Inside and Outside Bets in Roulette Compared
Roulette bets are split into two families. Inside bets are placed on the numbered grid and cover one to six numbers. Outside bets are placed in the boxes around the grid and cover 12 or 18 numbers. On a single-zero wheel both families carry the same 2.70% house edge, so the choice between them is about how often you want to win and how large the swings should be, not about cost. This page compares them with exact figures. It is part of our roulette guide.
Inside Bets
| Bet | How to place it | Numbers | Payout | Hit rate (European) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | Chip on one number (including 0) | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% (1 in 37) |
| Split | Chip on the line between two adjacent numbers | 2 | 17:1 | 5.41% (1 in 18.5) |
| Street | Chip at the end of a row of three | 3 | 11:1 | 8.11% (1 in 12.3) |
| Trio | Chip covering 0-1-2 or 0-2-3 | 3 | 11:1 | 8.11% |
| Corner (square) | Chip where four numbers meet | 4 | 8:1 | 10.81% (1 in 9.25) |
| First four | Chip covering 0-1-2-3 (where offered) | 4 | 8:1 | 10.81% |
| Six line | Chip at the end of the line between two rows | 6 | 5:1 | 16.22% (1 in 6.2) |
Outside Bets
| Bet | Numbers | Payout | Hit rate (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dozen (1–12, 13–24, 25–36) | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Column | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Red / Black | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Odd / Even | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Low 1–18 / High 19–36 | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
Zero loses for all outside bets. On French tables with La Partage, half of an even-money stake is returned on zero, lowering the edge on those bets to 1.35% (La Partage and En Prison).
Same Edge, Different Volatility
Volatility can be measured as the standard deviation of one spin’s result per unit staked. Higher numbers mean bigger swings.
| Bet | Standard deviation per A$1 | Swing on a A$10 bet |
|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 5.84 | High |
| Split | 4.07 | High |
| Street | 3.28 | Medium-high |
| Corner | 2.79 | Medium |
| Six line | 2.21 | Medium |
| Dozen / column | 1.40 | Low-medium |
| Even-money | 1.00 | Low |
Practical meaning: over 100 spins at A$10, even-money bets will finish within about ±A$200 of the expected −A$27 roughly 95% of the time. Straight-up bets over the same 100 spins can finish anywhere from −A$1,000 (no hits, which happens 6.5% of the time) to over +A$1,000 with six or more hits (a chance of roughly 5%–6%).
Dry Spells to Expect
| Bet | Chance of no win in 20 spins | Chance of no win in 50 spins |
|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 57.8% | 25.4% |
| Split | 32.9% | 6.2% |
| Street | 18.4% | 1.5% |
| Corner | 10.2% | 0.3% |
| Six line | 2.9% | 0.01% |
| Dozen | 0.04% | under 0.01% |
Dry spells on inside bets are normal and do not mean a number is “due”. Each spin is independent; see gambler’s fallacy.
Mixing Inside and Outside Bets
Combining bets does not change the edge: the total expected loss is 2.70% of all chips on the table. It changes how results are distributed.
Example: A$20 per spin, European wheel
| Split | Covers | If 0 lands |
|---|---|---|
| A$10 on black + A$10 on dozen 1–12 | 24 numbers (6 black numbers overlap) | −A$20 |
| A$5 on each of four corners | 16 numbers | −A$20 |
| A$1 on 20 straight-ups | 20 numbers | −A$20 unless 0 is one of the 20 |
Covering 20 numbers with straight-ups wins on 20 of 37 spins, returning A$36 (A$35 profit plus the A$1 stake) while losing the other A$19: a net gain of A$16 when one of them hits and −A$20 otherwise. Expected value: (20 × 16 − 17 × 20) ÷ 37 = −A$0.54 per spin, 2.70% of A$20.
Stacking Inside Bets Around One Number
Players often surround a favourite number with several inside bets. Example with A$1 chips around 17 (A$5 total):
| Chip | Covers | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 17 | 35:1 |
| Split | 17/20 | 17:1 |
| Street | 16-17-18 | 11:1 |
| Corner | 17/18/20/21 | 8:1 |
| Six line | 16 to 21 | 5:1 |
If 17 lands, all five chips win: +A$76. If 20 lands, the split, corner and six line win (+A$30) and the other two chips lose (−A$2): +A$28. If 19 lands, only the six line wins: +A$5 − A$4 = +A$1. Any number outside 16–21 loses A$5. Across all 37 outcomes the expected loss is still 2.70% of A$5, about A$0.14 per spin.
Choosing by Budget
| Session budget | Style | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Small (e.g. A$50) at A$1–A$2 chips | Outside bets | Lower volatility makes the budget last more spins |
| Medium with a target win | Mix of dozens and a few splits | Moderate swings, occasional larger wins |
| Fixed “one shot” amount | Straight-ups | Accepts a high chance of losing the whole amount for a chance of a large multiple |
Stake size matters more than bet type for how long a budget lasts. A common rule is 1%–2% of the session budget per spin; see bankroll management.
Online Specifics
- Some RNG and live tables set different maximums for inside and outside bets (for example a lower maximum on straight-ups).
- Multiplier games such as Lightning Roulette pay straight-ups at 29:1 plus random multipliers; outside bets there pay normally.
- Bonus terms sometimes ban covering a large share of the table (for example more than 24 numbers) while wagering. See bonus red flags.
Full probability tables for both wheels are on the odds and payouts page. Systems built on these bets are reviewed in roulette strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
They win more often but pay less. On a single-zero wheel both have a 2.70% house edge, so neither is cheaper over time.
Even-money outside bets have the lowest volatility. With La Partage on a French table they also have the lowest edge, 1.35%.
Once in 37 spins on average on a European wheel. There is a 25.4% chance it does not appear at all in 50 spins.
Yes. A straight-up on 0 pays 35:1, and 0 can be part of splits, the trio and the first-four bet.
No. The expected loss is 2.70% of all chips placed, however they are combined.
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