Roulette Strategy: Odds and Payouts

Pick a number, spin the roulette wheel, see who wins - that's pretty much the gist of roulette, right? Well, yeah, nah, not really. On the surface, roulette can be a simple as just making a straight bet and praying for the best, but there is actually a whole lot more you can do with your bets to both increase your roulette odds and win probability, and make things a whole lot more fun.

We've rounded up all of the major betting strategies for online roulette and laid them out in the article in the most straightforward way possible - by the end of this, you should have the advantage when it comes to roulette odds, payouts and probability. So have a squiz at your roulette options, educate yourself, and go dominate the online roulette table at the best roulette sites in New Zealand!

Basic Roulette Odds

If you're already on top of the basics of roulette odds and you want to delve into the nitty-gritty of roulette odds and strategies, have a look at our article on the best and worst roulette strategies.

Every possible payout you can win in roulette is based on the number/s you choose, as a fraction of the total numbers (1-36) without the zero. In other words, payouts are based on the odds of the numbers you choose winning on the spin of the roulette wheel. Also, whether the table has a single zero (e.g. European Roulette), or two zeros (e.g. American Roulette), the house will still hold the advantage over the players, no matter which roulette game you're playing. One thing to consider when spinning the wheel, the house edge varies depending on your bet.

Straight Up Bet Odds

While each bet will have varying odds, the most basic bet with the most basic roulette odds is a straight-up bet. This is where you pick a number from 1-36, and you end up having odds of 35/1, which add up for some huge returns. In fact, it's the largest payout possible when playing roulette.

So if you win a $1 bet on a straight up bet, you will win $35, plus your original stake. The only downside is that a straight up bet will only win 2.63% of the time, increasing the house edge, so your probability of winning is about as slim as a slice of cheese.

Split Bet Roulette Odds

In roulette, a split bet is where you can bet on two different numbers at the same time, by choosing two numbers that are next to each other. When placing a split bet, place your chips on the line that joins any two numbers. This is also known as an inside bet, with all the numbers that have intersecting lines located on the inside of the table.

If a split bet wins, you'll get a payout at odds of 17 to 1, which is pretty darned sweet. Of course, with such big roulette odds, that bet will only win 5.26% of the time, so it won't happen too often.

Even Bets Roulette Odds

An even bet is basically a coin toss, in that it will have a fifty-fifty chance of winning. These fifty-fifty roulette odds mean a single bet can double your money.

Even bets include:

• Betting on red
• Betting on black
• Betting on an odd number
• Betting on an even number
• Betting on a number from 1 to 8
• Betting on a number from 19 to 36

Also known as an 'outside bet', even bets present you with a higher win probability than most casino games. However, it can all depend on the roulette game you're playing. If the table has a double zero (e.g. American Roulette), that increases the house's edge over the players. A table with double zeros will make the roulette odds on an even bet just 47.37%, which is still pretty high for any game you'll find in a casino.

Overall, and in theory, an even bet is the best chance for you to win real money playing online roulette. Remember, though, because these roulette odds are so good, you'll need to bet a decent chunk of change to make big wins.

Dozens

As the name suggests, a dozens bet is a bet on the three groups of 12 numbers (3X12 = 36 total numbers on the table). The dozens are split into three groups:

Because there are three sections/dozens, the roulette odds on a dozens bet is 2 to 1, so if you win a $10 bet, you will get $30 plus your original stake.

If you want to get technical, the true odds of winning a roulette bet on dozens is exactly 31.58% - so while the house has a decent edge, you have a much better chance of winning than a straight-up/single number bet.

Street Bet

To know a street bet, first imagine a row going across the numbers - so a row would be 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, etc. A street bet is betting on one of these rows, so that any one of 3 numbers could win. To place a street bet in roulette, place your chips on the outer edge of each number in that row.

The payout of a street bet is 11 to 1, which means some decent payouts with roulette odds of the bet winning at 7.8 per cent.

Double Street Betting Odds

A double street bet is betting that a number from two rows (or streets like the bet above) that are next to each other will win - so a double street bet is betting on six numbers at a time.

To make a double street bet, place your chips on the corner shared by the two numbers on the left, or the two numbers on the right.

A payout on a winning double street bet is 5 to 1, and the chance of winning a double street bet is 13.16%. All in all, a double street bet is your third-best chance at winning some cash at the roulette table.

Basket Bet Roulette Odds

A basket bet is betting on the first five numbers on a roulette table, which are 00, 0, 1, 2, and 3. When making a basket bet, place your chips on the corner shared between 0 and 1, or 0 and 3. If the ball lands on any of those five numbers, you win. A payout on a winning basket bet is 6 to 1, and the chance of winning a basket bet is 13.16%. At the end of the day, a double street bet is a good happy medium for a lot of roulette players in terms of risk versus reward.

Corner Bet Roulette Odds

A corner bet in roulette is betting on any four numbers that are touching each other. To place a corner bet in roulette, just place your chips in the middle of any four numbers on the table.

A corner bet will payout at 8 to 1, which while good odds, will only win in 10.53% of spins.

Advanced Roulette Betting Options

You didn't think it ended there, did you? Honestly, the betting options available on a roulette table can go super deep. We won't go into too much about them here, because they are a little bit out of the ordinary. So, while we'll give you a quick rundown on the roulette odds of each of these advanced bets, you can read more about them in our article on Exotic Alternatives: 'Announce' Bets in Roulette.

Martingale Roulette Bet

Doubling your bet until you win. Yes, seriously, that's the strategy, and a lot of people find success with it. Of course, by just continuing to pile money in, there are potentially big risks. Read up more in our article about the Martingale system.

RELATED: What is the Martingale System?

Jeu Zéro/Zero Game/Zero Spiel/German Roulette Bet

Betting on four chips, or groups of four chips on the numbers closest to the zero:

• One chip on the 0/3 split
• One on 12/15
• One on 32/35
• One on 26 straight up

The jeu zéro bet wins 18.9% of the time.

Voisins du Zéro/Neighbours of Zero Roulette Bet

Similar to the jeu zéro bet, the Voisins du Zéro is betting on nine chips, or groups of nine chips, closest to the zero:

• Two chips on the 0, 2, 3 trio
• Two on the 25, 26, 28, 29 corner
• One on the 4/7 split
• One on 12/15
• One on 18/21
• One on 19/22
• One on 32/35

The Voisins du Zéro wins 45.9% of the time.

Tiers du Cylindre/Thirds of the Wheel Roulette Bet

The Tiers du Cylindre bet is betting on the numbers from 33 to 27, and uses six chips:

• One chip on the 5/8 split
• One on 10/11
• One on 13/16
• One on 23/24
• One on 27/30
• One on 33/36

The Tiers du Cylindre bet wins 32% of the time.

Orphelins/Orphans Roulette Bet

Unfortunate name aside, the Orphelins bets involve betting on the numbers that are neither around, nor opposite the zero, and occupy two areas on either side of the roulette wheel. You bet using five chips:

• One chip on 1
• One chip on the 6/9 split
• One on 14/17
• One on 17/20
• One on 31/34

The Orphelins bet wins 24.3% of the time.

Going Forward - Your Best Roulette Strategy

Every bet has a different risk versus reward ratio, so it's really just about finding something with roulette odds that matches your risk profile. The best way to nut out what suits your style is to just practice with each betting option.

Speaking of which, if you want to dive in a start testing your roulette theories, there are tons of roulette games at our top online casinos. There's only one way to find out, so get spinning!