How to play European Roulette

Multiple versions of live roulette can be found in live casinos; some of the most popular feature a live dealer who walks players through every spin of the wheel. Although there are other first-person games, these live dealer games are the most played, and the most popular variation is European Roulette.

Played out as one of the most traditional games, European roulette features a wheel of 37 numbers, 36 numbers plus one green 0, which is different from American Roulette as that also features a 00 pocket on the wheel.

The table itself features all of the numbers available to place bets upon, including the 0 and all of the bets offer different odds up to 35/1 for a straight bet. However, before you play a game of European roulette, we advise taking a look at how to play the game and how to place a bet so you'll be well-informed before taking a seat at a roulette table.

Playing European Roulette

After selecting your game of European roulette, players will need to take a look at the game rules, especially if they choose to play a game of lightning roulette with extra numbers and added multipliers, as these can not only increase the potential winnings and the minimum and maximum betting amounts.

Within these game rules, players will generally show the different odds you can expect to be paid for each bet, and the types normally range from a max of 35/1. After you’ve made your selection, simply wait for the dealer to release the ball into the wheel, and when the ball has come to a stop in one of the wheel pockets, the amounts will be paid to the players who have bet correctly.

What is the difference between European and American Roulette?

Although many games of live roulette will play out the same, there is one distant difference between the two games, and that is the number of pockets that appear on the wheel. Within European roulette, there are 37 pockets on the wheel featuring numbers 1-36 and, of course, 0, which offers the highest payout if a straight bet is placed on that number. However, what makes American Roulette different is the extra pocket on the wheel, which is 0

European Roulette Bets

Of all the variations of roulette, European roulette is perhaps the most widely played and most well-known. Although American roulette has a strong audience across the pond, European roulette is often more universal and popular on the continent and beyond.

However, there are minimal differences that differentiate certain versions of roulette. European and American roulette are primarily the same, with the majority of the bets and betting strategies being identical. However, European roulette has one zero on the wheel, and the American version opts for dual action, having zero and double zero options. While this gives the house an extra edge, as a player, there’s no difference in betting terminology and how to implement it into your game.

What Are Inside Bets?

Think of the roulette table as one big pie with the inside bets and outside bets being the total sum of all the bets you can place. Roulette inside bets focuses on solitary numbers and bets that only focus on the numbered sections instead of grouped sections. Grouped sections are the outside bets we will touch on a little later.

Inside Betting Options

Straight Bet

With a return of 35/1, a straight bet is by far the most significant odds you’ll find anywhere on the table. Certain types of roulette players will have numbers that might have sentimental or superstitious value to them that they play, but the odds are heavily against you if you employ a strategy entirely dependent on straight bets.

Street Bet

The layout of the roulette table includes 1-36 divided between 12 lines and three columns. A street bet is on any of these 12 lines. As far as roulette inside bets go, this is one of the simplest and most popular bets among European roulette players.

Corner Bet

It’s important to remember that the presence of the zero enables the house to gain an advantage over you. While some bettors believe that lowering their stakes and covering more numbers on the table might lead to a win, the house has a statistical edge.

A corner bet covers four numbers; it can be any four numbers intersecting on the table so that your chip and wager cover 25% of each. It’s best to think of the table from a bird’s eye view. The furthest top left corner bet you can place covers two, three, five and six. As long as the bet covers four numbers where they meet on that particular section of the table, then it’ll be classed as a corner bet with odds of just over 9/1.

Top Line Bet

That pesky zero can derail many bets, and there’s a saying among roulette gamers to consistently cover the zero as insurance. A top line bet covers the zero and is similar to a corner bet as it also involves the closest bordering numbers. It covers zero, one, two and three, and can return at the odds of 8/1 if it is a success.

Split Bet

A split bet is any two numbers that share a border on the table, and there are big odds for a split bet. As you’d anticipate, it is the second most significant return you can have on a roulette table at around 17/1. It’s not among the most popular roulette inside bets, but the rewards are substantial for those who manage to pull it off.

Six Line Bet

A six line bet covers six numbers and two lines across the table and will provide a return of 6/1 if successful. Both lines need to be next to each other for a six line bet, so a 16 six line bet would cover all of the numbers between and including 16 and 21.

What Are Outside Bets?

Outside bets refer to larger sections of the table. They are popular with bettors who avoid the increased risk of individual straight or split bets and perhaps appeal to the more level-headed players out there. Call bets are occasionally considered outside bets, as they cover a large selection of numbers in the same way odd/even or first/second/third dozen do. However, as they are not a feature of European roulette, we will stick to the conventional definitions of roulette outside bets.

Outside Betting Options

Odd/Even

Roulette outside bets are not too difficult to commit to memory. As we have already alluded to, the zero is the reason a lot of these odds aren’t simple mathematical sums. Between 1 and 36, there are 18 odds and 18 evens, and you can bet on either section, receiving however much you staked as a winning amount.

Red/Black

From a numbers perspective, roulette outside bets are all about specific table segments. While red/black bets might not follow the same numerical values, the odds remain the same as odds/evens and remain one of the most popular roulette bets simply for their simplicity and relatively short odds compared to other bets across the table.

High/Low

Another numerical segmentation that occurs is the high/low feature. High/low is one of many outside bets that go right down the middle of the table and are much easier to remember than more complicated bets that cover smaller, specific areas. Simply put, the lowest and highest 18 numbers are separated into two sections. On the table, you’ll see them specified as 1-18 and 19-36.

Column Bet

There are three columns on the table, each with a betting square at the end. The betting section for the first column is situated beneath the number 34 on the table, and the second and third are under 35 and 36, respectively. Each column consists of 12 numbers and returns odds close to 2/1.

Dozens Bet

Another bet that specifies a section of 12 numbers, the boxes for the first, second and third dozen sit directly under the respective amounts and sections — also returning close to 2/1 due to the zero knocking the straight odds slightly out of kilter.