Roulette Playing and Odds

Roulette is a game of chance where people bet on the final position of a ball that is spun inside a rotating wheel containing numbers and grooves.

A dealer first rotates the wheel and then uses a small ball, about the size of the end of your finger, and rolls it the opposite direction of the roulette wheel, causing it to roll along its interior several times before arriving at its final point. Before this is done, players make their bets on the table, which contains 38 numbers (37 in tables outside the USA). These numbers are 1 to 36 respectively, as well as 0 and 00. Roulette tables outside the USA do not have the 00, and have a different arrangement of how the numbers are distributed onto the roulette wheel.

The table also contains two sections, notably the "inside bets", which contains the numbers in their visible form, and "outside bets" of the table, which is discussed below.

Outside bets follow a betting pattern that can not be covered by the inside of the table, such as the examples below:

• Red
• Black
• Even (2,4,6, [...])
• Odd (1,3,5, [...])
• High (19 to 36)
• Low (1 to 18)
• 1st 12 (1 to 12)
• 2nd 12 (13 to 24)
• 3rd 12 (25 to 36)
• Column bets (1,4,7,[...]), (2,5,8,[...]), (3,6,9[...]) - I would call this an "avenue" bet. These have the label "2 to 1".

These seem to be called outside bets because they occur outside the numbers grid. Keep in mind that 0 and 00 do not fall under these betting positions.

How to play an outside bet

All these positions are played by putting your chip within the area of which is labeled. For example, if you want to play "black", put your chips on the section with the black diamond. Make sure your chips are within the center of the position "black" and not on the lines.

Inside bets involve playing the numbers in one form or another. To do this, you will place your bet on a number or certain set of numbers, which will be discussed below:

• Straight Bet: You place your bet on a single number, such as 17.
• Split Bet: You place your bet on two adjoining numbers, such as 23 and 24. Make sure your bet is on the line straddling the space for 23 and 24.
• Street Bet: You place your bet on the top edge of a row of numbers. If you wanted to place a street bet for numbers 1-2-3, you would put your bet on the line that borders the 3 and the outside portion of the betting area.
• Corner Bet: You place your bet at the intersection of four numbers, for example 25-25-28-29 would be placed in the center of those four numbers where the two lines intersect.
• Top Line: You place your bet as you would a street bet, but your chip goes between 00 and 3 on the far line of the play area (as in the street) The play targets 0-00-1-2-3.
• Six Line (double street): You place your bet as you would in a street bet, but it goes between two "streets". Example, if you wanted to target 10-11-12-13-14-15, you would put your bet on the edge of where 12 and 15 are located, on the border line where it forms a T intersection.

I have provided a basic breakdown of the odds and payout of roulette. Note that I have included the ratio and percentage odds. The payout is based on an initial $100 bet.

If you are looking for a strategy, I would emphasize two points. One, the odds tell you the likelihood of the event. Two, each event is mutually exclusive. A single number could hit twice in a row, but that statistically does not change its odds. The same goes for a number or position not appearing. Just because a number has not appeared, does not mean that it is "due" to appear. This is something called a gambler's fallacy.

The information presented below is based on an American roulette wheel.