By far, the most difficult aspect to learn with roulette is the various betting odds and strategies. For this explanation, all of the odds and bets will be based on the European version of the game. For starters, a basic breakdown of the wheel is necessary to understand the different bets. The roulette wheel contain pockets marked from 0 to 36. The number pockets from 1 - 36 are colored red and black and alternate from one to the next. The number 1 begins with red. The 0 pocket is colored green. The American version contains an extra green-colored 0, which is numbered 00. In the game, a player has the option of betting on numbers, colors, groups, odds and evens. The most basic bet in roulette is the single number bet. To bet, a player must place a wager on the green felt-covered table that has all of the roulette betting options. A single number bet has a payout of 35:1. The groups involve betting on the columns and rows on the table. The row bets pay 11:1, except for the 00 row. The 00 row, which is made up of the 0 and 00 pockets, pays 17:1. The column groupings, the most commonly wagered upon, have a payout of 2:1. There is the option called the five number bet, in which a player can pick any five numbers on the board, this pays 6:1.

Betting options in Roulette

Beyond these bets, all of the other wagers in roulette payout 1:1. These include betting on the odd number, the even numbers, the colors red and black, and the two groupings divided into 1-18 and 19-16. Once you've mastered all of the betting options, you're well on your way to becoming a roulette betting pro. This bet is akin to lottery or keno.  The wager is made by placing chips on any one of the thirty-five numbered boxes, zero or double-zero.  If the rolling ball lands on the corresponding number of the wheel, the bet wins. Straight-up bet payout odds are 35:1.

Split
The split wager is made by mouse-clicking a chip on the line separating any two numbers.  It is predicting that one of the two adjacent numbers will be landed by the ball in the wheel.  Split bet payout odds are 17:1.

Street
This bet covers one of the twelve columns, also called streets, composed of three numbers in numeric order.  It is predicting that one of the three numbers in the chosen 'street' will be hit be landed by the rolling ball.  The bet is made by placing chips on the horizontal line separating the outside bet boxes from the first column of numbers, centered with the first number of the desired row or street.  Street bet payout odds are 11:1.

Corner
This bet covers four numbers at one time.  The bet is made by mouse-clicking a chip(s) on the common corner of four boxes, which is the centermost point between all four boxes.  The bet wins if the ball settles in any one of the four  numbered slots corresponding to the box values.  Corner bet payout odds are 8:1.

Line
The line bet covers six consecutively adjacent boxes in numeric order.  It predicts that any one of the six chosen numbered boxes will by landed by the ball in the wheel.  To place the bet, chips are set on the line dividing the first column of outside bet boxes from the first column of numbered boxes starting with 1 and ending with 34.  On this line, the chip is placed where a single line dividing two numbered rows intersects with it.  For instance, the numbers 7 through 12 are bet by placing a chip on the bottommost common point between the number 7 and 10 and the line of the "1st Twelve" box.  Line bet payout odds are 5:1.

Five-Number
As the name says, this is a bet covering five numbers - the 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3.  It is made by placing a chip(s) on the outside left corner point of the line separating the 0 and the 1.  This bet is also called the House Special, which is ironic, considering it has a very high House Edge.