Popular Types of Roulette Explained

Roulette is one of the most popular table games you will find at casinos and online casinos and is named after the French word meaning ‘little wheel’. Players can choose to bet on whether the ball will land on a single number, various different groupings of numbers, red or black numbers, odd or even or more when spun in the wheel.

Dating back to 18th-century France, roulette games are controlled by a croupier who takes in all the bets before throwing a small white ball on the spinning wheel. Anyone who correctly predicts where the ball lands is a winner. In this comprehensive guide we will look at the different types of roulette you can play as well as provide information on the various bet types.

• Main Different Types of Roulette
• Other Types of Roulette Games
• Roulette Bet Types

Main Different Types of Roulette

In this section we will look at the main different types of roulette you can play.

European Roulette

Probably the most popular roulette variant is European Roulette, which emerged in Monte Carlo casinos around the mid-19th century and quickly spread around the world. Based on the classic roulette table layout, there are 37 individual options with numbers from 1 to 36 that alternate between red and black in color as well as a 0 which is green.

Also known as ‘single zero roulette’, this form is recognized as the purest version of the game. It doesn’t involve any side bets and comes with a return to player (RTP) percentage of 97.30% and a house edge of 2.70%. It is a great option for new players because of its simplicity but is also popular with hardened pros due to its low house edge.

American Roulette

American Roulette became popular throughout the United States during the 19th-century and is the most common version of the game found at US casinos today. Instead of one 0 pocket you have two on the wheel and table – 0 and 00 which are both green. That means the total individual numbers you can bet on is 38 as you have 1-36 + 0 + 00. The house edge in American Roulette is higher than its European counterpart at 5.26% because of the additional 00, while the RTP is lower at 94.74% – which perhaps explains why it is so widely used on online roulette sites.

There is a specific type of bet that is unique to American Roulette called a ‘basket’ or sometimes ‘sucker’ or five-number bet. This bet includes five numbers – both the two zero pockets of 0 and 00 as well as the numbers 1, 2 and 3. On the table these are the first five selections that appear on the layout and the odds of winning are 6:1 or 13.60%. However, we recommend you avoid basket bets because they have a low probability of coming in and a low payout, meaning the house edge is even higher at 7.9%.

Other than the additional 00 pocket and the basket bet, American Roulette operates in much the same way as the European game.

French Roulette

The table design on French Roulette can look very different to the American and European versions of the game at casinos with the bet names written in French and even money bets placed on a single corner of the table. However, the online version looks more like the European Roulette you might be used to as it also has just one 0.

The basic betting options are much the same but the big difference lies with the two rules – la partage and en prison – which apply to French Roulette. With la partage if a player makes an even money bet paying out 1:1 but it loses because the ball lands on 0, they will receive half of their wager back.

And with en prison if a player makes an even money bet paying out 1:1 but it loses because the ball lands on 0, the croupier will temporarily ‘jail’ his wager and let it be used on the next spin. This essentially gives the player the same bet again without having to place a new wager. These rules in French Roulette lower the house edge to 1.35% and increase the RTP to 98.65%, making it a popular choice as players will theoretically recover more of their wagers over the course of play.

Live Roulette

We have chosen to include Live Roulette in this section as often you will see American Roulette, European Roulette or French Roulette as the variants offered, just with a live format. That means you will be playing a game of roulette in real-time with a genuine croupier taking the bets and spinning the wheel.

You can watch the wheel spin and the ball roll as it happens which adds a layer of authenticity to the experience. Games are often streamed from state-of-the-art studios using numerous cameras that broadcast the action from different angles in high-definition.

Other Types of Roulette Games

There are a host of other lesser-known types of roulette games that you can also choose to play.

Double Ball Roulette

As the name suggests, the distinctive feature of this roulette version is that two balls are dropped onto the spinning wheel at the same time, with a special mechanism used to stop them from hitting each other. The main betting options are the same as the more common versions, but there are some specific rules to follow.

If you place an inside bet on both balls then only one of them needs to win, but if you place an outside bet on both balls, then they must both win. There is also a special bet for both balls landing in the same pocket, which can offer a huge payout as big as 1,300:1.

Double Ball Roulette comes with a house edge of 2.78% for the single zero version and 5.33% for the double zero version.

Mini Roulette

Mini Roulette is designed to be the perfect way to play roulette on the smaller screen of a smartphone and constitutes a smaller version of the game with 13 pockets instead of the usual 37 or 38. So if you were to bet on black this would only cover six numbers, with payout values also lower as a result. It is an interesting concept that can provide a fun experience for mobile players, but beware it does come with a high house edge of 7.89% and an RTP of about 97%.

Lightning Roulette

An exciting variant produced by Evolution Gaming where you can bet on numbers with multipliers ranging from x50 to x500. Every round there will be one to five numbers that turn into lightning numbers which come with multipliers offering you more rewarding ways to bet. Betting rounds are quick and production levels tend to be high.

Multi-Wheel Roulette

Multi-Wheel Roulette uses a number of different wheels with higher betting limits, often going up to as much as $5,000. Some versions offer the chance to bet on six wheels simultaneously, with an RTP of 97.30%.

Triple Bonus Spin Roulette

Another of the exciting roulette types is Triple Bonus Spin Roulette, where all bets stand and the free spins bonus begins when the ball appears on the yellow bonus pocket. Players can win up to x1,200 their bet with a straight bonus win.

Roulette Royale

This version plays like European Roulette but comes with five extra bets and an RTP of 98.65%, which is slightly higher than over variants as some betting options will refund a portion of the wager if the player’s bet loses.

Roulette Bet Types

Regardless of which of the different types of roulette you choose to play, you will need to understand all the different roulette bet types.

Inside Bets

Inside bets are named so because they refer to numbers on the inside of the roulette table. They can be placed on individual numbers or certain combinations of numbers and come with less chance of winning but with higher payouts if they do.

Straight Up: Also known as single number bets, you can choose from any number on the table for these such as 1-36 or 0 or 00 if you are playing American Roulette. The most straightforward option you can pick, the chances of winning are low but the payout is high at 35:1. You can place as many straight up bets in one round as you like and if the ball lands on your number you win, but if it doesn’t you don’t.

Split: This is where you cover two numbers next to each other on the table, done by placing your chips in the middle of them. An example would be red 1 and black 2. Winning split bets will be paid out at 17:1, which is almost half of that of straight-up bets because they involve two numbers instead of one. It’s worth remembering that numbers next to each other on the table aren’t the same on the wheel.

Street: Also known as row bets, these cover three numbers in a row on the table. They will always be consecutive numbers like 1, 2, 3 or 13, 14, 15. You place your chips at the bottom of the row below the first number in its line. The payout for street bets are 11:1 as they involve three numbers.

Corner: Also known as square bets, these cover four numbers on the table that make up a corner or square. You place your chips directly in the middle of where the four numbers meet with examples including 1, 2, 4, 5 and 13, 14, 16, 17. The payouts for these are 8:1.

Six Line: This is where you bet on two horizontal lines to cover six consecutive numbers, with your chips being placed at the beginning of where the two rows intersect. Examples include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and the payout is 5:1. It can also be referred to as a quint bet.

Basket: As we’ve already explained, these are only available on American Roulette and include five numbers – 0 and 00 as well as 1, 2, 3 – with a payout of 6:1.

Outside Bets

Outside bets refer to the outside of the roulette table and refer to predetermined groupings of numbers. They are often utilized by beginners as they give you a wider coverage of the table and offer a higher chance of winning, although with lower payouts.

Red or Black: Good option for beginners that covers all the numbers that are either red or black, with the exception of 0 and 00. They pay out 1:1.

Odd or Even: Covers all the odd or even numbers on the table, with 18 available for each. Like red or black the payout is 1:1.

High or Low: Bet on either all the low numbers of 1-18 or high from 19-36, with a payout of 1:1.

Column: These cover an entire column of 12 numbers on a roulette table, with three columns in total. The first column includes 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34 for example. Column bets pay out 2:1.

Dozens: Like column bets these cover 12 numbers too, but in chronological order like 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36. They also pay out 2:1.

Called Bets

These are only found on European and French types of roulette games and refer to wagers based on where the numbers appear on the roulette wheel rather than the table. You will find fixed called bets and variable called bets.

Fixed Called Bets

Neighbors of Zero: Covers all 17 numbers between 22 and 25 on the roulette wheel surrounding the green 0. Also known as voisins du zero.

Thirds of the Wheel: Covers one third of the wheel (so 12 numbers) with all numbers between 33 and 27. May be referred to as le tiers du cylindre.

Zero Game: Covers the seven numbers closest to 0 on the wheel – 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32 and 15. Also known as jeu zero.

Orphans: Covers eight numbers in total – 17, 34, 6, 1, 20, 14, 31 and 0. Also called orphelins.

Variable Called Bets

Neighbors: Refers to a single number and the two numbers on either side of it, making five numbers in total. They are 34, 25, 17, 6 and 27.

Final Straight: Covers individual numbers that end in the same digits like 0, 10, 20 and 30 or 8, 18 and 28.

Final Split: Covers all numbers based on two numbers so for 0 and 1 this includes 0, 1, 10, 11, 20, 21, 30 and 31.