Roulette Outside Bets

Outside Bets – Better Odds of Winning and Smaller Payouts

Roulette is a casino game that has gained great popularity over the years. With its simple rules, the game attracts many players who are looking for an exciting experience. Here, luck is what really matters, but knowledge of the betting options is also an important aspect. What is really interesting about this game is the great diversity of betting options it offers.

The idea behind roulette is quite obvious. A wheel with numbered pockets from 1 to 36 is spun, and players should predict where the ball will land. Bets can be placed on a particular number, color, or range of numbers. Odds and payouts vary for each type of bet, and it is this variety that brings great versatility to the game. To place a bet, players need to position chips on a particular section of the betting layout. Depending on the bet, chips are stacked on the inside or the outside section of the layout.

The main purpose of the article is to provide you with detailed information about the five bets that fall in the category of outside bets. They give players the opportunity to wager on different properties of numbers, with the options being Red or Black bets, Odd or Even bets, High or Low bets, Column bets, and Dozen bets. Although the payouts they provide are smaller, the odds of winning outside bets are better.

Roulette Betting Layout

The inside section of the layout consists of small squares that represent all the numbers from the wheel, from 0 (or 00 for the American variation of the game) to 36. This section is used to place an inside bet on a number or group of numbers. For instance, let us assume a player wants to place a bet on the number 17. The chance for the ball to land on that particular numbered pocket is 1 out of 37 (or 38 for the American version). That is why inside bets are considered riskier, but their payouts are much higher.

The other section of the layout represents various categories of numbers. To place an outside bet, players need to position the chips on the preferred section. The categories usually represent two opposites such as black vs red, high vs low, and so on. By placing an outside bet, players wager on all the numbers from the chosen category. Outside bets are considered the safer option and are therefore more appropriate for inexperienced players.

Black vs Red Bets

This bet is placed on the color of the numbered pocket that the ball will land on. The wheel is made up of small pockets, which are alternately colored black and red. The only exception is the zero pocket (and the double-zero pocket on the American table), which is colored green. If the ball falls into a green pocket, all red or black bets are lost.

To bet on black or red, players should position chips in the box that represents this type of bet. It is usually placed under the 2nd 12 box. To make things even easier for novice players, the boxes are marked with a red or black diamond. In some cases, the boxes are filled with red or black color, or they are named after the colors they represent. On the French table, all bets are labeled in French and this one is called “Rouge ou Noir”. Here, the important thing is not the number itself, but rather the color.

The wheel consists of an equal number of black and red pockets. Thus, the chances of the ball landing on a red pocket are the same as landing on a black one (excluding the green pocket, which represents the house advantage). Therefore, the chances of making the right prediction are almost equal (18 out of 37), because of the house edge. The payout is 1 to 1, or so-called even money. For instance, if players wager $5 on red and the ball lands on a red pocket, they win this bet and receive a total of $10 (the initial stake plus the profit).

Odd vs Even Bets

The name of this bet speaks for itself. Here, players try to predict whether the winning number will be even or odd. To place an even or odd bet, they need to position the chips on the even or odd box of the layout. You can easily locate them on either side of the red and black boxes, or under the “1st 12” box (even numbers) and the “3rd 12” box (odd numbers). Even numbers always end with the digit 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0. It should be noted that the zero pocket nullifies all even or odd bets. On the French table, you can find this type of bet under the label “Pair ou Impair”.

Here, what matters is not the number itself, but the category in which it falls. Since the wheel contains an equal quantity of numbers from both categories, winning bets pay out even money.

High vs Low Bets

All the numbers represented on the wheel can be separated into two categories – high (19 to 36) and low (1 to 18). In fact, you do not need to learn them by heart because there is a simple logic behind this division. The wheel features 36 numbers, so the first half belongs to the low category and the second half to the high category.

With this type of bet, players try to predict whether the winning number will be from the high or low range. To place such a bet, they need to put the chips on the specific box. The boxes are positioned on each side of the Even and Odd boxes. As we already mentioned, outside bets are the easiest in roulette. Thus, it should not surprise you that the boxes are labeled “1 – 18” and “19 – 36”. The French name of this bet is “Passe et Manque”. This type of bet provides equal chances of winning and losing. The payout is again even money.

Column Bets

The layout of the roulette table groups the numbers into three vertical columns, each consisting of 12 non-consecutive numbers that follow an every-third pattern. In fact, with a column bet, the player covers one-third of all the numbers on the wheel (except 0). This means you have one possibility to win and two to lose. Therefore, the payout is higher than in the previous two types of bets. The winning bet pays out 2 to 1. The French name for this type of bet is “Colonne”.

To place a column bet, players need to put the chips on the farthest end of the preferred column. At the end of every column, there is an additional box that reflects the payout of the bet. This is where the chips should be placed. The main aim is for the ball to land on a number that is part of the chosen column.

Dozen Bets

The betting layout is divided not only into columns but also into three dozens, each consisting of 12 numbers. You can easily spot them on the layout, organized in large boxes outlined with thicker lines. Under every dozen, there is an additional box marked 1st 12, 2nd 12, or 3rd 12. Depending on the preferred dozen, the chips are placed in one of these three boxes. Of course, similarly to all the other outside bets, 0 is excluded. By placing a dozen bet, you again cover one-third of all the possible numbers on the wheel. The payout here is also 2 to 1.

This type of bet is very similar to the column bet, with the only difference being that the numbers represented in every dozen are consecutive.

Roulette Call Bets

Roulette Money Management

Roulette with Live Dealers

Introduction to Roulette

Additional Factors of the Game

As a matter of fact, the house always has an advantage over the player. It is worth knowing that roulette has three variations with two different figures for the house edge. With the American variation, the house gains the upper hand over the player by 5.26%, while in the European variation of the game, the profit of the casino is only 2.7%. Thus, when we talk about an equal chance to win or lose, we are not talking about 50%, but about 47.3% (and 44.74% in the American variation).

However, every rule has an exception. In the third variation of the game, which is the French one, there are two additional rules that decrease the house edge. The La Partage and En Prison rules apply only if the ball lands on the zero pocket and players have placed an even-money bet. These rules provide the opportunity to get back your stake, or at least part of it. Then, the house edge is as low as 1.35%. These rules are offered mostly by brick-and-mortar casinos, while in the online variation of the game the rules are generally not available.

Another important aspect is the limits of the table. These are different for every table, so make sure that you are familiar with the specific rules governing the game. Every table has a small plaque in the corner, which presents the minimum and maximum stake for every bet. More importantly, many casinos do not allow players to wager the minimum amount on outside bets. But if you play in an online casino, you are allowed to place the minimum amount on even-money bets, columns, and dozens.

Outside bets are preferred by many inexperienced players because of their lower risk and simplicity. It is true that they cannot win you a lot, but the chances of winning are much better.

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