How to Play Riverboat Roulette
• By Daniel Odeyemi
Riverboat Roulette is a unique and overlooked roulette variation. It is played using a traditional roulette wheel, but each number has dual colors. As a result, the game introduces uncommon wagering options: six multi-spin colored bets and a single-spin white bet.
In this guide, we explain how to play Riverboat Roulette, including its rules, bet types, payouts, and winning strategy.
Riverboat Roulette Rules
Riverboat Roulette uses a modified American roulette wheel with 38 numbers (0, 00, and 1–36).
In addition to standard red, black, and green pockets, Riverboat Roulette includes:
- Teal
- Yellow
- Pink
- Purple
- Orange
- Blue
- White
Number Distribution by Color
| Color | Count | Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| White | 8 | 0, 00, 1, 12, 13, 24, 25, 36 |
| Teal | 4 | 2, 11, 14, 23 |
| Yellow | 4 | 3, 10, 15, 22 |
| Pink | 5 | 4, 9, 16, 21, 33 |
| Purple | 5 | 5, 8, 17, 20, 32 |
| Orange | 6 | 6, 19, 26, 27, 30, 31 |
| Blue | 6 | 7, 18, 28, 29, 34, 35 |
Types of Bets
There are three main categories of wagers:
Inside Bets
These are identical to traditional roulette:
- Straight Up (35:1)
- Split (17:1)
- Street (11:1)
- Corner / Square (8:1)
- Six Line (5:1)
- Top Line / Basket (6:1)
Inside bets offer higher payouts but lower winning probability.
Outside Bets
These are safer wagers placed on outer table sections:
- Red / Black (1:1)
- Odd / Even (1:1)
- High / Low (1–18 / 19–36)
- Column Bets (2:1)
- Dozen Bets (2:1)
Color Side Bets
Riverboat Roulette’s defining feature is its colored side wagers.
Eligible colors:
- Teal
- Yellow
- Pink
- Purple
- Orange
- Blue
- White
White is a single-spin bet.
The other six colors are multi-spin bets.
If the ball lands on:
- Your chosen color → You win.
- White → All other color bets lose immediately.
- A different non-white color → Push (your wager remains active for the next spin).
Riverboat Roulette Payouts
Inside Bets
| Bet Type | Payout |
|---|---|
| Straight Up | 35:1 |
| Split | 17:1 |
| Street | 11:1 |
| Corner | 8:1 |
| Top Line | 6:1 |
| Double Street | 5:1 |
Outside Bets
| Bet Type | Payout |
|---|---|
| Red / Black | 1:1 |
| Odd / Even | 1:1 |
| High / Low | 1:1 |
| Columns | 2:1 |
| Dozens | 2:1 |
Color Bets
| Color | Payout |
|---|---|
| White | 7:2 |
| Yellow / Teal | 2:1 |
| Pink | 8:5 |
| Purple | 8:5 |
| Orange | 7:5 |
| Blue | 7:5 |
Winning Strategy
Riverboat Roulette uses the American wheel, which carries a 5.26% house edge.
A more balanced strategy includes:
- Favoring outside bets for higher win probability.
- Pairing outside bets with Blue or Orange side bets.
- Avoiding the Top Line / Basket bet (house edge 7.89%).
Blue and Orange each cover six numbers and benefit from the push mechanic. Unless white hits, other colors result in a push, keeping your wager active.
This approach can reduce effective exposure to approximately 2.63%.
Final Thoughts
Riverboat Roulette follows the same inside and outside betting structure as traditional roulette while introducing a multi-spin color mechanic.
Its unique push rule adds strategic flexibility, making it an interesting alternative to standard roulette — though it is not widely available in most casinos.