6 Riskiest Plays to Make in Roulette

• The odds to win and the payout help you determine the best and worst roulette numbers to play.
• When a roulette bet has low odds to win and a mediocre payout, it’s a risky bet with little reward.
• There are many risky bets with high payouts, but you should pair these with safer bets to win more often.

Risky plays can have the biggest rewards. But in roulette, playing a risky game doesn’t always increase your chances of winning. In fact, it could have the opposite effect if you’re not taking risks the smart way.

That’s why we want to go over some of the riskiest bets in roulette. These are wagers you should avoid as much as possible if you want to win more consistently. Consistent winning is the key to keeping (and growing) your bankroll after all.

Since roulette is a game of pure chance, you must use your knowledge of roulette numbers, the winning odds, and the payouts to take the right risks. The best way to do this is to pair risky wagers with safer ones — with roulette bets that have higher winning odds. We’re talking even money bets that give you a near 50/50 chance to win. Column and dozen bets, which have winning odds of nearly 33%, are also safer bets you can use to shield risky bets.

Here’s a look at the worst roulette numbers and riskiest bets in roulette, plus why you should avoid them at all costs or use them wisely.

Basket Bet

A basket bet, also known as a five-number bet, is where you bet that either 0, 00, 1, 2, or 3 will hit. It’s always these five roulette numbers. Since you need the 00 to make this bet happen, it’s limited to American roulette.

While betting on multiple roulette numbers gives you a leg up, a basket bet can be a dangerous play. For starters, it offers less-than-mediocre win odds at just 13.2%. Second, the payout — 6:1 — is nothing to write home about. Last, the house edge is higher than all other wagers, sitting at 7.9%. Yikes.

Don’t be fooled by the five-number spread — a basket bet is a big risk with little reward. Even with an even-money bet, it may not be worth your wager.

Straight Up Bets

You make a straight up bet when you place your chip down on a single roulette number. It’s a bold move, but it’s beyond exhilarating if you win. It offers a 35:1 payout, which could be life changing.

But placing a bet on one single number, including 0 or 00, has just a 2.63% chance to win in American roulette and 2.7% in European/French roulette. Very risky odds.

Even if you think your roulette numbers are going to be lucky, straight up betting is a quick way to lose your bankroll. But note that it’s not any better to place multiple straight up bets as you’re placing multiple wagers with abysmal odds to win.

It’s best to limit yourself to a single straight up bet and pair it with an even money bet. Show some love to your lucky number and give yourself a better chance to win each spin.

Row Bet

A row bet is when you bet on both 0 and 00. This has just 5.26% odds to win in American roulette, the only form of roulette in which you can place this bet. The odds aren’t as bad as a straight up bet, but it’s still a quick way to lose money. The payout isn’t as nice, at 18:1, but it’s nothing to scoff at.

Many beginners think that any combination bet (where you bet that the ball will land on any combination of roulette numbers) is going to improve their luck. While that’s true in general, the improvement isn’t much when you’re betting on just two numbers.

Split Bet

Speaking of betting on just two numbers, a split bet is when you place a bet on two numbers next to one another. For example, you’d place your chip on the line between 4 and 5, which are side by side. Another example, you’d place your chip on the line between 23 and 26 below it.

A split bet has a pretty great payout of 17:1, but just 5.3% odds to win in American roulette and 5.4% in European roulette.

If you’re going to play a split bet, ask yourself: does this risk outweigh the reward of a 17:1 payout?

Street Bet

A street bet is when you bet on three roulette numbers in a row. To do this, you’d place your chip on the outer edge of a row, such as on 7 to make a street bet of 7,8, and 9.

Again, just because you’re betting on a combination of roulette numbers doesn’t mean your odds are that much better. A street bet has about 8% odds to win in both American and European roulette. While the payout is 11:1, you may want to consider an even money bet or other safe bet to offset these less-than-ideal odds.

Number Tracking

Another risky play in roulette isn’t a type of bet — it’s a “strategy.” Number tracking involves tracking the numbers that hit, identifying which numbers are hitting more often and which haven’t hit in a while but “are bound to.” Then, you place your bets based on hot spots (either groups of numbers on the board or on the wheel) or cold spots (also either on the board or wheel).

Players have clung to number tracking for many years, swearing that if you pay attention to what’s hitting and what’s not, you’ll see the patterns and be able to pick better roulette numbers.

But the reality is there is no pattern to roulette. It’s completely random. Each spin is independent from the last one. Even in online roulette where these games are programmed with random number generators.

Number tracking is a generally time-consuming, fruitless endeavor. You have to watch the wheel for a good while to start to notice any patterns, if there are any.

So if it’s not going to make any difference, how is it a risk? Well, by the time you “see” the “pattern,” you’ve probably already lost a lot of money trying to chase targets. Plus, you risk losing the fun in the game and having a miserable, stressed-out time.
Stick to a combination of risky bets and safer bets to make roulette as profitable and fun as possible. Check out our guide on roulette rules and strategy to get started!