Roulette Outside Bets: A Guide for New and Experienced Players

So, what will it be: red or black? It’s the most popular bet casino roulette has to offer, a simple choice between two colours, and you get paid out if the ball lands on the color you picked. There are dozens of other roulette bets you can make, but there’s a very good chance someone’s playing red/black right now as you read this.

Roulette is one of the most fun games you’ll find at a casino. Roulette bets fall into two general categories: “inside” and “outside” bets. In this guide, we’re turning our attention to the outside of the roulette layout.

Understanding the Roulette Table Layout

The roulette table layout is the foundation of every game, guiding players on where and how to place their bets. When you approach a roulette table, you’ll notice it’s divided into two main sections: the inside and the outside. The inside area features all the individual numbers from 1 to 36, plus the 0 (and 00 in American roulette), arranged in a grid. This is where you’ll place inside bets, targeting specific numbers or small groups for higher payouts.

Surrounding this grid is the outside area, dedicated to outside bets. Here, you’ll find spaces for betting on larger groups of numbers, such as red or black, odd or even, and low (1-18) or High (19-36). The table layout also includes special sections for dozens and columns, allowing you to bet on sets of 12 numbers at a time. Understanding the roulette table layout is essential for making informed decisions and placing your bets efficiently. Whether you’re aiming for a single number or covering a group, knowing where to put your chips on the table ensures you never miss out on your preferred betting option. Mastering the table layout is the first step to enjoying all the different bets roulette has to offer.

Roulette Bets: Understanding the Basics

Before we can master these outside bets, we need to know what makes them tick. Roulette is a game of pure chance, where every wager has the same chance of winning from spin to spin; don’t fall for the “gambler’s fallacy” that leads people to believe future outcomes are weighted to balance out past results.

The roulette wheel is a spinning wheel with numbered pockets, alternating red and black, plus one or two green zeros. The croupier spins the wheel in one direction and then spins the ball in the opposite direction around the outer track. There are several bet types in roulette, including inside and outside bets, each with different payout structures and odds.

Consider our red/black bet, for example. There are 18 numbers on the roulette wheel marked in red and 18 in black, then a single-zero (“0”) marked in green, and if you’re playing American roulette, a second double-zero (“00”) in green. That’s a total of 37 numbered spaces on the European wheel, and 38 on the American wheel. The green zero (and double zero in American roulette) is generally not included in any outside bet.

In theory, if you play live roulette at a brick-and-mortar casino, there’s a small chance the wheel they’re using will be flawed enough to produce non-random results that you can track and take advantage of. But these biased wheels are increasingly rare these days, and online roulette uses random number generators (RNG) to ensure fairness.

When a new round begins, players place the chips they are betting in the corresponding spot on the table. Before the spin, the dealer announces the end of betting, typically by saying "no more bets," signalling that no further wagers can be placed. As the spinning wheel slows, the ball falls through the deflectors and lands in a numbered pocket, which becomes the winning number for that round.

This setup means the roulette odds are going to stay the same no matter what. If you place a bet on red, your chances of winning are 18 out of 37 for European Roulette, and 18 out of 38 for American Roulette. If black comes up instead, the chances of red winning the next spin are the same. It doesn’t matter how many times in a row the roulette ball lands on one colour or the other. If the ball lands on zero, most outside bets lose automatically. Unlike with blackjack, most casinos are happy to let you keep track of past roulette spins, in case you want to try one of those infamous roulette betting systems like the Martingale (Spoiler alert: They don’t work).

The payout for low/high, red/black, and odd/even bets is 1:1. In European roulette, the winning chance for these bets is 48.6%, while in American roulette, it drops to 47.4%. Dozens and column bets pay 2:1, with a winning chance of 32.4% in European roulette and 31.6% in American roulette. The winning odds differ slightly between European roulette (37 pockets) and American roulette (38 pockets) due to the number of green zeros.

Your payout on red/black also remains the same from spin to spin: even money. You will always have 18 ways to win this bet, no matter which wheel you’re using; for European Roulette, your odds of winning are 18-of-37, for a house edge of 2.70%, and for American Roulette, your odds are 18-of-38 for a house edge of 5.26%. The house edge for European roulette is approximately 2.7%, while for American roulette, it is about 5.26% due to the presence of a double zero. Always keep these numbers in mind when you play roulette.

Roulette Inside and Outside Bets: Key Differences

There are other roulette bets you can make besides red/black. You’ll see 36 numbers on the inside of the layout, plus the 0 and maybe the 00, even a 000 if you’re playing Triple-Zero Roulette in Las Vegas, and you’re willing to pay the 7.69% house edge that the third zero creates. Everything surrounding those numbers on the layout is an outside bet.

The easiest outside bets to make in roulette are the even-money bets like red/black. The other two bets that pay out at 1-1 are even/odd and low/high. A 'low bet' covers numbers 1 to 18, while a 'high bet' covers numbers 19 to 36. Each has its own betting space on the outside of the layout.

The remaining outside bets in roulette pay out at 2-1, because they all contain 12 of the 36 non-zero numbers on the wheel. These bets include the column bet, where you wager on one of the three columns of numbers on the roulette table (1st, 2nd, and 3rd columns), and the dozen bets (1st, 2nd, and 3rd dozens). Column and dozen bets are generally played less often than even-money bets because of the 2-1 payout.

Most outside bets cover either 12 or 18 numbers, giving you broader coverage of the table compared to inside bets. Casinos often set separate minimums for inside and outside bets, so be sure to check the table rules before you play.

When it comes to inside bets, a 'single bet' refers to a wager placed on a single number, offering the highest payout but with the lowest odds of winning.

Best Outside Bets in Roulette: Where to Place Your Chips

How you bet might not matter when it comes to the house edges in roulette, but you still have to make sure you place bets correctly by putting your chips in their proper spot on the layout. Players can place bets on various areas of the table, and it's possible to make more bets by placing multiple wagers in a single round. This is easier to do when you play online roulette, since you’re not under the same pressure to act quickly as you are at a live casino. The game software will also help you by highlighting and identifying each betting area as you hover your cursor over it.

Red/black bets involve wagering on the color of the winning number, with 18 numbers for each color and a payout of 1:1. These bets cover nearly half the table and pay even money, so a $10 bet wins $10.

Directly above those even-money bets, and below the inside portion of the layout, are the three Dozen bets: 1st Dozen (1st 12), 2nd Dozen (2nd 12), and 3rd Dozen (3rd 12). Finally, looking to the far right of the layout, we have the three betting spaces for the Columns. These are often marked simply as “2 to 1” to show how much they pay when you win; it’s assumed you’re aware that you’re taking the numbers in the specific column on the layout that corresponds to your betting space.

In addition to these standard options, some tables may offer additional bets, such as special number series or alternative betting types, providing even more ways to play.

Why Outside Bets Are a Smart Choice

The biggest standard payout in roulette is the 35-1 payout you get for a winning straight bet, also known as a single. It’s the most popular of the inside bets, made famous by movies like Casablanca (22 Black) and Run Lola Run (20 Black). These high-risk bets offer the potential for big wins, but they’re also the hardest bets to win in roulette.

Outside bets may give you a much smaller payout than straight bets, but they also cash in much more frequently: 12 times as often for columns/dozens, and 18 times as often for red/black, odd/even, and low/high. Red/black and odd/even bets have the same odds of winning and identical payout ratios, making them simple and fair choices. The house edge for outside bets is typically lower than for inside bets, making them a more appealing option for players looking for consistent wins. Outside bets are widely recommended for new players because they are easy to understand and offer more frequent, though smaller, wins.

Even if you’re an experienced casino player, you might want to consider incorporating outside bets. You might not be able to flip the house edge in your favour, but you can put together an “optimal” roulette outside bet strategy from an entertainment perspective by tailoring the frequency of your bets to match the payouts they provide. That means taking the even-money bets most often, then the 2-1 bets, then all the different inside bets, with the straight saved for special occasions. For those interested in covering larger sections of the wheel, the dozens strategy and columns bets are popular, and a specific dozen bet covering a zigzag pattern of red numbers is known as the snake bet.

We also like to stress the importance of bankroll management when you play roulette, either online or in a casino. Placing more outside bets becomes even more critical if you’re betting larger percentages of your bankroll with each spin; without those small-but-frequent victories, you risk busting out before you’ve had a chance to enjoy yourself.

For the best roulette outside bet strategy, seek out tables featuring French roulette with the la partage rule and en prison rules. These rules can reduce the house edge on even money bets: la partage means you only lose half your bet if zero appears, while en prison allows your bet to remain for the next spin if zero lands, both making the game more favorable to players.

Roulette Variations

Roulette has several variations, each offering a unique twist on the classic casino game. The most popular version is European roulette, which features a wheel with 37 numbered pockets, including a single zero. This single-zero design gives European roulette a lower house edge, making it a favorite among many players. American roulette, on the other hand, adds a double zero (00) to the wheel, increasing the total to 38 numbered pockets. This small change raises the house edge, so it’s important to know which version you’re playing.

French roulette is another classic, closely related to European roulette but with a few distinctive features. The betting layout in French roulette often includes French terms and offers special rules like La Partage, which allows players to recover half their even-money bet if the ball lands on zero. This rule can further reduce the house edge, making French roulette especially appealing for strategic players. Online roulette games often provide a wide selection of these variations, including live dealer options that replicate the excitement of a real casino.

Responsible Gaming

Responsible gaming is a crucial part of enjoying roulette and other casino games. Before you sit down at the roulette table, it’s important to set a budget and stick to it, ensuring you never bet more than you can afford to lose. Understanding the odds and the house edge for each type of bet helps you make smarter decisions and manage your expectations. Remember, roulette is a game of chance, and no betting system can guarantee consistent wins.

Take regular breaks during your gaming sessions to keep a clear mind, and avoid playing when you’re tired or under the influence of alcohol or other substances. By practicing responsible gaming, you can enjoy the thrill of roulette while minimizing the risks and keeping your experience fun and positive. Always play roulette for entertainment, and know when it’s time to stop playing.