How does roulette work for beginners?

Roulette is a casino game where a croupier spins a wheel in one direction and rolls a small ball in the opposite direction. Players bet on where the ball will land — a specific number, a color (red/black), odd/even, or number ranges. When the ball stops, winning bets are paid and losing bets are collected.

What is the difference between inside and outside bets in roulette?

Inside bets are placed on specific numbers or small groups of numbers in the inner area of the table. They pay more (up to 35:1) but win less often. Outside bets are placed on large groups like red/black or odd/even. They pay 1:1 or 2:1 but win nearly half the time. All carry the same house edge of 2.70% on a European wheel.

What does 'no more bets' mean in roulette?

'No more bets' (or 'Rien ne va plus' in French) is the announcement made by the croupier after the ball is released. Once this call is made, no further bets may be placed or changed. Any bets placed after this call are void.

How many numbers are on a roulette wheel?

A European roulette wheel has 37 numbers: 0 through 36. An American roulette wheel has 38 numbers: 0, 00, and 1 through 36. The extra double-zero (00) in American roulette increases the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%.

What is the best bet for a roulette beginner?

For beginners, even-money outside bets — red/black, odd/even, or low (1–18)/high (19–36) — are the best starting point. They win almost half the time (48.6% in European roulette), pay 1:1, and carry the standard 2.70% house edge. They let you play longer and learn the game without complex chip placements.

How to Play Roulette — Complete Rules & Beginner Guide

What Is Roulette?

Roulette is one of the oldest and most iconic casino games in the world. The name comes from the French word for "little wheel." A croupier (dealer) spins a large wheel containing numbered, coloured pockets and releases a small ivory or plastic ball in the opposite direction. Players bet on where the ball will come to rest.

The game has two main variants: European roulette (37 pockets, numbers 0–36) and American roulette (38 pockets, adding a double zero 00). European roulette gives the player significantly better odds and is always the preferred choice.

Quick fact: Roulette requires no skill or strategy to play. Every spin is completely random. The house edge is fixed at 2.70% (European) or 5.26% (American) regardless of what you bet or how you bet it.

How a Round of Roulette Works — Step by Step

Place your bets — During the betting phase, place your chips on the numbers or sections of the table you want to bet on. You may place multiple bets simultaneously.
The croupier spins the wheel — The croupier (or RNG engine in online roulette) sets the wheel spinning counterclockwise and releases the ball clockwise along the outer rim.
"No more bets" (Rien ne va plus) — As the ball loses speed, the croupier announces no more bets. No chips may be moved or placed after this point.
The ball lands — The ball settles into one numbered pocket. The croupier places a marker (dolly) on the winning number on the table layout.
Losing bets are cleared — The croupier sweeps all losing bets off the table.
Winning bets are paid — Remaining winning bets are paid out according to their payout odds.
The dolly is removed — Once all payouts are complete, the dolly is removed and a new betting round begins.

The Roulette Wheel

The wheel is the centrepiece of the game. It is precisely engineered to ensure random, unbiased results. Key features:

European wheel: 37 pockets numbered 0–36. Single green zero. House edge: 2.703%.
American wheel: 38 pockets numbered 0, 00, and 1–36. Two green zeros. House edge: 5.263%.
French wheel: Identical to European (37 pockets) but with special La Partage and En Prison rules. House edge as low as 1.35% on even-money bets.

Numbers are not arranged sequentially around the wheel — they follow a carefully designed pattern to balance high/low and red/black numbers as evenly as possible.

European clockwise sequence:
0 · 32 · 15 · 19 · 4 · 21 · 2 · 25 · 17 · 34 · 6 · 27 · 13 · 36 · 11 · 30 · 8 · 23 · 10 · 5 · 24 · 16 · 33 · 1 · 20 · 14 · 31 · 9 · 22 · 18 · 29 · 7 · 28 · 12 · 35 · 3 · 26

The Roulette Table Layout

The table layout is where players place their bets. It consists of two sections:

Inside area: The numbered grid (0–36 for European, 0–00–36 for American). Bets placed here are called inside bets.
Outside area: The surrounding betting boxes for large groups — Red, Black, Odd, Even, 1–18, 19–36, Columns, Dozens. Bets placed here are outside bets.

The minimum and maximum bet limits vary by table and casino. High-stakes tables have higher minimums. Note that minimums typically apply per bet type — a €10 minimum table means each individual bet must be at least €10.

Inside Bets — Higher Risk, Higher Reward

Bet Name	How to Place	Numbers	Payout	Win Chance (EU)
Straight Up	Chip on any single number	1	35:1	2.70%
Split	Chip on the line between 2 adjacent numbers	2	17:1	5.41%
Street	Chip on the left edge of a row of 3 numbers	3	11:1	8.11%
Corner / Square	Chip at the intersection of 4 numbers	4	8:1	10.81%
Six Line (Double Street)	Chip on the edge between two rows	6	5:1	16.22%
Trio	Chip at junction of 0, 1, 2 or 0, 2, 3 (EU only)	3	11:1	8.11%
Basket / Top Line	Chip at corner of 0, 1, 2, 3 (avoid in US)	4 (EU) / 5 (US)	8:1 / 6:1	10.81% / 13.16%

Outside Bets — Lower Risk, More Frequent Wins

Bet Name	Covers	Payout	Win Chance (EU)
Red / Black	All 18 red or 18 black numbers	1:1	48.65%
Odd / Even	All odd or all even numbers (0 is neither)	1:1	48.65%
Low (1–18)	Numbers 1 through 18	1:1	48.65%
High (19–36)	Numbers 19 through 36	1:1	48.65%
Dozen (1st/2nd/3rd)	1–12, 13–24, or 25–36	2:1	32.43%
Column	One of three vertical columns (12 numbers)	2:1	32.43%

Zero rule: If the ball lands on 0 (or 00), all outside bets lose. This is the sole source of the house edge on outside bets.

Announced / Call Bets (French & Live Tables)

At French and many live dealer roulette tables, players can call specific announced bets that cover predetermined sections of the wheel. These require minimum bet multiples. The most common:

Voisins du Zéro ("neighbours of zero") — covers 17 numbers near zero on the wheel. Costs 9 chips.
Tiers du Cylindre ("thirds of the wheel") — covers 12 numbers opposite to zero. Costs 6 chips.
Orphelins ("orphans") — covers 8 numbers not covered by the above. Costs 5 chips.
Jeu Zéro ("zero game") — covers 7 numbers closest to zero. Costs 4 chips.
Neighbours — any number plus 2 neighbours on each side (5 numbers total). Costs 5 chips.

→ Full guide to French roulette and announced bets

Roulette Chips

In land-based casinos, roulette uses special coloured chips that differ from standard casino chips. Each player at the table receives chips in a unique colour to distinguish bets. Key rules:

Roulette chips have no value outside the roulette table — you must cash them in before leaving.
You set the denomination when you buy in (e.g., each chip = €1, €5, €25).
In online and live dealer roulette, standard denomination chips are used (€0.10, €1, €5, €25, €100, etc.).

Table Limits

Every roulette table has posted minimum and maximum bet limits. These exist because:

Minimum: Prevents extremely small bets that slow the game. Typically €1–€5 for low-stakes tables, €25–€100 for high-stakes tables.
Maximum: Protects the casino from unlimited losses on a single spin. Typically 500–1000× the minimum bet.

Important: minimums apply separately to inside and outside bets. A €5 minimum means each individual inside bet is at least €5 — not the combined total.

Key Rules to Remember

Never touch chips after "no more bets" — touching chips after the announcement is grounds for removal from the table.
Do not hand money directly to the dealer — place cash on the table; the dealer will make change.
Wait for the dolly to be removed before placing new bets or collecting winnings.
Each spin is independent — the Gambler's Fallacy is the belief that past spins influence future ones. They never do.
No strategy overcomes the house edge — enjoy roulette for entertainment, not as a money-making method.

→ Complete roulette odds chart | → Do betting systems work? | → European roulette guide