Roulette is an exciting game of chance that first appeared in France in the 18th century. Since its introduction to the gambling world hundreds of years ago, few changes have been made to the game. It’s this timeless appeal that has cemented it as one of the classic casino table games globally.
Learn more about the roulette wheel and table, the basic rules of roulette, and discover a few tips to get started in this popular gambling table game.
The Roulette Wheel
The first thing players notice about a roulette table is its iconic wheel with black, red, and green pockets. The wheel primarily alternates between black and red pockets, with odd and even numbers distributed across the two colours. There are eight red odds and 10 red evens, as well as eight black odds and 10 black evens. The total value of these numbers adds up to 666 (which is just one of the many interesting facts about roulette).
There are also one or two green pockets, depending on the version of roulette a player chooses. The number of green pockets varies depending on whether the player picks a version of the game with an American roulette wheel or a European roulette wheel.
The Difference Between American and European Roulette Wheels
The classic European roulette wheel has 37 pockets in total. These pockets are numbered 0–36. The zero is green, and the rest of the numbers alternate between black and red. These numbers are randomized in the sense that they don’t follow each other consecutively, but they do have a very simple structure. Excluding the green pockets, there are two major categories of numbers: 1–18 and 19–36. The numbers on this wheel always alternate between numbers from these two categories, excluding five and 10, which sit next to each other on the European roulette wheel.
The modern American roulette wheel has 38 pockets. There are two green pockets labelled 0 and 00, in addition to the standard pockets from 1–36 that alternate between black and red. The layout of numbers also differs in that numbers that differ by one are almost opposite each other on the wheel, and they always alternate between red and black. For example, one and two are almost opposite each other, and one is red and two is black. Another example is 29 and 30, with 29 being black and 30 being red.
The sequencing of numbers might not seem like a major change, but since roulette is a game of chance, the extra number on the American roulette wheel affects the house edge. The house edge for roulette with a European wheel is 2.70%. With an American roulette wheel, the house edge is almost doubled to 5.26%.
The Roulette Table
Roulette tables in both European and American variants are virtually identical. Each version places the wheel at one end of the table, with a felt grid of labelled betting squares next to it.
The heart of the felt is a three-column grid with numbers 1–36. Each square is a single number. Above the grid sits the zero area, which shows either a single zero (European roulette layout) or both a zero and a double zero (American roulette layout). Other boxes are labelled for larger group bets covering several numbers at once. This section of the roulette table displays all inside and outside bets.
On some roulette tables, especially in online roulette games, there’s also the “roulette racetrack.” These are additional wagers laid out in a shape that looks like a horse racing racetrack. Despite the difference in shape, these extra bets follow the same order of numbers as their respective roulette wheels.
Inside Bets
Here are the different types of roulette bets that players will find on both kinds of online roulette tables:
- Straight-up: A bet placed on any single number. Pays +3,500.
- Split: A bet placed on the line between two adjacent numbers. Pays +1,700.
- Street: A bet placed at the row’s outer edge to cover three numbers in a row. Pays +1,100.
- Corner: A bet placed on an intersection between four numbers. Pays +800.
- Line/Double Street: A bet placed on the shared edge at the end of two adjacent rows to cover six numbers. Pays +500.
- Trio bet: A wager on 0-1-2 or 0-2-3 in European variants, or 0-00-2 or 00-2-3 in American variants. Pays +1,100.
- Basket/Top-Line bet (European variants): A wager covering 0-1-2-3, shown near the zero pockets. Pays +800.
- Basket/Top-Line bet (American variants): A wager covering 0-00-1-2-3, shown near the zero pockets. Pays +600.
These payouts reflect standard roulette rules; actual payouts may vary slightly depending on the online casino or game provider.
Outside Bets
These sit just outside the number matrix. Here are all of the different types of outside bets a player can make:
- Columns: A bet placed on one of three rectangles beneath the grid, each covering 12 numbers arranged vertically. Pays +200.
- Dozens: A bet placed on one of three boxes labelled 1–12, 13–24, or 25–36. Pays +200.
- Even-Money Areas: Red/Black, Odd/Even, 1–18 / 19–36: Along the long sides of the number matrix grid are six even-money panels: Red, Black, Odd, Even, 1–18, and 19–36. Pays +100.
Racetrack Bets
The European roulette racetrack typically has three additional bet types:
- Voisins du Zero: 17 numbers, including zero and its immediate neighbours on the roulette wheel.
- Tiers (aka Tiers du Cylindre): 12 neighbouring numbers of the roulette wheel, roughly opposite Voisins du Zero.
- Orphelins: The remaining eight numbers not covered by the Voisins du Zero and Tiers bets, split into two groups of neighbours on the roulette wheel.
The Basic Rules of Roulette
Despite how intimidating the roulette wheel and table layout might seem, it’s very easy to play roulette. All a player needs to do is decide where to place their wager by choosing from one of the various betting options on the roulette table, placing their bet, and waiting for the dealer to start the game. The dealer will spin the wheel and drop a roulette ball into the wheel. Once the wheel has stopped spinning and the roulette ball has landed in a pocket, the player will know if they won or lost.
For those who’d like to learn more about playing roulette, BetMGM Casino has a guide to playing online roulette that unpacks everything there is to know. They can also discover more about roulette betting systems and the ideas and theory behind them.
