Roulette is simple to watch: you place a bet, the wheel spins, and a ball stops in one numbered pocket. The part worth slowing down for is the betting layout. Different bets cover different numbers and pay different amounts.
What is on the wheel?
A standard single-zero wheel has numbers 1–36 plus 0. A double-zero wheel adds 00. That extra pocket changes the chance of winning the usual bets. A table may also have special rules or multipliers, so check the exact version rather than assuming every roulette game is identical. The Nevada regulator’s rules of play describe single- and double-zero layouts.
A standard red bet: which wheel are you using?
Inside and outside bets
- Inside: a single number or a small group of numbers on the numbered grid. A straight-up bet covers one number.
- Outside: larger groups such as red/black, odd/even or 1–18/19–36.
- Zero: on ordinary red/black bets, 0 is neither red nor black. Check for any special zero rule on your table.
Before placing a chip
Check the number of zero pockets, the minimum stake, the payout for your chosen bet and any extra feature you are paying for. Evolution’s roulette overview shows how variants can add special rules. A past run of red or black does not tell you what the next independent spin will do; staking systems cannot remove the house edge.
If the betting grid feels busy, watch a round without betting and read the help screen. For the bigger picture, see Table Games and House Edge Explained. Adults only, where legal.
Want to change the € stake? Try the roulette odds explorer. The wheel counts come from the Nevada regulator’s rules; the percentages are calculated from those counts. Checked 12 November 2026.