| Updated: September 26, 2025At first glance, roulette seems incredibly simple to play. All you need to do is choose a single number, a group of numbers, or a property such as odd, even, high, low, red, or black. Indeed, that is the essence of this game of chance.
In reality, however, roulette is more complex than it appears. Players must familiarize themselves with the etiquette expected at the table. These guidelines cover buying chips, understanding when to place wagers, knowing where to position chips for the various types of bets, tipping the dealer, and cashing out your winnings. We cover each of these aspects of the game in the following article.
- High Stakes Roulette
- Low Limit Roulette
- Fibonacci Roulette System
- Parlay Roulette System
- Martingale Roulette System
- Inside Bets
- Outside Bets
- Roulette Rules
- Roulette Strategies
- American Roulette
- French Roulette
- European Roulette
- American and European Wheel Sequences
- Roulette – From a Perpetual Motion Machine to a Casino Landmark
- Roulette's Bet Types
- The French Roulette Layout
- Independent Trials, Odds, and Casino Edge in Roulette
- En Prison and La Partage
- Taking Your Roulette Game to the Next Level with Call Bets
- The Many Faces of Roulette – Interesting Variations to Try
- Progressive Roulette Systems
- Reading Biased Wheels and Other Predictive Methods
- The Master of the Wheel Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo
- Improving Your Roulette Game
- Dispelling Roulette Myths
- How to Protect a Roulette Bankroll
- Software Providers of Online Roulette
- Roulette Games with Progressive Jackpots
- Live Dealer Roulette
- Roulette Goes Mobile
- Roulette in Literature, Film, and Television
Equipment at the Roulette Table
A roulette table consists of a betting layout and a spinning wheel, which is typically positioned to the side. The wheel’s design itself ensures the randomization of results. The most obvious way this is achieved is through the alternating red and black pockets. The numbers on the wheel are not arranged sequentially but are distributed randomly, with different sequences for American and European wheels.
Components of the Wheel
The Roulette Ball The Betting Layout The Roulette Chips The Dolly and the RakeComponents of the Wheel
A roulette wheel consists of two main components: a wheelhead and a bowl. The wooden bowl normally has a diameter of 32 inches and contains a spindle that supports the rotating wheelhead, along with upper and lower ball tracks. Metal deflectors on the ball track cause the ball to bounce, further ensuring a random outcome.
The wheelhead is the rotating component of the wheel, with a diameter of 20 inches. It is placed inside the bowl so that it fits snugly between the two ball tracks. The numbered pockets are positioned on the wheelhead’s outer edge.
The inner part of the wheelhead has a conical shape and is called the cone. Its purpose is to guide the ball so that it can settle into a pocket. At the very center of the wheel sits a decorative turret that hides the height adjuster.
The dealer spins the wheelhead in one direction while tossing the ball into the bowl in the opposite direction. Initially, the ball presses against the bowl’s vertical rim due to inertia, but it gradually loses momentum and falls onto the slanted portion of the wheel. It then bounces for a while until it eventually comes to rest in the winning pocket. Many casino operators insist the ball should make at least 4 revolutions around the track for a spin to be valid.
Most roulette wheels have pocket separators of equal height at both ends. Some casinos, however, use wheels with pocket separators that slant toward the center, making it harder for skilled players to predict where the ball will land. At some tables, the separators are curved to further increase the difficulty of prediction.
The Roulette Ball
Most of the larger land-based casinos use bigger wheels for their roulette tables, with a bowl diameter of 32 inches. Naturally, the size of the ball should be proportionate to the diameter of the wheel and the size of the pockets. Many tables therefore use balls with a diameter of either 18 or 21 millimeters.
Casino operators are resourceful when it comes to preventing players from predicting where the ball will land. Some venues even switch from 18- to 21-millimeter balls throughout the day. The spare ball rests on top of the turret until the dealer makes the change.
Years ago, gambling halls used roulette balls made of ivory, but that practice has long been discontinued for obvious reasons. Today, roulette balls are typically made of synthetic materials that replicate the look and feel of ivory, although ceramic and Teflon are also common.
The material from which the ball is made affects how it behaves on the wheel. The lighter the material, the more revolutions the ball will make around the track. Lighter ceramic balls are also bouncier, which further increases the unpredictability of the outcome. The ball is never magnetic, preventing crafty players from steering it into specific pockets with magnets.
The Betting Layout
The betting layout is largely the same on most roulette tables. The inner section displays the numbers 0 through 36 in numerical order. These numbered boxes are colored red or black to match the pockets on the wheel. The outer section features boxes for outside bets such as red/black, odd/even, high/low, dozens, and columns.
If the table allows call bets on entire wheel segments, an oval-shaped area called the racetrack appears on the layout, usually positioned in front of the dealer. French roulette layouts list the outside bets in French. Both European and French layouts have a single zero, whereas American tables include an additional box for the double zero. Most casinos cover their layouts with baize.
The Roulette Chips
Many roulette tables provide sets of chips in various colors. Interestingly, these chips are not assigned fixed denominations. Instead, every chip – regardless of color – takes on a value equal to the table’s minimum bet. Each player receives a distinct color so the dealer can easily identify whose chips are whose.
The player chooses the denomination of their colored chips at the time of purchase, and the dealer notes that value on the rail beside the wheel. Some casinos still use standard chips with fixed denominations, but colored chips are generally more convenient for both players and dealers, as they help prevent misunderstandings when settling winning wagers.
The Dolly and the Rake
After the ball settles into a pocket, the dealer needs time to resolve the wagers. They mark the winning number on the layout with a translucent marker known as a dolly, which resembles a chess pawn.
This makes the outcome of the spin clearly visible to everyone at the table. No bets may be posted while the dolly remains on the layout. The dealer first sweeps away the losing chips with a rake, then pays the winning outside and inside bets. Once all payouts are made, the dolly is removed, and a new round can begin.
Rules of Proper Table Conduct
Roulette is a simple game with straightforward objectives and rules. However, to fully enjoy your time at the wheel-equipped tables without any drama, you should learn how to conduct yourself properly. Even a small breach of table protocol can completely spoil the experience.
Purchasing Your Chips Placing Your Bets When Not to Bet Settlement of the Bets Tipping the Roulette Dealer Cashing Out Your WinningsPurchasing Your Chips
Buying in is, logically, the first thing you must do. Make sure you join a table with limits you are comfortable with. Roulette tables are often crowded during peak hours, which can complicate bet settlement. The staff may ask you to leave if you merely observe without placing bets.
Ensure there is an open seat before you buy in. Place the cash you wish to exchange for chips on the felt in front of you. If a round is in progress, you will have to wait for the dealer to settle the current bets before purchasing chips.
Remember, you must specify the value of your colored chips. When the minimum table limit is $5, players can usually request each chip to be valued at $1. Of course, you may assign higher values, such as $5 or $10, if you prefer to bet in larger increments.
Placing Your Bets
Check whether the dolly still sits on the winning number before you place your first bet. If it does, refrain from putting chips on the layout. Wait for the dealer to settle the previous round and remove the dolly so betting can resume. The dealer then announces “Place your bets, please”.
There are dedicated boxes on the layout for every type of wager the game supports. If you wish to take a chance with a straight-up bet on an individual number, place your chips on the box that corresponds to your chosen number. If others have already backed that number, simply stack your chips on top of theirs.
For outside bets, place your chips in the boxes labeled odd/even, red/black, or 1-18/19-36. Chips for dozen bets go in the 1st 12, 2nd 12, or 3rd 12 boxes, while those for column bets belong in the boxes marked 2 to 1 or 2-1.
We offer detailed information about chip placement for all available wagers in our article on roulette bet types.
When Not to Bet
Sometimes the dealer spins the wheel even while players are still placing bets. At a certain moment, they will wave a hand over the layout and announce “No more bets.” This is a clear indicator that wagers are no longer accepted for the rest of the round. The gesture is made shortly before the ball leaves the track.
In some casinos, the ball may make up to three revolutions around the track before the dealer calls “No more bets.” If you violate the rule by placing a wager after the announcement, your bet will be disqualified.
Settlement of the Bets
Once the tiny ball lands in a pocket, the dealer will call out the winning number along with its color or parity. They then place the dolly on the layout to mark the corresponding number. If someone has won a straight-up bet on that number, the dolly is set right on top of their chips.
The dealer sweeps away the losing chips with the rake and pays those who have wagered on the winning number or on a group of numbers that includes it. If you win, wait for the dealer to pay all winners before collecting your chips. Once everyone is paid, the dolly is removed from the table, and you may place your next bet.
Tipping the Roulette Dealer
Like all table-game staff, roulette dealers are usually allowed to accept tokens of appreciation from players. So, should you tip, and if so, how much? The answer depends mainly on a) where you are playing and b) whether you have made a significant profit.
Tipping is common at roulette tables in U.S. casinos, and you are encouraged to follow this custom when playing there. The exact amount is up to you, but it should be proportionate to your winnings.
If you are $500 ahead, consider giving the dealer a larger tip of $25 or even $50, especially if they have helped you place a bet at the far end of the layout. That said, a small tip can be a nice gesture even when you finish the session in the red; after all, it is not the dealer’s fault you lost.
Forgetting to tip is not a serious breach of etiquette in the UK, and some gambling establishments even disallow the practice. When tipping is permitted, you have two options: hand the tip directly to the dealer or place a bet for them. Be sure to state verbally that the chips you are placing are for the dealer.
Cashing Out Your Winnings
Because colored chips lack denominations, they have value only at the roulette table and are not accepted at cashier cages in land-based casinos. When you are ready to stop playing, arrange all your chips in neat stacks and push them toward the dealer so they can exchange them for standard chips with printed values. You can, of course, use the regular chips to play another casino game if you like.