on your side.
