Double Action Roulette

Double Action Roulette is an exciting and quite unique variation of the traditional, single-zero European roulette. It was first installed in land-based casinos but soon, it became available to online casinos and today, it is one of the most interesting and challenging live casino games one could find online. What makes it a truly one of a kind game is the two sets of numbers on the wheel and the opportunity to bet on two numbers at the same time.

Developed in 2011 by TCSJOHNHUXLEY, Double Action Roulette was introduced in Las Vegas the next year. It became available as a live roulette game in web-based casinos via Novomatic’s NovoLine system and was also adapted to a virtual game in partnership with Mazooma Interactive Games. The virtual roulette was discontinued, however, and today, the live version can be played in a limited number of casinos.

Double Action Roulette is played on TCSJOHNHUXLEY’s Mark VII Roulette Wheel, a stylish wheel that shows the craftsmanship and experience of the company. TCSJOHNHUXLEY, also known as TCS John Huxley, is one of the world’s leading producers of top-quality and innovative casino gaming equipment. For over 45 years, it has managed to expand to various regions around the world and today, its Mark VII and Saturn wheels are one of the most preferred wheels by gambling operators.

The developer’s Double Action Roulette is not just unique and innovative – the two sets of numbers, i.e., the inner and outer rings, result in two winning numbers after each spin. For casino players, this means a high risk but at the same time, it also comes with the potential for gigantic rewards of up to 1,200 times the original bet. Those who prefer to play in a traditional, less risky manner, could simply bet on only one of the rings instead.

Basic Rules in Double Action Roulette

Basic RulesAs mentioned above, Double Action Roulette is based on the European type of roulette, where the wheel has 37 pockets, an equal number of red and black ones for the numbers from 1 to 36, plus a green pocket for 0. However, some versions of the game in land-based casinos come with an additional number, the 00, which significantly changes the odds and the chances to win. Since this variation is very rare, we would rather focus on the single-zero type of the game, its rules, types of bets, and payouts.

The first thing one would notice in TCSJOHNHUXLEY’s Double Action Roulette is the double-ring wheel and, then, the layout, which actually consists of two betting sections, corresponding to the two sets of numbers on the wheel. The different layout changes the way players would place their bets for each spin, as well as the types of bets themselves. The overall design of the betting table and the layout make the game even more exciting – once the ball stops moving and the croupier announces the winning numbers, their corresponding fields on the layout are illuminated. This helps both players and gaming staff spot the highlighted numbers immediately.

Last, but not least, the payouts also reflect the two rings on the wheel, especially when it comes to playing on both of them. The betting limits would be determined by the casino this game is offered.

The Wheel

The wheel mobileThe wheel in Double Action Roulette is its most specific feature and it is fundamental to the rules, the style of play and the potential for winning in this game. Unlike the standard roulette wheel, it comes with two sets of numbers, divided by the pockets where the ball would fall once the movement stops.

These two sets of numbers represent two rings that spin separately in opposite directions. Each of them displays the red and black numbers from 1 to 36, as well as the green 0, but the difference is the opposite direction these numbers are arranged in.

The developers of the game have done an excellent job in balancing the wheel and the numbers alternate as much as possible. Every red number is followed by a black one, most low numbers are followed by low ones. When it comes to even and odd numbers, however, this does not apply for all of them. Still, the wheel is very much fair and symmetrical compared to most.

The Layout

The wheel mobileThe standard version of roulette features a three-column grid where the numbers are placed consecutively, alternating between red and black, while the zero stands on top of this main grid in a green field. The layout in Double Action Roulette, however, is much more interesting and has several separate sections.

To allow players to place bets on both rings if they wish to, the layout consists of two identical, 6 by 6 grids. On the roulette table, the wheel is positioned in the left side of the screen, followed by the betting section corresponding to the outer ring, and next to it, the inner ring betting section is placed. The numbers are arranged consecutively, once again, and there are three red and three black numbers in each of the rows. The zeros have their dedicated green fields on top of each of the betting sections. Of course, there are also betting fields for the so-called outside bets – high and low numbers, red and black, even and odd, and dozens.

In addition, a racetrack betting layout is available for placing call bets, also known as announced bets. These bets, namely Voisins du zero, Tiers du cylindre, and Orphelins, cover specific sections of the wheel and the numbers on this type of layout are arranged in the same order as they are on the wheel. The American-style roulette game, featuring two zero pockets, does not have the racetrack.

Types of Bets and Payouts

Roulette PayoutsThose who decide to play Double Action Roulette should know that they can bet on the inner ring, on the outer ring, or on both of them. Although betting on a single ring does resemble traditional betting on classic European and American-style games, there are several differences players should take into consideration. Some bets, for instance, are not available while brand new bets appear in this innovative version.

One crucial thing to remember is that outside bets can be placed only when betting on the two rings simultaneously. Inside bets, on the other hand, are available to everyone, whether they bet on only one set of numbers or they try their luck on the two rings. As you can imagine, double-ring bets are associated with higher risk and are, therefore, recommended for more experienced players. At the same time, the payouts are also higher.

Single-Ring Bets

Single-Ring BetsSingle-ring bets are those bets that can be placed when playing on only one of the rings. They should be familiar to all roulette players. Unfortunately, no outside bets are allowed here, so those who typically place their chips on the red or black, for instance, would have to place double-ring bets.

  • Straight – The straight bet is a bet on any single number and it comes with a payout of 35 to 1 (35:1).
  • Split – This is a bet on any two adjacent numbers and it pays 17 to 1.
  • Corner – The corner bet covers four numbers and for it, the chip is placed in the middle of four numbers, forming a square. The payout is 8 to 1.
  • Street – This bet covers all six numbers on any one row and it pays 5 to 1.
  • Line – The line bet consists of two street bets, which means it covers any 12 consecutive numbers. The payout for a winning line bet is 2 to 1.
  • Bet on 0-6 – This is a bet on the first seven numbers on the betting layout, i.e. from 0 through 6. The bet pays 4 to 1.

Double-Ring Bets

Double-Ring BetsDouble-ring bets are those wagers that give players the opportunity to get incredibly huge winnings, which is why they are so exciting. However, when you place a double-ring bet, this means that whatever the outcomes of the spin (as they are two), both of them must be matching your bet. For instance, if you place your chips on black, you bet that both winning numbers – in the inner and the outer rings, will be black.

These are mostly outside bets but their payout is higher than they would pay in a traditional game of roulette. Players should be aware that they are riskier, though, and much harder to predict correctly – while in a classic roulette, the chances for the ball to hit either black or red, are nearly 50%, they are significantly lower in Double Action Roulette.

  • Two identical numbers – With this bet, players place two chips on the same numbers in each betting section, 35 black, for example. If the ball falls on this number in both the inner and the outer rings, the bet pays 1,200 to 1.
  • First 7 numbers – This bet covers the first 7 numbers (0-6) in both sections and pays 25 to 1.
  • Dozens/Columns – Players can bet on the first (1-12), second (13-24), or third (25-36) dozen of numbers or on any of the three columns on the numbered grid. Of course, the bet is identical for both sections and if it wins, the payout is 8 to 1.
  • Two red/black, even/odd, low/high numbers – Both winning numbers should be in the same group – red or black; even or odd; low (1-18) or high (19-36). The payout is 3 to 1.

Odds and House Edge

double action roulette oddsWhen choosing a good casino game to bet on, players should always take its house edge into consideration. The house edge is simply the advantage the casino has over its patrons. It is built in the rules of each game – how probable this or that outcome is and how much the casino would pay if we win. When playing roulette, in particular, one of the most fundamental things to know is that it is a game purely based on chance and that the probability for every possible outcome can be calculated mathematically.

Single-Ring Betting

Single-Ring Betting Odds and House EdgeThis calculation is rather simple but let us start with the single-ring betting in Double Action Roulette. A straight bet is a bet on a single number, which means that there is only one possible combination or 1 out of 37 as there are a total of 37 numbers on the wheel. The probability is then 0.027027 (1/37) or if we want to express the same thing as a percentage, it is 2.7%. In fact, the probability for all bets in the game can be calculated in the same way. Let’s take a split bet, for example. It covers 2 numbers, which means there are 2 winning combinations out of 37 and the probability is 0.054 (2/37) or 5.4%.

Once we have the probability for every bet, we can easily come to the built-in advantage in it by dividing the probability by the number of possible combinations. It can be easily shown with the split bet, where the probability of 0.054 is divided by the 2 winning combinations. We arrive at a house edge of 2.7%. Interestingly, the house edge remains the same for all single-ring bets available in the game. This means that if you place bets that total $100, you can expect to lose $2.70 at the end of your gaming session. This number is, of course, based only on theoretical figures and in real life, you could lose $80 out of your $100 wagers or win an additional $50 if you had luck. Still, the house edge is indicative of whether the game is worth playing or not.

Double-Ring Betting

Single-Ring Betting Odds and House EdgeNow, we have calculated the house edge of the game when the player decides to bet on only one set of numbers available on the wheel. The house advantage is the same as in the traditional European roulette at 2.7%. However, when it comes to betting on both rings, the house edge increases significantly, which ultimately means that the player is expected to lose a larger percentage of his or her wagers.

The reason for this is very simple – since the player’s bet should correspond to the outcomes in the two different rings on the wheel, a correct prediction is much more difficult to make. The probability of each bet winning is very low compared to its probability in a standard European roulette game. Let us place our chips on red, for example. In the standard variation, there are 18 red and 18 black numbers, and 1 green number – the probability for a red number is exactly 0.48648648648 (18/37) or 48.65%.

But when we bet that both winning numbers will be red, we need to take into consideration all possible combinations and how many of them are winning. There are a total of 1,369 winning combinations (37×37) and only 324 of them are winning (18×18). When we divide the winning combinations by the total, we get 0.23666910153 or 23.66%. This is the probability for two winning red numbers after each spin of the wheel. The house edge here is 0.053324 or 5.33%, which is almost twice as much as in the standard game of roulette (it is 2.7%).

Taking all bets into account, we can reach an overall house edge of 5.87%, which applies to double-ring betting. Moreover, the signature 1200 to 1 Double Action straight bet has a tiny probability of only 0.073% and a huge house edge of 12.27%.

Bets Number of Ways to Win Payout Probability of Winning Expected Value
Straight 1 35 to 1 2.70% -0.027027
Split 2 17 to 1 5.4% -0.027027
Split 2 17 to 1 5.40% -0.027027
Corner 4 8 to 1 10.81% -0.027027
Street 3 5 to 1 8.11% -0.027027
Line 12 2 to 1 2 to 1 -0.027027
Bet on 0-6 7 4 to 1 18.90% -0.054054

How to Play Double Action Roulette?

Double Action RouletteAs with most roulette games, the object here is to predict correctly which numbered pocket the ball will fall into after the wheel stops spinning. Players need to place bets by putting chips on the corresponding field on the betting layout and if they win, they receive a payout. While this is a standard way to play roulette, it is just one of the opportunities available when playing Double Action Roulette. Still, there are no complicated rules, as we have already pointed out.

Players who decide to place only single-ring bets would find it extremely simple and straightforward as the bets and payouts are similar to those in a standard roulette variation. Moreover, the house edge is the same, as well. The more attractive payouts, however, are offered on the double-ring bets – the payout for two identical numbers, in particular, sounds quite tempting at 1,200 to 1. In fact, the game pays great amounts of money to those who decide to bet on both rings simultaneously and manage to win.

Of course, these big rewards come with a big risk, as well. As we have clearly shown above, double-ring bets have a low probability, so they are less likely to win. In other words, it is extremely difficult to correctly predict the two outcomes after a spin of the wheel. This is why a good strategy for Double Action Roulette would focus on single-ring bets, which are less profitable, but more likely to win.

Double-ring bets, on the other hand, should be placed with caution and for entertainment only. You are more likely to lose them, after all, but if you do win, the huge payouts will probably compensate you for all previous losses and you could leave the table a richer person.