Split bet roulette guide

What a split bet in roulette covers

A split (à cheval in French) covers any two numbers that touch on the betting grid, either side by side in the same row of three, like 1 and 2, or one above the other in neighbouring rows, like 1 and 4. You cannot split two numbers that only meet at a corner, such as 1 and 5; that would need a corner bet or two separate chips.

It is one of the five standard inside bets, sitting between the straight up bet on one number and the street bet on three. Wikipedia’s roulette article (opens in a new tab) describes the chip going on the edge shared by the two numbers, which is exactly how online tables register it too. For the game as a whole, see our roulette guide.

How to place a split bet, step by step

1. Find the two numbers you want and check they share a full edge on the grid (not just a corner).
2. Choose your chip value. Remember the table may set a separate minimum for inside positions.
3. Place the chip on the line between the two numbers. Online, the two numbers usually light up to confirm the split.
4. Repeat for any other splits, then check the total stake on screen.
5. Confirm before betting closes. If either number wins, you receive 17 times the chip plus the chip back.

Split bet roulette payout, odds and house edge

Wizard of Odds’ roulette basics (opens in a new tab) lists the split at 17 to 1 on both wheel types, with a 5.26% win rate and 5.26% edge on a double-zero wheel. The single-zero figures follow from counting 2 winning pockets out of 37.

The cost in pounds: £5 on a split at a single-zero table loses about 13.5p per spin on average (£5 × 2.70%). At an American table it is about 26p, nearly double, for exactly the same bet. Our roulette odds page puts every bet on one chart.

How many split bets are on a roulette table

Counting them is a good way to understand the layout. The numbers 1 to 36 sit in twelve rows of three (1-2-3, 4-5-6 and so on). Inside each row there are two side-by-side splits, and between each pair of neighbouring rows there are three more.

Single-zero layouts can also take splits with zero; the jeu zéro call bet, for instance, uses the 0/3 split. On an American table, Wikipedia’s payout table lists the 0/00 bet at 17 to 1, which keeps the standard 5.26% edge. That is a much better zero bet than the five-number top line, which costs 7.89%.

A split is two straight ups in one chip

Here is a neat check that roulette payouts are consistent. Compare £2 on the 8/11 split with £1 straight up on 8 and £1 straight up on 11.

• 8 lands, split: 17 × £2 = £34 profit.
• 8 lands, two straight ups: +£35 on 8, −£1 on 11 = £34 profit.
• Any other number: both approaches lose £2.

The outcomes are identical, so the split is simply a convenient way to cover two adjacent numbers with one chip. It also means there is no hidden value in choosing splits over single numbers, or the other way round. The choice is about which numbers you want and how many chips the table minimum lets you place.

Splits on the racetrack: tiers, orphelins and jeu zéro

Call bets cover sections of the wheel rather than the grid, and because numbers that sit together on the wheel are scattered across the layout, they are built mainly from splits. The chip patterns below follow Wikipedia; Wizard of Odds’ sector bets page (opens in a new tab) confirms the chip counts and gives each a 2.70% edge on a single-zero wheel.

Tiers du cylindre is the purest example: six splits that together cover the third of the wheel opposite zero. In orphelins, 17 appears in two splits, so a hit on 17 pays twice.

A split bet session in pounds

Suppose you stake £2 on one split each spin for an hour at a live single-zero table running about 70 spins. You stake £140 in total, and the expected loss is £140 × 2.70% = £3.78. On average you would win about 3.8 times, each win paying £34.

Real hours rarely look average. The chance of no win at all in 20 spins is (35/37)^20, about 32.9%; across 37 spins it is still 12.8%. Each win returns £36, so four wins in the hour would leave you £4 ahead, three would leave you £32 down, and none at all would cost the full £140. That spread is why the stake per spin should be set from what you are comfortable losing, not from what a win would pay.

Split bets against other inside bets

The expected loss is the same down the column. The swing figure is one standard deviation, a rough measure of how far results tend to wander. Splits suit players who want something between the drama of single numbers and the steadier pace of streets or outside bets.

Split bet mistakes and myths

• Confusing layout neighbours with wheel neighbours. 17 and 20 touch on the grid but sit apart on the wheel. A split follows the grid; a neighbours bet follows the wheel.
• Thinking a zero split is ‘insurance’. 0/3 is just another two-number bet with the same 2.70% edge.
• Believing two numbers ‘doubles your odds’ for free. It doubles your chance but halves the payout, so the price is unchanged.
• Picking splits from recent results. Each spin is independent; a pair that hit three times last hour has the same 2 in 37 chance next spin. See the gambler’s fallacy.

Split bets at UK online and live roulette

At standard live and RNG single-zero tables a split pays 17 to 1 with a 2.70% edge, and in Lightning Roulette Evolution’s rules keep splits at the standard payout, with only straight ups changed. The Gambling Commission’s RTS 7 standard (opens in a new tab) requires online results to be acceptably random.

Since 17 January 2025 online roulette in Great Britain has had no autoplay, a minimum of 5 seconds per game cycle, a ban on playing several games at once and an on-screen display of net spend and time played. Table limits are set per game, as the slot stake caps do not apply. Our UK rules hub covers the rest.

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18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.