American Roulette Bet Types Explained: Inside vs Outside Bets
The American roulette layout offers 11 distinct bet types, each with a fixed payout ratio and a precise probability of winning. Understanding the full menu — not just red/black — is the foundation of any strategy that goes beyond guessing.
The House Edge
Every bet on the American double-zero wheel carries the same house edge of 5.26%, with one exception: the Top Line bet at 7.89%. This edge comes from the two green pockets (0 and 00) that pay nothing on most bets. The European single-zero wheel has a house edge of only 2.70% — a significant difference that compounds over many spins.
Inside Bets
Inside bets are placed on specific numbers or small groups of adjacent numbers on the layout. They offer high payouts but low probability.
| Bet | Coverage | Payout | Win Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | 1 number | 35:1 | 2.63% |
| Split | 2 adjacent numbers | 17:1 | 5.26% |
| Street | 3 numbers (one row) | 11:1 | 7.89% |
| Corner | 4 numbers (2×2 block) | 8:1 | 10.53% |
| Top Line | 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 | 6:1 | 13.16% |
| Double Street (6-Line) | 6 numbers (2 rows) | 5:1 | 15.79% |
The Straight Up bet is the highest-risk, highest-reward option. A single unit bet returns 35 units profit on a hit. In a 500-spin session, a number with a 4% empirical hit rate would be expected to hit 20 times — each returning 35 units. The challenge is the 96% of spins where it misses.
Outside Bets
Outside bets cover large groups of numbers and offer near-even-money returns. They are the natural choice for guard coverage in a combined strategy.
| Bet | Coverage | Payout | Win Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Column | 12 numbers (vertical) | 2:1 | 31.58% |
| Dozen | 12 numbers (1st/2nd/3rd) | 2:1 | 31.58% |
| Red / Black | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 47.37% |
| Odd / Even | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 47.37% |
| High / Low (1–18 / 19–36) | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 47.37% |
Even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, high/low) win just under half the time. The "just under" is the house edge: 18 winning pockets out of 38, not 19. Column and dozen bets win roughly one-third of the time, paying 2:1.
Combining Inside and Outside Bets
A pure inside-bet strategy produces high variance — long losing streaks punctuated by large wins. A pure outside-bet strategy produces low variance but barely covers the house edge over time. The most effective approach combines both: inside bets for high-payout potential, outside bets as a near-push safety net.
For example: 14 units on a straight-up number (35:1) plus 6 units on red (1:1). If the straight-up hits, you win 35 units and lose 6 on red (net +29 if the number is black, or +35 if it's red). If red hits but not the straight-up, you win 6 and lose 14 (net -8). If neither hits (green), you lose all 20 units. The outside bet converts a total loss into a partial recovery on roughly 47% of non-main-hit spins.
Note that the Top Line bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) is the one exception to the uniform 5.26% house edge — it carries 7.89%. See The Five-Number (Top Line) Bet: The Worst Bet on the American Roulette Table for a full explanation. For the deeper mathematics behind all house edges, see The Mathematics of the House Edge in American Roulette.
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