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Roulette wheels and tables are the same everywhere, except for one small thing that has a big impact on your odds. In North America, the wheel usually has green 0 and 00 spots, known “zero” and “double zero,” respectively. The European version generally does not have double zero. 

*see Payouts and probability below

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Outside

Bets on big groups of numbers on the “outside” of the table. Outside bets generally have lower odds than inside bets.

Inside

Bets on specific numbers or small groups of numbers on the “inside” of the table. Inside bets generally have higher odds than outside bets.

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The house advantage on roulette is not great compared to other casino table games. In other words, you can expect to lose more playing roulette than if you played something else. For instance, blackjack played with basic strategy has a house advantage of 0.5 percent, and fortune pai gow poker has a house advantage of less than one percent—compared to roulette’s 5.26 percent. The numbers suggest you might want to give another game a spin.

The house advantage on a North American roulette wheel is 5.26 percent for all bets except the five-number bet of 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3, which has a house advantage of 7.89 percent. 

Remember that roulette is a game of pure chance. There’s no skill involved, so there’s nothing you can do to improve your odds of winning.

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The roulette table

 

 

Outside bets Inside bets
1. High or low
Payout: 1 to 1
Probability of hitting: 47.37%		 6. Three-number bet (0, 00, 2)
Payout: 11 to 1
Probability of hitting: 7.89%
2. Red or black
Payout: 1 to 1
Probability of hitting: 47.37%		 7. Six line bet on six numbers
Payout: 5 to 1
Probability of hitting: 15.79%
3. Odd or even
Payout: 1 to 1
Probability of hitting: 47.37%		 8. Corner bet on four numbers
Payout: 8 to 1
Probability of hitting: 10.53%
4. Dozen bet
Payout: 2 to 1
Probability of hitting: 32.43%		 9. Street bet on three numbers
Payout: 11 to 1
Probability of hitting: 7.89%
5. Column bet on 12 numbers
Payout: 2 to 1
Probability of hitting: 32.43%		 10. Split bet on two numbers
Payout: 17 to 1
Probability of hitting: 5.26%
  11. Straight up bet on one number
Payout: 35 to 1
Probability of hitting: 2.63

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Game House advantage, with optimal play
Baccarat 1.06%
Blackjack 0.5%
Craps 0.8%
Fortune pai gow poker 0.5 to 2.5%
Poker 2 to 3.5%
Lottery 50%
Roulette 5.3%
Slot machines 8% (average)

Take it for a spin

Every spin has an equal chance

But remember, all the lucky charms in the world won’t affect the results of winning or losing.

It doesn’t matter if you just lost three times in a row, or 40 times. The odds of winning don’t change.

The only thing you can control is how much you bet, how often you play, and for how long.

That’s why many players set a limit beforehand — it’s the best way to keep chance-based games fun.

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