How to play roulette
A simple, step-by-step guide to roulette rules – from your first chip on the table to how each bet is paid.
What is roulette and how does it work?
Roulette is a casino game with a spinning wheel and a small ball. You bet on where the ball will stop, and the dealer pays the winning bets.
The European wheel has 37 pockets: the numbers 1 through 36 and one green zero. The numbers are half red and half black. The American wheel adds a second green pocket, the 00 pocket, so it has 38 pockets.
Every spin is random and separate from the one before. The wheel does not remember past results, so a number is never "due" to come up.
Want to see the order of numbers on the wheel? Look at the wheel layout page.
The table and your chips
Next to the wheel is the betting table, also called the layout. It shows every number in a grid of three columns of twelve, plus boxes for bigger groups of numbers.
- The number grid – the numbers 1 through 36 in three columns, with the 0 at the top.
- The outside boxes – red, black, odd, even, low, high, dozens and columns.
- Chips – you place chips on the layout to show your bet. Each chip has a value.
Where you put the chip decides what you bet on. A chip right on a number is a bet on that number. A chip on a line between numbers covers all the numbers it touches.
At a real table, each player gets chips of their own color so the dealer knows whose bet is whose.
Inside bets: bets on the number grid
Inside bets go on the numbers themselves. They cover fewer numbers, so they win less often but pay more.
- Straight – one 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 a row. Chip on the outer edge of the row. Pays 11 to 1.
- Trio – the 0 with 1 and 2 or the 0 with 2 and 3 as one bet. Pays 11 to 1.
- Corner – four numbers that meet at one corner. Chip where they meet. Pays 8 to 1.
- First four – the 0 together with 1 and 2 and 3 as one bet. Pays 8 to 1.
- Line – six numbers, two rows side by side. Chip on the edge between the rows. Pays 5 to 1.
A payout of 35 to 1 means each chip you bet wins that many chips, and you also keep your original chip.
Outside bets: bets on groups of numbers
Outside bets sit in the boxes around the number grid. They cover many numbers, so they win more often but pay less.
- Red or black – all red or all black numbers. Pays 1 to 1.
- Odd or even – all odd or all even numbers. Pays 1 to 1.
- Low or high – the low numbers 1 through 18 or the high numbers 19 through 36 as one bet. Pays 1 to 1.
- Dozen – one block of twelve: the first dozen 1 through 12 or the second dozen 13 through 24 or the third dozen 25 through 36 as one bet. Pays 2 to 1.
- Column – one of the three columns of twelve. Pays 2 to 1.
The 0 is not red or black, not odd or even, and not in any dozen or column. That is why every outside bet loses when the ball lands on zero.
| 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 bet side by side on the roulette payouts page.
One round, step by step
- Place your bets. Put chips on the layout. You can make as many bets as you like within the table limits.
- "No more bets." The dealer spins the ball and soon calls this out. After that, you cannot add, move or remove chips.
- The spin. The ball goes around the wheel, slows down and drops into a pocket.
- The result. The dealer announces the number and puts a marker on it on the layout.
- Losing bets are cleared. The dealer takes all chips that did not cover the winning number.
- Winning bets are paid. The dealer pays each winning bet at its payout. Then the marker is lifted and the next round begins.
Wait until the marker is off the table before you place chips for the next round.
What happens when the ball lands on zero
Zero is a normal number for inside bets. A straight bet on 0 pays 35 to 1, and splits, trios and the first four that include 0 are paid too.
For outside bets, zero is a loss. Red, black, odd, even, low, high, dozens and columns all lose.
- European roulette – one zero, all outside bets lose on it.
- American roulette – two zeros, the 0 and 00 pockets, and outside bets lose on both.
- French roulette – often uses the La Partage rule: you get back half of your even-money bets when zero comes up.
Compare the versions on the European, American and French roulette pages.
What a beginner should know about the house edge
The green zero is how the casino makes money. Payouts are set as if the zero did not exist, so the casino keeps a small part of every bet over time.
- European roulette: house edge of 2.70% on every bet.
- American roulette: house edge of 5.26%, almost double.
- French roulette with La Partage: 1.35% on even-money bets.
No betting system changes this. Doubling up, chasing numbers or following patterns does not beat the edge. You can test this yourself in the system tester or read about the Martingale.
Roulette is a game of luck, not skill. Over many spins, the casino comes out ahead.
The best way to learn the rules is to try them. Open the roulette simulator and place bets with free play chips – no money, no risk.
Questions
What is the best bet in roulette for beginners?
No bet beats the house edge. On a European wheel every bet has the same edge of 2.70%, so pick the bet you find easiest to follow, such as red or black at 1 to 1.
What happens to my bet if the ball lands on 0?
Bets that include the zero pocket, like a straight bet on 0 at 35 to 1, win. All outside bets lose, unless the table uses La Partage, which returns half of even-money bets.
Can I change my bet after the dealer says no more bets?
No. Once the dealer calls no more bets, you cannot add, move or remove chips until the round is finished and paid.
How many numbers are on a roulette wheel?
A European wheel has 37 pockets with one zero. An American wheel has 38 pockets because it adds a second green pocket.
Is European or American roulette better for players?
European roulette costs players less. Its house edge is 2.70%, while the American wheel with two zeros has a house edge of 5.26%.