Roulette bets are wagers on where the ball will land. Inside bets cover exact numbers or small groups. Outside bets cover larger groups such as red, black, odd, even, high, low, dozens, and columns. The payout changes by bet size, but on standard wheels the house edge is usually driven by the wheel type, not by the cleverness of the bet.
Roulette betting looks busy because the table has many boxes, lines, corners, and labels. Under the noise, the idea is simple: every chip covers one number or a group of numbers.
If the ball lands on a number your chip covers, you win. If it lands somewhere else, you lose. The payout depends on how many numbers your bet covered. A bet covering fewer numbers pays more because it wins less often. A bet covering more numbers pays less because it wins more often.
This page gives the map. For the exact hit rates, read roulette odds. For the price of the game, read roulette house edge. For the full course order, use the roulette guide.
Roulette bets fall into two big families.
| Family | Where placed | What it covers | Typical feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside bets | Number grid | One number or small groups | More misses, bigger wins |
| Outside bets | Outer boxes | Larger groups | More hits, smaller wins |
| Bet | Covers | Example placement | Standard payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight-up | 1 number | Chip directly on 17 | 35 to 1 |
| Split | 2 numbers | Line between 17 and 20 | 17 to 1 |
| Street | 3 numbers | End of a row such as 16-17-18 | 11 to 1 |
| Corner | 4 numbers | Intersection of 10-11-13-14 | 8 to 1 |
| Six-line | 6 numbers | End of two rows | 5 to 1 |
| Bet | Covers | Example | Standard payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red / Black | 18 numbers | Red | 1 to 1 |
| Odd / Even | 18 numbers | Odd | 1 to 1 |
| High / Low | 18 numbers | 19–36 | 1 to 1 |
| Dozen | 12 numbers | 1st 12 | 2 to 1 |
| Column | 12 numbers | 2nd column | 2 to 1 |
Rules and bet recognition can vary by jurisdiction and table layout. Formal references such as the Nevada roulette rules of play and Massachusetts roulette rules show how permitted wagers, call timing, and settlement are controlled. For payout and probability tables, the Wizard of Odds roulette guide is a useful outside reference.
You buy in for $100 on a $5 minimum European roulette table. The dealer gives you a unique color. You make these bets:
| Bet | Stake | Covered numbers | If it wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight-up on 17 | $5 | 1 | Wins $175 profit |
| Split 20/23 | $5 | 2 | Wins $85 profit |
| Red | $10 | 18 | Wins $10 profit |
| 2nd dozen | $10 | 12 | Wins $20 profit |
The ball lands on red 23.
Your straight-up 17 loses. Your split 20/23 wins. Your red bet wins. Your 2nd dozen wins because 23 is in 13–24.
The result feels like one spin, but the dealer settles each chip by what it covers.
The dealer is not thinking about your “system.” The dealer is reading the layout.
A good roulette dealer needs to know exactly which numbers each chip covers, especially for split, corner, six-line, basket, and call bets. The floor supervisor watches table minimums, late bets, player-color confusion, payout accuracy, and disputes. Surveillance cares about hands crossing the layout after “no more bets,” unclear chip ownership, and dealer overpayments.
Roulette looks slow to a new player. Behind the layout, it is a precision game. One chip placed half an inch wrong can become an argument.
Roulette gives you many ways to place the chip. Most of them sell the same basic product: a negative-expectation wager dressed in different shapes.
Red/black or high/low is easiest to understand, but easiest does not mean profitable. On a European wheel it still carries the standard single-zero edge unless La Partage or En Prison applies.
They are more volatile. On standard roulette, many inside and outside bets have the same house edge on the same wheel type.
It covers only one number. It wins rarely, so the payout is larger.
Yes, winning bets return the original stake plus the payout profit. “35 to 1” means $35 profit for every $1 bet, plus your $1 stake back.
In standard roulette, they lose. French rules such as La Partage or En Prison may reduce the loss on even-money bets.
They are usually announced or selected as wheel-sector bets, but they are settled through combinations of standard chip placements.
No standard bet type beats a fair roulette wheel. The better choice is usually the cheaper wheel: single-zero over double-zero, and French rules when available.
The strongest roulette misunderstanding is confusing hit frequency with value.
A red bet hits far more often than a straight-up number. That makes it feel safer. But the payout is smaller. A straight-up bet pays more, but it misses most of the time. The casino adjusts payouts so the built-in edge remains.
That is why serious roulette analysis starts with roulette odds and roulette payouts, not with a favorite number or betting pattern. The shape of the bet affects variance. The wheel and payout relationship determines the price.
Use the roulette odds calculator when comparing covered numbers. Use the expected loss calculator when comparing total money wagered. That second part is where players get hurt: they do not lose because one bet was unlucky; they lose because total action keeps climbing.
For any roulette bet:
P(win) = covered winning pockets / total wheel pocketsExpected value:
Expected Value = (Probability of Win × Net Win) - (Probability of Loss × Stake)Example: $10 straight-up bet on European roulette.
P(win) = 1 / 37
P(loss) = 36 / 37
EV = (1/37 × $350) - (36/37 × $10)
EV = $9.4595 - $9.7297
EV = -$0.2702That is a 2.70% expected loss on the $10 stake.
Count the pockets your chip covers. Divide by the number of pockets on the wheel. Then compare the win payout with all the losing outcomes. Roulette pays close to fair odds, but not fully fair odds. That gap is the house edge.
After this overview, read inside vs outside bets to understand hit frequency and variance. Use roulette payouts for exact payout language, then roulette odds for the probability table. The roulette house edge page explains why the wheel type matters more than bet style. For the player myth angle, read why roulette systems fail and why roulette is easy to understand but hard to beat.