Roulette rules — how European, French and American roulette work
Everything you need to know about roulette: wheel layout, bets, house edge and which variant gives the best odds.
Updated: 2026-04-30 · By the CasinoMenu.se editors
Roulette is one of the world's oldest casino games — the name means ”little wheel” in French. The game looks simple but hides a world of bet combinations, variants and house edges that differ more than most players realise. This guide explains how to play, what bets exist and which variant you should pick.
The wheel and the table
A roulette wheel has numbers 1 to 36 plus a green zero. The numbers alternate red and black. The croupier spins the wheel one way and rolls the ball the other. When the ball settles in a pocket every bet on the table is resolved.
European roulette has one zero. American roulette has both 0 and 00 — doubling the house edge from 2.7% to 5.26%. French roulette has one zero plus a rule called La Partage that often halves the loss on even-money bets when the ball lands on zero.
Inside bets — high payout, low hit rate
Inside bets sit on the number grid itself. They have high payouts but hit rarely. You can bet on a single number (Straight Up), two adjacent numbers (Split), three in a row (Street), four at a corner (Corner), six in two rows (Six Line) or a top line (Top Line — American only).
- Straight Up — 35:1, hit rate 2.7%.
- Split — 17:1, hit rate 5.4%.
- Street — 11:1, hit rate 8.1%.
- Corner — 8:1, hit rate 10.8%.
- Six Line — 5:1, hit rate 16.2%.
Outside bets — safer, lower payouts
Outside bets sit on the fields outside the number grid. Most are even-money: red or black, odd or even, low (1–18) or high (19–36). You can also bet a column or a dozen (1st, 2nd or 3rd 12). Even-money bets pay 1:1, columns and dozens pay 2:1.
French roulette applies La Partage on even-money bets. If the ball lands on zero you get half your stake back instead of losing it all. That drops the house edge on those bets to 1.35% — one of the best odds in the casino.
Common strategies (and why none beats the house)
Martingale doubles your bet after each loss. It works until you hit the table max — or run out of money. D'Alembert raises one unit after a loss and lowers one after a win. Fibonacci follows the 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 sequence. All three are progressions: they do not change the game's mathematical edge, only the pattern of bets.
The only long-term way to lower the house edge is to play the variant with the lowest built-in edge — French roulette with La Partage on even-money bets — and stick to it.
Key takeaways
- European roulette has a 2.7% edge, American 5.26%.
- French roulette with La Partage = just 1.35% on even-money bets.
- Inside bets pay 35:1 but only hit 2.7% of the time.
- Progressions like Martingale do not change the house edge.
Frequently asked questions
Which roulette should I choose?
French roulette with La Partage first, European roulette second. Avoid American if you can — the double zero doubles the house edge.
Is live casino roulette different?
The rules are identical but the wheel is physical and spins are slower. Some tables add multipliers (e.g. Lightning Roulette) that change the maths slightly.
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