Multi Wheel Roulette
At its heart, free online roulette is a pretty simple game. A wheel is spun, a number is chosen, and prizes are paid out: wash, rinse, repeat. It’s the atmosphere of the table and the tension and thrill that comes with the potential for massive payouts that takes this very straightforward game and turns it into one of the most exciting and popular choices in casinos worldwide.
In the online world, however, developers have been free to try and find ways to spice up this centuries-old game. One way to make things more complex is the addition of more wheels, which give players the chance to win multiple times on every bet. Multi-Wheel Roulette features all of the same rules you’re already familiar with, but adds in the “multi-hand” action that is familiar to video poker players in order to provide more action on every single spin.
The Basics
Versions of Multi-Wheel Roulette can be found at casino sites utilizing a few different types of software, with Microgaming and Playtech offering up the most popular options. The multiple games are actually pretty easy to understand if you’re familiar with roulette; however, if the basic game is new to you, you’re going to need some information on how the game works before you get started.
Roulette is a game that is played using a large circular wheel and a small ball. The interior of the wheel is split into numbered pockets, ranging from 1-36. In addition, there will be one “0” (American games feature both a zero and a double zero, but the games we’re looking at use the single-zero European format). The numbered pockets can be either red or black – with the exception of the zero, which is green – with half of the numbers belonging to each color.
The object of the game is to predict which pocket the ball will land in after being spun around the outside by the croupier (or dealer). Players may make as many or as few bets as they like, and there are many different wagers that are possible. For instance, you can place a bet on a specific number that will be spun on the next spin, or you can predict that the number will be odd or even. As you’d expect, bets that cover fewer numbers pay out at much higher odds.
Before each spin, players have the option of placing as many bets as they like. These options are split into two different categories: inside bets, which cover one or more specific numbers, and outside bets, which cover large sections of the layout. Generally, the rules dictate that players must make at least a minimum bet on each outside bet, while inside bets can be smaller, as long as the total of those wagers at least meets the minimum.
Once the croupier starts the spin, they will allow bets for a few more seconds before waving them off. In an online game, this process is normally controlled by the player: you can make bets at your own pace and trigger the next spin whenever you like. Once the ball falls into one of the pockets, the winning number will be announced. Losing bets will be taken off the table, and winning wagers will receive their payouts. Once this is done, betting for the next round can begin.
So what are the bets you can make? Any of the following wagers is possible on a single-zero layout. We’ve divided them into the inside and outside bets below.
Inside Bets
- Single: A bet on a single number, which pays out at 35-1 odds.
- Split: A bet on two adjacent numbers, paying out at 17-1 odds if either number wins.
- Street: A bet on a row of three numbers, which pays out at 11-1 if any of those numbers win.
- Corner: A bet on a square of four numbers; the player wins at 8-1 odds if any of them are selected.
- Six Line: A bet on two rows, covering six numbers in total, which pays out at 5-1 odds.
Outside Bets
- Columns: A bet covering a column of 12 numbers that pays out at 2-1 should any appropriate number win.
- Dozens: A bet covering a range of 12 numbers (such as 1-12 or 25-36), which pays out 2-1 if the winning result is in that range.
- Odd/Even: A bet that covers all of the appropriate numbers; if it wins, it pays out at even money.
- Red/Black: A bet covering all of the pockets of that color; if the ball falls into that color, the bet pays even money.
- 1-18/19-36: This bet includes all of the numbers in the stated range, and pays out at even money when it wins.
Multiplying the Action
All of the above information applies to any game, including the Multi-Wheel Roulette options we’re discussing today. However, these variants come with an added twist that increases the amount of action you’ll see every time you bet.
As the name suggests, these games feature more than one wheel worth of action: eight in the Microgaming version, and six in the Playtech game, for instance. These games can still be played like standard roulette, with players placing a bet and waiting a single result to come in. However, there’s also the option to play on multiple wheels at once, multiplying the potential winnings and the excitement on every spin.
Of course, this option also comes with a price. You’ll have to pay for each wheel you want to play on. Play on two, and the price of your bet is doubled; play on eight, and that $10 bet will now cost you $80.
Once you’ve made your selection, you’ll be able to trigger the spins and watch them all resolve simultaneously. Each result will pay out independently of each other, making it likely that you’ll win on some while losing on others. Once the spin is over, your winnings will be put back into your account balance, and you get set up your next round of betting.
Play Carefully
The strategy in Multi-Wheel Roulette is no different than the one you should utilize in a standard European game: which is to say that there isn’t much strategy at all involved here. No matter what bet you make, the house edge will be a consistent 2.7%. This is due to every bet being designed to pay out fairly on a wheel with 36 pockets; the presence of the zero (a 37th option) is what provides the casino with the advantage here.
That said, which bets you choose to make can definitely change your experience, and that’s even more apparent when it comes to multi-wheel versions of the game. If you choose to bet on one or two numbers at a time, you will lose on the vast majority of your spins, but will enjoy huge payouts when you get lucky and hit your numbers. Stick to the even money bets, and your swings will be much smaller, as you’ll win more often but will need a huge run of luck to see any big payouts.
When you’re playing six or eight games at a time, you’ll find that these differences play out more dramatically. If you bet on red, you’ll usually win a few of your bets and lose a few others, coming out somewhere in the neighborhood of even most of the time. But bet on a single number, and anything is possible. You’ll often lose on all of your wheels, but get lucky and hit on two or three during the same spin, and your balance could instantly balloon by 100 bets or more.
Because of this, it’s important to take your time and play carefully in these multi-wheel games. Veterans of video poker will understand this: while playing multiple hands (or spins) at once does get you to the long run faster, meaning your results should line up with the theoretical return faster than playing one bet at a time, it also makes the game extremely swingy in the long run. If you bet more than you mean to, and have a ban run of luck, your money can quickly disappear.
Other Multiplier Roulette Games
While not exactly the focus of this page, there are other online games that could also be classified as multi-wheel variants. For instance, IGT has a game known as 3 Wheel Roulette in which three numbers are spun on every single spin. Every time you place a bet, the amount is tripled in order to cover the possibilities of all three.
However, this game also comes with a side bet known as the “Colour Up Bonus.” A bet here pays out based on how similar the three results are. If all three pockets share the same color, the player wins at 2-1 odds; a pair of the same number will instead pay out at 5-1. Straights and paired zeros win with increasingly big payouts, while the biggest wins are reserved for “triplets.” Hit three of the same number, and you’ll win 100-1; hit three zeroes, and that rises to 1200-1, a roulette win that’s hard to beat.
A Path to Faster Action
While Multi-Wheel Roulette is basically the same game as the original variant, the options available make it a better option for some players rather than others. Essentially, it will get you the same action in a fraction of the time, making it ideal for players who would like to play a lot of spins but would like to do it in a shorter period of time. That’s perfect for high rollers, for those looking to quickly clear bonuses, or for action junkies who want as many bets in play at once as possible.
On the other hand, if you’re someone who enjoys roulette for the relaxed pace of play, then there’s no reason why you can’t stick with the more traditional formats available at most Internet casinos. You can still use these games – most of them allow you to play on just one wheel if you like – but you won’t see any special benefits when compared to a more typical alternative.
