Roulette is a game that has been played for centuries. While it was created entirely by accident, this fun game quickly captured many gamblers’ attention and sparked a fire that never died out. Although roulette has evolved over the years and took a giant leap when the game turned digital, the foundation of it all never changed.
At first glance, roulette is a fairly simple game to play. All it requires is trying to predict a winning number by placing a bet on one or several numbers. However, as you take a closer look at the gameplay, you’ll find that roulette can get quite complex, especially when it comes to the different types of roulette bets available.
With this article, we will delve into the wagers you can expect to encounter when playing roulette online and how your betting options may vary between different roulette tables.
ROULETTE BETS EXPLAINED
So, to start off, let’s take a look at all the different bets you can place at a typical roulette table.
INSIDE BETS (INCLUDING THE AMERICAN ROULETTE WHEEL)
Inside bets make up one of the two main categories of betting options in roulette. Inside bets are basically all the bets that can be placed inside the betting area as indicated by the roulette table layout. Here is a full list of the types of inside bets you can place:
-
- Straight Up Bet — Straight up bets cover one single number and may include the zero.
- Split Bet — Placing split bets involves wagering on two horizontally or vertically adjacent numbers.
- Street Bet — Betting on a row of three consecutive numbers, horizontally.
- Corner Bet — Placing a chip at the corner of the intersection of four numbers. All four numbers are covered.
- Line Bet — Covers six consecutive numbers that form two adjacent lines.
- Basket Bet — Available on American roulette games and also known as a five-number bet. This wager covers the zero, double zero, one, two and three.
- Snake Bet — This wager gets its name from the snake-like pattern formed when highlighting these numbers. This wager covers the one, five, nine, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34.
OUTSIDE BETS ON A TYPICAL ROULETTE TABLE
As opposed to inside bets, outside bets are all wagers placed outside the betting area. Outside bets are often referred to as even-money bets as they generally offer a payout of 1:1.
- Column Bet — Involves wagering on one of the columns, covering all 12 numbers in that column. The zero is not included in this bet.
- Dozen Bet — Betting on either the first, second or third set dozen of numbers.
- Red or Black Bet — Betting on either all 18 red numbers or all 18 black numbers. The zero is not included in these bets.
- Odd or Even Bet — Wagering on either all the odd numbers or all the even ones. The zero is not included.
- 1-18 or 19-36 Bet — Also referred to as the high or low bet, this wager involves betting on the first 18 or the second 18 numbers. The zero is not included.
CALL BETS
What makes call bets different from inside and outside bets is the fact that they’re often ‘called out’ or ‘announced’, as opposed to other wagers that are made once you place your chips on the roulette table. Here are the different call bets you can place:
- Voisins du Zéro
This wager is among the four French bets that can be placed on a typical online roulette table. It directly translates to ‘neighbours of zero’ and covers the numbers that are closest to zero (on a single-zero roulette wheel), including 22, 18, 29, seven, 28, 12, 35, three, 26, zero, 32, 15, 19, four, 21, two, 25.
This bet requires a minimum of nine chips.
- Jeu Zero
The Jeu Zero, also referred to as the ‘zero game’ bet, involves wagering on the 12, 35, three, 26, zero, 32 and 15 numbered pockets. It requires four chips.
- Tiers du Cylindre
This wager can be directly translated to ‘thirds of the wheel. It involves wagering on the 12 numbers that are on the opposite side of the roulette wheel, including 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, eight, 23, 10, five, 24, 16, and 33. A total of six chips are needed.
- Orphelins à Cheval
This is a bet placed on the eight numbers that are not covered in the Tiers du Cylindre bet and the Voisins du Zero bet, including 17, 34, six, one, 20, 14, 31, and nine.
- Neighbour Bet
A neighbour bet involves placing a single bet on one number and on the two numbers that neighbour it on the roulette wheel.
FINAL BET
Final bets are wagers placed on numbers with the same end/final digit. For example if you make a final three bet, you’ll be betting on all numbers that end in three, including three, 13, 23 and 33.
Final bets include:
- Final zero — zero, 10, 20, 30
- Final one — one, 11, 21, 31
- Final two — two, 12, 22, 32
- Final three — three, 13, 23, 33
- Final four — four, 14, 24, 34
- Final five — five, 15, 25, 35
- Final six — six, 16, 26, 36
- Final seven — seven, 17, 27
- Final eight — eight, 18, 28
- Final nine — nine, 19, 29
The number of chips needed depends on the final bet you place. Some online casinos offer split-final bets as well.
BETS ON AMERICAN ROULETTE WHEELS
While the game of roulette began its journey in European casinos, it eventually found its way to American soil, birthing American-style roulette. The basic gameplay of roulette remained unchanged, but this did give rise to the now infamous American wheel.
What makes this roulette wheel particularly interesting is its additional double zero pocket, allowing players to bet on a total of 38 numbers as opposed to 37. This slight change to the roulette layout raises the house edge significantly, increasing it from 2.70% to 5.26%.
Naturally, this also meant that the payout odds for roulette bets also saw a change. And on top of that, American tables also introduced new, exclusive betting options — namely, the basket bet or five-number bet.
BETS ON EUROPEAN ROULETTE WHEELS
European roulette is the classic form of roulette we’ve all come to know and love. While it features 37 numbers on the roulette wheel, as opposed to 38, Its iconic single-zero wheel has lit up casinos from all over the world.
Many of the betting options you can expect to find include the iconic inside and outside bets, as well as neighbour bets, call bets, favourite bets and full complete bets. With that said, some online roulette games might even feature exciting side bets and bonuses to help boost gameplay.
BETS ON FRENCH ROULETTE WHEELS
Although there are clear differences between American and European roulette, many players fail to see how European and French roulette differ.
In reality, French roulette tables do not differ all that much to European ones. French roulette includes all the same betting options you can expect to find at European roulette games. That said, French roulette features an extra low house edge at 1.35% due to two specific rules: the La Partage and En Prison.
The En Prison and La Partage rules rules were designed to give players the upper hand. Take a look at how they work and how they affect the way players bet:
LA PARTAGE
The La Partage rule states that players will receive half their wager back if the ball lands on zero and their bets lose. This is why French roulette has such a low house edge.
EN PRISON
The En Prison rule is quite similar to the La Partage rule. It directly translates to ‘in prison’, getting is name from the dealer placing players’ bets ‘in prison’ — so to speak.
If you bet on a number and it does not turn out to be a winning number, the dealer will hold your bet on the table for the next spin. If this next spin results in a win, your bet will be returned to you in full.
BETS IN REAL-MONEY ROULETTE
While playing land-based roulette was always a hoot, the Las Vegas days were pretty much over when online roulette entered the scene.
Online roulette offers a whole new level of fun as it offers players a myriad of new gameplay opportunities, varied rules, and additional bonuses. But, you have to keep in mind that different tables have different bet limits.
MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM BET
As you go along your online gaming journey, you’ll quickly notice that many roulette games have minimum and maximum bet limits. Some tables are specifically designed to suit larger bankrolls than others, and these limits can tie into your strategy, especially if you’re using a betting system.
For instance, the minimum bet you can place is the straight bet, which is a bet on a single number. The maximum wager, a complete bet, is where things get interesting.
This wager is also a single-number bet, but you’ll be placing all your chips on that number instead. The idea is to take advantage of the table’s maximum wager limit using a progressive betting model.
If you decide to try this method out, be sure to do extensive research and have a good bankroll management strategy in place.
ROULETTE ODDS AND PAYOUTS
It’s pretty safe to say that betting odds can vary significantly from one roulette variant to another. Check out this quick table on betting odds, and do not hesitate to head to our site for a deeper dive into roulette odds!
| Bet | Bet Type | Payout | European Roulette Odds | American Roulette Odds |
| Red or Black | Outside (even-money) | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Odd or Even | Outside (even-money) | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Low or High | Outside (even-money) | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Dozen | Outside (even-money) | 2:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
| Column | Outside (even-money) | 2:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
| Line | Inside | 5:1 | 16.22% | 15.79% |
| Five Number/ Basket | Inside | 6:1 | – | 13.16% |
| Corner/ Square | Inside | 8:1 | 10.81% | 10.53% |
| Street | Inside | 11:1 | 8.11% | 7.89% |
| Split | Inside | 17:1 | 5.41% | 5.26% |
| Straight | Inside | 35:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
FAQ
HOW TO BET ON ROULETTE?
Betting in roulette is pretty simple, especially when playing online roulette. As you enter the game, you will notice several different-coloured betting chips on the user interface. Each chip holds a different bet value, so you can select how much you want to bet by clicking on one of the chips.
If you’re playing at a First-Person table, you can take your time to make your decision. However, live roulette games do have a limited timeframe in which you can place your bets. Bear in mind that you will be placing real-money bets, though First Person roulette does come with a free demo mode.
WHAT ARE THE BEST ROULETTE BETS?
The deciding factor on which roulette bets are the best ones often depends on the level of the player. The best bets for newbies are often considered to be outside bets as they are more likely to become winning bets than inside ones. By contrast, the best bets for more experienced players are considered to be inside wagers as they offer greater payouts than outside wagers do, though they come with increased risk.
In reality, there is no telling where the ball will land, as roulette is a game of chance.
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON BET ON ROULETTE?
The most popular roulette bet is the Red or Black even-money bet. This is because, well, it’s the obvious first choice considering the wheel is made up of several red and black numbers.
WHAT IS THE SAFEST BET IN ROULETTE?
The safest bet in roulette is either Red or Black or Odd or Even. This is because these wagers have a high chance of winning and are pretty straightforward to place and understand. The only bummer is that they do not offer as great a payout as other betting options you may have, but they are a great first start.
WHAT IS THE BEST PAYOUT IN ROULETTE?
The straight-up wager offers the best payout in roulette as it offers odds of 35:1. That said, the complete wager also challenges the seat for best payout as it involves placing all your chips on one number.
WHAT ARE INSIDE BETS IN A ROULETTE GAME?
Inside wagers are all those bets that can be placed inside the betting area. They include the straight and square bets, as well as the street bet (also known as a three-number bet), line bet and split bet. American tables also offer the basket bet.
WHAT ARE OUTSIDE BETS IN A ROULETTE CASINO GAME?
Outside bets are all those wagers placed outside the betting area. They include red/black, odd/even, high/low, dozens and columns.