- Roulette features an array of betting options covering a range of complexity and risk levels.
- Odds and payouts in roulette reflect the game’s house edge and probabilities.
- It’s important to play responsibly and stick to bet and time limits.
Roulette bets add the thrill of anticipation to each spin of the roulette wheel by attaching stakes to the outcome. Bettors can wager in many ways, from lower-risk bets to long shots.
Like with virtually all online casino games, getting a favorable result in roulette is a matter of pure luck. That element of chance is why players need to understand the odds and payouts for each wager and how to play roulette responsibly.
How Do Roulette Bets Work?
Roulette bets settle based on which wheel pocket the game’s pill (the roulette ball) rests in when the wheel stops spinning. Bettors place their wagers by placing chips on dedicated spots on the roulette table or by verbally communicating with the game’s croupier.
Nearly all roulette bet types settle on the result of a single spin. The number of choices players have in terms of wagers, maximum and minimum bet amounts, and other rules depends on which roulette variant they choose.
As a general rule, the roulette house edge refers to the casino’s overall advantage over bettors and accounts for changes to the rules and wheel composition.
What Are the Most Common Types of Roulette Games?
The two main types of roulette games are European and American, and French roulette is also available, though less common.
The main difference between American and European roulette is in the wheel composition. The European version has one green pocket numbered zero, while the American version has two green pockets numbered zero and double zero.
French roulette uses the same wheel as the European version, but it employs unique rules around what happens when the pill lands in the green zero pocket. These changes in rules and wheel composition are more than just interesting facts about roulette; they limit or expand betting options for players.
What Are the Main Types of Roulette Bets?
Here are some of the most common types of bets in roulette and their payouts:
- Call bets: Bettors place these bets verbally by communicating with the game’s croupier. Most of these bets carry substantial risk but offer decent payouts.
- Inside bets: Inside bets have dedicated spots on the inside of the roulette table layout. In general, these wagers tend to have longer roulette odds than their outside counterparts.
- Outside bets: Outside bets have dedicated spots on the edges of the roulette layout. They’re typically the wagers that hit most frequently during roulette games.
- Side bets: Side bets in roulette are secondary wagers players can make in addition to their main bets in versions of the game that allow them. They usually carry the highest payouts in roulette.
Main Types of Bets in Roulette: Odds and Potential Payout
| Roulette bet type | Example roulette bet | Potential payout odds | Potential payout odds in moneyline | European roulette odds | American roulette odds |
| Column | Any number in the second column | 2:1 | +200 | 32.40% | 31.60% |
| Dozen | Any number of 1-12 | 2:1 | +200 | 32.40% | 31.60% |
| Even bets | Red or black | 1:1 | +100 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Single Number | 5 | 35:1 | +3,500 | 2.70% | 2.60% |
| Two numbers | Either 10 or 11 | 17:1 | +1,700 | 5.40% | 5.30% |
| Three numbers | Any of 13, 14, or 15 | 11:1 | +1,100 | 8.10% | 7.90% |
| Four numbers | Any of 16, 17, 19, or 20 | 8:1 | +800 | 10.80% | 10.50% |
| Five numbers | Any of 0, 00, 1, 2, or 3 | 6:1 | +600 | N/A | 13.20% |
| Six numbers | Any of 10-15 | 5:1 | +500 | 16.20% | 15.80% |
A Closer Look at Specific Roulette Wagers
As you consider different bet types and weigh the options with the best casino game odds, it helps to remember that roulette bets usually fall into two main categories: outside and inside bets. That said, there are a few other bets to consider — mainly for the European version of the game, which will be discussed further down in this blog.
What Are the Most Common Outside Bets in Roulette?
Outside bets in roulette tend to cover large sections of the wheel, giving them higher probability, but with lower payouts. The strong probability makes them a preferred choice for conservative players or for people just learning how to play roulette:
- Red or black: You bet on whether the pill will land in a red- or black-colored pocket.
- Odd or even: You bet on whether the pill will land in an odd- or even-numbered number pocket.
- Low or high: You bet on whether the pill will land in a pocket numbered 1-18 (low) or 19-36 (high).
- Column: You choose one of three columns of 12 numbers on the table. The bet hits if the pill lands in one of the pockets included in the column that you chose.
- Dozen: You choose one of three sets of 12 numerically sequential numbers (1-12, 13-24, or 25-36) and the bet hits if the pill lands in a corresponding pocket.
Outside Bets in Roulette: Odds and Potential Payout
| Bet Type | Payout | Payout in Moneyline | European and French Probability | American Probability |
| Red or Black | 1:1 | +100 | 18 in 37 (48.65%) | 18 in 38 (47.37%) |
| Odd or Even | 1:1 | +100 | 18 in 37 (48.65%) | 18 in 38 (47.37%) |
| High or Low | 1:1 | +100 | 18 in 37 (48.65%) | 18 in 38 (47.37%) |
| Column | 2:1 | +200 | 12 in 37 (32.40%) | 12 in 38 (31.60%) |
| Dozen | 2:1 | +200 | 12 in 37 (32.40%) | 12 in 38 (31.60%) |
What Are the Most Common Inside Bets in Roulette?
Inside roulette bets are specific bets made on the numbers themselves or on the lines between the numbers on the inside of the betting table. Compared to outside bets, these have a lower chance of success but a bigger payout. Place these bets when you’re comfortable with the game and prepared to handle the added risk.
- Straight: A bet on the pill to rest in a specific pocket.
- Split: A bet on the pill to rest in either of two pockets whose squares on the betting layout are horizontally or vertically adjacent
- Street: A bet on the pill to rest in any of three pockets whose squares are horizontally adjacent on the betting layout, resembling a lane of a street.
- Corner: A bet on the pill to rest in any of four pockets whose squares form a larger 2×2 square on the betting layout.
- Basket: A bet that covers the five numbers in American roulette. These are 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3.
- Double street: A bet on the pill to land in any of six pockets, which is covered by a wager on two adjacent rows of three numbers.
Inside Bets in Roulette: Odds and Potential Payout
| Bet Type | Payout | Payout in Moneyline | European and French Probability | American Probability |
| Straight | 35:1 | +3,500 | 1 in 37 (2.70%) | 1 in 38 (2.60%) |
| Split | 17:1 | +1,700 | 2 in 37 (5.40%) | 2 in 38 (5.30%) |
| Street | 11:1 | +1,100 | 3 in 37 (8.10%) | 3 in 38 (7.80%) |
| Corner | 8:1 | +800 | 4 in 37 (10.80%) | 4 in 38 (10.50%) |
| Basket | 6:1 | +600 | N/A | 5 in 38 (13.20%) |
| Double Street | 5:1 | +500 | 6 in 37 (16.20%) | 6 in 38 (15.80%) |
What Are the Most Common Call Bets in Roulette?
The availability of call bets changes based on the rules of the specific game or table in play, but they are most common in French roulette. Some popular roulette games allow for some level of call bet placement, and payouts depend on how bettors place their chips on the appropriate squares:
- Les Voisins du Zéro (Neighbors of Zero): This is a bet on the pill to land in any of the 17 pockets most adjacent to the green zero on the wheel, inclusive of that pocket. The standard probability of this bet hitting is 17 in 37.
- Jeu Zéro (Zero Game): This is a bet on the pill to land in any of the seven pockets most adjacent to the green zero on the wheel, inclusive of that pocket. The standard probability of this bet hitting is 7 in 37.
- Tiers du Cylindre (Third of the Wheel): This is a bet on the pill to land in any of the 12 pockets furthest from the green zero on the wheel. The standard probability of this bet hitting is 12 in 37.
- Orphelins (Orphans): This is a bet on the pill to land on the numbers outside of Tiers du Cylindre and Les Voisins du Zéro. These numbers are 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31, and 34.
What Are Some Side Bets in Roulette?
Roulette side bets are wagers available in niche roulette games and represent greater variance than call bets in terms of whether they’re available and which are available from one game to the next.
Regardless of your choice of French vs. American vs. European versions, these are far from the safest bets in roulette. The exact payout and structure of each side bet varies from one game to the next, so check the rules before wagering.
- Lucky Ball: In many cases, players bet on one of four color-coded slots, and the game randomly assigns a wheel pocket to each slot after all bets are in. If the pill rests in that pocket, you win. This is essentially a “mystery” straight bet.
- Finals: You choose a number from zero to nine. If the final digit of the number of the pocket the pill rests in matches your chosen number, you win.
- Jackpots Streets Double Six: This is a combination of a street bet and a wager on a pair of dice to produce a pair of sixes on a single roll. Some games will award partial payouts if your street bet hits or you get the pair of sixes even if the other outcome does not occur.
- Roul 8: This is a combination of a straight bet on the eight pocket and a trio of special dice to all show an infinity sign on a single roll. You may get a partial payout for partial results, but the full jackpot depends on all the outcomes occurring simultaneously.
What Are the Best Roulette Betting Tips?
Any good roulette betting guide will emphasize clear bet planning and limit setting. Regardless of whether you have a roulette split bet strategy or any other advice to help, before you place your first bet, you should have clear parameters for how much you’ll risk, how long you will play, and which bets you want to target.
You also need to monitor your emotional and mental state as you play. If you find yourself tempted to chase losses or exceed your limits, it’s time to end your session or at least take a break.
Some players also participate in roulette visual tracking as their sessions are ongoing, which means using their eyes to note the speed and trajectory of the pill. However, this technique can’t overcome the casino’s advantage or cancel the unpredictability of the pill’s movement on the wheel.
Roulette Bet FAQ
Take a look at some of the most commonly asked questions about roulette bets:
How Can You Tell Which Version of Roulette a Game You’re About to Play?
The game’s name may indicate the type, but the table rules will always make it clear. You can also always distinguish an American roulette game if you see a green 00 pocket on the wheel.
Is There a Roulette Betting Strategy That Always Works?
There’s no strategy to guarantee a win on any spin of the wheel. Some bettors will use the Romanosky system for roulette or other betting systems as a general framework for their plans, but these betting systems don’t affect your odds of winning.
What is the Standard House Edge of Roulette?
The house edge varies by roulette version because of differences in the rules and wheel configuration. European roulette has a standard house edge of 2.7%, American roulette’s house edge is 5.26%, and French roulette’s house edge is 1.35% for even-money bets when the La Partage and En Prison rules are in effect.
What Makes French Roulette Different From American and European Roulette?
French roulette games can utilize either the En Prison or La Partage rules that govern spins in which the pill lands in the green zero pocket. With En Prison rules, the stakes of even money bets are “imprisoned” until the next spin when the pill lands in the green zero pocket.
If the next spin wins for the bettor, the player gets their stake back with no profit. The La Partage rule returns half the stake for even-money bets when the pill lands in the green zero pocket.
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