Roulette Wheels
There are 37 or 38 numbered pockets on the wheel. The roulette wheel spins one way and a ball the other. Players place bets before the wheel is spun. There are numerous ways to do this, and the payouts and winning chances vary. The wheel is the most visible part of a roulette game. The European roulette wheel has 36 numbers, but the American has an extra 00. Even though both wheels have the same number of black and red pockets (1 – 36), the colours may vary.
Roulette Tables
On the roulette table, you place your bets. The inside and outside bets are clearly shown, with coloured numbers corresponding to the wheel’s pocket. The numbers on the roulette table are arranged in three columns. After each player places their bets on the roulette table, the dealer spins the wheel and drops a ball into the numbered sectors. Those who bet on the number the ball lands on win when the roulette wheel and ball stop.
Roulette Chips
In a casino, chips are your currency. For real money, you get chips. To keep track of your winnings, roulette players are given coloured chips. A roulette table rarely uses regular casino chips. An alternative is to ask for special roulette chips when placing money on the layout. So the dealer knows which chips belong to which player, each player gets a different colour chip.
Roulette Payouts, Bets, and Odds
Roulette is a game of chance, so you’ll need to learn the terminology and odds.
The six main different Forms of Roulette
- 1 – American Roulette
- 2 – European Roulette
- 3 – Double Ball Roulette
- 4 – Multi-Wheel Roulette
- 5 – Rapid Roulette (or Video Roulette)
- 6 – Mini Roulette
Types of bets
In roulette, bets can be either inside or outside.
Inside bets
| Name | Description | Chip placement |
|---|---|---|
| Straight/Single | Bet on a single number | Entirely within the square for the chosen number |
| Split | Bet on two vertically/horizontally adjacent numbers (e.g. 14-17 or 8–9) | On the edge shared by the numbers |
| Street | Bet on three consecutive numbers in a horizontal line (e.g. 7-8-9) | On the outer edge of the number at either end of the line |
| Corner/Square | Bet on four numbers that meet at one corner (e.g. 10-11-13-14) | On the common corner |
| Six Line/Double Street | Bet on six consecutive numbers that form two horizontal lines (e.g. 31-32-33-34-35-36) | On the outer corner shared by the two leftmost or the two rightmost numbers |
| Trio | A three-number bet that involves at least one zero: 0-1-2 (either layout); 0-2-3 (single-zero only); 00-2-3 (double-zero only) | On the corner shared by the three chosen numbers |
| First Four | Bet on 0-1-2-3 (Single-zero layout only) | On the outer corner shared by 0-1 or 0-3 |
| Basket | Bet on 0-00-1-2-3 (Double-zero layout only) | On the outer corner shared by 0-1 or 00-3 |
Outside bets
Outside bets typically have smaller payouts with better odds at winning. Except as noted, all of these bets lose if a zero comes up.
- 1 to 18 (Low or Manque), or 19 to 36 (High or Passe)
- A bet that the number will be in the chosen range.
- Red or black (Rouge ou Noir)
- A bet that the number will be the chosen color.
- Even or odd (Pair ou Impair)
- A bet that the number will be of the chosen type.
- Dozen bet
- A bet that the number will be in the chosen dozen: first (1-12, Première douzaine or P12), second (13-24, Moyenne douzaine or M12), or third (25-36, Dernière douzaine or D12).
- Column bet
- A bet that the number will be in the chosen vertical column of 12 numbers, such as 1-4-7-10 on down to 34. The chip is placed on the space below the final number in this sequence.
- Snake Bet
- A special bet that covers the numbers 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34. It has the same payout as the dozen bet and takes its name from the zigzagging, snakelike pattern traced out by these numbers. The snake bet is not available in all casinos; when it is allowed, the chip is placed on the lower corner of the 34 square that borders the 19-36 betting box. Some layouts mark the bet with a two-headed snake that winds from 1 to 34, and the bet can be placed on the head at either end of the body.
In the United Kingdom, the farthest outside bets (low/high, red/black, even/odd) result in the player losing only half of his/her bet if a zero comes up.
Bet odds table
| Bet name | Winning spaces | Payout | Odds against winning (French) | Expected value (on a $1 bet) (French) |
Odds against winning (American) | Expected value (on a $1 bet) (American) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 35 to 1 | 36 to 1 | −$0.027 | 37 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 00 | 00 | 35 to 1 | 37 to 1 | −$0.053 | ||
| Straight up | Any single number | 35 to 1 | 36 to 1 | −$0.027 | 37 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| Row | 0, 00 | 17 to 1 | 18 to 1 | −$0.053 | ||
| Split | any two adjoining numbers vertical or horizontal | 17 to 1 | 17+1⁄2 to 1 | −$0.027 | 18 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| Street | any three numbers horizontal (1, 2, 3 or 4, 5, 6, etc.) | 11 to 1 | 11+1⁄3 to 1 | −$0.027 | 11+2⁄3 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| Corner | any four adjoining numbers in a block (1, 2, 4, 5 or 17, 18, 20, 21, etc.) | 8 to 1 | 8+1⁄4 to 1 | −$0.027 | 8+1⁄2 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| Top line or Basket (US) | 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 | 6 to 1 | 6+3⁄5 to 1 | −$0.079 | ||
| Top line or Basket (European) | 0, 1, 2, 3 | 8 to 1 | 8+1⁄4 to 1 | −$0.027 | ||
| Double Street | any six numbers from two horizontal rows (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 etc.) | 5 to 1 | 5+1⁄6 to 1 | −$0.027 | 5+1⁄3 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 1st column | 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34 | 2 to 1 | 2+1⁄12 to 1 | −$0.027 | 2+1⁄6 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 2nd column | 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35 | 2 to 1 | 2+1⁄12 to 1 | −$0.027 | 2+1⁄6 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 3rd column | 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36 | 2 to 1 | 2+1⁄12 to 1 | −$0.027 | 2+1⁄6 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 1st dozen | 1 through 12 | 2 to 1 | 2+1⁄12 to 1 | −$0.027 | 2+1⁄6 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 2nd dozen | 13 through 24 | 2 to 1 | 2+1⁄12 to 1 | −$0.027 | 2+1⁄6 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 3rd dozen | 25 through 36 | 2 to 1 | 2+1⁄12 to 1 | −$0.027 | 2+1⁄6 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| Odd | 1, 3, 5, …, 35 | 1 to 1 | 1+1⁄18 to 1 | −$0.027 | 1+1⁄9 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| Even | 2, 4, 6, …, 36 | 1 to 1 | 1+1⁄18 to 1 | −$0.027 | 1+1⁄9 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| Red | 32, 19, 21, 25, 34, 27, 36, 30, 23, 5, 16, 1, 14, 9, 18, 7, 12, 3 | 1 to 1 | 1+1⁄18 to 1 | −$0.027 | 1+1⁄9 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| Black | 15, 4, 2, 17, 6, 13, 11, 8, 10, 24, 33, 20, 31, 22, 29, 28, 35, 26 | 1 to 1 | 1+1⁄18 to 1 | −$0.027 | 1+1⁄9 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 1 to 18 | 1, 2, 3, …, 18 | 1 to 1 | 1+1⁄18 to 1 | −$0.027 | 1+1⁄9 to 1 | −$0.053 |
| 19 to 36 | 19, 20, 21, …, 36 | 1 to 1 | 1+1⁄18 to 1 | −$0.027 | 1+1⁄9 to 1 | −$0.053 |
Topline (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) has a different expected value because of the approximation of the correct 6+1⁄5-to-1 payout obtained by the formula to 6-to-1. The values 0 and 00 are not odd or even, or high or low. En prison rules, when used, reduce the house advantage.