This roulette guide covers the one question that decides every spin: how many pockets the wheel has. A European wheel has 37 pockets (1 to 36 and one zero) and an American wheel has 38 (a second, double zero), so the house edge is 2.70% on one and 5.26% on the other. Every bet, from red or black to a single number, pays out according to those pockets. You will find roulette among the live dealer tables at WINLAH, and this guide shows each bet, its payout and its real chance of winning.
Quick answer: European wheel = 37 pockets, house edge 2.70% · American wheel = 38 pockets, house edge 5.26% · red/black, odd/even and high/low pay 1:1 · a single number pays 35:1 · every standard bet on the same wheel carries the same edge, so the wheel type matters more than the bet.
Roulette guide: how a round works
A live roulette round takes about a minute and follows the same steps at every table.
- Betting time. A countdown opens and you place chips on the layout. You can place several bets in one round.
- Spin. The dealer spins the wheel one way and launches the ball the other way.
- Result. The ball lands in one pocket, the winning number is shown, and the winning areas light up on the layout.
- Settlement. Winning bets are paid at the odds below and losing chips are collected.
The layout has two parts. Inside bets sit on the numbers (single numbers and small groups). Outside bets sit on the big areas around them (colours, odd or even, dozens).
European, American and French wheels
The wheel decides the house edge more than any bet does, so compare the three common layouts first:
| Wheel | Pockets | Zeros | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| European | 37 | one (0) | 2.70% |
| American | 38 | two (0 and 00) | 5.26% |
| French | 37 | one (0) | 2.70%, or 1.35% on even-money bets with La Partage |
The extra double zero is the main reason to prefer the European wheel. The payouts are identical on both wheels, but the American wheel has one more pocket that never pays, so each bet wins less often at the same price.
Take RM100 staked in total. On a European wheel the table keeps RM2.70 of it on average over the long run, and on an American wheel RM5.26. This is an average over many spins, not what happens in one session.
Every roulette bet and its odds
The table in this roulette guide uses the European wheel (37 pockets). Payouts are the standard ones, but check the paytable of your own table.
| Bet | Covers | Payout | Chance to win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight (single number) | 1 number | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 numbers | 17:1 | 5.41% |
| Street | 3 numbers | 11:1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | 4 numbers | 8:1 | 10.81% |
| Six line | 6 numbers | 5:1 | 16.22% |
| Dozen or column | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Red/black, odd/even, high/low | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.65% |
On the American wheel the chances become 1 in 38 instead of 1 in 37 (a straight bet is 2.63%, red or black 47.37%), while the payouts stay the same.
Why every bet has the same edge
A straight bet pays 35:1, but a fair payout for 37 pockets would be 36:1. That one missing unit is the house edge. Take RM10 on a single number: you win RM350 with a chance of 1 in 37, and you lose RM10 the other 36 times. Over 37 spins that averages out at RM9.73 returned for every RM10 staked. Each other bet pays below fair odds by the same share, so no bet on the wheel is “better” in the long run. The exceptions are the five-number bet on an American wheel (7.89%) and even-money bets under La Partage (1.35%).
What the La Partage rule changes
Some tables use La Partage: when the ball lands on zero, even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, high/low) get half their stake back instead of losing everything. This halves the edge on those bets to 1.35%. It does not apply to numbers, dozens or columns, and not every table offers it, so read the table rules before you sit down.
Roulette guide to sensible habits
Roulette has no pattern to find, because each spin is independent of the last one. Good play is mainly about risk and cost:
- Choose a European or French wheel when you have the choice. It halves the edge compared with the American wheel.
- Set a Ringgit budget before the first bet and keep each bet to about 1–2% of it.
- Treat the result history board as a record, not a forecast. Six reds in a row do not make black “due”.
- Spread bets only for fun. Covering many numbers lowers the risk per spin but does not lower the edge.
- Skip betting systems that double the stake after a loss. A table limit and a finite budget break them quickly.
If you prefer a live game with only two or three main bets, the baccarat guide explains another table where most of the action is close to 50/50.
Playing live roulette at WINLAH
Live roulette streams a real dealer and a real wheel, so you can watch the spin and the result. The live casino lobby groups the tables with the other real-dealer games and shows each table’s limits, so check the minimum and maximum bet before you join.
Roulette guide questions
What is the best bet in roulette?
On the same wheel, every standard bet has the same house edge, so none is better in the long run. Red or black wins most often (48.65% on a European wheel), while a single number pays the most.
Is European roulette better than American roulette?
Yes for the player. The European wheel has one zero and a 2.70% edge, while the American wheel has two zeros and a 5.26% edge, with the same payouts on both. The extra pocket never pays, so the same bets win less often on the American wheel.
Can I predict where the ball lands?
No. Each spin is random and independent, so past results do not change the next one. The wheel does not remember what landed before, and charts of hot or cold numbers describe the past only, not the next spin.
What is the difference between a single-zero and a double-zero wheel?
A single-zero wheel has 37 pockets and a 2.70% house edge. A double-zero wheel has 38 pockets and a 5.26% edge, with the same payouts, so the extra zero is the whole difference. Check the wheel type in the table name or rules before you bet.
Conclusion
This roulette guide comes down to the wheel: 37 pockets and a 2.70% edge on a European wheel, 38 pockets and 5.26% on an American one, with the same payouts on both. Pick the single-zero wheel, look for La Partage on even-money bets, keep your stake inside a Ringgit budget, and play only if you are 21 or older.
