Roulette rules for beginners: every inside and outside bet, payouts, odds, European vs American vs French roulette, and tips for playing roulette with crypto.
How to Play Roulette: Rules, Bets, Payouts and Odds
By Chris Wyatt · Updated October 2026
Quick answer: Roulette is a wheel game where you bet on which numbered pocket the ball will land in. Inside bets on single numbers or small groups pay up to 35:1; outside bets like red/black or odd/even pay 1:1. European roulette has one zero and a 2.70% house edge, American has two zeros and 5.26%, and French roulette with La Partage cuts even-money bets to 1.35%. Always choose European or French over American.
In this guide:
- How Roulette Works
- Roulette Bets and Payouts
- European vs American vs French Roulette
- Roulette Strategies
- Live and Lightning Roulette
- Tips for Playing Roulette with Crypto
- Roulette FAQs
How Roulette Works
- Place chips on the table layout to choose your bets.
- The dealer (or RNG) spins the wheel and drops the ball.
- The ball lands in a numbered pocket, and winning bets are paid according to the payout table.
A European wheel has 37 pockets (1 to 36 plus a single 0). An American wheel has 38 (adding a 00).
Roulette Bets and Payouts
| Bet | Covers | Payout | Win chance (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 number | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 numbers | 17:1 | 5.41% |
| Street | 3 numbers | 11:1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | 4 numbers | 8:1 | 10.81% |
| Six line | 6 numbers | 5:1 | 16.22% |
| Dozen / column | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Red/black, odd/even, 1–18/19–36 | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.65% |
Work out any payout instantly with our roulette payout calculator.
European vs American vs French Roulette
| Version | Zeros | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| French (La Partage / En Prison) | 0 | 1.35% on even-money bets, 2.70% on others |
| European | 0 | 2.70% |
| American | 0 and 00 | 5.26% (7.89% on the five-number bet) |
With La Partage, you get half your even-money stake back when the ball lands on zero, which halves the house edge on those bets.
Roulette Strategies
- Martingale: double after every even-money loss. Quick small wins, but a losing streak can blow through your bankroll or the table limit.
- Reverse Martingale (Paroli): double after wins and reset after a loss, limiting downside.
- D’Alembert: raise by one unit after a loss and lower by one after a win, a gentler progression.
- Fibonacci: follow the Fibonacci sequence after losses.
No betting system changes the house edge. Test any of them with our bet simulator (48.65% win chance, payout multiplier 2 for European even-money bets).
Live and Lightning Roulette
Live dealer roulette streams a real wheel in real time. Variants like Lightning Roulette add random multipliers to straight-up numbers but reduce the normal straight-up payout to compensate, so the overall RTP stays around 97%. Read more in our live dealer and game shows guide.
Tips for Playing Roulette with Crypto
- Choose European or French tables, never American.
- Prefer even-money bets on La Partage tables for the lowest edge.
- Set a stop-loss and avoid aggressive progressions.
- Use USDT so your bankroll does not swing with crypto prices.
- Play at trusted sites from our crypto casino reviews, such as Stake or BitStarz.
Roulette FAQs
What is the best roulette bet?
Even-money bets on French roulette with La Partage have the lowest house edge, 1.35%. On standard European roulette every bet has a 2.70% edge.
Why is American roulette worse?
The extra 00 pocket raises the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%.
What does a straight-up bet pay?
35:1 on standard roulette.
Does the Martingale work in roulette?
It produces frequent small wins but risks large losses during losing streaks. It does not beat the house edge.
Is online roulette fair?
Licensed RNG and live dealer roulette are independently tested. Choose reputable casinos from our reviews.
18+ only. Gambling involves risk; never bet more than you can afford to lose. Visit our responsible gambling page for support. More beginner guides in our Crypto Casino 101 hub.