How to Play American Roulette?

1. History of American Roulette

Let’s start with the name. It’s called American roulette, but it was not invented in America. America roulette was discovered in Europe. It might not have born this moniker during its early stages but the basic design of this game dates back to 18th century Europe. Actually, the best way to look at this game is to consider American roulette as the original version of roulette.

This game was brought to America by French colonists, and its mass appeal was remarkable. European roulette came into existence later on. But because America was not keen on introducing the single zero roulette game to its gamblers, the country ended up being strongly linked to the 38-number roulette.

Then a time came when the 38-number roulette game was simply called American roulette. European roulette, as it is called today, was derived from the original version of roulette to give players a better chance of winning with this game.

This game still has a common presence in casinos in America. And online casinos seem to have taken up the mantle and continue to keep this roulette version alive by offering it along the more favored European roulette variant. In fact, the online casinos are helping re-introduce the world to American roulette, which has obviously help grow this game’s popularity much further.

How is American Roulette Played?

In many ways roulette is played in the same way. It does not matter if it is American or European roulette. As mentioned, American roulette has a double zero (00) in addition to the zero (0) present in the European roulette. This makes the odds of winning a little different. The other notable difference is that you can bet on the double zero, something you cannot do with European roulette for very obvious reasons.

However, as far as the rules of roulette go, there is no difference between this roulette version and other forms of roulette in existence today. You don’t have to behave differently when playing American roulette, the expected etiquette of the game does not change.

What Role do the Zeros Serve in Roulette?

Some people don’t understand what role the zero serves in a roulette wheel, seeing as it does not appear on very many bets on the table. The zero is simply the way the casino makes money from the roulette game. This is because most of the bets that land on the zero and the double zero pocket are settled in the casino’s favor. This is what gives the casino a slight edge over you.

However, this edge is only significant over a large number of spins. If you just play for a couple of times and walk away, these odds might not even make it into the picture. This is a good thing because it gives you a strategic opportunity to better your chances of winning with this game.

Anyway, since American roulette has two pockets that guarantee its house edge, it is usually more profitable to the casino than its single zero European roulette counterpart. In fact, the extra pocket results in an almost two-fold increase in the edge the casino has over its players with this game.

What are The Winning Odds for American Roulette?

The winning odds for American roulette, considered in passing, are not very different from odds you will get when playing European roulette. But when you look at the bigger picture, the subtle difference does add up to something worth your notice as a discerning gambler.

Red/Black, Odd/Even, Column Bets – 47,36%
Dozen – 31.57%
Straight – 2.63%
Street – 7.89%
Split – 15.78%
Line – 15.78%
Corner – 10.52%

Staking your money on any of these bets with American roulette will give you the indicated odds of winning. Generally, European roulette has much better winning odds. Obviously, these odds of winning are only relevant for a single betting round, placing consecutive bets means dealing with completely different winning odds.

Which Roulette Game Should You Play, American or European?

Essentially, you should not completely avoid playing American roulette simply because it has worse winning odds. For instance, in cases where such odds hold no significance for you, then it makes no difference which roulette version you use. Examples of such scenarios include when you are playing for fun in demo mode, or when you are playing the game for some sentimental reasons and don’t mind that the casino has a slightly better advantage.

Neither version of roulette is easier to play. So, don’t imagine that picking one variant of the game over the other will help you have an easier time making your bets. However, if you are hell-bent on winning with roulette, then you should stick to European roulette because you will need as good as a winning chance as you can get, and this version of roulette will give you this benefit over its American counterpart.

However, you should not be forced to play American roulette against your will. Fortunately, there are lots of great casinos that will give you a choice of both European and American roulette. Any casino that denies you these options is probably not very good at what it does.

So, check out the casinos I have listed here and you will be sure to enjoy both American and European roulette among other roulette versions currently available over the web. I have also prepared some roulette strategy guides to help you improve your chances of winning with this game. So, if you want to know how you can win with this game, have a look at these strategy guides as well.