How to play roulette and what each bet really pays

European and American wheels: one zero or two

A European wheel has 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36 plus a single zero (0). An American wheel has 38, because it adds a double zero (00). Both wheels pay the same, so the extra pocket goes straight into the house edge.

The sum is short. On a European wheel a single number pays 35:1, but the chance is 1 in 37. A fair price would be 36:1. That one-unit gap, divided by 37, is 2.70%. On an American wheel the fair price would be 37:1, so a two-unit gap divided by 38 gives 5.26%.

RNG roulette picks the pocket with random number generation software, while live roulette uses a physical wheel spun by a dealer. The maths is identical as long as the number of pockets is the same. The two formats are compared in how RNG table games work and how live casino works.

Inside and outside bets on the roulette layout

Inside bets go on the numbers in the middle of the layout. Outside bets go in the boxes around the edge and cover larger groups.

Inside bets

• Straight: one number, zero included.
• Split: two neighbouring numbers, with the chip on the line between them.
• Street: a row of three, such as 13-14-15.
• Corner: four numbers that meet at one point.
• Six line: two adjoining rows, six numbers.

Outside bets

• Red or black, odd or even, 1–18 or 19–36: 18 numbers each. Zero belongs to none of these groups.
• Dozen: 1–12, 13–24 or 25–36.
• Column: one of the three columns of 12 numbers.

Live tables may also offer call bets such as voisins du zéro, which place several chips on one section of the wheel at once. They are just bundles of ordinary inside bets, so the edge stays at 2.70% on a European wheel.

Payouts against true odds on a single-zero wheel

A bigger payout is not better value. It only makes up for a smaller chance. What changes is the swing: a straight bet rarely lands but pays a lot when it does, while red lands often and pays little.

Worked example: RM10 on number 17. If the ball lands on 17, RM360 comes back, made of RM350 in winnings and your RM10 stake. Make the same bet over 37 spins and you have staked RM370. On average one spin wins and returns RM360, so the expected cost is RM10, which is 2.70% of RM370.

Second example: RM20 on red. If red comes up, you are RM20 up. If black or 0 comes up, the RM20 is gone. Red has an 18 in 37 chance, a little under half, because the zero pocket is green.

Why betting systems leave the house edge untouched

Systems such as the Martingale (double after every loss), D'Alembert or Fibonacci only change the size of your bets. They do not change the pockets on the wheel or the payout table. Each bet in the sequence still carries a 2.70% edge, so the total does too.

Here is the Martingale on red, starting at RM10:

Every sequence that ends in a win nets just RM10. The chance of losing seven in a row on red at a European wheel is 19/37 multiplied by itself seven times, about 0.94%, or once in roughly 106 sequences. At that point you need RM1,280 for the next bet, and the table maximum may not allow it. Many small wins are paid for by one large loss, and the average stays negative.

Past spins do not affect the next one either. After five reds in a row, the chance of red on the sixth spin is still 18 in 37. The "hot" and "cold" number panels on screen are a history log, nothing more.

To see the long-run cost for your own budget, try the house edge calculator. For the Martingale in particular, the Martingale risk calculator shows where doubling breaks down.

One roulette spin from chips to payout

1. Pick a table and check the wheel type (single or double zero) and the minimum and maximum stakes in its information panel.
2. Choose a chip value that suits your session budget rather than the largest one on offer.
3. Place chips while the betting timer runs. Once "no more bets" is called, bets are locked.
4. The ball is released and settles in a pocket. The result is shown and added to the table history.
5. Winning bets are paid straight to your balance and losing chips are collected.
6. Check your bet history before the next round, especially if your connection wobbled.

A live roulette spin usually takes around a minute. Many spins an hour means the total staked adds up quickly, so set a time limit before you start.

Frequently asked questions