The game of roulette offers two distinct types of bets: those on the inside of the layout, placed specifically on individual numbers: and those on the outside of the layout, placed on groups of numbers such as odd or even and red or black.
Betting the inside numbers is sometimes restricted to players who purchase their own color chips at the game. Most wheels, whether of the American variety, with 36 numbers and a 0 and 00, or the European wheel, with 36 numbers and just a single 0, are equipped with a large spinning wheel, an even larger bet layout for all wagers, and a dealer who handles the action. In addition, the dealer keeps track of a series of colored chips, most often eight individual colors, which may only be used at that one specific roulette table.
The chips also carry the table number, if the casino has more than one roulette game. Players are required to choose an available color as well as a denomination. Small casinos set a house minimum of 25-cents per chip. Larger casinos may have a minimum of $1 or higher per chip. In addition, there are minimums for the number of chips wagered each spin, usually 3, although color-players may also wager their chips on outside bets to reach that number.
A standard buy-in with a color is $100 for 100 chips. Smaller buy-ins is discouraged. Larger buy-ins are encouraged. Although the total number of chips in any color is limited, when a player has most (or all) of a color, payoffs will be made with regular casino chips for winning bets. Bets win when a chip placed on an individual or group of numbers is spun. The wagers lose anytime the number or numbers the chip covers does not spin.
The Inside Bets
On a European wheel, every inside wager has the same house edge of 2.70%. Players often use scorecards provided by the casino to record previous numbers, although some casinos offer a reader board that lists the previous 20 spins. System players who enjoy using a mathematical progression such as the Labouchere roulette system will find the reader board very helpful.
Other players tend to place their chips on individual numbers, such as birthdates, anniversary dates, and favorite numbers. A single chip placed on an inside bet can cover from 1 to 6 numbers. The payout will include keeping the remaining wager intact for the next spin.
| Bet Type | Description | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | A chip covering a single number; such as 18 | 35 to 1 |
| Split | A chip covering two numbers; such as 10/11 | 17 to 1 |
| Street | A chip covering three numbers; such as 1-2-3 | 11 to 1 |
| Corner | A chip covering four numbers; such as 28-29-31-32 | 8 to 1 |
| Six Line | A chip covering six numbers; such as 7-8-9-10-11-12 | 6 to 1 |
| Trio | A chip covering three numbers 0-1-2 or 0-2-3 | 11 to 1 |
| Basket | A chip covering the four numbers 0-1-2-3 | 8 to 1 |
On an American wheel, every inside wager has the same house edge of 5.26%. All individual payouts are the same, but one additional wager is available on a 0, 00 roulette wheel: the top line.
Top Line – a chip covering 0, 00, 1, 2, 3: pays 6 to 1 and has a house edge of 7.90%
What are sometimes referred to as French bets, such as Zero Game: 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15 and Neighbors of Zero: 22,18,29,7,28,12,35,3,26,0,32,15,19,4,21,2,25 are also inside bets; however, the dealer will place the wagers for the player. On American wheels, these bets are not typical, and the only wagers a dealer will place regularly are ones that a player is unable to reach from their spot at the table, such as the Trio or Basket.
Many systems for inside bets have been devised to try and improve a player’s success at roulette, although betting systems don’t actually change the house edge. Playing a section of the wheel such as 4 to 6 consecutive numbers (especially if a bias is detected) is quite popular, as is keying bets around a specific number. The 32-Logic system plays the number 32 every spin, and includes a progression of splits and corners around 32. When it is successful, the player gains a substantial number of chips, even if the number hasn’t come-up for a long time, although the system does requires a more substantial bankroll than some systems.