American roulette is a familiar name to anyone who has ever played roulette. It’s among the most popular roulette variants, and the most commonly used one in Hollywood movies. Why? Because it’s present in every Las Vegas casino. In fact, American roulette was invented by Americans.
The original game of a spinning wheel with pockets dates back to 18th-century France, but the American version as we know it today took shape in the mid to late 19th century when it crossed the Atlantic. Casino owners back at the time were unsatisfied with the odds (and the profit they were making), so they added the double-zero pocket to increase the house edge, creating a unique variation that would become a staple in the United States. We’ll use this guide to help you master this version by showing you how to play American roulette, talk about the rules, and provide you with some useful betting tips.
American Roulette vs Other Roulette Types
The biggest difference that the American variant has vs other roulette games is the addition of another pocket to the wheel – the infamous double zero, marked as 00. It’s popular in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other North American casinos, but it has also been gaining traction in India in its online form. It has a spinning wheel with 38 numbered pockets, with the numbers ranging from 1 to 36, plus a single zero (0) and a double zero (00). The bets are largely the same with European and French roulettes, but the addition of the double zero pocket means that the odds are not the same. The number sequence is also different than the European wheel to accommodate for the added pocket and make the wheel more fair.
Both green pockets are placed opposite of one another on the wheel to remove a bias. When American casino owners created the game, their intuition was to increase the house edge, but keep the game rules fair for players as well. Besides this, other notable features of American roulette are the Basket Bet, which covers 5 numbers, and the Surrender rule, which further increases the Return-to-player ratio and lowers the house edge (when active).
Key Rules of American Roulette
Mastering American roulette includes learning all the key rules of the game, so let’s start with the basics:
- The Layout: First, you need to understand the table layout. If you’re playing an online roulette game, regardless if it’s an RNG or live dealer game, you will be presented with a betting table. It’s a grid where you can move your chips to place your bets. You will see all types of bets, but they’re generally divided into two types – inside and outside bets. Importantly, inside bets are generally riskier, while outside bets are considered less risky.
- Bet Types: Inside bets in American roulette include straight-up, split, line (or a street bet), six-line, corner, and the Basket bet. Outside bets are placed outside the main numbers, and they include the even-money options like Red and Black, Odds/Evens, and Low/Highs. Other outside bets are Dozens and Columns.
- Payouts: Every bet has a different payout ratio, depending on how ‘easy’ it is to hit it based on the statistical odds. That’s why bets like straight-up, where you only cover one number, payout 35:1. Even money bets, where your chances are almost 50%, pay out 1:1.
| Bet Type | Payout | Probability (approx.) in American roulette |
| Straight (1 number) | 35:1 | 2.63% |
| Split (2 numbers) | 17:1 | 5.26% |
| Red/Black (18 numbers) | 1:1 | 46.37% |
| Odds/Evens (18 numbers) | 1:1 | 46.37% |
Types of American Online Roulette Games
If you’re looking to play American roulette in India, there are plenty of options to choose from. Generally, when playing online roulette, there are two routes you can go: RNG and live dealer roulette. Due to the realism and immersiveness it provides, live dealer is the hotter option right now, so we will present you with the top most popular live dealer American roulette games in India:
- American Roulette Live by Evolution Gaming: One of the most popular options out there, it’s a polished and professional game with a real dealer and HD streams.
- American Auto Roulette by Vivo Gaming – It’s a live casino game where the ball is released by an automated machine, but the action happens on a physical roulette wheel. The action is streamed live from a high-end studio.
- Speed Roulette by Evolution Gaming: As the name suggests, this is a fast-paced option where one spin takes around 20 seconds – or even less.
Betting Tips and Strategies for American Roulette
Using a betting strategy for any roulette game can help you make smarter and more calculated bets, which is why we suggest you use one when playing this game. Some popular systems you can try include:
- The Paroli System: If you win, you double the bet amount. Once you lose, you go back to the start.
- D’Alembert Roulette Strategy: You only increase and decrease your wager by 1 unit. When you lose, you move forward, and when you win, you go back 1 unit.
Use The Unique Surrender Rule To Your Advantage
The Surrender rule is unique to American roulette. It’s a rule where you can ‘surrender’ half of the money you have wagered if the ball lands on one of the green pockets, and you have a bet on an even-money bet. This rule increases the odds for the player, so you should try to look for a game that has this rule active.
