Nowadays, playing roulette is easier and more accessible than ever before and the fans of this sophisticated game have countless options, especially online. And while the majority of these roulette versions are quite generic and similar to each other, Double Ball Roulette certainly stands out as a fun, innovative and really unique take on one of the most well-known casino games of all times.
This particular variation of roulette was introduced in 2013 and was instantly recognized by both casino operators and roulette players as one of the most interesting versions ever created. Despite the quite standard outer appearance, it comes with an unusual twist – instead of a single ball, it features two balls that are dropped on the same spinning wheel. Naturally, due to this little detail, the game produces two winning numbers after each round.
Double Ball Roulette is available at some land-based casinos but more importantly, it can be played online and accessed instantly from any computer or mobile device. Several software developers have created their own versions of the game and one of the first releases was introduced by Amaya (now The Stars Group). Currently, there are two extremely successful versions of Double Ball Roulette – a virtual game by Felt and a live dealer version by Evolution Gaming. In addition, Inspired Gaming has transformed the game by putting two balls on a mini-roulette wheel with only 13 numbers.
The standard-size Double Ball Roulette comes with slightly different rules and payouts, yet it is easy to play and understand because it is based on the classic European and French roulette games. There is also a Double Ball Roulette release with two zero pockets on the wheel but it comes with a lower expected return so players are advised to avoid it. The single-zero electronic versions of the game available online have better returns and an exciting payout of 1,200 to 1.
Rules in Double Ball Roulette
When trying out a new version of roulette, players should first learn the rules in order to maximize the value of their play. First and foremost, players need to pay attention to the fact stated in the name of Double Ball Roulette – it uses two balls on the same wheel. This may be hard to imagine, especially when it comes to the live version of the game and the physical wheel it uses. Interestingly, the two balls do not collide thanks to innovative technology and while spinning, one ball always chases the other.
But let us focus on the virtual roulette, which is much more easily accessible as it can be found in a large number of online casinos. The wheel has 37 numbers – 18 red and 18 black, as well as a green zero. Of course, two balls are dropped during every spin and there is a chance that both would land on the same number. However, bets should be chosen carefully because while inside bets win when either of the balls falls on our number, outside bets are successful only when the two balls land on pockets covered by our bet.
The betting layout in Double Ball Roulette is also quite standard – there is a 3×12 numbered grid where players can place inside bets or outside bets and a racetrack layout is added for all announced bets and neighbors. There is one very interesting exception, however, and this is the additional field for a special bet which combines all black and red numbers. It works in quite an unusual way but all this will be explained in detail in the following section.
Double Ball Roulette Gameplay
Types of Bets and Payouts
One of the most interesting aspects of Double Ball Roulette is the betting process, which differs from the bets in classic roulette. Here, the chances of winning with inside bets are twice as high because every spin produces not one but two winning outcomes. Of course, the payouts are lower in order to reflect the better odds.
When it comes to the outside bets, however, winning with them is twice as hard as in a typical roulette for one simple reason – in order for the bet to be successful, both balls need to land on pockets that correspond to it. The payouts for winning outside bets, on the other hand, are extremely attractive and if players manage to predict if and where the two balls would hit, they could collect up to 1,200 times their original stake.
Inside Bets
As mentioned above, the odds for these bets to win are twice as high. Therefore, the payouts are twice as low as in standard roulette. When making these bets, players need to put their chips inside the numbered grid on the table and hope that at least one of the balls would fall on their numbers. The following inside bets are allowed:
- Straight Bet – With this wager, players bet on a single number and they win if one of the balls on the wheel lands on this number. The payout is 17 to 1.
- Split – This bet covers two adjacent numbers (sitting next to each other either horizontally or vertically on the layout) and the chips are placed on the line between them. If one of the balls lands on the split, players receive a payout of 8 to 1.
- Street – Street bets are bets on the three consecutive numbers in a row. When any of the two balls land on a corresponding number, the game pays 5 to 1.
- Corner – Players can bet on four numbers that form a square on the layout with this bet. Chips for the corner bet are placed in the middle of the four numbers and if the bet wins, it pays 3 to 1.
- Six Line – This bet is also known as double street as it covers two adjacent rows on the layout or two streets. With the six line, players bet that at least one of the balls would hit any of the 6 numbers. The payout is 2 to 1.
Outside Bets
Typically, players tend to prefer outside bets such as red or black since they are more likely to win in a standard roulette game where there is just one ball. Things are much more different in this game, however, where both balls need to fall within the same group or sector for the player to win with an outside bet.
For example, if we place our chips on black, we would win only if both balls land on black numbers. There is an additional outside bet in Double Ball Roulette and it is quite an interesting one because it allows players to bet on red and black numbers simultaneously.
- Same Column – Whenever players put their chips in one if the fields below the three columns of the numbered grid, they bet that both balls will settle on numbers within that column. If the bet wins, it pays 8 to 1.
- Same Dozen – Players can also bet that both balls will land on the same dozen of numbers. Of course, there are three dozens – from 1 to 12, from 13 to 24, and from 25 to 36. Winning same dozen bets pay 8 to 1.
- Red or Black – This bet resembles the red/black bet in standard roulette, but here, in order for the wager to win, the two balls must land on the same color. The payout is 3 to 1.
- High or Low – Similarly to the other outside bets, players win this bet only if both balls hit the right number. In this case, they can pick either low (1-18) or high (19-36) numbers, and if the bet wins, they receive a payout of 3 to 1 their original stake.
- Even or Odd – With this bet, players predict that the two balls will land on either even or odd numbers. This bet also covers 18 numbers and its payout is 3 to 1.
Bets | Payout | Probability of Winning | Theoretical Return in European Version |
---|---|---|---|
Straight | 17 to 1 if one ball lands in the chosen numbered pocket. 34 to 1 for two balls landing in the chosen numbered pocket. | 5.25% for winning with one ball. 0.073% for two balls landing in the elected numbered pocket. | 0.894083 or 0.024836 |
Split | 8 to 1 for one ball; 16 to 1 for two balls. | 10.22% chance for one ball or 0.29% chance for winning with two balls. | 0.818115 or 0.046749 |
Street | 5 to 1 or 10 to 1 | 19,28% or 1.17% | 0.578524 or 0.070124 |
Corner | 3 to 1 or 6 to 1 | 19.28% or 1,168% | 0.578524 or 0.070124 |
Six Line | 2 to 1 or 4 to 1 | 27.17% or 2.62% | 0.543462 or 0.105186 |
Same Column | 8 to 1 if both alls land in he chosen betting area. | 0.1051 | 0.84149 |
Same Dozen | 8 to 1 provided that the two balls come to rest in the selected numbers. | 0.1051 | 0.84149 |
Red/Black | 3 to 1 provided that both balls land in the Selected 18 numbers. | 0.2366 | 0.710007 |
High/Low | 3 to 1 if both balls come to rest in the selected 18 numbers. | 0.2366 | 0.710007 |
Even/Odd | 3 to 1 if both balls land in the selected 18 numbers. | 0.2366 | 0.710007 |
Double Ball Jackpot | 1,200 to 1 | 0.00073 | 0.876552 |
Red and Black | 1 to 1 | 0.4733 | 0.473338 |
Special Bets in Double Ball Roulette
- Double Ball Jackpot – This is the bet or its payout, in particular, that immediately grabs the attention when we open the game. It gives players the option to bet on any number they choose and if they are lucky enough, both balls would land on that exact number. The reason why this bet is called the Double Ball Jackpot is the mouth-watering payout of 1,200 to 1.
- Any Same Number – This wager is very similar to the jackpot-wielding bet at least in terms of the required outcome of the spin – in order for you to win this bet, the two balls need to fall on the same number. However, you do not need to specify any number but, rather, just to predict that this will happen in the next spin. If your prediction is correct, you get a reward of 35 times your initial bet.
- Red and Black – There is another special bet in Double Ball Roulette and with it, players can bet on the red and black colors simultaneously. In order for them to win, the balls must meet both requirements or, in other words, one of the balls need to fall on a red number, while the other needs to fall on a black number. As you can imagine, the odds of this bet winning are pretty high, which is why the payout is even.
Call Bets
Along with the inside and outside bets, available on the main betting grid, players can also make call bets, also known as announced bets or French bets. Their names are written in French and allow betting on sections of the wheel rather than on numbers or groups of numbers on the layout. Such wagers can be placed on the additional betting section, called racetrack. There, the numbers appear in the same order as they do on the wheel. Although these bets are quite standard for most French and European roulette variations, we will list them below, along with their payouts:
- Neighbor Bets – With this type of bet, players pick a certain number on the racetrack layout and once they do, two more numbers on either side of it are automatically chosen. The bet includes 5 numbers in total so players need to place at least 5 chips on 5 straights. If any of the balls fall on these numbers, players collect a payout of 18 to 1 per winning number.
- Voisins – The full name of this bet is Voisins du Zero and translated from French, it means “neighbors of zero”. With this wager, players bet on the 17 numbers around 0, including 0 and can win up to 8 times their initial bet, depending on the specific winning numbers.
- Tiers – Also known as Tiers du Cylindre, this bet means one third and it covers 12 numbers that sit opposite the zero on the wheel. Tiers consists of six splits, so if the bet wins, players receive a payout of 8 to 1.
- Orphelins – The game also allows players to bet on the two sections of the wheel that were not covered by Voisins and Tiers. This bet is called Orphelins or orphans and it includes 8 numbers distributed in 4 splits and one straight-up bet, so the payout varies – it can be 8 to 1 or 17 to 1.
How to Play Double Ball Roulette
When playing Double Ball Roulette, players need to know that here, each bet has a probability of winning that is different than in the standard roulette where there is just one ball. The reason is quite obvious – players have two chances of winning when placing an inside bet. Outside bets, on the other hand, are harder to win because both balls need to meet a certain requirement. This is why players who decide to try out this exciting version of roulette should choose their bets very carefully.
Placing a combination of bets or using the racetrack for wagering on larger sections of the wheel is an interesting strategy in this game. Typically, this would be quite risky because you will need to bet at least several chips per spin and might easily blow up your bankroll with just a few losing spins in a row. In Double Ball Roulette, however, you are presented with two numbers after each spin, which certainly increases your odds.
Betting that the balls will fall on red and black in the same spin is also quite interesting – this is a brand new option that cannot be found in any other roulette variation. The payout may be small (1:1) but it would be good enough to prevent losses. Of course, all outside bets are very exciting despite the fact that both balls need to hit the same number, color, or group of numbers for these bets to win.
The Double Ball Jackpot bet is certainly the highlight in this game and it offers an extraordinary payout of 1,200 times the initial bet. Even if the chances for this outcome occurring are tiny, the potential reward makes taking the risk worthwhile. Last, but not least, players need to know that the theoretical return to player (RTP) has been calculated at 93.56%. This means that at a house edge of 6.44%, the game would keep $6.44 of every $100 bet.
In comparison, the standard, single-ball European or French roulette games have a house edge of 2.70%, while the American variations with two zero pockets on the wheel usually have a house edge of 5.26%.