Beginners guide on how to play and win at American roulette

Roulette is a popular game and the American version is ever-present in various casinos. Most notably in the Strip of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States but it’s also popular in other places like Macau, Singapore, and of course, online casinos like Gamdom. 

If you’ve experienced playing European and French roulettes then you already know the basics. You just need to be aware of the additional 00 pocket. For newcomers to roulette gaming, this is the guide you need on how to play American roulette:

Introduction to American roulette

American roulette play uses simple rules, similar to its direct relatives. It comes with a numbered wheel and a ball. The player guesses which numbered pocket on the wheel will catch the ball then gets paid equal to the odds of their wager. Options are fixed for all iterations of the American roulette rules so the only difference between software providers is the quality of the presentation.

Core mechanisms and mechanics of American roulette

The wheel is divided into 38 pockets numbered 1 through 36 colour coded in red and black. There are two green pockets namely 0 and 00 which make up the game’s 5.26% house edge. To play American roulette, you need to place your chips on the table where the numbers are arranged in order from 0 to 36. The top split is 0 and 00 while the rest is a 3-row, 12-column grid numbered 1 through 36. This is the arrangement for all games of the same name in Gamdom. 

The table shows a large selection of bets you can make in American roulette. All of them are divided into two major categories that make up the whole experience. Here they are and what kind of bets you can make under them:

Outside bets

Most American roulette tips focus on this category. Outside bet refers to the boxes laid outside of the main table of numbers. Their common denominator is that they all have high chances of winning because each one covers either half of the table or a dozen numbers. Here are your options including how much they pay per win:

• Half - 1:1
  • High - 19 to 36
  • Low - 1 to 18
• Colour - 1:1
  • All red pockets
  • All black pockets
• Odd/Even - 1:1
  • Odd numbers
  • Even numbers except 0 and 00
• Dozens - 2:1
  • 1 to 12
  • 13 to 24
  • 25 to 36
• Columns - 2:1
  • 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 34
  • 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, and 35
  • 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, and 36
     

Play Gamdom original roulette

Outside bets are favoured by veteran gamblers because of their consistent win rate, making it easier to develop an American roulette wheel strategy. None of the selections above count 0 and 00 because those are for the house. You can bet on them individually or using other combinations in the inside bets category. 

Inside bets

This category is called ‘inside bets’ because you place your chips inside the table of numbers. Unlike outside bets, there are no words indicating what your options are, making it look like the only kind of bet you can make is one pocket at a time. The table is more flexible at first glance as evidenced by the following inside bets:

• Straight/Straight up/Single - 35:1
  • Bet on one number
  • Place the chip inside the square of one number you want to bet on
• Split - 17:1
  • Bet on two numbers
  • Place the chip on the line adjoining two numbers you want to bet on
• Street/Row - 11:1
  • Bet on three numbers
  • Place the chip on either edge of three adjacent numbers you want to bet on
• Corner/Square - 8:1
  • Bet on four numbers
  • Place the chip on the corner adjoining four numbers you want to bet on
• Top line/Basket - 6:1
  • Bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 specifically
  • Place the chip on the outer corner adjoining 0 and 1 or 00-3
• Double street - 5:1
  • Bet on six numbers
  • Place the chip on the corner at the outer edge adjoining the two streets
     

The difference between American roulette to French and European

Roulette originated in France where it was initially introduced with only numbers 0 to 36 and with the inclusion of the La Partage rule. The latter part was omitted in the European version where it kept most of the other elements for simplicity’s sake. 

It underwent more changes when it arrived in the United States where the American roulette was introduced with 00. This version also comes with a different arrangement of numbers on the wheel and their colour patterns. Thus, the odds are similar with European roulette but the overall experience is vastly different.

Play HiLo at Gamdom

How to play American roulette and win

The secret to how to win American roulette is to think several steps ahead. Beginners waste energy anticipating the next outcome but veterans plan a series of reactions per spin. Here are three of the most popular strategies developed for American roulette which you can try at Gamdom:

How to play American roulette Martingale strategy

Place bets on any 1:1 bet only and double the size of your ante every time you lose. Reset the size right after you get a win then repeat the process. This lets you recover instantly from a lose streak no matter how severe. Martingale is one of the easiest betting strategies you can use in roulette. 

How to play American roulette D’Alambert strategy

This strategy is similar to the Martingale American roulette guide but with smaller increments. Count your main bet size as 1 unit for an entire game. Start betting on any 1:1 option then increase your wager by 1 unit each time you lose. Decrease it by 1 unit every time you win. This lets you benefit from both win and lose streaks. 

How to play American roulette Labouchere strategy

This strategy is the most complex of the three but still beginner-friendly. It’s a goal-oriented strategy where you decide on a target profit before playing. Divide that target into 7 to 10 segments of a sequence. To start, you add the beginning and last ends of the sequence and the sum becomes the size of your bet. 

Cancel the combined segments if you win or add the amount you lost at the end of the sequence if you lost. Add the first part and the new segment as the size of your next bet. Repeat this process until there is no more segment in the sequence because this means you have already reached your goal. Many consider this the best American roulette strategy but it can get out of hand if you’re on a high-roller table. Only use this within casual rules. 

Play the Bitcoin casino games at Gamdom

Words: Clarence Clarke