Roulette bets explained
Straight, split, corner, dozens, orphelins and more – what each roulette bet covers, what it pays, and what it really costs you.
How to bet on a roulette table
A roulette table has two parts: the grid of numbers (0–36 on a European table, plus 00 on an American table) and the boxes around it. Where you put your chip decides your bet.
- Inside bets – chips go on the numbers or on the lines between them.
- Outside bets – chips go in the big boxes around the grid, like Red or Odd.
- Call bets – you name a group of numbers by section of the wheel, used on French tables.
You place chips before the dealer closes betting. Then the ball lands in one pocket, and every bet that covers that number wins.
The fewer numbers a bet covers, the more it pays when it wins – and the less often it wins.
New to the table? Start on the European wheel simulator and drop chips in different spots to see how each bet works.
Inside bets: straight, split, corner and more
Inside bets cover one to six numbers. Here is each one by name:
- Straight – one number. Chip in the middle of the number. Pays 35 to 1.
- Split – two numbers next to each other. Chip on the line between them. Pays 17 to 1.
- Street – three numbers in one row. Chip on the outer edge of the row. Pays 11 to 1.
- Corner – four numbers that meet at one point. Chip on that corner. Pays 8 to 1.
- Six line – two rows next to each other, six numbers. Chip on the edge where the rows meet. Pays 5 to 1.
- Trio – the 0 with 1 and 2 or the 0 with 2 and 3 on a single-zero table. Pays 11 to 1.
- First four (basket) – the 0 plus 1 to 3 on a single-zero table. Pays 8 to 1.
The name "basket bet" is used in different ways. On a single-zero wheel it usually means first four. On an American wheel some tables use it for the five-number top line.
| Bet | Numbers | Pays | Chance to win | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up One number | 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| Split Two touching numbers | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5.41% | 2.70% |
| Street A row of three | 3 | 11 to 1 | 8.11% | 2.70% |
| Trio 0, 1, 2 | 3 | 11 to 1 | 8.11% | 2.70% |
| Corner Four numbers in a square | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.81% | 2.70% |
| First four 0, 1, 2, 3 | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.81% | 2.70% |
| Six line Two rows, six numbers | 6 | 5 to 1 | 16.22% | 2.70% |
| Dozen 1–12, 13–24 or 25–36 | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 2.70% |
| Column A column of twelve | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 2.70% |
| Red or black Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 2.70% |
| Even or odd Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 2.70% |
| 1–18 or 19–36 Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 2.70% |
See every payout side by side on the roulette payouts page.
Outside bets: dozens, columns and even-money bets
Outside bets cover big groups of numbers. They win more often but pay less.
- Dozens – the first, second or third group of twelve numbers on the grid. Pays 2 to 1.
- Columns – one of the three columns of twelve numbers. Pays 2 to 1.
- Red or black – pays 1 to 1.
- Odd or even – pays 1 to 1.
- Low or high – the bottom half or the top half of the numbers. Pays 1 to 1.
The zero is not red, black, odd, even, low or high. Under standard rules, every outside bet loses when the ball lands on 0 or 00 – that is where the house edge comes from.
The exception: on French tables with La Partage or En Prison, even-money bets do not simply lose on zero. You get half back, or the bet is held for the next spin.
On a European wheel, red wins 48.65% of the time. On an American wheel, it drops to 47.37%.
Even-money bets feel safe because they win often, but the price per bet is the same as a straight number on the same wheel – unless La Partage or En Prison applies, which lowers the cost of even-money bets only.
Call bets on the French racetrack: voisins, tiers, orphelins
French tables have an oval "racetrack" that shows the numbers in wheel order. Call bets cover a section of the wheel with a fixed set of chips.
- Voisins du zéro (neighbours of zero) – 17 numbers from 22 to 25 around the zero, using 9 chips.
- Tiers du cylindre (third of the wheel) – 12 numbers from 27 to 33 opposite the zero, using 6 chips.
- Orphelins (orphans) – the 8 numbers left over: 17 and 34 and 6 on one side of the wheel, and 1 and 20 and 14 and 31 and 9 on the other side. It uses 5 chips.
- Jeu zéro (zero game) – 7 numbers closest to zero: the 0 plus 26 and 3 and 35 and 12 on one side and 32 and 15 on the other side. It uses 4 chips.
- Neighbours – one number plus the two on each side of it on the wheel, one chip on each.
Call bets are groups of ordinary inside bets. Tiers and orphelins use only straights and splits. Voisins also adds a trio on the 0 and 2 and 3 and a corner on the 25 and 26 and 28 and 29 for some of its chips. They do not change the odds.
The house edge on a call bet is the same as on a straight bet on that wheel, 2.70%. La Partage and En Prison do not help here – they lower the cost of even-money bets only.
Learn more on the French roulette page and see where each number sits on the wheel layout page.
Which roulette bet is best?
Here is the plain answer: on one wheel with the same rules, almost every bet costs the same.
- European wheel – every bet has a house edge of 2.70%.
- American wheel – every bet has a house edge of 5.26%, except one.
- Top line on American – it covers the 0 and 00 plus 1 to 3 and pays 6 to 1. Its house edge is 7.89%. This is the worst bet on the table.
- French rules – La Partage or En Prison lower the edge on even-money bets only. All other bets stay at 2.70%.
| Bet | Numbers | Pays | Chance to win | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up One number | 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.63% | 5.26% |
| Split Two touching numbers | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5.26% | 5.26% |
| Street A row of three | 3 | 11 to 1 | 7.89% | 5.26% |
| Trio 0, 1, 2 | 3 | 11 to 1 | 7.89% | 5.26% |
| Corner Four numbers in a square | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.53% | 5.26% |
| Top line (first five) 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 | 5 | 6 to 1 | 13.16% | 7.89% |
| Six line Two rows, six numbers | 6 | 5 to 1 | 15.79% | 5.26% |
| Dozen 1–12, 13–24 or 25–36 | 12 | 2 to 1 | 31.58% | 5.26% |
| Column A column of twelve | 12 | 2 to 1 | 31.58% | 5.26% |
| Red or black Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
| Even or odd Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
| 1–18 or 19–36 Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
So the bet you pick matters less than the wheel and rules you play with. The best choices, from cheapest:
- French wheel with La Partage, even-money bets – you get half back when zero hits. Edge: 1.35%.
- European wheel – one zero. Edge: 2.70%.
- American wheel – two zeros. Edge: 5.26%.
A lower edge means you lose slower on average. It does not mean you win. No bet and no system beats the house edge over time.
Want proof? Run any betting pattern in the system tester. Over many spins, the loss as a share of your total bet tends to get closer to the house edge.
Compare the wheels on the American roulette page and read why on our roulette strategy page.
Can you bet on every number in roulette?
Yes, you can. But you lose a little on every single spin.
On a European wheel there are 37 numbers. Put one chip on each, and exactly one wins. It pays 35 to 1, so you get back fewer chips than you put down.
- On a European wheel you lose one chip on every spin, no matter where the ball lands.
- That one chip out of 37 is the house edge: 1/37, or 2.70%.
- On an American wheel with 38 numbers, you lose two chips per spin, which is 1/19 of your total bet.
This shows how roulette works: the payouts are set a little lower than the true odds. Covering more numbers only changes how often you win, not what it costs.
Read more about why on the zero page.
Covering lots of numbers feels like a sure thing, but the math stays the same: the zero takes its share every time.
Questions
What is the best bet in roulette?
On one wheel with the same rules, all bets have the same house edge, except the American top line, which is worse at 7.89%. The exception in your favor is La Partage or En Prison on French tables, which lowers the cost of even-money bets only – with La Partage they cost 1.35%.
What is a basket bet in roulette?
On a single-zero table, the basket (first four) covers the 0 plus 1 to 3 and pays 8 to 1. On some American tables the name is used for the top line, which covers 0 and 00 plus 1 to 3 and pays 6 to 1.
What numbers are in orphelins?
Orphelins covers 8 numbers: 17 and 34 and 6 on one side of the wheel, and 1 and 20 and 14 and 31 and 9 on the other side. It uses 5 chips, one straight bet on 1 and splits on the rest.
Can you bet on every number in roulette?
Yes, but only one number wins and it pays 35 to 1. On a European wheel you lose one chip every spin, which is the house edge of 2.70%; on an American wheel you lose two chips, or 5.26%.
What does a split bet pay in roulette?
A split covers two numbers next to each other and pays 17 to 1. A corner covers four numbers and pays 8 to 1, and a six line covers six numbers and pays 5 to 1.