Roulette’s bets can look daunting at first glance, but they aren’t as complex as they may first appear. This guide briefly covers inside and outside bets, and then unpacks the most popular inside wagers — straight-up and split — so the player can compare them side-by-side and understand which bets best suit their betting strategy when placing bets on roulette online casino table games.

What Types of Bets Are There in Online Roulette?

Whether players are roulette beginners or experienced players who know how to play roulette, it’s essential to understand straight-up vs split bets and how they’re connected to the other roulette bet types.

There are two main types of wagers in roulette: inside bets and outside bets. Here is what players should keep in mind for these wagers:

Inside Bets in Roulette

Inside bets are wagers on individual numbers or the lines between numbers on the roulette table. These wagers offer payout odds between 35:1 and 5:1 but hit less frequently than outside bets.

These bets are:

  • Straight up or single: A bet on a single number on the roulette table.
  • Split: A bet on two numbers on the roulette table.
  • Street: A bet on three numbers on the roulette table.
  • Corner or square: A bet on four numbers on the roulette table.
  • Six line or double street: A bet on six numbers on the roulette table.
  • Trio or basket: A bet on three numbers, one of which is zero or double zero.
  • First four (European roulette) or top line (American roulette): A bet on 0, 1, 2, and 3, in European roulette, or a bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 in American roulette.

Outside Bets in Roulette

Outside bets are wagers on different groups or categories on the roulette table. The payout odds for these wagers vary between 2:1 and 1:1, but they hit more frequently than inside bets.

These bets are:

  • Red or black
  • Odd or even
  • 1–18
  • 19–36
  • Dozens
  • Columns

A Closer Look at Straight-Up Bets

Here’s the most vital information to know about straight-up bets.

What is a Straight-Up Bet?

A straight-up bet is the simplest of all inside bets roulette offers. The player places a wager on a single number (0–36 on a European roulette wheel, or 0, 00, 1–36 on an American roulette wheel). The wager covers one pocket, so the ball must land on the chosen number to win.

Straight-Up Bet Payout, Probability, and House Edge

Here are the payout values and roulette odds explained for this type of wager:

PayoutProbabilityHouse Edge
35:12.7% (European roulette) or 2.6% (American roulette)2.7% (European roulette) or 5.26% (American roulette)

A Closer Look at Split Bets

Here’s the most vital information to know about split bets.

What is a Split Bet?

A split bet covers two adjacent numbers by placing a wager that sits on the shared line — vertically or horizontally — between two bets on the roulette table. For example, a split bet on 13 and 14, a split bet on 7 and 10, or a split bet on 1 and 0. The ball landing on either number in a divided bet wager results in a payout.

Split Bet Payout, Probability, and House Edge

Here are the payout values and roulette odds explained for this wager:

PayoutProbabilityHouse Edge
17:15.4% (European roulette) or 5.3% (American roulette)2.7% (European roulette) or 5.26% (American roulette)

Straight-Up vs Split: Head-to-Head Comparison

Players who aren’t looking for a roulette strategy guide on these two wagers can review this direct comparison between these two types of bets:

Straight-UpSplitKey Information
Payout35:117:1Larger, less frequent reward vs. smaller but more frequent payouts
Odds of landing2.70% (European roulette) or 2.60% (American roulette)5.40 % (European roulette) or 5.30% (American roulette)Split bet doubles the player’s odds of winning
Return on a $1 wager$36 ($35 in winnings plus the $1 stake, for a total of $36)$18Total wager pays the odds plus your original wager, with the split bet worth half the value of a straight-up bet.