What’s up, Otaku Bettors!
Roulette is one of the simplest casino games out there.
You don’t need to memorize a thing.
Just place your chips wherever you want to bet — that’s it.
Win and your chips multiply. Lose and they get swept away. That’s all there is to it.
Roulette Basics — How It Works
Casino roulette is split into two parts: a spinning wheel that the ball travels around, and a table layout where players place chips on their predicted numbers.
Where you can place chips is defined by the layout. You pick a number or area you think will hit, place your chips there, and wait.
Once the wheel spins and the ball settles, if it lands on your number or area, you collect your payout. If not, your chips are taken.
How a Round Works
Casino roulette comes in two formats: video roulette, which runs on software, and live dealer roulette, where you play against a human dealer.
For video roulette: select your chip value, click where you want to bet, hit Spin — done.
For live dealer roulette: same idea, but you can only place bets while the PLACE YOUR BETS window is open. Once the dealer throws the ball, BETS CLOSING appears and betting locks. Then the round plays out.
Win and you get paid. Lose and your bet is taken.
Bet Types and Payouts
Here’s a breakdown of every bet type and its payout.
Bets that target specific numbers directly are called inside bets. Bets on groups of numbers are called outside bets.
Inside Bets
| Coverage | Bet Name | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Number | Straight Up | 36× |
| Place your chip on a single number. | ||
| 2 Numbers | Split Bet | 18× |
| Place your chip on the line between two adjacent numbers. | ||
| 3 Numbers | Street Bet | 12× |
| Place your chip at the end of a row of three numbers. | ||
| 4 Numbers | Corner Bet | 9× |
| Place your chip at the intersection of four adjacent numbers. | ||
| 6 Numbers | Line Bet | 6× |
| Place your chip at the edge of two adjacent rows. | ||
Outside Bets
| Area | Payout |
|---|---|
| Red / Black | 2× |
| Place your chip on red or black. | |
| Even / Odd | 2× |
| Place your chip on even or odd. | |
| 1–18 / 19–36 | 2× |
| Place your chip on 1–18 (low) or 19–36 (high). | |
| Dozen | 3× |
| Place your chip on the 1st 12, 2nd 12, or 3rd 12. | |
| Column | 3× |
| Place your chip on one of the three column bets (2:1). |
Prohibited Bets
Roulette prohibits opposite bets — like covering both red and black at once.
Some casinos also ban covering 35 or more numbers at once under a low-risk bet restriction.
Wheel Types
Roulette wheels come in three main types: American Roulette, European Roulette, and French Roulette. They differ in number arrangement and rules.
American Roulette
American Roulette has 38 numbers: 0, 00, and 1–36.
House edge: 5.26%.
Some versions include a Surrender rule — if an outside bet loses to 0 or 00, half your stake is returned.
European Roulette
European Roulette has 37 numbers: 0 through 36.
House edge: 2.70%.
The standard format at most online casinos.
French Roulette
French Roulette also has 37 numbers: 0 through 36.
Base house edge is 2.70%, same as European. The table layout looks different, and certain variants include En Prison or La Partage rules. When active, if an outside bet loses to 0, you either get half your stake back immediately or your bet stays held for the next spin. With these rules in play, the house edge drops to 1.35%.
Beginner Strategy
My go-to for new players is the green + red/black combo.
A lot of people recommend pure red/black for beginners, but since zero targeting is my thing, I push this one for Otaku Bettors just starting out.
The setup is simple.
European Roulette Version
↑ One chip on green (0), one chip on black.
Assuming $1 per chip, that’s $2 per spin.
Black hits: 2× payout, +$2 — break even.
Red hits: −$2.
Green (0) hits: 36× payout, +$36 — net +$34.
Hit rate: roughly 51%.
American Roulette Version
American roulette has both 0 and 00, so you split bet across both greens.
↑ One chip split across 0/00, one chip on black.
Assuming $1 per chip, that’s $2 per spin.
Black hits: 2× payout, +$2 — break even.
Red hits: −$2.
Green (0 or 00) hits: 18× payout, +$18 — net +$16.
Hit rate: roughly 53%.
The core of this strategy is actively targeting the zero — but explaining why would take a while.
I’ve written a lot more on strategies and system bets, so if you want to go deeper, check out the roulette strategies page.
It’ll sharpen your game.
That’s it.
I said you don’t need to memorize anything — then wrote all of this. But roulette is weird like that: it’s simple on the surface, and the deeper you go, the more there is. Probably why the scene attracts people like me.
For deeper, niche content, I also write in the column section — check it out if you’re into that.