Gambling Online 101
beginner
8 min readRoulette Fundamentals
Understanding the wheel, bets, and odds.
BonusBell Team
Roulette is one of the most iconic casino games—a spinning wheel, a bouncing ball, and the anticipation of where it will land. While purely luck-based, understanding the bets, odds, and wheel types helps you play smarter.
The Wheel Types
There are two main types of roulette wheels:
Wheel Comparison
| Type | Numbers | House Edge | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (Single Zero) | 0, 1-36 | 2.70% | Better odds |
| American (Double Zero) | 0, 00, 1-36 | 5.26% | Avoid if possible |
| French | 0, 1-36 | 1.35%* | Best odds (with La Partage) |
*French roulette with La Partage rule returns half your even-money bet when ball lands on 0
Pro Tip
Always choose European or French roulette over American. American roulette has nearly double the house edge with no added benefits.
Types of Bets
Inside Bets
Bets placed on specific numbers, offering higher payouts but lower win probability:
Inside Bets
| Bet | What It Covers | Payout | European Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | 1 number | 35:1 | 2.7% |
| Split | 2 numbers | 17:1 | 5.4% |
| Street | 3 numbers (row) | 11:1 | 8.1% |
| Corner | 4 numbers | 8:1 | 10.8% |
| Six Line | 6 numbers | 5:1 | 16.2% |
Outside Bets
Bets covering larger groups of numbers with lower payouts but higher win probability:
Outside Bets
| Bet | What It Covers | Payout | European Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red / Black | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Odd / Even | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| High / Low | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Dozen | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| Column | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.4% |
Explore It: Roulette Bet Map
Highlighted numbers on the layout
0
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
33
36
2
5
8
11
14
17
20
23
26
29
32
35
1
4
7
10
13
16
19
22
25
28
31
34
What this bet teaches
Corner 17-18-20-21
Chip lands on the cross-section where four numbers meet.
Numbers covered
4
Payout
8:1
Hit rate
10.8%
House edge
2.70%
Sticky takeaway
The chip pattern changes your variance and your payout, but the wheel type controls the house edge. That is why switching from American to European roulette matters more than switching from red/black to corners.
Strategy Insight
Outside bets aren't "safer" in terms of expected value—they have the same house edge. But they give you more frequent small wins with lower variance.
How to Read the Layout Quickly
New players often understand the wheel before they understand the felt. That is backwards. The layout tells you what your chip actually covers. Straight-up bets sit on one number, splits sit on the line between two numbers, streets cover a full row, corners sit on the intersection of four numbers, and six lines bridge two adjacent rows. Outside bets live beyond the main number grid because they cover categories rather than exact pockets.
Once you can look at the felt and instantly know what each chip placement means, roulette becomes much less intimidating. You stop guessing and start choosing the variance profile you actually want.
The Math Behind Roulette
House Edge Calculation (American)
(36 ÷ 38) × -1 + (2 ÷ 38) × 35 = -5.26%
For every $100 wagered, you lose $5.26 on average. The 0 and 00 are where the casino makes money.
House Edge (European)
(36 ÷ 37) × -1 + (1 ÷ 37) × 35 = -2.70%
With only one zero, European roulette cuts the house edge nearly in half.
Betting Systems Don't Work
Warning
No betting system overcomes the house edge.
- Martingale – Doubling after losses leads to catastrophic losses
- Fibonacci – Same problem, just slower
- D'Alembert – Doesn't change the math
Each spin is independent. The wheel has no memory. Systems might make the game more engaging, but they cannot create an edge where none exists.
Special Rules to Look For
- La Partage – Get half back on even-money bets when 0 hits (European/French)
- En Prison – Your bet stays for another spin when 0 hits
- Surrender – American version of La Partage (rare)
Strategy Insight
French roulette with La Partage on even-money bets has only a 1.35% house edge— one of the lowest of any casino game. Always look for this option.
Good to Know
Tutorials matter more in roulette than people expect because the game is visual. A quick board guide teaches more than another paragraph of payout ratios, especially for corners, six lines, and column bets.
Pro Tip
Practice Free
Try our Free Roulette Game to test different betting strategies without risking real money.
Key Takeaways
- 1European roulette (2.7% edge) beats American (5.26%) every time
- 2All bets have the same house edge—bet type doesn't change EV
- 3Inside bets have higher variance; outside bets are more consistent
- 4Betting systems cannot overcome the mathematical edge
- 5French roulette with La Partage offers the best roulette odds
Sources & References
- American roulette house edge: 2 ÷ 38 = 5.26%. European roulette house edge: 1 ÷ 37 = 2.70%. These values are independently verifiable from the wheel geometry (38 vs 37 pockets) and uniform payout structure.
- French roulette La Partage rule reduces the effective house edge on even-money bets to 1.35% (half of 2.70%), independently verifiable by expected value calculation: half the bet is returned when zero hits, occurring with probability 1/37.
- Bet types, payout ratios, and win probabilities for all inside and outside bets are standard across regulated casinos and published by gaming commissions. All payouts are structured to produce the same house edge per wheel type.
Mathematical claims are independently verifiable. BonusBell platform analysis reflects our tracked platform directory and dated evidence checks as of March 2026.