Roulette Rules
How European Roulette actually works.
A clear, no-fluff guide to the wheel, the table, and every bet you can place. Read it once and you'll never look lost at the felt again.
The Wheel
European roulette uses a single wheel with 37 numbered pockets: numbers 1 through 36 plus a single green zero. Numbers 1–36 are evenly split between red and black pockets. The zero belongs to neither — it's the house's pocket, and the source of the casino's edge.
The wheel is spun in one direction, the ball is launched in the opposite direction, and gravity does the rest. When the ball loses momentum, it drops into a pocket. That pocket determines every winner and loser at the table.
The Table Layout
The roulette table mirrors the wheel's numbers but arranges them in a 3×12 grid. Around the grid sit the outside bets: red/black, odd/even, high/low, dozens, and columns. Inside that grid, you can drop chips on individual numbers or on the lines between them.
How a Round Works
- Place your bets while the croupier (or simulator) accepts wagers.
- "No more bets" — the ball is launched and bets lock.
- The ball lands in a numbered pocket.
- Losing chips are cleared, winning bets are paid based on the payout table below.
Bet Types & Payouts
Inside Bets
- Straight Up — one number. Pays 35:1.
- Split — two adjacent numbers. Pays 17:1.
- Street — three numbers in a row. Pays 11:1.
- Corner — four numbers meeting at a corner. Pays 8:1.
- Line — six numbers across two rows. Pays 5:1.
Outside Bets
- Red / Black — pays 1:1.
- Odd / Even — pays 1:1.
- 1–18 / 19–36 — pays 1:1.
- Dozens (1–12, 13–24, 25–36) — pays 2:1.
- Columns — pays 2:1.
The House Edge
On a European wheel, the house edge is a clean 2.70% on every bet. That number comes from the single zero: a true even-money bet would pay 36:36 odds, but you only get 35:36 in practice. American roulette adds a double zero and pushes the edge to 5.26% — which is why we don't bother with it here.
La Partage & En Prison
Some European tables soften the edge on even-money bets with La Partage (you get half your stake back when the ball lands on zero) or En Prison (your bet is "imprisoned" until the next spin). Both rules cut the house edge on those bets to roughly 1.35%.
Etiquette in a Real Casino
- Buy chips from the dealer — don't use cash on the layout.
- Don't touch your chips after the dealer waves "no more bets".
- Tip the dealer if you have a winning session. It's customary, not required.
Practice Before You Play
The fastest way to absorb all of this is to play a few hands on our simulator. It's free, it's fast, and it'll teach you the rhythm of the game before a single dollar is on the line.