All odds below are for the European single-zero wheel (37 pockets). To place these bets risk-free and watch the payouts resolve, use our roulette simulator.
Inside bets vs outside bets
Every roulette wager is either an inside bet (on specific numbers, in the numbered grid) or an outside bet (on large groups, around the edge of the layout).
- Inside bets pay more but win less often. They're the high-risk, high-reward end of the table.
- Outside bets pay less but win far more often. They're where most casual players live.
Crucially, on a European wheel they all share the same 2.70% house edge. A single-number bet isn't "worse value" than red, it just has a wilder shape: rarer wins, bigger payouts.
The full roulette payout chart
| Bet | Numbers covered | Payout | Win chance (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35:1 | 2.7% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 5.4% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 8.1% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 10.8% |
| Six line | 6 | 5:1 | 16.2% |
| Column | 12 | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| Dozen | 12 | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| Red / Black | 18 | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Odd / Even | 18 | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| High / Low | 18 | 1:1 | 48.6% |
Notice the pattern: payout and win chance are mirror images. The more numbers a bet covers, the smaller the payout, in almost perfect proportion. The "almost" is the house edge, the single green zero that keeps every even-money win chance just under 50%.
Inside bets explained
Straight up (35:1). A bet on one number. The biggest payout and the longest odds. Hitting your number feels great; it happens once every 37 spins on average.
Split (17:1). Place a chip on the line between two adjacent numbers to bet on both.
Street (11:1). A chip on the edge of a row covers all three numbers in that row.
Corner (8:1). Also called a square. A chip on the intersection of four numbers covers all four.
Six line (5:1). A chip straddling two rows covers all six numbers across them.
Outside bets explained
Red / Black, Odd / Even, High (19–36) / Low (1–18). The three even-money bets, each paying 1:1 and covering 18 numbers. The closest roulette gets to a coin flip, but the zero tips it slightly against you. These are the bets to look for on a French table with la partage, where a zero only costs you half your stake and the edge drops to 1.35%.
Dozens (2:1). Bet on the first (1–12), second (13–24) or third (25–36) dozen.
Columns (2:1). Bet on one of the three vertical columns of 12 numbers running the length of the layout.
Dozens and columns are a popular middle ground: they pay double and still win nearly a third of the time.
What about the green zero?
The zero belongs to no colour, no dozen, no column, and is neither odd nor even, high nor low. When it lands, every outside bet loses (unless la partage or en prison applies). That single pocket is the entire source of the house edge. You can bet on the zero itself straight up at 35:1, but it carries no special advantage, it's just another number on the wheel.
Which roulette bet is "best"?
Here's the honest answer most guides dodge: on a European wheel, no single bet has better odds than another. They all carry the same 2.70% edge. The choice is purely about the experience you want:
- Want frequent small wins and a slow, steady ride? Stick to even-money and dozens.
- Want rare, thrilling payouts and don't mind a bumpy balance? Inside bets are for you.
- Want the genuinely lowest edge? Find a French table with la partage and bet even-money for a 1.35% edge.
The only universally wrong choice is the American double-zero wheel, where every bet's edge doubles to 5.26%, and its five-number basket bet, which is the worst wager in the building at 7.89%.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest payout in roulette? A straight-up bet on a single number pays 35:1, the highest on the standard layout. It also has the lowest win chance, just 2.7% per spin on a European wheel.
Do outside bets have better odds than inside bets? They win more often but pay less, and on a European wheel the house edge is identical (2.70%) for both. "Better odds" depends on whether you mean win frequency or payout size, not on actual value.
What does a 2:1 payout mean? You receive two units of profit for every one you bet, plus your original stake back. A winning 10 bet on a dozen returns 30 total: your 10 plus 20 in winnings.
Why are even-money bets not exactly 50/50? Because of the green zero. Red covers 18 of 37 pockets, so your win chance is 18/37 ≈ 48.6%, not 50%. That gap is the house edge in action.
The takeaway
Roulette's bets only look complicated. They're really just two families, inside and outside, with payouts that scale neatly against how many numbers you cover. On a European wheel every bet shares the same 2.70% edge, so the "best" bet is whichever suits the experience you're after, fast and frequent, or rare and dramatic.
Keep the payout chart above nearby, and when you want to feel how each bet actually plays out, place a few in the roulette simulator and watch the math do its work.