Casino & Table Games
Roulette table
A roulette table is the cloth-covered betting surface where players place wagers on numbers, colours, odd/even, or ranges before the wheel is spun.
- Layout types
- Single-zero (European) or double-zero (American) 1
- Chip sets
- Six to eight sets of 300 coloured chips per table 2
- House edge
- American double-zero layout has a higher house edge than European single-zero 1
- Sector betting
- Some tables allow sector bets, dividing one wager into multiple smaller wagers 3
Key points
- The table provides the betting layout where players place wagers on numbers, colours, odd/even, or ranges before the wheel is spun 1.
- A croupier spins the wheel and ball, then pays winning bets on the layout according to the result 1.
- American-style double-zero tables are common in most casinos due to their higher house edge 1.
- Sector bets on a table cover a particular sequence of numbers, often by splitting a single wager into smaller ones 3.
Common roulette table payouts
| Bet type | Payout (to 1) |
|---|---|
| Straight up (single number) | 35 |
| Split (two numbers) | 17 |
| Street (three numbers) | 11 |
| Corner (four numbers) | 8 |
| Six line (six numbers) | 5 |
| Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low | 1 |
How a roulette table works
- Players place chips on the betting layout, choosing numbers, colours, or ranges.
- The croupier spins the roulette wheel in one direction and the ball in the opposite direction.
- When the ball lands in a pocket, the croupier marks the winning number and pays winning bets on the layout 1.
- Losing bets are cleared, and the next round begins.
Common questions
What are odds on roulette table?
Odds vary by bet type. A straight-up bet on a single number pays 35 to 1, while an even-money bet like red/black pays 1 to 1. The actual odds of winning depend on the number of pockets on the wheel.
What does a roulette table look like?
A roulette table is covered with green felt printed with a betting layout showing numbers 0–36 (and 00 on American tables), plus outside betting areas for red/black, odd/even, and high/low.
What are the payouts on a roulette table?
Payouts range from 35 to 1 for a straight-up number down to 1 to 1 for even-money bets. The exact payout depends on the bet type and whether the table is single-zero or double-zero.
How does a roulette table work?
Players place bets on the layout, then the croupier spins the wheel and ball. Winning bets are paid according to the pocket the ball lands in, and losing bets are collected.
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- Roulette wheel — the rotating device that determines the winning pocket; the table is the betting surface, not the spinning mechanism 1
- Roulette odds — the probabilities or payout chances for bets; the table is the physical/printed betting area, not the odds themselves 1
Related terms
Sources
- Roulette en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition of the roulette table, layout types, and how the game is played.
- Roulette Basics – Rules, Bets, and Game Variations ... wizardofodds.com Supplies the detail about chip sets (six to eight sets of 300 chips) used on a roulette table.
- Roulette Sector Bets wizardofodds.com Explains sector betting on a roulette table, where one wager is divided into smaller bets.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.