Roulette
Bet on where the ball lands on a wheel of 37 numbers.
How to play
- A European wheel has the numbers 1 to 36, half red and half black, and one green zero. You bet on where the ball lands.
- Inside bets cover one to six numbers and pay more. Outside bets cover a colour, odd or even, low or high, a dozen or a column, and win more often.
- When the ball lands on zero, every outside bet loses.
- Each payout is set a little below the true odds, and that gap is the casino's edge.
Odds
Every bet on a European wheel has the same house edge: 2.70%.
An American wheel adds a double zero, which raises the edge to 5.26%. Its five-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 costs 7.89%.
French tables with the La Partage rule give back half of an even-money bet when the ball lands on zero. That cuts the edge on those bets to 1.35%.
| Bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| One number | 35 to 1 | 2.70% |
| Two numbers | 17 to 1 | 2.70% |
| Three numbers in a row | 11 to 1 | 2.70% |
| Four numbers | 8 to 1 | 2.70% |
| Six numbers | 5 to 1 | 2.70% |
| A dozen or a column | 2 to 1 | 2.70% |
| Red or black, odd or even, 1 to 18 or 19 to 36 | 1 to 1 | 2.70% |
The house edge is the share of every bet that the casino keeps over time. With a 2% edge you lose 2 of every 100 you bet on average over a long run. Any single session can still go either way.
Best play
- Play on a single-zero wheel. The double-zero wheel almost doubles the house edge.
- If you bet red or black, odd or even, or low or high, look for La Partage or En Prison. Both halve the house edge on those bets.
- No betting system changes the house edge. Doubling after a loss only trades many small wins for a rare large loss.
- Decide how much you will spend before you start, and stop when it is gone.
Practice
Play money only. Nothing on this page is real money.