Roulette is one of the most recognizable casino games, a spinning wheel, a bouncing ball, and a table full of betting options. The rules are simple enough that you can be playing within minutes. The decisions that actually affect your long-term results take a bit longer to understand, and they mostly come down to one question: which wheel are you playing on?
The Wheel
A roulette wheel has numbered pockets from 1 to 36, alternating red and black, plus at least one green zero pocket. The ball is spun around the outside of the wheel and settles into one pocket, that’s the winning number for the round.
European roulette has 37 pockets: numbers 1–36 plus a single 0. The house edge is 2.70%.
American roulette has 38 pockets: numbers 1–36 plus both 0 and 00. The house edge is 5.26%, almost double. Both zeros are green and lose most player bets.
Always choose European roulette when both are available online. The game is otherwise identical but the American wheel gives the house a significantly larger cut on every spin.
How to Place a Bet
Before the spin, you place chips on the roulette table. The table layout corresponds to the wheel’s numbers. You can bet on a single number, groups of numbers, colors, or other properties. Once the ball lands, the dealer (or software) identifies the winning number and pays out bets accordingly.
Bets fall into two categories: inside bets (individual numbers or small groups) and outside bets (larger groupings like colors or halves). Inside bets pay more but win less often; outside bets win nearly half the time but pay even money or 2:1.
Inside Bets
| Bet Type | What It Covers | Payout | Win Probability (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | One number | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | Two adjacent numbers | 17:1 | 5.41% |
| Street | Three numbers in a row | 11:1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | Four numbers sharing a corner | 8:1 | 10.81% |
| Six Line | Two adjacent rows of three | 5:1 | 16.22% |
Outside Bets
| Bet Type | What It Covers | Payout | Win Probability (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red / Black | All red or all black numbers | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Odd / Even | All odd or all even numbers | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Low / High | 1–18 or 19–36 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Dozen | 1–12, 13–24, or 25–36 | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Column | One of three columns of 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.43% |
Note that all outside bets in European roulette win slightly less than their “true” probability because the zero isn’t covered. On a Red/Black bet, there are 18 red numbers, 18 black numbers, and 1 green zero. The zero loses even-money bets, that’s the source of the house edge.
The La Partage and En Prison Rules
Some European roulette variants offer La Partage: when the ball lands on zero, even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, high/low) receive half their stake back. This cuts the house edge on even-money bets from 2.70% to 1.35%, the best house edge available in roulette.
En Prison is an alternative: instead of recovering half the bet immediately, the entire bet stays “in prison” for the next spin. If the next spin wins, you get your original bet back (no profit); if it loses, the bet is gone. Mathematically equivalent to La Partage in expected value.
If you play even-money bets, seek out European tables with La Partage. At 1.35% house edge, it’s one of the better-value bets in any casino.
The Five-Number Bet (American Only, Avoid It)
American roulette has a unique bet covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3, the “five-number bet” or “basket.” It pays 6:1. The house edge on this bet is 7.89%, the worst of any standard roulette bet. There’s no reason to place it.
French Roulette
French roulette uses a European wheel but adds La Partage by default and presents the table in a different layout (with French labels). When available, it’s the best version of the game, same wheel as European but with the even-money protection built in. Many online casinos offer it alongside standard European.
House Edge Comparison
| Variant | Zeros | House Edge (Most Bets) | House Edge (Even-Money with La Partage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| French / European + La Partage | 1 | 2.70% | 1.35% |
| European | 1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| American | 2 | 5.26% | 5.26% |
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