American Roulette

The origins of the game of roulette are not clear, however it certainly existed in England in the 1700s – before arriving in America. Once the game made it to the shores of America it was altered slightly in such a way that would give the house a greater edge. The basic rules are the same with the difference being found in the number of slots on the roulette wheel.

The American Roulette Wheel and Table

The American roulette wheel consists of 38 numbered slots – the numbers 1 through 36, a single zero and a double zero. The roulette table holds a representation of the numbers on the roulette wheel and the bets that can be placed. Up to eight players can stand around the roulette table.

The Rules of American Roulette

All of the players must place bets on the roulette table on the numbers or group of numbers corresponding to the numbers on the roulette wheel that they want to bet on. The dealer releases a ball into the roulette wheel in the opposite direction to the wheel's spin. Before the ball drops into a numbered slot, the dealer calls out "no more bets." From this point, until the dealer collects money from the losers and pays the winners, the players may not touch their chips. Players must wait for the wheel to stop spinning with the ball in a numbered slot before the winners can be determined.

Types of Bets in American Roulette

There are eleven different bets that players can place in a game of American roulette. These bets are the same as in European roulette, with one addition. The bets are divided into two categories – inside bets and outside bets.

Inside Bets

Inside bets in American roulette bet on specific numbers or groups of numbers. They are placed inside the numbered section on the roulette table.

Straight bet – this is a bet on a specific number. The bet is placed on the center of the number on the roulette table.

Split bet – this is a bet placed on two numbers that are adjacent on the roulette table. The bet is placed on the line between the two numbers.

Street (row) bet – this is a bet placed on a row of three numbers. The bet is placed on the end of the row on the roulette table.

Corner bet – this is a bet placed on the four numbers found in the corner of the roulette table. The bet is placed in the center of the four corner numbers.

Line (double street) bet – this is a bet placed on two adjacent rows of three numbers, to bet on a total of six numbers. The bet is placed on the line between the two rows.

Five number bet – this is a bet on the numbers 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 and it can only be placed in American roulette. The bet is placed on the line between the 0 and the 1.

Outside Bets

Outside bets in American roulette bet on combinations of numbers. They are placed outside the numbered section of the roulette table.

Red or black bet – this is a bet on the ball landing on either a red or a black number.

Odd or even bet – this is a bet on the ball landing on either an odd number or an even number.

High or low – this is a bet on the ball landing on either a high number (19-36) or a low number (1-19).

Column bet – this is a bet on the ball landing on one of twelve numbers in a column. The bet is placed at the end of the column on the roulette table.

Dozen bet – this is a bet on the ball landing on a number within a group of a dozen numbers – 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36.

Payouts in the Game of Roulette

The straight bet pays out at 35 to 1.

The split bet pays out at 17 to 1.

The street bet pays out at 11 to 1.

The corner bet pays out at 8 to 1.

The five number bet pays out at 6 to 1.

The line bet pays out at 5 to 1.

The column bet pays out at 2 to 1.

The dozen bet pays out at 2 to 1.

The red or black bet pays out at 1 to 1.

The odd or even bet pays out at 1 to 1.

The high or low bet pays out at 1 to 1.