Roulette bets and odds
Roulette is easy to learn, but the type of wheel matters more than any other choice. The glance box shows how much the number of zeros changes the odds.
Roulette at a glance
- European (single zero)House edge of 2.70% on every bet.
- French with la partageHalf of an even-money bet comes back when the ball lands on zero, cutting the edge to 1.35% on those bets.
- American (double zero)House edge of 5.26% on most bets.
- Five-number betThe 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 bet on an American wheel carries 7.89%.
- StrategyNo strategy beats the house edge, and betting systems such as Fibonacci or Martingale do not change it.
How a round works
Chips are placed on the layout, then the wheel is spun and the ball is released. A European wheel has 37 pockets (1 to 36 and a single 0); an American wheel has 38, with an extra 00. Winning bets are paid according to how many numbers they cover, and losing bets are collected. Several bets can be placed on the same spin, and each is settled separately. Starting with outside bets and small stakes is a gentle way to learn the layout before trying inside bets.
Inside and outside bets
Inside bets are placed on specific numbers and pay more. Outside bets cover large groups of numbers and pay less. The payouts are the same on single and double zero wheels:
- Straight up (1 number) pays 35 to 1.
- Split (2 numbers) pays 17 to 1.
- Street (3 numbers) pays 11 to 1.
- Corner (4 numbers) pays 8 to 1.
- Six line (6 numbers) pays 5 to 1.
- Dozens and columns (12 numbers) pay 2 to 1.
- Red or black, odd or even, 1 to 18 or 19 to 36 pay 1 to 1.
According to the Wizard of Odds, the house edge is the same on every one of these bets on a given wheel, with the American five-number bet as the only exception. A bigger payout therefore means a lower chance of winning, not a better deal. The zeros give the house its edge, which is why a single-zero wheel is the better choice whenever there is a choice. Betting systems cannot overcome the edge; they only change how wins and losses are spread over a session. More detail is in the Wizard of Odds roulette guide.
Roulette variants to try
Free play is for fun. Real-money gambling is for adults only; see responsible gambling for advice.
Roulette is a table game in which a ball is spun around a wheel and lands in one of the numbered pockets. Players bet on where it will land: a single number, a small group of numbers, a colour, odd or even, or a range such as 1 to 18.
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