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No doubt, a ball running around the circumference of the wheel is an inevitable part of any modern casino, be it offline or online. Introduced by Blaise Pascal in the 17th century in search for a perpetual motion machine, online roulette went a long way, splitting down into three versions: European, American, and French. The latter considered to be classic for many years, but eventually was displaced by European roulette, which stands out by simple rules and exciting game model. However, the differences are not too significant so that it won’t take long to switch from one version to another.
The house edge of 2.70% in European roulette looks much fairer in contrast to 5.26% in the American analog. That is, the RTP (return to player) of European roulette is 97.3%, meaning you will get 97 out of 100 pounds back over the long run.
Basic Rules of European Online Roulette
The rules of European roulette are not so difficult as it may seem at first glance. The wheel consists of 37 sectors, including zero. The gameplay is as follows:
- Once all players make their bets on one or a few of the 37 sectors, the croupier spins the wheel and the ball in the opposite directions. The ball loses momentum and falls into one of the 37 pockets on the wheel.
All the game variability lies in betting options, which is very diverse and correspond to different levels of risk. You can bet on a certain number, group of numbers, color, odd/even, etc. Each bet equals to a certain probability of winnings and therefore different payoffs.
- For example, the simplest bet on “red” or “black” may give you 1:1, or 2x the bet. The winnings chance for it is 18:37 (48, 64%). Due to the zero section, which is neither black nor red, the online casino will always have some advantage.
Requiring theoretical knowledge and practice, European roulette is a home for smart gamblers and geniuses managing to outplay casinos. Richard Marcus, Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo, and many other big names made casinos go bankrupt, applying secret counting strategies and other tricks. But even not inventing the wheel, you can flight high in this game!
Betting and Payouts
| Bet Type | Payoff | Probability |
| Odd | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Even | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Black | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Red | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| 1-18 | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| 19-36 | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Low/High (features all low/high numbers, that is 1 to 18 or 19 to 36) | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| 1-12 | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| 13-24 | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| 25-36 | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| Single Number or zero (straight-up) | 35:1 | 2.7% |
| Double zero (zero + a combo of two numbers) | 11:1 | 8.1% |
| Split (two adjacent numbers) | 17:1 | 5.4% |
| Street (three numbers in a row) | 11:1 | 8.1% |
| Corner (four numbers in a row) | 8:1 | 10.8% |
| Line (a combination of six numbers) | 5:1 | 16.2% |
“En Prison” and “La Partage” Rules
Naturally, all players seek opportunities to outplay casino or at least to reduce its advantage. Luckily, the quite modest house edge of 2.7% in European roulette goes down to 1.35% when either “La Partage” or “En Prison” comes into play.
- La Partage. If an even-money bet (Red/Black, Even/Odd or Low/High) is made, and the ball lands on zero, the half of the bet will be returned to the player.
- En Prison. This rule is more complicated, but same in its essence: when the ball lands zero, the dealer places a market on the even-money bet, thereby making it “imprisoned” for the next spin. If the bet wins, it will be returned in the original amount. In fact, you lose/save half the money, just like with “La Partage.”
Note that La Partage and En Prison affect ONLY even-money bets, meaning any other bet will result in a loss if the ball lands zero. In practice, it means that the advantage of the casino is still 2.7% for the most bets.
The Bottom Line
The analysis of possible combinations and systems shows that you should always consider the mathematical advantages of the casino. To guarantee a long-lasting pleasure from your favorite game, make sure the casino limits the highest available stake and provide opportunities of high winnings (the best choice is online casinos providing either En Prison or La Partage).
Unless you’re the next genius, you can’t come up with a win-win option to outplay the casino in the long run. However, you have all chance to succeed in medium and short terms.
Exciting and potentially profitable, online roulette is too tempting for most players to quit timely, and that’s the greatest advantage of casinos over those willing to break the bank. Still, nothing can prevent you from enjoying your beloved entertainment at low or moderate stakes.
Although the house always has a slight advantage over the player, the possibility of huge winnings forces gamblers from all over the world to make their bets again and again. Ashley Revell, Charles Wells, Mike Ashley and many other desperate gamblers managed to win hundreds and millions of pounds, using a simple strategy.
May your bet always meets your budget and needs!
