There’s nothing more exciting than watching the roulette ball spin round and round before stopping where you had predicted. For a moment, you feel like a wizard.
And if you had placed a real money bet, you know it’s time to collect a profit. Now, roulette is a game of luck and strategy. You need to place bets with great odds to increase your chances of winning.
If you’re a beginner, don’t worry. In this guide, we’ll break down popular roulette bets, their odds and payouts. Let’s get started.
Roulette House Edge and Strategies
House edge is the reason roulette bets like odd/even don’t have 50% odds. It’s the guaranteed advantage casinos have over players in every bet. It works because every roulette wheel has a zero-number pocket.
If you place a red/black bet and the ball stops at the zero pocket, you lose. This is also true for most other roulette bet types. To even things with the casino, it’s important to follow a well-known strategy.
There are many well know roulette strategies: Fibonacci, Labouchere, Martingale, D’Alembert and Paroli, to name a few. Most professional roulette players always have a strategy. A good roulette system can make the difference between losing money and breaking even.
That being said, strategies are not created equal. Experiment with several strategies to determine the best system for you.
Outside vs Inside Bets
Roulette bets are categorized into two: outside and inside bets. Outside bets have better odds. But they don’t payout as much as inside bets. It’s up to you to decide whether to focus on good odds or high payouts.
More importantly, decide what guidelines to use to make profits. In most cases, though, focus less on money and prioritize having fun. The primary goal of playing roulette should be entertainment. If you make some profits in the process, well and good.
Outside Bets
These are the most popular outside bets in any roulette table:
Red or Black
In this bet, you predict whether the ball lands on a red or black-colored slot. The odds of winning this wager are 48.6% in European roulette and 47.4% in American roulette. The payout is 1:1.
Even or Odd
You predict whether the ball will stop at an even or odd number. The odds and payouts are similar to every other even wager prediction—48.6% in European roulette and a 1:1 payout.
High or Low (1-18 or 19 to 36)
The paytable in roulette has two sections: high and low. A low bet means you believe the ball will stop at one of the numbers between 1 and 18. A high bet means you think the ball will land between 19 and 36. Winning bets are paid at 1:1 and the odds stand at 48.6% in European roulette.
Dozen Bets
The standard roulette wheel has numbers 1 through 36. That means it can be divided into three dozen: 1-12, 13-24 and 25 to 36. If you bet on the first dozen, it means you believe the ball will stop at a number between 1 and 12.
Dozen bets have 32.4% odds in European roulette and 31.6% odds in American roulette. The payout for both roulette versions is 2:1.
Column Bets
There are three columns in every roulette paytable. Column one has number 1,4,7 and ends with the number 34. The second column features 2, 5, and 8 all the way to 35. The third column has numbers 3, 6, and 9 and ends with the number 36.
Columns have similar odds to dozen bets—32.4% in European roulette and 31.6% odds in European roulette. The payout is 2:1.
Inside Bets
Inside bets let you wager on a single number or a set of numbers. As mentioned, these wagers have great payouts. But are the odds worth the risk?
Straight Bet
Also known as a single-number bet, a straight bet is a wager on a specific number on the roulette wheel. This prediction has 37 to 1 odds if you play European roulette and 38 to 1 on American roulette. The payout for a winning prediction in both roulette versions is 35 to 1.
Split Bets
With this bet, you predict that the ball will land on one of two adjacent numbers on the paytable. An example is a bet on 14/17 (vertically) or 14/15 (horizontally). It comes with 5.4% odds on European roulette and 5.3% on the American version. If you win, the payout is 17:1.
Street Bets
A street bet is a wager on three consecutive numbers on the roulette paytable. The numbers must be on a horizontal line. An example is 7-8-9. This bet has 8.1% odds if you use European roulette and 7.9 for the American version.
Corner Bets
Also known as square bets, this prediction lets you bet that the ball will land on a specific corner on the paytable. A corner has four numbers. An example is 16-17-19-20. If you place this bet, you can expect 10.8% odds on European roulette and 10.5% odds on American roulette. The payout is 8:1.
Basket Bet/First Four
American roulette has a special bet known as the basket bet. It’s a prediction that the ball will land on 0, 00, 1, 2 or 3. This bet has 16.2% odds on European roulette and 15.8% on the American variant. If you win, the payout is 5:1.
The equivalent bet in European roulette is known as a “First Four” bet. It’s a prediction on the numbers 0, 1, 2 or 3. It carries odds of 13% and pays out 8:1 for every winning bet.
Double Street Bet
A double street bet is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a street bet done twice—you place a bet on two rows. For example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 form two rows. Another example is 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.
This bet attracts odds of 16.2% on European roulette and 15.8% if you bet on American roulette. Either way, a winning bet will earn you a 5:1 payout.
