Roulette is a game of chance that’s easy to learn. You simply place bets on where the ball is going to land when the roulette wheel stops spinning. Bet by placing your chips on the table layout, in any combination you want. If you guess right, you win.
How ROULETTE WORKS
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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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| 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
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