Column Bet

A Column Bet is a wager in roulette where you bet that the winning number will come from one of the three vertical columns on the table layout. Each column contains 12 numbers, and if any of these numbers are hit, you win. It’s a popular bet among players looking for a moderate risk-reward balance, with a payout of 2:1.

How to Bet on a Column in Roulette

In roulette, the Column Bet is an outside bet, meaning it covers a large portion of the table but with a relatively lower payout than inside bets. To place this bet, you choose one of the three columns of numbers on the roulette table layout. Each column consists of 12 numbers, starting from the first column (1, 4, 7, etc.), the second column (2, 5, 8, etc.), and the third column (3, 6, 9, etc.).

You place your chips at the bottom of the column you believe the winning number will land in. If any number from that column is the result of the spin, you win your bet with a payout of 2:1. For example, if you bet $10 and a number from your column comes up, you’ll win $20 plus your original $10 back.

Understanding the Odds, House Edge, and Payout

The Column Bet offers a moderate level of risk, giving you a decent chance of winning while providing a payout that is larger than even-money bets like Red/Black or Odd/Even. Here's a quick breakdown:

• Odds: Since each column contains 12 numbers, you have a roughly 32.4% chance of winning in European roulette (12/37) and about 31.6% in American roulette (12/38).
• House Edge: In European roulette, the house edge is 2.70%, while in American roulette, it is 5.26%, due to the extra zero (00).
• Payout: The payout for a winning Column Bet is 2:1, meaning if you bet $10, you win $20 in addition to your original bet.

While the Column Bet doesn’t offer the highest payout in the game, its odds are significantly better than inside bets like Straight Up bets. This balance of risk and reward makes it a great choice for beginners.

Examples of Column Bet in Action

Let’s look at a few examples to better understand how a Column Bet works:

Example 1: You place a $20 Column Bet on the first column, which includes numbers like 1, 4, 7, and so on. The ball lands on 1, which is in the first column. You win $40, as the payout is 2:1, and you get back your original $20 bet for a total of $60.
Example 2: You bet $15 on the second column, which contains numbers like 2, 5, 8, and 11. The ball lands on 5, so you win $30 (2:1 payout) plus your original $15 back, for a total of $45.
Example 3: You place a $10 Column Bet on the third column, but the ball lands on 0. Since 0 is not in any of the columns, you lose your bet. This is where the house edge comes into play.

Column Bet FAQs