Now that we have reviewed all game options and their odds, we can now take a closer look at the roulette rules. Once you understand the rules, you can be the golden boy at the gaming table when playing roulette. Roulette is a really easy casino game, which is also the reason why so many people love to play this game at the casino.
Not only can the player choose which way he/she wants to go on each and every spin, but as soon as all bets have been placed, the croupier will close betting, after which he/she will spin the big roulette wheel and then put the cue ball into play. When the white ball is completely still, the croupier will show the outcome, after which he will collect all lost bets. Finally, the croupier will distribute all the winnings to the winning bets.
Of course, the fun doesn’t stop here, as there are more rules for roulette that some casinos allow. These “extra” rules are e.g. “La Partage” and “En Prison”, which we will look at further down this page. Both “La Partage” and “En Prison” are effective rules that can halve the casino’s house edge on some bets, which means that it is an advantage to have access to these rules. You must decide in advance which of the following rules you would like to incorporate into your game when you are going to play roulette at a casino.
The “en prison” rule
When it comes to this particular roulette rule, the player must be aware that it can only be used for even-money bets. When the white ball lands on 0, the player has 2 options:
- The player can either claim one half of the bet and lose the other half
- Leave the bet “en prison” (in prison) until the next spin on the roulette wheel.
This is all or nothing. If the next spin is also 0, or does not match the imprisoned bet, then the bet is lost. But if the next spin matches the imprisoned bet, then the player will get his money back.
The “La partage” rule
As mentioned earlier, the player loses half of his bet and does not get the opportunity to have his bet “en prison” for a later game if the rule is not used. The “La Partage” rule is used for “outside” even-money bets”: Red/Black, Low/High and can also be used when the result is 0.
Maximum and minimum bets: what’s the problem?
Some casinos have maximum and minimum bets when playing roulette. This is done so players know how much to play for. This can especially be a helping hand for players who are very focused on roulette money management and want to stick to the budget (read more about money management in roulette here).
Usually, the sum of the player’s inside bet must exceed the minimum amount on each spin. However, the maximum amount often only shows the maximum allowed for a bet on a certain number – i.e. a “straight up” bet. The maximum bet changes in relation to the proportional bets – for example: Let’s assume that the maximum bet for some numbers is twice the straight up bet. Then the maximum bet for a “corner” bet is 4 times the “straight up” bet, etc. This limitation is therefore on the amount that the casino can lose.