Roulette Inside and Outside Bets Explained
If you are just getting acquainted with Roulette, understanding its betting system can be quite overwhelming due to the massive wagering potential, which may appear extremely complex to a layman. The beauty of Roulette is in the balance it manages to retain — while offering a number of different wagering options it remains one of the simplest games that you can find in both online and brick and mortar casinos. The object of Roulette is no more than predicting where the ball will land, be it the exact number, colour or a group of numbers. The bets are divided into two main categories, Inside and Outside betting types, presented in the table below:
Outside bets are generally considered more favourable for Roulette rookies, especially Even/Odd and colour bets. They are easier to track and have a higher frequency rate. Inside bets, although having a higher payout rate are less reliable and should be approached with a bit more caution.
Looking closely at the Roulette table, you will immediately notice that the bets are named by their position on the table. Outside bets are placed on the outer part of the table, bordering their Inside counterparts; so, if you get confused about which bet is which, all you need to do is look at its location on the table.
As mentioned above, Inside bets can generate a higher money turnover, but you have to be willing to take the risk. Probably the most appealing is the Straight Up bet, with its amazing 35 to 1 payout rate. The risk level of losing this bet is equivalent to the high potential payout, but some players “water down” the danger by combining it with outside bets or by placing multiple Straight Up bets at the same time.
Split bet can be described as a Straight Up bet times 2. Here, the player decides on the two adjoining numbers and marks them by placing the chip on the dividing line between them. Player wins if the ball lands on either of the selected numbers, generating a payout of 17 to 1.
If you still need to feel the taste of adrenaline and reduce the risk rate at the same time, Street bet allows you to wager on a row of numbers, by positioning your chips on a side row line.
Example:
Street bet can be doubled and the players can stake on two rows instead of one – this is called a Double Street and the correct position of the chip is on the side line in between the numbers joining the two rows. With three more numbers added to your bet, the winning chances increase to over 15%.
Opting for a Corner bet, the player covers a group of four numbers in the selected corner. The wager is placed in the middle of the corner, at the place where all four numbers intersect.
The final bet within the Inside category is the Basket bet, which can only be found in the Double Zero variant as it includes the 00 field (to mark this bet, the chip is placed between the zero and 1 onto the side line). Most people avoid it as it carries the highest house edge.
Outside bets have a wider table coverage and thus produce odds that are more beneficial to the player.
Even/Odd is basically wagering that any even or odd number will win on that spin – these bets are difficult to miss, as they are placed on the outside outline of the table. House edge percentage is the same no matter which group you select and you have almost 50/50 chances of coming out as a winner if you stick to either of the two bets (just over 47% to be more precise). The payout may not be as attractive with this particular bet as it is with the Inside bets, however the odds are on your side.
The same goes for Red/Black bets – this is a pretty safe bet, even if it comes with just 1/1 payout. It is also worth mentioning that although Red/Black and Even/Odd are usually recommended to the Roulette beginners, they are often go-to bets for the veteran players as well – at least the ones who prefer winning over the thrill of risk.
High 18 includes all the numbers from 19 to 36, while Low 18 covers the second half of the numbers—1 to 18; again, pretty self-explanatory bets with more than decent winning odds.
Column bet corresponds to the Street bet, but with a much wider number coverage – 12 numbers. These can be 1 to 34, 2 to 35 or 3 to 36:
First Column – 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 Second Column – 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 ThirdColumn– 369121518212427303336
Dozen bet has the same number of units, but this time they are in a sequence – 1 to 12, 13 to 24 and 25 to 36. They offer 2 to 1 payout with over 31% success rate, making them a rather popular choice.
Although your betting decisions will be tailored to your final goal, let us leave you with one final word of advice – Roulette may be a game of chance and the next big hit could be hidden around every corner, however, with games of chance it is always wiser to stay within the borders of statistical data than to chase mathematical exceptions.
