Roulette Etiquette How to Play Roulette

Roulette Etiquette- How to play roulette

Playing roulette in casinos as far afield as Las Vegas and Macau can be an exciting prospect. But if you don’t want to come across as inexperienced or unintentionally rude, it’s good to have an understanding of basic roulette etiquette.

In this article, we cover everything from how to place bets and claim your winnings to tipping culture in different countries and the most common game types.

Roulette Around the World

Roulette games are enjoyed across the globe, from Western Europe to the USA, India, and China.

These days, you can easily play roulette online at casinos that feature live dealer studios, but if you’re keen to play in person, there are several land-based casinos that feature on many players’ bucket lists. They include the Casino de Monte Carlo in Monaco, the Bellagio and the Venetian in Las Vegas, Les Ambassadeurs Club in London’s Mayfair, the Crown in Perth, the Casino de Montreal in Canada, and the Altira in Macau.

European Roulette

European Roulette is commonly found in casinos in the UK and Western Europe.

The wheel features 37 pockets, which are numbered 1 to 36, and a single 0.

American Roulette

American Roulette has been around since the late 18^th century, and the modern version of the game remains popular in North America and other areas of the world.

The main difference between European Roulette and American Roulette is that the American version includes an extra pocket – the 00. The extra pocket on the wheel alters the house edge slightly in favour of the casino – 5.26% as opposed to the 2.7% offered by European Roulette.

Joining a Table

If you’re eager to get started, you’ll need to find an available space at a table. Other things you should look for are the minimum/maximum bet amounts so that you can be confident that your intended stake will be catered for.

Once you’ve found a free seat, you should take it and wait for any game that’s in-progress to finish. As long as a game isn’t already in-play, you’re welcome to smile at or verbally greet your dealer and fellow players.

Don’t try and hand your money directly to the dealer. Instead, slide it forward on the betting area so that it can be seen by the casino’s cameras in case of any queries, then wait for your dealer to exchange it for a set of unique chips. Don’t forget to keep track of what colour chips you’re playing with!

Placing Bets

Placing your bets is one of the most important parts of the game, and you’ll be expected to place your chips in a quick and timely manner.

If you join a table as the dealer is paying out players from the previous game, this is the ideal time to think about what wager you want to place.

You’ll need to decide how much you want to bet as well as what you want to bet on, e.g. red/black, a number, odds/evens.

Once the dealer removes the dolly and invites new bets, you should quickly place your chips on the table. If the dealer calls “no more bets”, you’ll have to wait until the next game before you can join in.

Collecting Your Winnings

When the ball has landed in one of the slots on the wheel, the dealer will place a marker (known as a dolly) on the winning number on the betting area.

Once the dolly is down, no more bets can be placed, and the dealer removes any bets using a sweep and calculates all of the payouts. Once the dealer has awarded all players their respective winnings, the dolly is removed from the board and a betting re-opens for the next game.

You should not touch your chips until the dealer has paid all of the winners, nor should you touch the dolly.

Tipping the Dealer

Depending on your current hand total, you can request an extra card from the dealer. This is referred to as a “hit”, and you can either say it verbally or perform it visually by tapping the table.

Tipping etiquette can often be confusing, not to mention when you’re playing in a different country to usual.

A universally agreed opinion is that when you’re playing with chips, you should tip with chips.

Also, for certain countries, the following is recommended:

Macau – There’s no obligation to tip in Macau, but if you win at the roulette table, you could tip your dealer no more than 10%. However, be aware that staff tips are often handed over to the casino owner, so your dealer might not get to keep it.
New Zealand and Australia – It’s not customary to tip down under, but many Americans choose to do so. So, you could thank your dealer with a small gratuity if you wish.
The UK and Europe – It’s accepted but not mandatory to tip in Western Europe unless you’re playing on a high-roller table, and usually no more than 5%. In Eastern Europe, gratuities are more readily received.
Monaco – You’re not expected to tip the dealer unless you land a big win and wish to share your success as the dealers are particularly well-paid.

The Caribbean and the US – Tipping

General Tips

You can apply some of our tips to live dealer roulette such as politeness, order of play, and keeping interruptions (such as chatting the dealer) to a minimum.

Other tips only really apply when playing land-based roulette games such as:

Keep your celebrations short and not overly loud
Don’t place anything other than your chips on the table (e.g. handbags, wallets, and drinks)
Follow the dealer’s instructions at all times and don’t be afraid to ask questions if necessary

Outro

Now that we’ve explained the do’s and don’ts of playing land-based roulette, it’s time to put your knowledge into practice!

However, if you don’t fancy visiting a physical casino, you’ll find a warm welcome waiting for you at our Live Casino where you can experience a range of exciting games such as Prestige Roulette, Quantum Roulette, and Age of the Gods Bonus Roulette.

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