Reading the Roulette Table: Layout, Bet Types and Terms

Roulette is one of the most recognizable table games in the world: a spinning wheel, a small ball and a green felt layout covered in numbers and boxes. For a first-time observer, though, that layout can look like a puzzle. This guide is purely informational. It explains how the wheel and table are organized, what common terms mean, and how the odds work, so that you can understand the game as a piece of culture and mathematics. It is intended for adults of legal gambling age only.

The wheel: 37 or 38 pockets

The wheel is divided into numbered pockets, alternating red and black, with green pocket(s) for zero. There are two main versions:

• European (single-zero) wheel: 37 pockets, numbered 0 to 36.
• American (double-zero) wheel: 38 pockets, numbered 0, 00 and 1 to 36.

That one extra pocket matters enormously. Every bet on the table pays out as though there were only 36 outcomes, but the wheel has 37 or 38. That gap is the source of the built-in mathematical advantage that every casino game has. If you would like a deeper explanation, see our article on house edge and odds.

The layout

The felt is divided into a few main regions:

1. The number grid: The numbers 1 to 36 are usually arranged in three columns of twelve, with zero (and double zero) at the top.
2. The dozens: Three boxes marked 1st 12, 2nd 12 and 3rd 12.
3. The column bets: Boxes at the end of each of the three columns.
4. The even-money boxes: Red or black, odd or even, and low (1-18) or high (19-36).

Inside bets

Inside bets are made on the number grid itself. They cover few numbers, so they have a low chance of winning but a larger payout.

• Straight up: A single number. Pays 35 to 1.
• Split: Two adjacent numbers. Pays 17 to 1.
• Street: A row of three numbers. Pays 11 to 1.
• Corner: Four numbers meeting at a point. Pays 8 to 1.
• Six line: Two adjacent rows, six numbers. Pays 5 to 1.

Outside bets

Outside bets sit around the edges of the grid and cover many numbers at once.

• Red/black, odd/even, low/high: 18 numbers each. Pays 1 to 1.
• Dozens and columns: 12 numbers each. Pays 2 to 1.

Note that zero (and double zero) is not red or black, odd or even, low or high, so all of these bets lose when the ball lands there, except in variants with special rules.

How the numbers compare

Let us take a straight-up bet. On a single-zero wheel, there is a 1 in 37 chance (about 2.70 percent) of hitting your number, but the payout is 35 to 1, which would be fair at 1 in 36. On a double-zero wheel, the chance is 1 in 38 (about 2.63 percent). The built-in advantage is about 2.70 percent on the single-zero wheel and about 5.26 percent on the double-zero wheel, and it applies to practically every standard bet. No pattern of bets changes that, and no betting arrangement can turn a negative-expectation game into a positive one.

Common terms

• Croupier or dealer: The person who spins the wheel and manages the table.
• Chips: Roulette tables often use color-coded chips so each player's bets can be identified.
• No more bets: The dealer's call that betting has closed.
• Marker: A small object placed on the winning number.
• En prison / La Partage: Rules in some European-style games that return or hold part of an even-money bet when zero lands.

A short note on culture and caution

Roulette's name comes from the French word for "little wheel", and it became closely associated with European gambling halls and later the American casino floor. It makes for a fascinating study of probability, but every spin is independent, with no memory of what came before. We explain why in our upcoming pieces on probability, and you can also read about responsible limits before you ever play any game of chance. Gambling laws vary widely by state and country, and it is only for those of legal age, typically 18 or 21 depending on location and activity.

Frequently asked questions

Which version of roulette has the better odds? The single-zero (European) wheel has a lower built-in advantage than the double-zero (American) wheel, because it has one fewer losing pocket.

Is there a betting pattern that beats the wheel? No. Every spin is independent, and the mathematical edge applies to each bet. Patterns may feel logical but do not change the odds.

Why do some bets pay more than others? Payouts are set to reflect, roughly, how unlikely the outcome is. Smaller chances pay more, but the payout is always slightly lower than the true odds.