How To Learn Roulette Payouts
Roulette Payouts & Odds
Quick Links
European Roulette Payouts & Odds
French Roulette Payouts & Odds
Roulette Bet Types Explained
Roulette House Edge Explained
Best Roulette Casinos
You've probably seen a roulette table before even if you've never played. They're an iconic image from any casino. While the wheel may look intimidating the game is actually very simple to learn. The object of Roulette is to pick the number where the spinning ball will land on the wheel.
Best Online Roulette Odds
- Ditto the payouts on the combination bets. This discrepancy is where the house gets its huge edge in roulette. Starting with the basics. Strategy is critical if you want to increase your odds of winning. The first time you play roulette, the players sprinkling the layout with chips may look as if they’re heaping pepperoni slices on a pizza.
- With this bet, the payout will be 17 to 1, and you’ll have a winning percentage chance of 5.41% in European roulette and 5.260% in American roulette. Corner – With a corner bet, you’re wagering on four numbers that form a kind of square on the table, like 22, 23, 25, and 26, for instance.
- European Roulette – Up to 95.5%
- American Roulette – Up to 94.5%
- French Roulette – Up to 94.5%
Roulette is one of the easiest casino games to play and is also one of the oldest games available in casinos around the world. So how do roulette payouts and odds work?
Roulette has a consistent house edge and straightforward odds. You’ll learn everything you need to know about the edge and odds on this page as well as an explanation of each possible bet you can make at the table.
As you learn more about the house edge you’ll see that even at the tables with the best odds for the player the edge is higher than you’ll find at games like blackjack, baccarat, and some video poker machines.
BetOnline Offering the Best Odds on Roulette
- European Roulette – Up to 95.5%
- American Roulette – Up to 94.5%
- French Roulette – Up to 94.5%
Can You Win Playing Roulette?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of only thinking about the percentage of the house edge of casino games, but many times you end up losing less per hour, and in turn being able to play longer, by playing a higher edge house game.
How To Learn Roulette Payouts Online
One of the main advantages of playing roulette is you play fewer spins per hour than you play hands per hour at the blackjack table, baccarat table, or at the video poker machine. When you combine this with the simple game-play where all of the bets have the same edge, roulette is a good choice for many casino players.
Odds and Edge on Three Different Roulette Wheels
Take a look at the odds, payouts, and house edge that are offered when playing on the American, European, or French roulette wheels.
American Roulette Payouts
Be sure to look at the section on how the house edge works to get familiar with why American roulette has a higher edge than European or French. Let’s take a look at the odds you face on each inside bet as well as the corresponding payouts. This is based on the US wheel.
Odds Chart American Roulette Payouts, Odds, Bets, and House Edge
American Roulette – Inside Bets | |||
---|---|---|---|
Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
Straight Up | 37 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 5.26% |
Split | 18 to 1 | 17 to 1 | 5.26% |
Street | 11.7 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 5.26% |
Trio | 11.7 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 5.26% |
Corner | 8.5 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 5.26% |
Five Number | 6.6 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 7.9% |
Six Line | 5.33 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5.26% |
The house edge on outside bets work on the sample principle but, as you’ll see in the following table, both the odds against winning and the payouts are much lower.
American Roulette – Outside Bets | |||
---|---|---|---|
Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
Red or Black | 1.11 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 5.26% |
Even or Odd | 1.11 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 5.26% |
High or Low | 1.11 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 5.26% |
Dozens | 2.17 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 5.26% |
Columns | 2.17 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 5.26% |
- Go All-American and Play American Roulette at Bovada
- International Players Give American Roulette a spin at Betway Casino
European Roulette Payouts
European roulette wheels don’t have a double zero space so the odds are better for the player. It is the most popular type of roulette played at most of the online casinos, as the house edge and odds of winning make it the best choice for avid players. Let’s take a look at the odds you face on each inside bet as well as the corresponding payouts.
Odds Chart European Roulette Payouts, Odds, Bets, and House Edge
European Roulette – Inside Bets | |||
---|---|---|---|
Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
Straight Up | 36 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.7% |
Split | 17.5 to 1 | 17 to 1 | 2.7% |
Street | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 2.7% |
Trio | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 2.7% |
Corner | 8.25 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 2.7% |
Six Line | 5.17 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 2.7% |
European Roulette – Outside Bets | |||
Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
Red or Black | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 2.7% |
Even or Odd | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 2.7% |
High or Low | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 2.7% |
Dozens | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2.7% |
Columns | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2.7% |
- Enjoy European Roulette and up to $3,000 Casino Bonus at Bovada
- Enjoy European Roulette and up to $1000 Casino Bonus at Betway
French Roulette Payouts
The only difference between European roulette and French roulette is that in French roulette if you bet on high, low, red, black, odd, or even and the ball lands on zero, you only lose half your bet. So, the house edge on these bets is half of what it is on a European wheel. Let’s take a look at the odds you face on each inside bet as well as the corresponding payouts.
Odds Chart French Roulette Payouts, Odds, Bets, and House Edge
French Roulette – Inside Bets | |||
---|---|---|---|
Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
Straight Up | 36 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.7% |
Split | 17.5 to 1 | 17 to 1 | 2.7% |
Street | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 2.7% |
Trio | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 2.7% |
Corner | 8.25 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 2.7% |
Six Line | 5.17 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 2.7% |
French Roulette – Outside Bets | |||
Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
Red or Black | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1.35% |
Even or Odd | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1.35% |
High or Low | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1.35% |
Dozens | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2.7% |
Columns | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2.7% |
Experienced gamblers avoid the US wheel, in favor of the European version –or even better, the French Roulette game, which has the best odds of all roulette payouts.
- US-based players will find these low-edge variations at the BetOnline
- International players can enjoy the low-edge French Roulette at 888 Casino
Bet Types Explained
There are two types of bets that a player can place –inside and outside bets. These are relative to where you would actually place your chips on the table. Learning the type of bet and where to place the bet will help you know what your possible roulette payout will be.
Inside Bets
Single or StraightThis is a bet on a single number and is made by placing a chip or chips covering the number completely inside the box surrounding the number. |
SplitA bet on two numbers, a split is made by placing a chip or chips on the line between two numbers. |
StreetA street bet is on three numbers across the display, such as 31, 32, and 33. This bet is made by placing a chip or chips on the outside edge line on either end of the street. In this example, you place a bet on the leftmost line of the 31 or the rightmost line of the 33. |
Corner or SquareA corner or square bet is a bet on four numbers made by placing a chip or chips on the corner shared by all four numbers. |
Six Line or Double StreetThis is a bet on two streets made by placing a chip or chips on the outside line where the two streets meet. |
TrioA trio bet is a bet on three numbers that include at least a zero or double zero. The bet is made by placing a chip or chips on the intersecting line of the three numbers. |
Basket or First FourA bet on numbers zero, one, two, and three on a single zero wheel, made by placing a chip or chips on the outside corner of the zero and one or zero and three. |
Top Line or Five NumberA bet on the double zero, zero, one, two, and three on a double zero wheel, made by placing a chip or chips on the outside corner of the zero and one or double zero and three. |
Outside Bets
High or LowThis bet is on either 19 to 36 for high or 1 to 18 for low. Each table has a designated area for this bet. |
Red or BlackThis bet is either on red or black and each table has a designated area for each of these wagers. |
Even or OddThis bet is that the number will be even or odd. The table has a designated area for these bets. |
DozenThe dozens bets are for the first 12 numbers, 1 to 12, the second twelve, 13 to 24, or the third dozen, 25 to 36. Dozens bets are placed in the designated area, usually to the left of the numbers printed on the felt. |
ColumnA column bet is for one of the 12 numbers in the first, second, or third column will land on the wheel. These bets are placed along the bottom of the numbers on the felt under the column you wish to bet on. |
How the Roulette House Edge Works
Bets in roulette range from simple ‘coin flip’ chances such as red or black, to inside bets which have payouts of a huge 35-to-1. Having an understanding of how these odds are calculated and how they affect your overall bankroll and betting strategy can help your Roulette game immensely. This includes understanding which wheel has the best return on the bets you make.
What is the House Edge in Roulette?
House edge is the long-term profit casinos make from every bet. This will vary between games (Keno is particularly loathsome at 27% while basic bets in Baccarat are under 1.25%). Roulette’s house edge clocks in at 5.26% for the US wheel and 2.7% for the single zero European version.
How is the House Edge Calculated?
A straight-up bet requires 1 of 38 numbers (the 1-36 numbers along with 0 and 00) to come in, meaning you are facing odds of 37-1 against your number winning (36-1 against with the European wheel).
35 to 1 Payout in Roulette
When you are lucky enough to win a straight-up bet, the payout is only 35-1. Putting this into dollar terms, a winning $1 bet on the number 19 will result in a $35 profit when the true odds dictate that you should receive $37 instead. Taking this into consideration, you can calculate the house edge of Roulette by simply taking that $2 difference and divide it by 38 (the total amount of numbers on the table).
It’s All About the Zeroes – Payouts for O and OO Roulette
For ‘outside’ bets the edge is controlled by the zeroes. When you bet on red/black or odd/even (for example) and the ball lands on the green zero – all bets lose.
This means that the US wheel makes these bets twice as likely to lose as the European wheel. There is a 3rd variation of the game, known as ‘French Roulette’, which returns half of your stake from even money bets when the ball hits the single zero slot. This lowers the house edge considerably. Though exactly how much, will depend on the proportion of inside and outside bets you make.
Roulette Payouts & Odds – Conclusion
If possible, try to find a French roulette wheel when you play, but at the very least stick with a European wheel.
The American wheels cut your playing time in half by charging you twice the house edge of the European wheels.
You can find European wheels in almost every online casino, including all of the ones we recommend on this site and in most land-based casinos. If you don’t see a single zero wheel ask someone. If they don’t offer one consider playing somewhere else.
Other Helpful Resources
- Wikipedia roulette page.
- Wizard of Odds roulette page.
Online Casinos Featuring the Best Roulette Payouts & Odds
Roulette is one of the most popular casino games among new and skilled players. It has the social aspect many people yearn for and is easily understood thanks to the minimal roulette payout rules involved.
Despite everything it has going for it, however, it’s not a game that you can go into with no prior understanding of how the game works.
The most important aspect to learn are the roulette payout rules, as these will tell you what chances you have of winning each game.
Although these rules can apply to all casino games, learning roulette-specific ones is extremely beneficial because it is a game that relies far more on mathematical probabilities than chance.
It’s also important to be able to identify the type of roulette you’re playing because this can also affect the payout rules. This isn’t as difficult as it might sound.
How To Learn Roulette Payouts
In this article, we will take you through all the payout rules you need to know before entering a casino so you can maximize your profits.
The Different Types Of Roulette Games
Before we get into specific payout rules, we must touch on the different types of roulette.
The type with which people are probably most familiar is American roulette. In this version of the game, there are 38 pockets for the roulette ball.
In the European version, there are just 36 red and black pockets.
The additional two pockets in the American version are for a single 0 and a double 00. In the European version, there is just one green 0 pocket.
This creates a significant difference in the roulette payout rules, as the reduction of the 00 pocket gives better odds to a player.
The American version has a higher house edge, which can make it more difficult to reap the bigger prizes.
This isn’t meant to discourage you; American roulette is by far the more popular version, and many people have had big wins using it.
How Roulette Payout Works
In roulette, a payout is calculated based on the odds from the bet you have made.
The odds themselves are stated in the form of x to 1, meaning if you win, you’ll get x amount of every dollar you’ve bet.
This is a pretty simple way of keeping on top of what you can expect to win, preventing you from overspending as long as you keep an eye on it.
If you see a single number bet offering a payout of 40 to 1, for example, you will receive back the dollar you originally bet and an additional $40 if you win.
Different Types Of Roulette Bets
Fundamentally, understanding a roulette payout is extremely simple.
It’s important to bear in mind, however, that the way a payout works can change depending on the type of roulette bet you make.
We’ll go into detail about the impact these bets can make further along in the article, but for now, these are the different bets you need to remember when playing roulette.
If you’re playing at the American roulette table, there’s some good news for you; you only need to remember two different bets!
The first is the outside bet, which refers to bets made “outside” of the 38 numbers of the table.
The second is the inside bet, which refers to any bet made on a specific number or group of numbers on the inside of the table.
If you’re playing in a European or French casino, there is a third kind of bet you need to watch for.
This is known as an announced bet, which simply involves calling out a bet and placing chips on the table.
These chips don’t need to correlate with the place the player has called out their bet, but they must be somewhere on the table by the time the round ends.
Payouts On Outside Bets
As mentioned, outside bets are the safest type of bets you can make on the roulette table because they have the highest odds.
This, in turn, means that your ability to achieve a roulette payout is far easier than if you were to choose an inside bet.
For this reason, outside bets are usually favored by beginners, or those visiting a casino on a more casual basis.
The most important point to remember is that outside bets are not made on a particular number on the board.
You will lose your payout if the ball lands on either the 0 or 00 pockets.
Instead of the numbers, outside bets rely on several betting terms that you can use to describe the different types of bets you want to make, which we’ll go through below.
Red Or Black
Perhaps one of the most famous terms in roulette, this bet involves betting on either the red or black pockets present on the board.
If your color wins, you will receive a payout of 1 to 1, meaning you will win $1 for every $1 you bet.
If you placed a $10 bet on red and it won, for example, you would receive a $20 roulette payout in return, to cover your winnings and the initial bet you made.
Odd or Even
By placing an odd or even bet, you are betting that the ball will land either on an odd number or an even number.
If you choose even, 0 and 00 do not count and you will still lose your money if the ball lands on these numbers.
As the chances of winning this bet are pretty much equal, they come out with the same payout as red or black or 1 to 1.
Low or High
On a roulette table, the black and red numbers can be split into two categories for this bet.
Numbers 1 to 18, are referred to as low numbers, while 19 to 36 are considered high numbers.In American roulette, the final two numbers aren’t used.
To place your bet, you need to decide whether the bet will land on a lower number or a higher number.
This is another bet where the chances of winning are pretty much equal, meaning the payout stays at a rate of 1 to 1.
Columns
Columns is another bet that doesn’t involve 37 or 38 on the board, splitting the rest into three columns of twelve numbers each.
To win this bet, the ball must land on one of the numbers in the column you choose at the end of the round.
As the chances of winning are slightly reduced with this bet, it has a payout of 2 to 1 if you win.
This means that if you bet $10, you will win $30 in total.
Dozens
Dozens is a similar outside bet to columns, but instead of betting on specific columns you instead bet on the first, second, or third dozen of numbers.
To win, the ball must land on one of the numbers for which you have placed a bet.
For the reasons explained in the column section, this bet also has a payout of 2 to 1 if you win.
Payouts On Inside Bets
Inside bets include any bet you make against any single number or a small set of numbers on the board during a round of roulette. The easiest way to keep track of this is to remember that these bets focus on the inside of the roulette layout.
Inside bets are usually favored by those who have some experience at a roulette table because they win less often, but when they do, they tend to payout more.
As with outside bets, there are various ways that you can group numbers together, with handy terms used to explain each type of bet.
Straight
A straight bet, sometimes referred to as a single-number bet, is a term used when people place a bet on one number on the roulette table.
This is the riskiest bet you can make in a game of roulette as it has the lowest winning probability, at 2.70% on European roulette and 2.63% on American roulette.
Understandably, the payout on these is considerably higher; the highest in the entire game of roulette, in fact, at 35 to 1.
This means that if you bet $10 and win, you will receive a payout of $360.
Split
To complete a split bet, you must bet on two numbers that sit next to each other on the table. To clarify your bet, you must place the chip on the line between the two numbers.
Slightly less risky than betting on a single number, this does have a slightly lower payout at 17 to 1.
This means that if you bet $10, you will receive $180 if you win.
Street
A street bet is when someone bets on a row of three numbers, such as 4, 5 and 6.
To clarify this bet, you need to place your chip on the outside of the three numbers you have bet on.
Less risky again, this bet will give you a payout of 11 to 1. This means if you bet $10, you’ll receive $120 if you win.
Corner
Sometimes known as a square bet, corner betting involves betting on four numbers that form a square on the table, such as 1, 2, 4, and 5.
If you win this bet, you will receive a payout of 8 to 1. This means if you bet $10, you will receive $90 if you win.
Five Number
A five-number bet, sometimes known as a basket bet, is only available on American roulette tables and can only consist of one combination: zero, double zero, one, two and three.
To confirm this bet, you need to place the chip on the outside corner line between the 1 and the 0.
Although this bet is rarely played, it’s still legitimate, and plays out at a rate of 6 to 1. This means if you bet $10, you would receive $70 if you won.
Six Number
A six-number bet, sometimes known as a line bet, involves betting on two rows of numbers for a total of 6 numbers altogether.
These bets are won quite regularly, which is reflected in the payout price of just 5 to 1. This means if you were to bet $10 and win, you’d receive $60 in return.
Payouts On Announced Bets
If you’re playing European roulette, you’ll also be able to play an announced bet on a roulette wheel.
This allows you to bet on large portions on the roulette wheel, which you confirm by calling out and/or placing your chips on the associated sections of the table.
When it comes to this type of betting, there are two types you need to be aware of; fixed and variable announced bets.
There are five different kinds of announced bets, which we will go on to explain below.
Neighbors Of Zero
This term is used to explain bets that cover 17 of the total numbers on the roulette wheel.
These numbers must be close to the zero, and you have to place at least 9 chips to cover all the numbers.
The roulette payout on this number isn’t fixed, having the ability to reach 24 to 1 depending on which numbers win in the round.
This means that if you bet $10, you will receive up to $250 if you win.
Thirds of the Wheel
This term is used to explain a bet that covers the 12 numbers directly opposite the ones from the above bet.
The payout, although considerably lower than the Neighbors of Zero, is comparable to the likes of the column and dozen bets at around 17 to 1.
If you bet $10, you will then receive $180 if your numbers win.
Zero Game
If you want a game that’s similar to Neighbors of Zero, the Zero game is perfect for you. This is because it only covers the 7 numbers closest to the green zero slot.
With reduced opportunities to win, the payout odds also increase, to around 26 to 1. This means if you bet just $10, you would receive $270 if you win.
The Orphans
In roulette, the orphan numbers are the numbers between the left and right side of the roulette wheel. This includes 8 numbers total; 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31, and 34.
With your chances of winning standing at just over 20% and no fixed payout, you can win anywhere up to 26 to 1 depending on a variety of factors.
If you receive the maximum payout, you will receive the same odds as with the Zero Game bet.
The Neighbors and The Finals
These two bets are commonly referred to as variable bets because they don’t have a specific roulette payout.
This is where you need to look at individual payout tables or ask an attendant at the casino you’re visiting to find out just how much you could make from these bets.
If you aren’t experienced, it might be best to avoid these bets until you are comfortable taking calculated risks.
Summary
Roulette is one of those casino games where understanding how the payouts work is essential.
While some might claim it takes the fun out of the game, it can help people avoid substantial losses and may even increase investments earned by the end of the night.
From this article, it’s clear to see that the best roulette payouts come from placing risky inside bets, but more reliable results can be found from those willing to stick to outside bets.
Once you’ve built up your skills, you may even choose to look into placing announced bets on a European board as a way of further enhancing your payout opportunities.
Now that you have the basics under your belt, you have all the information you need to head out onto the casino floor and bet to your heart’s content!