Roulette Rules
Learn more about different roulette bets with our rules guide.
Roulette Top Tips
- All that is required to play roulette is to click on whichever bet you want to make.
- There are eleven different types of bets with payouts that vary from 1:1 up to 35:1.
- Outside bets allow you to bet on large portions of the board with just one bet.
- Bets that are spread over fewer numbers have larger payouts.
The rules of roulette are very basic. Players place chips on numbers they want the ball to land on. Placing bets in between numbers means the player wants to split the bet over the two pockets; bets at the center of four numbers means the bet will be split through a section of four (see below for a graphical representation).
To make life easier for the player, the table has special sections that have been grouped to include large portions of the board. However, many players enjoy the thrill of placing the chips on individual numbers, as winning will earn a much bigger payout. The huge selection of different bets is the only complex factor in this game. To simplify, all bets can be grouped into two broad categories: inside bets and outside bets.
Betting
Inside bets are a single or group of numbers defined by the player placing chips inside the roulette board. Below is a full list of the inside bets that can be placed.
Straight up bets are placed on one number.
Corner bets are placed on the corners of four squares, splitting the wager into four.
Split bets are placed between two.
Street bets are placed on the edge of a number on the left to signify that the player is betting on the whole row.
Six Line bets are basically two street bets. The chip is placed at the top or bottom of a usual street bet depending on which extra street they want to include.
Top Line bets are placed on zero, double zero (with American roulette), one, two, and three. This is usually the worst bet since players don’t get an equal payout (as when they split the bet between the numbers themselves).
Outside bets
Outside bets are special sections on the board that signify a group of bets defined by the casino. They are clearly labeled and consist of even money and two to one bets.
The following pay even money:
High or Low, which are bets on numbers 1-18 (low) or 19-36 (high).
Colors, which are all the red or black squares grouped.
Odd or even bets are groups of odd and even numbers (remembering zero is neither)
The following pay two-to-one:
Dozen bets, which are the following range of numbers: 1-12, 13-24 and 26-36.
Column bets, which are located at the end of the table adjacent to the 34, 35 and 36 squares, and which include every number in the corresponding column.
Payouts
Knowing the payouts and odds for different bets gives you the power to make informed and logical decisions to improve your shot at winning. Below is a table outlining the odds, house edge, and payout for each bet in the two most popular variations of roulette.
| Bet | Odds US/ House Edge | Odds Europe/ House Edge | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 37 to 1 / 5.26 | 36 to 1 / 2.70 | 35 to 1 |
| Dozen | 2.167 to 1 / 5.26 | 2.08 to 1 / 2.70 | 2 to 1 |
| Column | 2.167 to 1 / 5.26 | 2.08 to 1 / 2.70 | 2 to 1 |
| Six Line | 5.33 to 1 / 5.26 | 5.17 to 1 / 2.70 | 5 to 1 |
| Corner | 8.5 to 1 / 5.26 | 8.25 to 1 / 2.70 | 8 to 1 |
| Street | 11.667 to 1 / 5.26 | 11.33 to 1 / 2.70 | 11 to 1 |
| Split | 19 to 1 / 5.26 | 17.5 to 1 / 2.70 | 17 to 1 |
| Top Line (US) | 6.6 to 1 / 7.89 | N/A for Eu Ro | 6 to 1 |
| Odd/Even | 1.111 to 1 / 5.26 | 1.01 to 1 / 2.70 | 1 to 1 |
| High/Low | 1.111 to 1 / 5.26 | 1.01 to 1 / 2.70 | 1 to 1 |
| Colour | 1.111 to 1 / 5.26 | 1.01 to 1 / 2.70 | 1 to 1 |
Note: Top line bets are not available for EU roulette; to bet on the top four (0,1,2,3) is simply a corner bet.
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