Place your Roulette Bets!

Once you're familiar with what roulette bets you can make, you're ready to sit down at the table. Depending on where you play, you may find either one or two dealers handling the action at the roulette table. Select your table carefully paying special attention to the table minimum. For example, if you are playing a $10 minimum table, you'll have to place at least $10 on each outside bet you make. For inside bets, your bets must only total $10. You decide what the minimum should be given the bankroll you have. The table minimum specification can be found near the wheel itself. If you are unsure, just ask the dealer.

While the European casinos use casino chips, the American casinos use special chips called wheel chips. Each roulette table has its own special wheel chips that can be used at that table only; they are useless anywhere else in the casino. There are usually 6 or 7 chips colours and 300 chips of each colour. Each player at the table is assigned a colour to avoid any confusion as to who placed what bet. When you buy in, the dealer will give you a choice as to what value you want your chips to be and will be decided based on the number of roulette bets you wish to make on each spin. For example, in a $5 game, the minimum value for chips is usually $1; in a $1 game, the minimum value for chips would most likely be 25 cents.

To buy in, place your cash or casino cheques on the table and as if a colour is available. The dealer will then count your cash and ask what value you want your chips to be. He will then mark the value of your chips on a special marker button and place it on a shelf located behind the wheel for reference. Once you have received your chips, you're ready to make some roulette bets! Place your chips on the desired numbers or groups keeping in mind the table minimum. Once all the bets are down, the dealer will swipe his hand across the table to signify that there are no more bets to be made. The wheel and ball are then spun and your fate is soon decided.

Once the ball settles, the loosing bets are removed from the table immediately and the winning bets are paid back at the corresponding odds. When you've made enough roulette bets for the night, you must colour-up your wheel chips, which means that you stack them up into piles of 5, 10 or 20 and announce to the dealer: "colour coming in". The dealer will then count your chips and pay out in regular casino chips. To learn about roulette bets, refer to my roulette rules section.