Roulette rules define which pockets a bet covers and what a correct selection returns. A wheel result settles every active bet against the same number. This guide covers standard single-zero and double-zero versions, using abstract credits for examples. The simulator provides a limited set of choices for virtual practice.
Roulette rules: wheel and layout
European roulette contains 1 through 36 and zero. American roulette includes the same numbers plus double zero. Numbers have assigned red or black colors, while the zero pockets are green. The rectangular betting grid and the circular wheel have different arrangements. Adjacent cells on the grid do not necessarily sit next to one another on the wheel.
A bet is defined by the table area it covers, not by the animation or the direction of a spin. Choose the wheel type before interpreting probability. In our model all pockets are equally likely, and zero causes a full loss on ordinary outside bets. Special regional rules are outside the simulator.
Inside and outside bets
| Choice | Coverage | Standard profit payout |
|---|---|---|
| Straight | One number | 35:1 |
| Split | Two adjacent grid numbers | 17:1 |
| Street | Three numbers in one grid row | 11:1 |
| Corner | Four numbers at a grid junction | 8:1 |
| Six line | Two adjoining rows | 5:1 |
| Dozen | 1 to 12, 13 to 24, or 25 to 36 | 2:1 |
| Column | Twelve numbers in a grid column | 2:1 |
| Outside even chance | Color, odd/even, or low/high | 1:1 |
Inside bets cover specific small groups on the grid. Outside bets use broader sets. A standard low bet covers 1 through 18, and a high bet covers 19 through 36. Zero is neither. Red and black are fixed labels; a number’s odd or even status does not determine its color.
Follow settlement with credits
A five-credit straight bet wins when its exact pocket appears. Profit is 5 × 35 = 175 credits, and the five-credit stake is also returned, giving 180 total. The same five-credit stake on a dozen earns 10 profit on a hit and returns 15 total. Payout ratios describe profit unless the rules explicitly use gross-return multipliers.
Now imagine five credits on red and five on black. A nonzero outcome returns ten credits from one winning color while the other five-credit bet loses. The combined round breaks even. Zero makes both bets lose, so covering opposite colors does not remove the edge.
Overlapping bets settle separately. A number can belong to a straight bet, a dozen, and a column at once. Add their actual returned credits and subtract all stakes to find the round’s net result.
Why a fair wheel still has an edge
On a European straight bet, one of 37 outcomes wins 35 units of profit and 36 outcomes lose one unit. Averaging those possibilities gives a loss of 1/37 per unit staked, about 2.70%. The standard American straight has 38 outcomes and averages a loss of 2/38, about 5.26%. These are direct calculations from coverage and reward.
An American five-number basket commonly pays 6:1 on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. That different relationship produces about 7.89% edge. A name such as inside bet does not guarantee the same mathematics for every choice.
Use the odds calculator to inspect a single supported bet and the simulator to check its settlement. A list of earlier results is a record, not a forecast. In the uniform independent model, repeated black results do not make red due. Increasing a stake changes the credit amount at risk but cannot change the next pocket’s probability.
Common questions
Does zero qualify for even bets?
No. Zero pockets lose on standard odd/even bets.
What does 35:1 mean?
It means 35 units of profit per unit staked on a winning straight bet, plus return of the stake.
Are grid neighbors wheel neighbors?
Not necessarily. The rectangular layout and circular wheel use different arrangements.