Understanding roulette odds can help you decide which bets to place when you play it. In roulette, the wagers you make have a huge impact on the likelihood of you winning. There are two types of bets you can use - inside and outside wagers. Inside bets are placed on the probability that one number will win. It can also be made on the probability of a set of numbers situated close to each other winning. Outside bets are made on blocks surrounding the numbers. They are made on groups or rows of numbers, on odds or evens, or on colors.

The odds of the wagers winning vary according to the version of the game you play. There are two - American and European. The odds in the latter version are better than that in the former. This is because the American version has more pockets (38) when compared to the European one (which has 37). In the American version, there is 1 in 38 chances you will win a bet, but 37 in 38 chances he will lose. On the other hand, in the European version, you have 1 in 37 chances of winning and 36 in 37 chances of losing. Here are the odds of some of the most widely used bets, when played with both American and European roulette games:

Outside Bets

There are 6 types of outside bets. The payouts and odds for the numbers vary according to the total pockets on which you wager. The more numbers you wager on, the higher will be your probability of winning. However, the payouts offered for wagers on several numbers will be less than that for one number.

• One number - 35:1 payout, 2.70% probability on European variant and 2.63% on American variant
• Two numbers - 17:1 payout, 5.41% on European and 5.26% on American variant
• Three numbers - 11:1 payout, 8.11% on European and 7.89% on American version
• Four numbers - 8:1 payout, 10.81% on European and 10.53% on American version
• Five numbers - 6:1 payout, 7.89% on American variant - the worst bet you can make in the game, as it is placed on the double zero (not present in European version)
• Six numbers - 5:1 payout, 16.22% on European and 15.79% on American version

Inside Bet

Color bet (red or black):

When you bet on one color, you wager on eighteen numbers located in pockets in that color. The payout for it is 1:1, as there are just two colors. In the European version, you have a 48.65% probability of winning, while in the American one it is just 47.37%.

Even or odd:

Similar to the color bet, even or odd pays out at 1:1, and covers eighteen numbers at a time. The payout for this bet on the European and American wheels are also the same at 48.65% and 47.37%.

Dozen:

Dozen bets payout at 2:1, with probability on the American wheel and European wheel at 31.58% and 32.43%. Each bet will cover a dozen numbers in sequence - from one to twelve, thirteen to twenty four and twenty five to thirty six. Though the odds are better than that of color and even or odds bets, the likelihood of winning a dozen are lower.

Column bets have the same payouts and odds as those of dozen bets.

Low or high:

When you wager on low or high, you bet on the possibility that either the first or last eighteen numbers will get called. The probabilities and payouts offered on both wheels are the same as that for the color and even or odd bets.