Online roulette is one of the world’s most popular casino games. A big part of the game's popularity is how easy it is to learn the roulette rules. To play a roulette game, you need only guess which number the ball will land on, then place your chips on the corresponding space on the betting table. Of course, it’s impossible to actually predict where the ball will land. But hey, that’s what keeps the roulette game exciting.

Roulette Game Types

There are two different types of online roulette games: American roulette and European roulette. The roulette rules for each are virtually identical. The only notable difference in the roulette rules is the addition of an extra space on the American roulette wheel.

The standard American roulette wheel has alternating black and red compartments numbered 1 through 36, plus two green pockets numbered 0 and 00. The house derives its edge from the 0 and 00 spaces because payouts are based on the odds for a 36 (rather than 38) compartment wheel. Without the two green spaces, American Roulette would be a statistically fair game, and that would leave the house without a profit – which, last time we checked, isn't something that casinos are eager to forfeit.

Though not entirely fair, European (or “French”) Roulette does have slightly better odds than American roulette. There is only one green 0 pocket on these wheels, so the house edge is reduced by playing 37 to 1 odds against 36 to 1 payouts. Without a doubt, it’s always in your best interest to choose a European roulette game over an American one; in fact, it's the most valuable roulette tip that a player can follow.

Types of Roulette Bets

The roulette rules allow for a multitude of different roulette bets. You can bet on a single number or alternately bet on as many as 18 of them with a single specific wager. The roulette rules also allow you to make more than one bet in any single round. Bet selection is at the heart of virtually every roulette strategy, so once you learn the types of roulette bets and some other simple roulette rules, you can play online roulette with the best of them. Below is a basic roulette bet breakdown.

Straight Up Bet: This is a bet on any single number, including both the 0 and 00 numbers. The payout is 35 to 1.
Split Bet: This is a bet made by placing your chips on the line between two numbers, thereby betting on both of them. The payout for this bet is 17 to 1.
Street Bet: This is a bet on three numbers in a row. You place this bet by stacking your chips on the edge of a any single row. The payout is 11 to 1.
Corner Bet: A corner bet, also sometimes called a “square” bet, is a roulette bet placed on the intersection between four numbers. It pays 8 to 1.
Five Bet: This is a bet on the numbers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. It pays 6 to 1, making it the worst possible bet on any roulette board and earning it the nickname “the sucker’s bet.”
Line Bet: A line bet is essentially two simultaneous street bets. You can make this wager by placing chips on the edge of the line between your two selected streets. This bet pays 5 to 1.
Dozen Bet: This is where the bet size takes a drastic jump from six pockets to 12. A dozen bet covers one of three sets of consecutive numbers: 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36. It pays 2 to 1
Column Bet: The column bet is for 12 numbers as well, but in a vertical column. It also pays 2 to 1.
Even Money Bet: Per roulette rules, there are three types of even money bets: red/black, even/odd and high/low. These are pretty self-explanatory. High includes all numbers above 18, low includes all numbers 18 and under; black is any number within a black pocket, red is any number in a red pocket; and even is any number divisible by two, while odd is any number that’s not divisible by two.