There are a plethora of different bets to wager on when it comes to the roulette wheel. The table and bets in roulette can be intimidating for a novice gambler. However, if you separate the roulette table into sections — inside and outside bets — the game is simplified exponentially.
The randomness of a roulette wheel makes it one of the most unpredictable games in the casino. That said, there are roulette strategies that claim to improve your edge against the house. Should you consider using a strategy while playing outside bets or ignore them?
We are taking a deep dive into roulette outside bets and evaluating common outside bet strategies that you can use while playing at online casinos. Following our roulette outside bets strategy analysis, we are going to reveal our pick for the top online roulette site.
What Are Outside Bets in Roulette?
There are two sections on a roulette table that are categorized as inside and outside bets. Outside bets are the outermost wagers on the felt of the roulette table.
The two rows of bets directly in front of the player and the three columns affixed to the individual numbers on the far right are described as roulette outside bets. Conversely, betting numbers on the checkered black and red section of the table are considered a roulette inside bet.
It is important to note that there is one exception to this rule. The snake bet, which is only permitted at some casinos, involves placing your chips on the inside numbers. We discuss the snake bet in greater detail below.
Moreover, the green single-zero and double-zero wagers, which are the furthest bets available to the left, on the felt, are also inside bets. In short, outside bets in roulette are affixed to the single numbers on the bottom and on the right side of the table layout.
Outside bets will always be on a group of pockets on the wheel. Meanwhile, inside bets can include multiple numbers.
For example, a Six Line and Corner bet, wagers on an individual number are possible too. However, outside bets do not have an option for a single-number bet.
There are several bets in roulette that can be made on the outside that come with various payouts. Not all roulette outside bets are made equal. It is an encompassing term for a number of different roulette wagers.
Outside Bets Roulette
There are five types of outside bets that can be made in roulette. If you are playing at a casino that allows the snake bet, then there are a total of six outside bets that can be wagered on:
- High or Low
- Red or Black
- Odd or Even
- Dozens Bet
- Column Bet
- Snake Bet
While single-zero roulette wheels feature a significantly better house advantage for players, they can be difficult to find in the US, besides in high-limit rooms. Consequently, we are going to focus on a double-zero American roulette wheel for this article.
Now, let’s dissect all of the outside bets that can be made at the roulette table.
High or Low
A standard American roulette wheel has 38 pockets. The numbers range from two green (0 and 00) pockets up to 36.
The high or low roulette outside bet is a wager that splits the 36 numbered slots into two distinct groups, high and low. When you make a bet on high, you are betting on numbers 19-36. Bets on the low wager are on numbers 1-18.
All winning bets are paid out at even money odds. If the ball lands on the single or double-zero, all roulette bets will lose.
Red or Black
The red or black roulette outside bet follows the same concept as the high or low bet. This is a bet on nearly half, excluding single and double-zero, of the roulette wheel pockets.
For the red and black bet, instead of betting on the numbers as you would with the high or low bet, you are betting on the color: red or black.
Half of the numbers from 1-36 are red, and the other half are black. As is the case with close-to-coin-flip outside bets, winning bets are paid out at even money odds.
The zero and double-zero slots are green. Therefore, all bets on red or black lose when the ball lands on single and double-zero.
Odd or Even
The odd or even roulette outside bet is the final even money bet that we will discuss. Similar to the high or low bet, you are betting on the numbers on the wheel.
However, instead of betting on the value of the number, you are betting on whether or not the number is odd or even. Once again, if the zero or double-zero slot is drawn, all bets on odd or even will lose.
Dozens Bet
With the even money roulette outside bets covered, we will now assess the outside bets that pay out 2-1 odds. These bets are bets on smaller groups of numbers, which is why they pay out higher odds when they win.
The first of these bets is referred to as the dozens bet. Why do they call this bet the dozens bet? Because you are betting on a dozen numbers in one wager.
The dozens bet is located in the second row, above the even and odd, and color wagers on the felt. The wager is labeled 1st 12, 2nd 12, and 3rd 12 on the felt.
Let’s take a quick look at each of the three dozens bets on the roulette layout below.
1st Dozen
A bet on the 1st dozen is a bet on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
2nd Dozen
A bet on the 2nd dozen is a bet on 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24.
3rd Dozen
A bet on the 3rd dozen is a bet on 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36.
Once again, if the dreaded zero or double zero slot comes up, all bets on the dozens lose.
Column Bet
The column bet is another roulette outside bet that is a wager on 12 numbers. There are three separate groups of numbers that can be wagered on in a column bet. Chips are placed on the far right of the felt, typically labeled 2:1.
Let’s examine the three roulette column bets that you can make:
1st Column
A bet on the 1st column is a bet on 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 34.
2nd Column
A bet on the 2nd column is a bet on 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, and 35.
3rd Column
A bet on the 3rd column is a bet on 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, and 36.
I am sure I am sounding like a broken record at this point, but again, if that zero or double zero comes up, all bets on the columns are losers.
Snake Bet
This final roulette outside bet that we are going to look at today, is what is known as a snake bet. If you have never heard of the snake bet, don’t worry, as many people haven’t, as the bet isn’t available on all roulette tables.
The snake bet follows the same 12 number concept as both the dozens and column bets, but this bet covers the layout in a zig-zag fashion. It pays the exact same 2-1 odds as both of those bets, and any number that isn’t part of the snake, including the zero and double zero, are losers.
The snake bet is on numbers 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34. There is not a section on the outside layout of the roulette table for a snake bet. Resembling an inside bet, chips must be placed on the numbers and not on the outside.
Make sure to ask the dealer or management if snake bets are allowed before proceeding.
Roulette Outside Bets Strategy
There are two outside bet strategies that you can employ to reduce the volatility in roulette. Despite this not being a secret strategy to getting rich by playing roulette, it can help reduce risks while playing roulette at real money online casinos.
Roulette 2nd and 3rd Dozens Strategy
The 2nd and 3rd dozen outside bet strategy calls on gamblers to place a bet on two of the three dozen wagers. Specifically, bets are placed on 2nd 12 and 3rd 12.
These bets can be found in the second row of the roulette table layout, located above the color bets and odd/19to36. Therefore, two wagers must be made for the 2nd and 3rd dozens roulette strategy.
The 2nd 12 bet will cover the numbers from 13 to 24, and then the 3rd 12 bet covers 25 to 36. With a 2-1 payout for a win on a dozens wager, you will receive a profit as long as the ball doesn’t land on numbers 1 to 12 or the single or double-zero.
There is a 63.2% chance that the ball will land in a pocket from 13 to 36. Keep in mind that for one winning bet, there has to be a losing bet. As a result, the 2nd and 3rd dozens bet will pay at even money.
Additionally, getting unlucky and running into a long stretch of the ball landing in the 1 to 12 pockets can hit a bankroll hard. For this outside bet strategy to be effective, gamblers are required to have a sizable enough bankroll.
Roulette 1st and 3rd Column Strategy
The roulette 1st and 3rd column strategy is similar to the 2nd and 3rd dozens strategy. However, instead of a dozens bet, we are going to the columns on the right (2:1).
As is the same with the 2nd and 3rd dozens strategy, two bets are required to be made. Place your chips on the 1st and 3rd columns. The wagers will cover the corresponding numbers, which are 12 for each column, for a total of 24 numbers.
The payout for a winning bet will be the same for the 1st and 3rd column strategy as it is for the 2nd and 3rd dozens. It is not possible to win both bets, so the best-case scenario is a payout of even money.
Where Should You Play Online Roulette?
Now, it is time to put your newfound knowledge to the test and make some outside bets at the roulette tables. Following years of playing roulette online, our team has identified the best online casino to play roulette.
DuckyLuck is a safe bet for playing roulette online at any time throughout the day. The roulette tables are available 24/7 at the DuckyLuck casino. Regardless of your budget and the stakes you would like, DuckyLuck accommodates bettors with wagers from $1 up to $1000.
There are multiple roulette tables, including live dealer roulette that can be played with real dealers. Live dealer games are broadcasted through a live video feed with a person dealing the game. The technology allows for players to make their roulette bets in real time like at a land-based casino.
DuckyLuck makes it simple to get started with a number of convenient deposit and withdrawal options. When every new user signs up at DuckyLuck, they are eligible for one of the best casino bonuses online.
Deposit at DuckyLuck to get a 500% sign-up bonus of up to $2,500. Gamblers can use these free credits to experiment with the different roulette games and to win big. Additionally, the bonus can be used on one of hundreds of other casino games at DuckyLuck.
