When it comes to gambling, few casino games captivate the thrill-seekers quite like roulette. The spinning wheel, suspenseful ball drops, and a myriad of betting options make roulette a crowd favorite. A single spin can change a person’s fortune. But many experienced roulette players don’t just take chances. They use roulette strategies to maximize their game winnings.
But before that, for beginners, it’s essential to understand the roulette wheel and the roulette table.
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Roulette Table Setup
The roulette setup is simple: the left side of the table has the roulette wheel, and the right side is called the roulette table. The table is covered in green cloth, and it has a grid with two sections. In the first section, gamblers place chips on inside bets, and in the second section, chips are placed on the outside bets.
Inside Bets on Roulette table
The part of the table with roulette numbers marked from 0-36 is where gamblers can bet on specific numbers. If it is American roulette, the numbers also include the double zero. To place their bets, the gamblers put their chips inside the cells marked by a white grid. It’s simple to understand these roulette table numbers. They correspond to the numbers marked on the roulette wheel where the ball decides the gambler’s fate.
Since betting on one of these numbers has a lower chance of winning, the payout is higher.
Unlike what some people might think, there is not just one way of betting on the numbers in roulette. Here are some other ways that players place inside bets on the roulette table:
- Single bets (Straight up)
- Split bets
- Street Bets
- Square or Corner Bets
- Six Line Bet
- Top Line Bet
Straight up (Single Bets)
The simplest way to bet on a roulette table grid is to place chips on top of a single number. If the ball lands on the number after the spin, this bet will pay 35 to 1. That means if you bet $1 on a single number, you will get a $35 + $1 payout.
Split Bets on Roulette Table
Another way to place bets on the roulette table is to bet on two adjacent numbers on the board. It could be two consecutive numbers in the number sequence or numbers that share a line. The criteria that the numbers share a line on the roulette grid is essential because to bet, the players must place the chips on the line the two numbers share. If either of the two numbers is hit on the next spin, the player will win a 17 to 1. If they bet $1 on two adjacent numbers, they will get a $17 + $1 payout.
Street Bets
This kind of bet is placed on three numbers in a row. The roulette table’s grid follows a numeric sequence, unlike the roulette wheel. So, in the street bet, the player will be betting on three consecutive numbers according to the number sequence. Since there are 12 rows, this bet pays 11 to 1 to the winner. If you bet $1 on numbers 1, 2, and 3 by placing your chips at the edge of the row, and suppose the ball lands on 2, you will get a payout of $11 + $1.
Square or Corner Bets
Square or corner bets again reduce the risk of betting. As the name suggests, this bet is made on a square of numbers. So, the player bets on four numbers on the roulette board. The bet is made by placing the chips on a point that the four numbers share. If the ball lands on any of these numbers on the roulette wheel, the player wins 8 to 1.
To make it simple, if you bet $1 on the roulette table numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5, and suppose the ball lands on 4, you will get a payout of $8 + $1.
Roulette Table and Betting on Six Line Bet
This bet again reduces the betting risk because the player bets on six numbers rather than one or two. However, the catch with this bet is that the player can bet on numbers situated in two adjacent lines. The chips are placed at the line between the two rows on the grid’s side. If any of the six numbers land, the player wins 5 to 1.
So, if you bet $1 on numbers 1-6, and the ball lands on any of these numbers, you will get $5 + $1 in winnings. This example is to make it simple for beginners to understand the betting rule, otherwise, players bet a lot more on the inside bets, leading to more payouts.
Top Line Bet
Since American roulette has an additional roulette zero, it also offers a unique bet option. The player can bet on five numbers, 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 which form the top line of the roulette grid. This bet pays 6 to 1, meaning $6 + $1 winning for a $1 bet.
Inside Bets Summary Table
Bet Type | Example | Payout |
---|---|---|
Single bets | 4 | 35:1 |
Split bets | Either 4 or 5 | 17:1 |
Street bets | Either 10, 11, or 12 | 11:1 |
Square bets/ Corner bets | Either 32, 33, 35, or 36 | 8:1 |
Six-line bet | Either 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, or, 36 | 5:1 |
Top line bet (only American Roulette) | Either 0, 00, 1, 2, or 3 | 6:1 |
Outside Bets
The part on the right side of the roulette table has twelve options. These twelve options comprise the outside bets of the roulette table. Nine of these twelve options are located beneath the inside betting grid. The column bets are located on the side of the grid. Here are the twelve options for the outside bets:
- Even number
- Odd number
- Red colored compartment
- Black colored compartment
- 1st twelve numbers (1-12)
- 2nd twelve numbers (13-24)
- 3rd twelve numbers (25-36)
- 1 to 18
- 19 to 36
- Column bet (1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34)
- Column bet (2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35)
- Column bet (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36)
The outside bets on the roulette table have a higher chance of winning and are less risky. Because the risk is lower, the payout is lower compared to winning on an inside bet. Odd/ even bets, color bets, and 1-18/ 19-36 pay even money or 1:1. So if you bet $100, you will get $100 in winnings, doubling your amount.
On the other hand, a dozen bets and column bets pay 2 to 1. Meaning that if you bet $100, you will get $200 if you win the bet totaling your amount to $300.
Outside Bets Summary Table
Bet Type | Example | Payout |
---|---|---|
Color | Red | 1:1 |
Odd/ Even | Odd | 1:1 |
High/ Low | 1-18 | 1:1 |
Dozen Bets | 13-24 | 2:1 |
Column Bets | Either 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, or 35 | 2:1 |
Roulette Wheel Setup
The roulette wheel is divided into 37 or 38 pockets marked with roulette numbers. The American roulette has 38 pockets with numbers from 0-36 and a double zero (00). The French and European roulette has 37 pockets numbered from 0 to 36. The double zero is the main differentiator between American and European roulette.
Number Sequence
The numbers on the roulette wheel are sequenced to ensure the balance of the game. The wheel doesn’t follow numerical order, otherwise, a dozen bets wouldn’t get a fair chance because the numbers would be next to one another. So, the numbers vary between the highs (1-18) and the lows (19-36) and alternate between red and black.
In American roulette, the zero and double zero are located opposite to each other.
Pocket Colors on Roulette Table
The red and black colors of the pockets are also systematic. If it were alternating based on the numerical sequence, people who bet on odd numbers would also bet on the color of the odd numbers to get double winnings. The odd numbers from 1-10 are red and the even numbers are black. From 11-18, it is the opposite. The events are red, and the odd numbers are black.
As the numerical sequence progresses, the colors red and black alternate again. So, from 19-28, the odd numbers are again red, and the even numbers are black. Similarly, the numbers from 19-28 again change the pattern. The roulette wheel is designed this way to ensure that the table isn’t set up in a way that favors one bet or another. Even though it may seem confusing to some, it is essential to keep the game operating fairly.
Neighboring pockets have different colors. So, on the roulette wheel, you wouldn’t see two red pockets beside each other. The colors alternate between red and black with green being the exception for the zero and the double zero. In American roulette, the double zero has red pockets on either side and the zero has black. On the other hand, European roulette continues the red/ black alternation even with the green pocket in between for the roulette zero.
The roulette zero and the double zero don’t have colored bets and their pockets are green. Roulette Zero also doesn’t come under any category of outside bets.
Final Words About Roulette Wheel and Table
Roulette is one of the casino games that is a crowd favorite. While the gameplay is simple, many beginners are bound to get confused by the layout of the numbers and the seemingly complex roulette table. When you understand the roulette table and wheel setup, betting is simple. After you understand the game we suggest you to find out more about how to start playing online roulette. After you know how to play the roulette you can apply various online roulette strategies based on your confidence, bankroll and overall luck.
Because the roulette table is arranged systematically, it eliminates any chances of unfairness. As a result, people’s search for the best roulette numbers is not fruitful. However, many players bet on their lucky numbers or consider the universal number 7 as the luckiest. But again, the balanced wheel and the arranged numbers and colors make it impossible for one bet or one number to have a higher winning chance than the other.
Roulette Wheel and Table FAQs
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Which are the best roulette numbers?
The roulette wheel’s numbers and colors are arranged in a way that makes the game purely chance based. However, many players favor 7 and 17 because they are considered lucky.
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Why does the Roulette wheel not have numbers in the numerical sequence?
Roulette numbers are not in order because the outside bets include betting based on the numerical sequence (dozens bet, 18s bet). Also, the fact that the numbers are not in order, makes the players more engaged as the ball’s speed slows down on the roulette wheel. So, in theory, roulette is one of the most statistically balanced games.
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Are all roulette wheels in the same order?
All European and French roulette wheels have numbers and colors arranged in the same order. The American roulette has an additional number, so the layout is a bit different from the European roulette. But the American roulette anywhere has the same order.
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Is there a pattern in roulette?
No game of roulette, be it live or online, shows patterns. The game is completely chance based and gives random results.
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How many zeros does a roulette wheel have?
A roulette wheel can have one or two zeros. European and French roulette has one zero, whereas American roulette has two zeros – a single zero and a double zero (00).
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What is the highest win in roulette?
Single bets yield the highest payout if you win. You get a 35:1 payout if the ball lands on the number you bet on. However, single or straight-up bets have a lower chance of winning, thus the high payout.
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Which color has the highest chance of winning in roulette?
In both American and European roulette, the chances of both colors coming up are 50%. Even though American roulette has a double zero number, it doesn’t increase the chances of red or black coming up in a round because zeros are green. So, on both European and American roulette, 18 numbers are black, and the remaining are red.