How to Play American Roulette: An Introduction to this variant

Alongside European and French Roulette, American roulette is one of the main game variants. Roulette has been around since the 1600s and the French version is said to be closer to the original after it was created by Blaise Pascal. American roulette offers a different take on this traditional casino game, namely by the inclusion of a double zero in the wheel. Here’s our guide how to play American roulette online. 

Those familiar with European or French roulette will know what the roulette wheel and table look like. However, American roulette has an additional pocket. As well as number 1-36 and a single 0, American roulette also has a pocket labelled 00. In total, therefore, there are 38 pockets. The presence of this double 00 increases the house edge, which sits at around 5.26%.

There are additional bets you can place because of this double zero. This includes the ‘basket bet’ or ‘five number bet,’ which incorporates 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3.

From our table, you can see the differences between all three main variants of roulette. 

American roulette is simple. Beginners find this a great option to get started with. If you’re playing for real money, it’s a good idea to read up about all of the different rules before your first bet is placed. 

Step 1: Learning the Rules  

Learn the rules of American roulette and how to play it. Like any roulette games to objective is to predict which pocket the ball will land in when the wheel is spun.  

Step 2: Placing Your Bets  

Players place their bets before the wheel spins. Bets can be placed on a number of combinations or bet types. This includes single numbers, groups of numbers, red/black, even/odd, and more.  
 
Step 3: Understanding the game’s odds.

American roulette has a higher house edge than other roulette games due to its extra pocket. Knowing the odds of the bet in advance can help you be realistic about the outcomes. Here are a few of the popular bet types with their odds: 

• Straight bet (single number) – odds 1 in 38 
• Split bet (adjacent numbers) – odds 1 in 19 
• Street bet (three consecutive numbers) – odds 3 in 38. 
• Corner bet (four numbers in a square) – odds 4 in 38. 
• Six-line bet (six consecutive numbers on two rows) – odds 3 in 19 
• Column bet (12 numbers in a vertical column) – odds 6 in 19 
• Dozen bet (1-12/13-24/25-36) – odds 6 in 19 
• Even money bet (red/black, odd/even, low/high) – odds 9 in 19  
  

Step 4: Playing the Game  

Here’s how to play American roulette:  

• Place your bet/s 
• Observe the spinning of the wheel 
• See where the ball lands 
• Collect winnings if they’re due

Although lots of roulette players do choose to follow a betting strategy when playing American roulette, we think the most important thing is that you know the rules and options when it comes to betting. Here are our top tips: 

• Play free games of American roulette to get a grasp of it 
• Learn the specific bets for this version. 
• Decide on a budget and keep track of your spending.  
• Research the odds 
• If you decide to play a live dealer version, observe the table first. 
• Above all else: have fun! 

American roulette is a great variant of a traditional roulette game. There is the double zero and unique five number bet, which make this a different game to play. The payouts are the same, but the odds are different: American roulette has a house edge of 5.26% compared to 2.7% for European roulette. The numbers are also in a different order on the wheel. So, if you’ve already played European or French roulette, why not try a different version?