KEY TAKEAWAYS
Roulette is one of the most recognizable casino table games. A dealer spins a ball around a rotating wheel, players place bets on a layout beforehand, and the ball settles in one numbered pocket to decide every bet at once. This quick-reference card summarizes the standard rules: the wheel and layout, how a round works, the standard bets and their payouts, and the main variations. It is a reference summary rather than a full how-to tutorial or a strategy guide. Wheel specifications, payouts and handling of zero come from published gaming regulations in Maryland and New Jersey, and other jurisdictions and casinos may differ. Figures such as the house edge can be checked by hand from the payouts, and nothing in this card changes that edge.
Roulette at a Glance
A short fact sheet for the game as it is most commonly offered in United States casinos.
| Feature | Standard rule |
|---|---|
| Players | Any number at one table, each betting independently |
| Equipment | A roulette wheel (at least 30 inches across), a ball, a layout, and color-coded roulette chips |
| Pockets | 37 on a single-zero wheel, 38 on a double-zero wheel, and 39 on a triple-zero wheel where allowed |
| Objective | Bet on the pocket, or group of pockets, where the ball will land |
| House edge | 2.70% on single zero, 5.26% on double zero, on nearly every bet |
| Where it is found | Casino table game areas; also offered in electronic and live-dealer formats |
Roulette is a game of pure chance with no skill in the result. Each spin is independent of the last, so earlier results do not change the next one. The same bets are available on every spin, and a player can place several at once.
Setup and Objective
Roulette is played at a table with a wheel at one end and a layout printed at the other. Under the Maryland and New Jersey rules, the wheel must be at least 30 inches across. A single-zero wheel has 37 equally spaced pockets: one marked 0 and colored green, and 1 to 36 colored alternately red and black. A double-zero wheel has 38 pockets, adding a green 00. Maryland also allows a triple-zero wheel with 39 pockets.
The layout shows the numbers 1 to 36 in a grid, with the zero or zeros at one end, and spaces for the bets that cover groups of numbers. Roulette chips have no value printed on them. Each player buys in for a set of chips in their own color, and the dealer marks the value of that color, so players at the same table can bet at once without confusing whose chips are whose. The objective is simple: bet on the number or group of numbers that will contain the winning pocket.
How a Round Works
A round of roulette follows the same sequence at most tables.
1. Bets are placed. Players place chips on the layout. A bet on a single number or a small group of numbers is an inside bet, and bets on large groups such as red or black are outside bets.
2. The dealer spins the wheel and ball. The ball is spun in the direction opposite to the wheel’s rotation. For the spin to be valid, the ball must complete at least four revolutions around the track of the wheel.
3. “No more bets” is called. While the ball is still moving around the track, the dealer announces that betting is closed. After that call, players may not touch chips on the layout until the round is settled.
4. The ball settles. When the ball comes to rest in a pocket, the dealer announces the number and places a marker, called a crown or dolly, on that number on the layout.
5. The dealer settles bets. The dealer first collects all losing bets, then pays the winning bets, according to the payout table. Players then place bets for the next round.
A spin can be declared void with a call of “no spin” if, for example, the ball is spun in the same direction as the wheel, does not complete four revolutions, or a foreign object enters the wheel. The dealer then removes the ball and spins again.
Standard Bets and Payouts
These are the standard bets and their minimum payouts under the Maryland and New Jersey regulations, along with the chance of winning on each type of wheel. Chances are the number of covered pockets divided by the number of pockets on the wheel.
| Bet | Pockets covered | Pays | Chance (38 pockets) | Chance (37 pockets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.63% | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5.26% | 5.41% |
| Street (three numbers) | 3 | 11 to 1 | 7.89% | 8.11% |
| Corner (four numbers) | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.53% | 10.81% |
| Six line (six numbers) | 6 | 5 to 1 | 15.79% | 16.22% |
| Dozen or column | 12 | 2 to 1 | 31.58% | 32.43% |
| Red, black, odd, even, 1 to 18, 19 to 36 | 18 | 1 to 1 | 47.37% | 48.65% |
A double-zero table also offers a first-five-numbers bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3, which pays 6 to 1. It is the exception to the rule that every bet has the same edge: its house edge is 7.89%, compared with 5.26% for the others. On a double-zero wheel, a ball landing on 0 or 00 loses the even-money bets, and on a single-zero wheel a 0 loses them too, subject to the variations below.
A payout of 35 to 1 means a winning $1 straight-up bet earns $35 in profit and the $1 stake is returned. The edge comes from the gap between the true odds, 37 to 1 on a double-zero wheel or 36 to 1 on a single-zero wheel, and the 35 to 1 actually paid.
Common Variations
Single zero and double zero. The single-zero (European) wheel has one green pocket and a house edge of 2.70%. The double-zero (American) wheel adds a second green pocket and doubles the edge to 5.26%. A triple-zero wheel, permitted in some regulated markets, has 39 pockets and an edge of 3 ÷ 39, about 7.69%, on a straight bet.
Treatment of zero on even-money bets. Under the Maryland rules, even-money bets lose when the ball lands on zero. In New Jersey, on a double-zero wheel, the casino may choose to take either half or all of each even-money bet when zero or double zero comes up, and it must post which option is in effect. The half-loss option lowers the cost of those bets.
Double-zero wheel used as single zero. Some tables cover the 00 area and use a double-zero wheel as a single-zero game. If the ball lands in 00, the spin is void and the wheel is spun again, and the table must post a notice.
Other forms. Electronic and live-dealer versions generally offer the same core bets, and some add side bets or bonus features with their own rules, payouts and edges. Check the posted rules at any table or game before playing.
Key Terms
A short list of the words used most often at a roulette table. A full glossary of casino terms belongs in the casino glossary, so only the essentials appear here.
Straight-up bet
A bet on a single number, paying 35 to 1.
Split
A bet on two adjacent numbers, paying 17 to 1.
Street
A bet on three numbers in a row on the layout, paying 11 to 1.
Corner
A bet on four numbers that meet at one point, paying 8 to 1.
Dozen and column
A bet on twelve numbers, either a block such as 1 to 12 or a vertical column of the layout, paying 2 to 1.
Inside bet
A bet on a single number or a small group of numbers, such as a straight, split, street or corner.
Outside bet
A bet on a large group of numbers, such as red or black, odd or even, a dozen or a column.
No more bets
The dealer’s call that closes betting while the ball is still spinning.
Crown or dolly
The marker the dealer places on the winning number on the layout.
Related Reading
The house edge and expected value used in this card are explained in Gambling Probability Terms: 28 Definitions, and odds formats are covered in Betting Odds Terms: 24 Definitions With Examples. Another dice-based table game with a payout table is described in Sic Bo Rules: Bets, Payouts and How the Game Works, and casino table language appears in Craps Terms and Slang: 30 Definitions With Examples.
