| Updated: Roulette offers players many betting opportunities, with more than twenty different types of wagers available. Most of these wagers carry the same house edge, with only a few exceptions.
The two main bet categories are inside bets and outside bets, both of which are accepted at all single-zero and double-zero tables. Call bets form a separate category and are available only at tables with French or European wheels. Some casinos also offer unique wagers that are exclusive to their roulette tables.
This article provides detailed information about the two main groups of roulette bets, inside and outside, including their true odds, casino payouts, probabilities, and chip positions on the layout. It also explains which bets players should avoid and which offer the most favorable odds.
Outside Bets in Detail
Let’s start with outside bets, as they are the simplest to understand and place. These wagers are placed on the perimeter of the layout, outside the main grid that contains 37 or 38 numbers. Outside bets offer better chances of winning, but they yield smaller payouts – either even money or 2 to 1. With these bets, players wager on the numbers’ characteristics rather than on individual numbers. Each of these wagers is described below.
| Outside Bet | Casino Payout | True Odds in Single-Zero Games | True Odds in Double-Zero Games | Probability of Winning in Single-Zero Games | Probability of Winning in Double-Zero Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red/Black (Rouge et Noir) | 1 to 1 | 11⁄18 to 1 | 11/9 to 1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Even/Odd (Impair et Pair) | 1 to 1 | 11⁄18 to 1 | 11/9 to 1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| High/Low (Passe et Manque) | 1 to 1 | 11⁄18 to 1 | 11/9 to 1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Dozens (Douzaine) | 2 to 1 | 21⁄12 to 1 | 21/6 to 1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
| Columns (Colonne) | 2 to 1 | 21⁄12 to 1 | 21/6 to 1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
Red/black bets
Even/odd bets High/low bets Dozen bets Column betsRed/black bets
With red/black bets, players try to guess the color of the winning number. This bet is placed in the center of the outside betting area, which has two diamond-shaped boxes, one red and one black. Depending on the casino, these boxes may contain the words “red” or “black.”
Players have almost even odds of winning or losing because there are 18 red and 18 black numbers on the roulette wheel. The green zero gives the house its edge. Color bets lose when zero hits, which slightly tips the odds in favor of the house.
On a single-zero wheel, the probability of winning with a bet on black, for example, is 48.65% because there are 18 winning pockets and 19 losing pockets. Winning color bets pay even money, or 1 to 1.
Even/odd bets
Even/odd bets are even-money bets based on the winning number’s parity. The chips for these bets are placed in the boxes on either side of the red and black diamonds. They are easy to spot because they are marked “Even” and “Odd.”
The wheel contains 18 odd and 18 even numbers. In mathematics, the number 0 is considered even, but this is not the case in roulette. Here, 0 and 00 are neither odd nor even, which means even/odd bets lose when either zero appears. Winning bets pay 1 to 1.
High/low bets
High/low bets are placed on either the 18 low numbers (1 through 18) or the 18 high numbers (19 through 36). Place your chips in the box marked 1-18 or 19-36, depending on which half you want to back. Zero is included in neither group, so these bets automatically lose when 0 or 00 appears. Winning high/low bets pay 1 to 1, or even money.
Dozen bets
Dozen bets comprise three groups of 12 numbers each. These are designated as 1st 12 (1 to 12), 2nd 12 (13 to 24), and 3rd 12 (25 to 36) in the outside section of the layout. You win if any of the 12 numbers in your selected dozen hits. Dozen bets lose to 0 and 00 because the zeros are not included in any of the three dozens. The probability of winning with a dozen bet on a single-zero wheel is 32.43%, and casinos pay 2 to 1.
Column bets
Column bets also feature three groups, each consisting of 12 numbers from one of the three columns on the layout. Place your chips in the betting boxes labeled “2 to 1.” Unlike the numbers in dozen bets, the numbers in the columns are not arranged in numerical order on the layout.
The first column includes numbers 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 34. The second column comprises numbers 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, and 35, while the third column features numbers 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, and 36.
Zero is not part of any of the three columns, so these bets lose when the ball lands in a zero pocket. The payout for column bets is the same as for dozen bets: 2 to 1.
- High Stakes Roulette
- Low Limit Roulette
- Fibonacci Roulette System
- Parlay Roulette System
- Martingale Roulette System
- Inside Bets
- Outside Bets
- Roulette Rules
- Roulette Strategies
- American Roulette
- French Roulette
- European Roulette
- American and European Wheel Sequences
- Roulette – From a Perpetual Motion Machine to a Casino Landmark
- Roulette Basics and Rules of Table Conduct
- The French Roulette Layout
- Independent Trials, Odds, and Casino Edge in Roulette
- En Prison and La Partage
- Taking Your Roulette Game to the Next Level with Call Bets
- The Many Faces of Roulette – Interesting Variations to Try
- Progressive Roulette Systems
- Reading Biased Wheels and Other Predictive Methods
- The Master of the Wheel Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo
- Improving Your Roulette Game
- Dispelling Roulette Myths
- How to Protect a Roulette Bankroll
- Software Providers of Online Roulette
- Roulette Games with Progressive Jackpots
- Live Dealer Roulette
- Roulette Goes Mobile
- Roulette in Literature, Film, and Television
Inside Bets in Detail
Inside bets are the second major category of wagers you can make in roulette. They cover either single numbers or groups of 2 to 6 numbers. This category derives its name from the fact that players place their chips on the inside section of the table layout, where the numbers 0 through 36 are listed. Inside bets are riskier because they cover fewer numbers, but they compensate with juicier payouts.
| Inside Bet | Casino Payout | True Odds in Single-Zero Games | True Odds in Double-Zero Games | Probability of Winning in Single-Zero Games | Probability of Winning in Double-Zero Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight-up bet | 35 to 1 | 36 to 1 | 37 to 1 | 2.70% | 2.63% |
| Split bet | 17 to 1 | 171/2 to 1 | 18 to 1 | 5.40% | 5.26% |
| Street bet | 11 to 1 | 111⁄3 to 1 | 112/3 to 1 | 8.11% | 7.89% |
| Corner bet | 8 to 1 | 81/4 to 1 | 81/2 to 1 | 10.81% | 10.53% |
| Double street bet | 5 to 1 | 51/6 to 1 | 51/3 to 1 | 16.22% | 15.79% |
| Basket bet | 8 to 1 | 81/4 to 1 | 81/2 to 1 | 10.81% | N/A |
| Five-number bet | 6 to 1 | 61/5 to 1 | 63/5 to 1 | N/A | 13.16% |
| Snake bet | 35 to 1 | 36 to 1 | 37 to 1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
Seasoned dealers in larger land-based casinos rarely make mistakes when paying out winning wagers. Still, we suggest you memorize the payouts of all available roulette bets just to protect yourself against any potential dealer errors.
Of course, you will experience no such issues if you play the game online. Unlike humans, accredited casino software is immune to errors and automatically pays at the correct ratio based on the type of bet you win.
Unlike other casino games of chance, such as craps, all roulette bets put you at the same disadvantage against the house. This edge stands at 2.70% in variations that play on single-zero wheels unless the La Partage or En Prison rules are in place.
The extra 00 pocket on American tables almost doubles this percentage to 5.26%. The only exception is the five-number bet, which pays at poorer casino odds and puts you at a dismal disadvantage of 7.90%. Don’t be a sucker – refrain from placing this bet!
Straight up bet Split Bet Street bet Corner bet Double street bet Basket bet Five number bet Snake betStraight up bet
Straight-up bets are placed on a single number. To place one, put your chips in the betting box containing your chosen number. The chips should not touch any of the box’s borders. You receive a payout of 35 to 1 if the ball lands on the number you selected. In a single-zero game, the probability of hitting one specific number is 1 in 37, or about 2.70%.
Split Bet
The split is a combination bet that covers two adjacent numbers on the table layout, such as 3/6, 9/12, or 22/23. Place your chips on the line separating the two selected numbers. The bet pays 17 to 1 if either number hits.
Street bet
The street bet is a combination wager that covers a row of three consecutive numbers on the layout. Place the bet by putting your chip or stack of chips on the border of the first number in your chosen row. For example, if you are betting on the street containing the numbers 4, 5, and 6, place your chips on the line separating the 4 from the box marked 1st 12. You win 11 chips for every chip you wager if the ball lands on any of the three selected numbers.
Corner bet
A corner bet combines four numbers that share a common corner on the layout, such as 16/17/19/20 or 23/24/26/27. Some players refer to it as the square or four-number bet. It pays 8 to 1 when the ball lands on any of the four selected numbers. To place this bet, put your chips at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal lines in the center of the four boxes.
Double street bet
The double street bet, also known as a line bet or six-line bet, comprises six sequential numbers positioned in two adjacent rows, such as 1 through 6 or 7 through 12. Place the chips for this bet at the intersection between the two streets. If one of the six selected numbers wins, the bet pays 5 to 1.
Although the six numbers are arranged sequentially on the table layout, they are not positioned sequentially on the wheel. You can read more about the wheel’s number sequence in the next article.
Basket bet
The basket bet covers four specific numbers: 0, 1, 2, and 3. This bet can only be placed at single-zero tables and offers a payout of 8 to 1 when any of the four numbers hits. Place your chips at the intersection separating 0, 1, and the box for the first dozen. This wager carries the same house edge as every other bet on a single-zero table, which is 2.70%.
Five number bet
The five-number bet is similar to the basket bet, but it can only be made on the American layout with the double zero because it covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. This wager is considered a sucker bet because its payout of 6 to 1 raises the house edge to 7.90%. Place the chips at the intersection separating the single zero and 1.
Snake bet
The snake bet is a combination wager that comprises 12 red numbers. Each number is covered by an individual chip, meaning you are betting straight up on all 12 selections. Use the same betting unit for each bet.
The numbers are 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34. When placed on the layout, the chips form a zigzagging pattern resembling a slithering snake, which gives the bet its name. A winning number pays 35 to 1, but you lose the chips placed on the other 11 numbers. The payout on the winning straight-up bet more than offsets these losses.
Call Bets in Brief
This category comprises a variety of special bets that include specific combinations of numbers the way they are positioned on the different sections of the roulette wheel. These wagers are posted on an oval section on the layout that resembles a racetrack.
Call bets are accepted at single-zero roulette tables that follow the European or French rules. The double-zero wheels utilized at the American roulette tables use a different number sequence, making it impossible to place call bets on the same wheel sections.
You are probably wondering where the name of this category of wagers is derived from. Well, these are more complex and require multiple chips. Players at landbased casinos would verbally call the name of the bet they want to make but without immediately posting chips on the layout to cover the cost of the wager.
In some jurisdictions like the UK, this is seen as betting on credit and is strictly prohibited. The dealer would accept a call bet but only on condition the player has enough chips on the rail to pay in case they lose. Below, we feature brief explanations about the three most popular types of call bets. You can find more exhaustive information in our article on how to diversify your roulette game with call bets.
Tiers du Cylindre Voisins du Zero OrphelinsTiers du Cylindre
Tiers du Cylindre translates from French as “one third of the wheel.” This wager covers 12 numbers on the wheel: 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, and 33. The numbers are covered with 6 split bets, and any winning split pays 17 to 1.
Voisins du Zero
Voisins du Zero means “neighbors of zero” in French. This special bet includes 17 numbers in adjacent pockets on the wheel: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, and 25. Players need at least 9 chips to place this complex wager. Place one chip on each of the 4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22, and 32/35 splits, two chips on the trio comprising 0, 2, and 3, and two chips on the 25/26/28/29 corner. The payout depends on the type of winning bet.
Orphelins
Orphelins is the French word for “orphans,” which describes this type of call bet. It comprises the “orphaned” numbers that fall in neither the Tiers nor the Voisins sections. The orphans occupy two separate wheel segments, one between numbers 22 and 33 and the other between numbers 25 and 27.
The group includes 8 numbers: 9, 31, 14, 20, 1, 17, 34, and 6. Players can cover this bet with a minimum of 5 chips. One chip is placed straight up on number 1, and the other four are placed on the following splits: 6/9, 14/17, 17/20, and 31/34.
The Best and the Worst Bets in Roulette
So what is the best bet one can make at the roulette table?
You are fighting the same house edge regardless of what you bet on at single-zero tables but stand better chances of registering a win with any of the five types of outside bets.
These give you a better shot at winning because you cover larger sections of the wheel with them. For instance, if you bet on black or even, 18 numbers result in a win while the other 19 lead to a loss. Needless to say, the higher probability and frequency of winning are compensated for with smaller payouts.
As for the worst possible bet in roulette, the answer should be quite obvious at this point, or at least, if you have read the article carefully. This title goes to the notorious five number bet, which consistently tops the charts of the worst bets you can make in a casino in general.
This bet is not worth the bother due to its huge house edge (7.90%). What's more, it is available only in American roulette where you are fighting a high house edge, to begin with. You better stay away from the five number bet and the double-zero wheels altogether.