How to Play American Roulette: Rules, Bets, and Payouts
American roulette uses a 38-pocket wheel and a betting layout that supports wagers covering one number or many numbers. This guide explains the table, common bets, payouts, and the effect of 0 and 00.
American roulette has 38 possible results: 1 through 36, plus 0 and 00. You win when the ball lands on a pocket covered by your bet. Bets covering fewer numbers pay more. Bets covering more numbers win more often but pay less.
What happens during one spin?
Players place chips on the betting layout before the wheel spins. The dealer spins the wheel in one direction and the ball in the other. When the ball settles into a pocket, losing bets are removed and winning bets are paid according to their posted odds.
You do not need to predict how the wheel will behave or detect a pattern. You only need to understand which outcomes each wager covers.
American versus European roulette
American roulette has both 0 and 00, creating 38 pockets. European roulette normally has only one zero and 37 pockets. That extra 00 gives the American game a higher house edge on standard bets.
Lucky Penny uses the American version, so both green pockets are always part of the lesson.
Roulette bet types and payouts
Inside bets use the numbered grid. Outside bets use the labeled areas around it. The payout is profit, and your original winning wager is also returned.
| Bet | Covers | Pays | Where the chip goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 number | 35 to 1 | A chip directly on one number |
| Split | 2 numbers | 17 to 1 | A chip on the line between two numbers |
| Street | 3 numbers | 11 to 1 | A chip on the edge of one three-number row |
| Corner | 4 numbers | 8 to 1 | A chip where four numbers meet |
| Dozen or column | 12 numbers | 2 to 1 | A labeled dozen or column area |
| Even money | 18 numbers | 1 to 1 | Red, black, odd, even, 1-18, or 19-36 |
Your first spin in four steps
Choose a chip
Use a $1 chip for an inside position or at least $5 for an outside position on the Lucky Penny table.
Place one or more bets
Tap a number, a shared line, a shared corner, or one of the labeled outside betting areas.
Reach the table minimum
Lucky Penny uses a $5 table minimum. Five separate $1 number bets satisfy it, as does one $5 outside bet.
Spin and review
The wheel chooses one pocket. Every wager is settled against that result, and Recent Spins keeps the full detail.
One $5 minimum, two ways to reach it
Inside positions may start at $1, but you need at least $5 in total action before spinning. For example, you can place $1 on five different numbers. Outside positions such as Red, Black, Odd, Even, a dozen, or a column each require at least $5.
Learn Mode demonstrates both ideas by building five $1 straight-up bets and then adding one $5 bet on Red.
Open Roulette Learn ModeWhat do 0 and 00 do?
Both are green pockets. If the ball lands on either one, standard outside bets such as Red, Black, Odd, Even, 1-18, 19-36, dozens, and columns lose. A straight-up or supported split wager covering the winning zero pocket can still win.
This is why Red does not have a 50% chance of winning, even though the wheel has 18 red numbers. The two green pockets reduce its winning probability to 18 out of 38.
Does one bet have better odds than another?
Standard American roulette bets are generally balanced around the same 5.26% house edge. A straight-up bet wins less often and pays more. An even-money bet wins more often and pays less. Changing the number of covered pockets changes volatility, not the underlying casino advantage.
That makes bet selection mostly a question of volatility and preference. Broader outside bets produce more frequent, smaller payouts. Inside bets produce larger but less frequent payouts.
Three beginner mistakes worth skipping
- Forgetting the zeros: Red and black each cover 18 numbers, but the wheel has 38 pockets.
- Confusing payout with total return: A 2-to-1 win returns the original wager plus two units of profit.
- Chasing a pattern: Previous results do not make any pocket more likely on the next spin.
Put the guide to work
Use free practice credits, turn on Learn Mode, and watch every wager settle. Placing and settling each wager makes the layout easier to understand than studying a diagram alone.
Practice This on the Roulette Table