A column bet is a form of outside bet in roulette. It’s a popular wager for roulette players as it comes with a good payout but also fairly decent odds. We explain how to place a column bet in roulette, what your odds are and the strategies associated with placing winning bets of this kind.
What is a Column Bet and how to place one
One of the first things you will notice when looking at a roulette table is that the 36 numbers are separated into three columns of 12 numbers: one to 34, two to 35 and three to 36. However, the number sequence is not consecutive.
The columns in roulette are separated into the following numbers:
• Column One – 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34
• Column Two – 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35
• Column Three – 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36
Regardless of whether you are playing American or European roulette, the columns will remain the same as they are not affected by the zeros.
At the bottom of each column there is a box labelled ‘2 to 1’. Placing your betting chip in one of these boxes means you’re wagering on the outcome of the ball landing on any number within that column.
The Odds and Payouts for Column Bets
The probability of a column bet in real money roulette would be even thirds if the zeros didn’t exist, but of course this isn’t the case. In European roulette, the house edge on a column bet is 2.70% and the odds of winning are 32.43%. This is considerably better than American roulette, where the house edge is 5.26% and the odds are 31.58%.
A column bet is the most popular bet for roulette players after red or black, and requires no strategy or previous gameplay knowledge to place. The outcome of a winning column bet, like all wagers in roulette, is based entirely on luck. While winning a column bet isn’t as probable as other outside bets like red/black or odds/evens, it offers a good way to boost your bankroll without taking too high of a risk.
Outside Bets in Roulette
Outside bets in roulette are wagers that are placed on a large group of numbers, as opposed to inside bets, which are wagers on a single number. Outside bets come with much better odds, but naturally this also means the payouts are nowhere near as lucrative as winning an inside bet.
A column bet is one of the higher paying outside bets you can place, along with the dozen bet, which both pay 2 to 1 unlike the other outside bets which pay 1 to 1.
Column bet strategies in roulette
The only real ‘strategy’ that can be placed in roulette is following the Martingale betting system, which is easy to use and theoretically may work over time, but only if you had a never ending bank roll and roulette tables didn’t impose maximum betting limits, which isn’t the reality. The Martingale system is not recommended as it ultimately requires players to chase their losses, which can become highly detrimental in the long run.
Applying the Martingale system to a columns bet strategy would require you to pick which column to place a bet on and stick with this column for every subsequent betting round. If you win, you simply match your next bet with the same amount as your previous bet. If you lose, you double your next bet, and so on.
The theory behind this is that after a series of losing spins, your net bankroll will essentially be ahead regardless of previous losses. The danger behind this roulette strategy is that even if it increases chances of winning in the short term, wins will be small and when you do lose, losses will be much, much higher.
The best strategy to employ when placing a columns bet, or any other roulette bet for that matter, is to choose European roulette over American, set yourself a financial limit (a personal bankroll) and never try to chase your losses. This strategy will ensure that you enjoy roulette for the fun game of luck that it’s supposed to be, where taking in a win is an added bonus.
Can Australians play roulette – online and offline
One of the many benefits of playing roulette online is that you have the choice of which variation you play and whether you play for free or real money.
While Australians cannot play legally at online casinos anymore because of local laws, our international readers have got a plethora of real money gambling sites at their disposal.
While some bricks and mortar casinos may only offer American roulette which comes with a much higher house edge, playing roulette online gives you the freedom to choose European roulette instead to better your chances of a win with a column bet.
Our recommended casinos for international players also give the choice to play roulette for free in practice mode, so you can try out your luck at column bets before deciding whether or not to place a real money wager.
Overseas gamblers are spoilt for choice when it comes to online casinos that cater to their local currency, which includes popular ones like the US Dollar, Euros, Canadian Dollar and even Australian dollars. This is despite Aussies being unable to play at our recommend casino sites. .
Try these online casinos for a range of roulette games with secure deposits and withdrawals:
- G’day Casino – 13 roulette games from the classics to cool alternatives like VIP Roulette, Common Draw and Roulette Advantage. Gday roulette review.
- Guts Casino – one of the biggest selections of online roulette games available at any of our recommended casinos with standard American, European and French roulette including a range of live dealer roulette titles. Guts roulette review.
- All Slots Casino – you’ll find the standard roulette variations as well as the enthralling Live Dealer Multiplayer Roulette. All Slots roulette review.
- Casino-Mate – all the classics are here, along with souped up games like Premiere Roulette and Multi Wheel Roulette Gold. Casino-Mate roulette review.