3 Lesser Known Roulette Bets

There is a clear divide when it comes to casinos. There are the seasoned gamblers who feel at home indulging in banter with the bartenders and being acknowledged by name. On the other hand there are the part-timers, an eclectic mix of people who come in for all manner of reasons and often only know the basics of the games. One of the most famous and popular games available in most casinos is roulette. There are several variations of roulette but they all follow the same basic principles, allowing gamers to bet on various outcomes as the croupier randomly spins a wheel and ball in opposing directions with the ball eventually falling into a slot.

For those who are less familiar with the game it can be a little intimidating asking about the rules, especially with experienced gamblers surrounding you that often have short shrift with newbies. To help you out, we’ve taken the time to explain three of the lesser known roulette bets, so next time you walk into a casino you can play like a pro.

Avenue Bet

Also known as the double street bet, the avenue bet is very similar in nature to the standard street bet (unsurprisingly). A street bet involves placing your chip at the foot of a column in order to cover all three numbers in said column. For instance, a street bet may cover 10-12, 13-15, or 16-18 and so on. An avenue bet doubles the amount of numbers included in your bet, encompassing two columns side by side. So, instead of choosing between betting on 10-12 or 13-15, you can bet on all 6 numbers with a single chip. To place an avenue bet, position your chip in a similar position to a regular street bet, but allow it to straddle both columns simultaneously. Effectively place a street bet but do it in the corner closest to the other column you want. It will slash the odds from 11/1 down to 5/1, but will come in a lot more frequently than a regular street bet.

Courtesy Bet

Casinos are such accommodating folks, wouldn’t you agree? When you’re playing on an American roulette table you’ll notice the addition of a double zero alongside the regular zero. Incidentally, this stacks the house edge from 2.7% to 5.26% – but back to the courtesy bet. If you happen to be at the lower end of the table it’s simple enough to split your bet between zero and double zero by simply placing your chip between the two, but did you know that there’s a convenient courtesy line further down the table? By straddling your chip between the “2nd 12” and “3rd 12” sections, you’ll be able to bet on zero/double zero without pottering round to the other end of the table or interrupting the dealer. How sweet of the casinos; we’re sure they’re doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, and not to encourage you to stump up more cash.

Basket Bet

This one will really let your fellow gamblers know that you know about roulette – though they may not think much of you if you do it too many times. The basket bet is a unique wager that covers 5 specific numbers on an American roulette table. Place your chip in the top corner that see the zero and 1 connect. This will be just slightly higher up than if you were to split between 1 and zero. Once the bet is placed you will have zero, double zero, 1, 2 and 3 covered in a single bet. The reason this is seen as a bit of a sucker’s bet is that it gives the house an edge of 7.89% – effectively the worst bet in roulette. One for when you’re feeling particularly lucky.