How to play roulette: a beginner's guide with honest odds

The wheel and the table

A European roulette wheel has 37 numbered pockets: 0 to 36. The zero is green; the other numbers split evenly between red and black. The table layout mirrors the numbers in a grid, with the outside bets (red, black, even, odd, 1 to 18, 19 to 36, the dozens, and the columns) arranged around it. You bet by placing chips on the layout; where the chips sit decides what you have bet on.

The bets

Inside bets sit on the number grid: a single number, a line between two, a row of three, a corner of four, or two rows of six. Outside bets cover whole groups: 18 numbers at even money, or 12 numbers at 2 to 1. Narrow bets pay more and hit less; wide bets pay less and hit more. The payout chart lists every bet with its exact probability, and the honest headline is that every one of them carries the same 2.70 percent house edge.

The flow of a round

1. Betting opens. Place chips on any spots you like, inside or outside.
2. The croupier spins the wheel and rolls the ball. At "no more bets", the layout closes.
3. The ball lands in a pocket. That number and its color decide every bet at once.
4. Losing chips are cleared, winning bets are paid by the chart, and the next round opens.

Our simulator runs exactly this loop, with the same payouts and a fairness first random draw, so you can learn the rhythm without spending anything.

Table limits and bankroll

Real tables post a minimum and maximum per bet, and often a separate, lower maximum for inside bets. Limits protect the house from unbounded doubling systems, and they will cut off any progression you might be tempted to run; our Martingale simulation shows what happens when they do.

Bankroll basics are three sentences long. Decide your budget before you play, and treat it as the price of the evening. Prefer many small bets to few large ones if you want the session to last. Expect to pay about 27 points of every 1,000 you stake to the house edge over the long run, because that is what the math says, and no system changes it.

Common questions

Is roulette beatable with the right play?

No. Every bet on a single zero wheel returns 36/37 of what it stakes, on average, whatever you do. We simulated the famous betting systems for over a million sessions to show it. Roulette is entertainment with a known price of about 2.70 percent of everything staked; play it as that.

What is the safest bet for a beginner?

No bet has a lower house edge than any other on a European wheel; they all cost the same 1 in 37 of what you stake. Even money bets like red or black win most often, which makes sessions smoother, and that is a fine reason to start there, as long as you know smoother does not mean cheaper.

How much money do I need to play roulette?

At a real table, never more than you would happily spend on any other evening out; decide the number before you sit down. In our simulator the question answers itself: you start with 10,000 virtual points, they are free, and they can never be bought or cashed out.