American Roulette: Rules, Bets, and Strategies

American Roulette: Rules, Bets, and Strategies

American Roulette is a form of European roulette that is primarily found in casinos. The concept is simple: the player needs to guess the number upon which the ball will fall after moving around the roulette wheel. If you are willing to bet, most players first check out the best sites for American roulette where the game flows smoothly and odds are clearly indicated.

The roulette board consists of numbers from 0 to 36, and the players put their bets on which location the ball will land. Each round is independent of the previous, so the connection between two successive rounds does not exist. That means that each number has an equal chance of becoming the winner, and the player can place a bet without restriction on any space.

Basic Rules of American Roulette

The rules of American Roulette are as straightforward as the game but are used from the very beginning. Here is what you need to know before you play:

  • The game begins with placing the American roulette wheel—a revolving disk with the numbers etched on it and changing red and black color designs. The numbers should be randomly placed but match the color positions on the betting mat.
  • Players place bets on the betting mat based on the kind of bet they wish to place.
  • You can place a bet for the numbers 1 to 36, which are either red or black, or bet for 0 and 00, both of whom are green.
  • The wheel must be spun by the dealer first before he can drop the ball so that the result will be fair.
  • Bets can keep being placed while the spinning wheel until the dealer announces "No more bets."
  • If the ball drops on a number, all who betted on the number or a lawful combination including it are winners.
  • If the ball drops on 0 or 00, only those who bet on that specific very green spot win; everything else is lost.
  • If the ball drops on a number no one bet on, the house wins.

Overall, American Roulette has more unfavorable odds for players than other variations, so it's not as popular choice for experienced players.

Types of American Roulette Bets

The actual game is simple, but the system of bets can be complicated. You have three fundamental types of bets you can place, and smaller bets on single numbers or groups.

1. Even-Money Bets

Even money bets cover more numbers and provide nearly a 50/50 chance to win. Some of these are:

  • Even/Odd – Bet on whether the ball will land on an even or odd number.
  • Red/Black – Bet on whether the ball will land on a red or black pocket.
  • Low (1–18) / High (19–36) – Bet on whether the number will be low or high within the board halves.

2. 2-to-1 Bets

These bets cover twelve numbers and pay more:

  • 1st Dozen (1–12) – Shortened as 12P (Première douzaine).
  • 2nd Dozen (13–24) – Shortened as 12M (Moyenne douzaine).
  • 3rd Dozen (25–36) – Shortened as 12D (Dernière douzaine).
  • Columns – All vertical columns of 12 numbers.

Betting on these groups gives you better odds without risking everything on one number.

3. Long-Odds Bets

If you're chasing higher payouts, long-odds bets are for you. These bets require more precise placement and cover fewer numbers:

  • 6-line (5-to-1) – Bet on six numbers across two adjacent rows.
  • Corner (8-to-1) – Bet on a block of four numbers.
  • Street (11-to-1) – Bet on a row of three numbers.
  • Split (17-to-1) – Bet on two adjacent numbers.
  • Straight (35-to-1) – Bet on a single number (including 0 or 00).

Bets on six or less numbers are inside bets, while bets on 12 or more are outside bets.

American Roulette Strategies

While American Roulette is really simple in theory, the number of possible outcomes and the number of bets available make it a real challenge. That's why proper strategy is obligatory if you wish to make money.

A historical example of this is Joseph Jagger, who infamously discovered a roulette wheel bias and used that to his advantage to win. Such mechanical error is rare these days with casino technology.

Some of the favorite modern techniques are:

  • Martingale System – Double your bet after each loss.
  • Fibonacci Strategy – Use a sequence of numbers to structure your bets.
  • D'Alembert System – Bet one unit more or one unit less depending on the outcome.

All strategies have their strengths and weaknesses, but none can cut out the house edge—especially with the added 00 slot that is included in American Roulette.