Roulette Rules: Bets, Odds and European vs. American
5 min read
Roulette is the most elegant game in the casino – and one of the simplest. Ball rolls, number wins. The skill lies in understanding the bets and their odds.
The wheel: European or American?
- European roulette: 37 pockets (0–36), house edge 2.7%
- American roulette: 38 pockets (0, 00, 1–36), house edge 5.26%
The double zero nearly doubles the house edge – with identical payouts. There is not a single reason to play American when a European wheel is available.
Inside bets (big payouts, rare hits)
| Bet | Numbers | Payout | Chance (EU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight (one number) | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 5.41% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 10.81% |
| Six line | 6 | 5:1 | 16.22% |
Outside bets (small payouts, frequent hits)
| Bet | Payout | Chance (EU) |
|---|---|---|
| Red/Black | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Odd/Even | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| 1–18 / 19–36 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Dozen / column | 2:1 | 32.43% |
Note: even “even-money” bets win less than 50% of the time – the zero belongs to the house.
Are there winning strategies?
Short answer: no. Systems like Martingale (double after every loss) don’t change the house edge – they only reshape the risk: many small wins against rare, ruinous losing streaks. Every spin is independent; the wheel has no memory.
What you actually control:
- Wheel choice – always play European
- Bet size – determines your risk per hour
- Session length – the longer you play, the closer your result drifts to the house edge
Practise first, then understand
The free roulette demo teaches you the table layout without risking a cent. And our roulette odds calculator shows chance, payout and house edge for every bet instantly.