Roulette Outside Bets

The outside bets are the second major category of wagers to be placed in the game of roulette. As the name of the category suggests, these bets are placed outside the area with the numbered boxes on the table layout. Outside bets are considered the most basic type of wager one can place in roulette and as such, are more suitable for inexperienced players.

• Red or Black Bets
• Odd or Even Bets
• High or Low Bets
• Column Bets
• Dozen Bets
• Additional Notes on Outside Bets

These bets are not placed on concrete numbers as they are based on other properties, such as the numbers’ colour, their position on the layout, whether or not the numbers are even or odd, and so on. Compared to inside bets, outside bets involve less risk. Players have better odds at winning with outside bets but the payouts are smaller.

Below you will find more detailed information on the five types of outside bets.

Red or Black Bets

Red or Black bets are placed on the outcome that the ball will end up either in a black or a red pocket. The individual number in the pocket is irrelevant in this case. Red or Black bets are placed in the box located directly under the 2nd 12 box. Often the Red or Black bet is represented by a black and a red diamond on the layout, but on some tables, the words “red” and “black” are written on top instead. On French roulette tables, this type of bet is labelled as “Rouge ou Noir”.

Players can place their chips either on all black numbers, or on all red numbers, but the zero is excluded from this type of bet. Should the zero come up, all Red or Black bets will lose. Winning Red or Black bets pay out even money or 1 to 1.

Odd or Even Bets

The Odd or Even bet is another basic wager suitable for casual or inexperienced players. The boxes where Odd or Even bets are placed are located on each side of the Red or Black betting boxes. On French roulette tables, this type of bet is labelled as “Pair ou Impair”.

As players might already know, in roulette, there are 18 odd and 18 even numbers.

The name of the bet pretty much explains it all – players are betting that the number the ball will land on is of their chosen type, odd or even. Since the chances of winning or losing with Odd or Even bets are pretty much equal, winning bets of this type pay out 1 to 1. In the game of roulette, zero is not deemed an even number, which is why all Odd or Even bets lose if zero comes up.

High or Low Bets

The black and red numbers on the wheel can be separated into two categories. Numbers 1 through 18 are referred to as Low numbers, while numbers 19 through 36 are called High numbers. The zero does not fall in any of the two categories. With High or Low bets, players are basically betting the ball will land on a number within their chosen range. The boxes where this type of bet is placed are labelled 1 to 18 and 19 to 36, respectively. On French roulette tables, the boxes for this type of bet are marked Passe and Manque.

High or Low bets also have a 1 to 1 payout – if a given player stakes £10 on Low and the number 6 is spun, the player will collect their original wager plus the additional sum of £10.

Column Bets

The 36 numbers on the layout can be divided into three separate columns. Thus, a Column bet enables players to cover an entire vertical line, consisting of 12 numbers, with a single chip. This type of bet is placed in the three boxes, located at the farthest end of the layout, right on the opposite side of the field or fields reserved for the 0. It is important to note that since 0 and 00 are not incorporated into any of the columns if the white ball lands on any of these numbers, Column bets will be resolved as losing ones. All three boxes are labelled “2-1”. Column bets have a payout of 2 to 1.

Dozen Bets

Dozen bets are placed to the left of the numbered field on the layout, in three boxes which are marked with 1st Dozen, 2nd Dozen and 3rd Dozen. The 1st Dozen covers numbers 1 through 12, the 2nd Dozen covers numbers 13 through 24 and the 3rd Dozen covers numbers 25 through 36. When a player places their chip in one of the three boxes, they cover all numbers in the dozen. Winning Dozen bets pay out 2 to 1.

Players should be aware that if they prefer, they can wager on two out of the three dozens. Once again, if the 0 or 00 is the winning number, Dozen bets are settled as losing ones.

A Few Additional Notes on Outside Bets

We have already mentioned even-money bets lose when the wheel spins zero. It is important to mention house rules regarding even-money bets when a zero is spun may vary depending on which casino you are playing at. In most landbased gambling venues in the United States, even money bets loose whenever the ball lands in one of the two zero pockets which increases the house advantage.

However, on many European roulette tables, the En Prison rule is applicable to even-money bets. If the zero comes up, players’ chips remain on the layout. If the players win with their even-money bets on the next spin, they will have their original stakes returned without collecting any winnings. Should the bet lose, the house collects the players’ stakes.

The La Partage rule, which is applicable in many European landbased casinos, enables players to collect half of their wagers if the ball lands in the zero pocket. Do have in mind these two rules are applicable predominantly in brick-and-mortar casinos. In most online variations of the game, players lose on Even-Money propositions when zero is spun.

When it comes to the special rules that have to do with roulette, we should certainly mention the one that applies to surrenders. It is available while playing American roulette, and most of the time, players can capitalise on it while being in the casinos in Atlantic City. This rule bears much resemblance to the La Partage rule due to the fact that it is only triggered in the event that the winning number is 0 or 00. Thanks to this rule, the advantage of the house will be 2.63% instead of 5.26%.

Another thing to take into account when it comes to outside bets is the table minimum. Many brick-and-mortar venues prohibit players from placing minimum table bets on Column, Dozen and Even-Money propositions. In many cases, players are required to wager at least five times the table minimum with such bets. However, this is not the case if you play the game online as the web-based roulette variations allow for minimum table wagers on Columns, Dozens and Even-Money bets.