You’ll end up losing $36, but you’ll only make $35 in winnings, so your net gain is -1. If the odds play out, you’ll lose 36 times and you’ll land on that number once.

Suppose you bet $1 on the same number on a European wheel 37 times.

This means that, even if you pick a “safe” red/black or high/low bet, you still have less than a 50% chance of winning, since 0 and 00 are green (not red or black) and don't count as low in a high/low bet. Additionally, recall that there's a 0 pocket in European wheels and an extra 00 pocket on American wheels. Since the maximum payout is 35:1 instead of 37:1 or 38:1, the house always has an edge. Remember that the house always has an advantage. This is why they're called outside bets, while wagers placed on the numbers are called inside bets. There are blocks labeled with various bets on the table outside of the chart of numbers.

Outside bets, such as even/odd and red/black, are lower risk, but the payout is only 2:1 or 1:1.

You can also split your bet between up to 6 numbers that are next to each other on the table. If you bet $1 on a number and the ball lands on that number, you win a 35:1 payout, or $35 plus your original $1 bet.

Inside bets are wagers placed on specific numbers on the table.

The types of wagers are grouped into 2 categories: X Research source You can make several types of wagers on a roulette table, which is basically a 3-column chart that lists the 36 numbers on the wheel. This will introduce you to the various bets involved in roulette. See if the casino has a free table, purchase one to play at home, or play on one online just to get a feel for the game. Practice playing at a free table before placing actual bets.

How to win casino roulette