European Roulette Rules Explained
European roulette is the single-zero version of the game. The wheel has 37 pockets (0 plus 1-36), the house edge is 2.70%, and the rules around inside and outside bets are the standard reference for almost every other variant.
How a European Roulette Spin Works
Players place chips on the felt layout to mark their bets. When betting closes, the dealer spins the wheel one way and the ball the other. The ball falls into a single pocket. Winning bets are paid at fixed odds, losing chips are collected, and the next round opens.
Inside Bets and Payouts
| Bet | Numbers | Payout | Win chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight-up | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 5.41% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 10.81% |
| Six-line | 6 | 5:1 | 16.22% |
Outside Bets and Payouts
| Bet | Numbers | Payout | Win chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Column | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Dozen | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Red / Black | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Odd / Even | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| 1-18 / 19-36 | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
The Role of Zero
Zero is green and does not belong to red, black, odd, even, 1-18, or 19-36. When zero hits, all standard even-money outside bets lose. The zero pocket is the structural source of the house edge on a European wheel.
Call Bets and the Racetrack
Many European tables include a racetrack section that lays out the wheel in physical order. Called bets cover groups of physically adjacent numbers:
- Voisins du zéro: 17 numbers around the zero.
- Tiers du cylindre: 12 numbers opposite the zero.
- Orphelins: 8 numbers not covered by the above.
- Jeu zéro: a smaller group of 7 numbers near the zero.
House Edge and Why It Matters
The 2.70% European house edge is the long-term percentage of every unit wagered that the casino retains. It applies equally to every bet because the payouts are calibrated to the win chances. No bet type is "better" in expected-value terms; the differences are in variance.
Strategy on European Roulette
European roulette is the standard surface for testing roulette systems. The lower house edge makes short-term wins easier and the variance more readable. Pair it with a system like Oscar's Grind or D'Alembert and watch how it behaves on the free roulette demo.
For more on roulette mechanics, variants, and odds, return to the main roulette guide. To put these ideas into practice, the free roulette demo on the homepage is built for risk-free experimentation with every bet type and variant covered here.