Index → Best bets
The best way to bet on roulette, for each kind of player
On a European wheel the answer to "which bet is best" is that they all cost the same. Straight-up, split, corner, dozen, red: 2.70% of the stake, every spin. The real question is what you want the session to feel like, because that is where the bets differ enormously. Here is every bet on the terms that actually matter.
Try it at a real table
This is an affiliate link to a roulette site we partner with. You must be 18 or over.
The table
| Bet | Pays | Wins | Edge | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red/black, odd/even, high/low | 1:1 | 48.65% | 2.70% | low |
| Dozen, column | 2:1 | 32.43% | 2.70% | low–medium |
| Six line | 5:1 | 16.22% | 2.70% | medium |
| Corner | 8:1 | 10.81% | 2.70% | medium |
| Street | 11:1 | 8.11% | 2.70% | medium–high |
| Split | 17:1 | 5.41% | 2.70% | high |
| Straight-up | 35:1 | 2.70% | 2.70% | very high |
One exception: on a French table with La Partage, the top row drops to 1.35%. That is the only bet on any standard layout with a genuinely lower price.
If you want the money to last
Even-money bets, flat stake, French table if available. A £100 bankroll at £2 on red is 50 units, and 100 spins ends in a bust less than one time in twenty. This is the lowest-cost, lowest-drama way to spend an hour at a roulette table, and for most people it is the right default.
Give it a spin
We send you to one of the roulette sites we work with. Affiliate link. 18+.
If you want a real chance at a big win
Straight-ups, but with the stake sized for the drought. A number hits once in 37 spins on average and goes 100 spins without hitting about 7% of the time. At 50p a number on a £100 bankroll you can wait that out. At £5 you cannot. The win when it comes is 35 units, which is why people play numbers; the wait is why people stop.
If you want something in between
Dozens and columns for a 2:1 payout with a win every third spin or so. Corners and six lines for a 5:1 to 8:1 return with a hit every six to nine spins. These are the bets for players who find red and black dull and numbers too thin.
If you want to bet the wheel
The sector bets, Voisins, Tiers, Orphelins and neighbours, cover physical arcs of the wheel with a fixed number of chips. Voisins is nine chips over 17 numbers and returns either plus 9 or plus 15 on a hit, depending on which part of the arc comes in. These are the same 2.70% as everything else, but the mixed payouts make for a textured session, and they are the traditional way to play a live table.
If you want simplicity
One bet, same stake, every spin. Red, or a dozen, or your number. Nothing to track, nothing to escalate, and the expected loss is exactly stake × spins × 2.70%. There is a strong case that this is the best way to bet on roulette full stop, because every complication added to it costs either money or attention and returns neither.
What to avoid
The American wheel, where every row in the table becomes 5.26%. The five-number basket on that wheel, at 7.89%. Multiplier tables for number betting, where the straight-up pays 29:1. And any bet placed because the board says a number is hot.
Play roulette for real money
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission. Play responsibly. 18+ only.
Asked and answered
-
What is the best bet in roulette?
On a French table, an even-money bet at 1.35% edge. On any other single-zero table every bet costs the same 2.70%, so the best one is whichever matches how long you want your money to last and how big a win you are hoping for.
-
Is a dozen bet better than red or black?
Same edge. A dozen pays 2:1 and wins 32.43% of the time; red pays 1:1 and wins 48.65%. The dozen is a little more volatile. Neither is better in cost.