Regardless of whether you are a regular or occasional player of roulette, you surely have already heard the word Racetrack in roulette. It is an expansion of the European / French roulette. That's why the names of the bets are in French.
The racetrack is closely related to so-called Call Bets, which are a special kind of extended bets. In addition to the traditional elements on the table, there's a special "racetrack". Its name is based on the similarity to the oval tracks used for horse racing. In fact, the shape of the racetrack is very similar to the shape of traditional horse racing tracks.
The racetrack acts as a multiplier on the roulette wheel. Numbers on the track form the same sequence as on the roulette wheel. However, they are also divided into (most often) three sections, which allow additional types of bets, so-called section bets. So, let's have a look at the types of bets which can be placed on the racetrack.
Types of special bets on the racetrack in roulette
Outer side – Neighbours
These types of bets do not target sections, but instead directly the numbers on the external oval. You can place your chip on a specific number; in addition to that number, the bet also includes its neighboring numbers. The number of neighboring numbers that can be included depends on the variant of the game.
Inner side (section bets)
Section bets allow you to bet on one of the internal sections. This means that your chips will be placed on the lines between numbers located in the section you are betting on.
Voisins du Zero (aka series 0/2/3)
This refers to the section with numbers neighboring to zero. To make the bet, place 9 chips between the numbers as follows: 0/2/3 (2 chips), 4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22, 25/26/28/29 (2 chips), 32/35.
Tiers du Cylindre (aka series 5/8)
This is the section of numbers which are opposite to 0. To make the bet, place 6 chips between the numbers as follows: 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30, 33/36.
Orphelins
This is the section of numbers which were not covered by the previous two sections (Orphelins means orphans). To make the bet, place 5 chips as follows: 1, 6/9, 14/17, 17/20, 31/34.
Special bets
These are special inside bets which expand the offer of inside bets. They are quite rare.
Jeu Zero
This is a variant of a Voisins du Zero bet during which you can bet fewer chips on a lower number of sections. In total, you only place 4 chips as follows: 0/3, 12/15, 26, 32/35.
Final Bet
A special bet during which you can bet on numbers from 1 to 9 and at the same time on all numbers which end with the same number as the one you bet on. For instance, when betting on number 2, chips will also be placed on numbers 12, 22 and 32.
Racetrack bets may seem complicated at first, but a second look reveals that's far from true. Furthermore, they add variability to classical bets and allow you to achieve higher winnings. We have already mentioned the risk: the accumulation of placed bets will quickly get you into trouble if you have a series of losses. Still, we recommend at least trying out the Racetrack.
It is important to play carefully though, because your bets are multiplied. For instance, if you bet €3 on Voisins du Zero, this represents a bet of 9 chips each at a value of €3 = a total bet of €27.