Roulette rules: bets, payouts and wheel sectors

French Roulette rules

Roulette is a mechanical system in which the outcome results from the interaction of two dynamic elements rotating in opposite directions: the rotor and the ball. In the French and European versions, the rotor has 37 numbered pockets, from 0 to 36.

The ball (Boule)
Originally made of ivory, the ball is now generally manufactured from synthetic materials such as resin or Teflon. It is launched by the croupier or, in some cases, by a mechanical system.

The rotor (wheel)
The rotor is a rotating wheel with 37 pockets, on which the numbers are arranged in a fixed, non-sequential order. It turns in the opposite direction to the ball and is set in motion by the croupier or by a computerized mechanism.
As the ball loses speed, it falls into one of the 37 pockets, determining the outcome of the bets placed on the table.

Objective of Roulette
The main objective is simple: predict the number on which the ball will stop. Roulette players place their bets against the house. In addition to betting on individual numbers, they can wager on different combinations to cover several numbers at once.

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French, European and American Roulette

French and European Roulette generally use a wheel with 37 pockets, including a single zero. The American version adds a double zero and therefore has 38 pockets. La Partage and En Prison are not available at every table and must be checked in the casino rules.

Roulette rules: combinations and payouts

Wheel sectors
Roulette offers several betting combinations based on sectors of the wheel. Their availability and the way they are called may vary from one casino to another. The most popular include:

Les Voisins du Zéro (Neighbors of Zero)
A group of 17 numbers surrounding zero on the wheel and covering the sector from 22 to 25. This combination uses 9 chips, distributed as follows:
2 chips on the street: (0-2-3)
2 chips on the corner: (25-26-28-29)
1 chip on each split: (4-7) (12-15) (18-21) (19-22) (32 35)
Numbers covered:
0, 2, 3, 4, 7, 12, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 35.

Tiers (Series)
A series of 12 numbers located on the opposite side of the wheel from the Neighbors of Zero. This combination uses 6 chips, placed on the following splits:
(5-8) (10-11) (13-16) (23-24) (27-30) (33-36)
Numbers covered:
5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 23, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36.

Orphelins (Orphans)
The 8 numbers that do not belong to the two previous sectors (“Les Voisins du Zéro” and “Tiers”). This combination is played with 5 chips distributed as follows:
1 chip on the straight-up number: 1
1 chip on each split:
(6-9) (14-17) (17-20) (31-34)
Numbers covered: 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31, 34.

Payouts indicate the net win; when a bet wins, the original chip is also returned.

Inside bets

Straight Up — Plein
A bet on one number. Net payout: 35 to 1.

Split — Cheval
A bet on two adjacent numbers joined by a line on the layout. Net payout: 17 to 1.

Street — Transversale pleine
A bet on the three numbers in the same horizontal row. Net payout: 11 to 1.

Corner — Carré
A bet on four adjacent numbers forming a square on the layout. Net payout: 8 to 1.

Six Line — Transversale simple
A bet on the six numbers in two consecutive horizontal rows. Net payout: 5 to 1.

Outside bets

Dozen — Douzaine
A bet on one of the three groups of twelve numbers: 1–12, 13–24 or 25–36. Net payout: 2 to 1.

Column — Colonne
A bet on one of the three vertical columns on the layout, each containing twelve numbers. Net payout: 2 to 1.

Red or Black — Rouge ou Noir
A bet on the color of the winning number. Net payout: 1 to 1.

Red numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36.

Black numbers: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 35.

Even or Odd — Pair ou Impair
A bet on whether the winning number is even or odd. Net payout: 1 to 1.

Even: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36.

Odd: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35.

Low or High — Manque ou Passe
A bet on the numerical range containing the winning number. Net payout: 1 to 1.

Low (Manque): numbers from 1 to 18.

High (Passe): numbers from 19 to 36.

The zero does not belong to any of the even-money bets listed above.

Note on zero: If the ball stops on zero, all bets that do not include zero lose. A straight-up bet on zero and combinations that include it win according to their respective payouts.
At tables where they are offered, En Prison or La Partage may apply to even-money bets.
En Prison: the even-money bet is held for the next spin. If the next result wins for the original bet, the stake is returned without profit; if the opposite result occurs, it is lost. The treatment of a second zero depends on the casino rules.
La Partage: the player immediately recovers half of the even-money stake, while the other half is retained by the house.
Under standard single-zero Roulette conditions, both La Partage and En Prison reduce the house edge on even-money bets from 2.70% to approximately 1.35%. The difference concerns how and when the bet is settled; the rules applied if a second zero occurs must be checked with the individual casino.

Accurate knowledge of coverage, payouts and the treatment of zero is essential for evaluating every bet correctly and verifying a result without ambiguity. To quantify the edge on the different bets, see Roulette mathematics; for the origins and evolution of the game, see the history of Roulette.

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