Variations of Roulette

Roulette is one of the most popular casino games around and a great way for online players to enjoy some down time. There are a number of variations of online roulette, though, and knowing the differences is important in determining which game to play and how to play it. Below, you’ll find some descriptions of roulette’s different variations, some of the best online versions of those games and recommendations for the best places to play. We also have some free roulette games you can play from our site.

Basics Variations of Roulette

Roulette is a game anyone can play. The basic tenet is that players wager on the color and number of where a spun ball will fall on the roulette wheel. Players can bet on specific numbers, groups of numbers or all the numbers of a certain colour. Once bets have been placed, the dealer spins a small ball along the outside of the already spinning roulette wheel. The ball rolls along a track outside the wheel — in the opposite direction of the wheel — until it slows enough to fall off the track and onto the wheel, which contains either 37 or 38 numbered slots where the ball might stop. Once it stops, the dealer will pay out bets that align with where the ball fell and collect all losing bets for the house.

American and European roulette diverged as they developed either side of the Atlantic, with American roulette using a 0 and 00 wheel slot, instead of just the single 0 preferred in European roulette. Obviously this affects the odds, which are 1 in 37 slots (0 and 1-36), or 2.70% for the European version. In the American game, the odds are slightly harder you’ll hit your slot, at 1 in 38 slots (0, 00 and 1-36), or a 2.63% chance.

Once the table is clear, players may bet again and the process starts over.

Along with the surging international growth of roulette came the development of variations in how the game is played and strategies to lower the house edge. The most important variations occur on the roulette wheel and are as follows:

American Roulette

The most common variation of the game, American roulette wheels have both a single and double zero slot, as mentioned above. Because there is an additional pocket or track for the ball to fall into, this gives an increased house advantage. The typical house advantage for American roulette is approximately 5.26%.

If American roulette fits you best — go ahead and play at Spin Palace. This casino has the best American roulette we know. It also happens to offer more than 400 different games, and a welcome bonus of C$1600.

European Roulette

European roulette is very similar to American roulette, except for the fact that there is no double zero slot, which results in a substantial difference in house advantage — in your favour. The typical house advantage for European Roulette is 2.63%, half that of the typical American roulette house advantage.

Royal Vegas is known for having a great European roulette. We recommend you go ahead and try it.

French Roulette

The ‘original’ game itself, French roulette offers superior odds and a relatively low house advantage. As with European roulette, French roulette has no double zero slot. The odds of the ball landing in a particular slot are therefore the same — 2.63% – but the house edge is slightly decreased due to the rule of La Partage, which says a player will only lose 50% of their even-money bets when the wheel stops on 0.

Because of its similarity to European roulette, Royal Vegas is also our recommendation here.

Recommended Roulette Games

To ease your path into roulette games, we have suggested a few variations of the game below, offered by Microgaming and Playtech. These industry veterans have been leading the way since before the turn of the millennium (established in 1994 and 1999 respectively) and are still two of the leading software providers in the online casino industry, They won’t fail to keep you entertained.

Premier Roulette (Microgaming): Based on European roulette, Premier roulette is as realistic as games come. The game includes several features and settings such as a 3D wheel, video zoom, game speed setting and more. Premier Roulette also boasts a strong mobile version for Android and iPhone users, although the graphics are more limited on Blackberrys and other devices.

Gold Series (Microgaming): With a clean design and great sound effects, Roulette Gold Series is offered in American, European and French Roulette. Make your bet and click the ‘spin’ button, watch the ball go and wait excitedly for the result.

3D Roulette (Playtech): An exciting, authentic, 3D casino experience, this table game combines amazing graphics with loads of extra features and customizable settings.

Premium European Roulette (Playtech): A combination of dynamic features and customizable settings set within a European Roulette table game, Premier European Roulette from Playtech also offers enhanced betting and payout options.

Mini Roulette (Playtech): Mini Roulette is a game designed specifically for online play that features similar game play but different odds. The wheel is much smaller, featuring only 13 spaces, including a 0. Like French Roulette, the 0 pays out 50 percent. The big difference, though, is that players have a much better chance of hitting a specific number, if that’s how they chose to wager.

Conclusion

There are a number of options available to gamblers who want to wager on the roulette wheel. Knowing which variation is most to your taste and which online version of that game is going to be the most rewarding is important and something you can only gather from experience. We encourage you to check out our free roulette games and read our casino reviews to get a better idea of where to find the best roulette versions and decide which will serve you best.

You can consult the list of the best casinos to play roulette in the list below before you start playing: