Orphelins Roulette: The Bet That Covers the Wheel’s Forgotten Eight
On a single-zero roulette wheel, the numbers are divided into named sectors. Two large sectors take the lion’s share – and eight numbers are left over. Scattered across two small arcs on opposite sides of the wheel, they belong to no group. The French call them orphelins. Orphans.
The orphelins bet covers all eight of those numbers with five chips. It’s a French call bet, placed with a single click on the racetrack – the oval betting interface that maps to the physical wheel – or built manually on the grid for tables that don’t have one. This page covers which numbers are involved, how the bet is placed, what it pays, and whether it’s worth a place in your session.
What Does Orphelins Mean in Roulette?
Orphelins (pronounced or-fuh-LAN) translates directly from French as ‘orphans’. The name describes the numbers’ position on the wheel: they’re the pieces left behind once the two larger French bet sectors have taken their share.
Those two sectors are Voisins du Zero (neighbors of zero) – a large arc covering 17 numbers around the zero pocket – and Tiers du Cylindre (thirds of the cylinder) – the arc of 12 numbers sitting roughly opposite zero. Together they account for 29 of the 36 non-zero numbers. Orphelins is the bet that covers the remaining eight.
The three together form a complete family of French bets, designed to cover the entire wheel in named sector groups. Orphelins is the smallest of the set.
The Eight Orphelins Numbers and Where They Sit
The eight orphelins numbers are: 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31 and 34.
On the physical wheel, these don’t form a single continuous arc. They split into two separate runs on opposite sides of the zero. One side holds 9, 31, 14, 20, 1 – running clockwise in that order. The other holds 17, 34, 6 – a short three-number group on the other side of the wheel.
On the standard betting grid, these eight numbers look scattered with no obvious pattern. That’s because the grid is arranged numerically (1 through 36 in rows), while orphelins is defined by physical wheel position. The grouping makes sense on the wheel; it looks random on the table.
Orphelins vs Voisins du Zero vs Tiers du Cylindre
All three are French call bets from the same family. Each covers a named arc of the single-zero wheel.
| Bet | Numbers covered | Chips required | Bet types used |
| Voisins du Zero (Neighbours of Zero) | 17 | 9 | Splits, corner, and one trio bet covering 0-2-3 |
| Tiers du Cylindre (Thirds of the Cylinder) | 12 | 6 | Six split bets covering an arc opposite zero |
| Orphelins (Orphans) | 8 | 5 | One straight-up on 1; four splits covering the remaining seven |
The structural difference worth noting: Voisins du Zero and Tiers du Cylindre each cover a single continuous arc of the wheel. Orphelins covers two separated arcs, which is why the numbers look scattered on the betting grid.
How To Place Orphelins Bets
The racetrack is the oval diagram that appears alongside the main betting grid on most European and French roulette tables online. It mirrors the physical wheel layout, showing numbers in their actual wheel order. Click the orphelins section of the racetrack and all five chips are placed automatically.
If placing the bet manually, here are the five placements:
- One chip straight up on number 1.
- One chip split on 6-9.
- One chip split on 14-17.
- One chip split on 17-20.
- One chip split on 31-34.
Note that number 17 appears in two of the splits – 14-17 and 17-20. This means 17 is covered by two chips. Some tables play an expanded 6-chip version where 17 gets its own dedicated straight-up chip on top of the splits. Check the table rules before placing.
Orphelins requires a single-zero European table. On an American double-zero wheel, the sector groupings don’t hold and the racetrack won’t appear.
Orphelins Payouts, Spin by Spin
The orphelins bet is five ordinary inside bets grouped together. The payouts are standard straight-up and split payouts. Straight-up pays 35:1. Split pays 17:1.
Here’s what each outcome looks like net of the full 5-unit stake:
- Number 1 lands (straight-up): wins 35 units, loses 4 units on the splits. Net: +31 units.
- 6, 9, 14, 20, 31 or 34 lands (split, single coverage): the winning split pays 17 units, the straight-up and three other splits lose 4 units. Net: +13 units.
- Number 17 lands (double coverage): both the 14-17 and 17-20 splits pay 17 units each, giving 34 units. The straight-up and two other splits lose 3 units. Net: +31 units.
- Any non-orphelins number lands: all five chips lose. Net: -5 units.
The double coverage on 17 makes it the most valuable single number in the bet – it pays the same net return as hitting the straight-up on number 1.
Orphelins Odds and the House Edge
Eight numbers out of 37 on a European wheel gives a win probability of 8/37, or about 21.6% per spin. Roughly one in five spins returns something.
That 21.6% describes the long run across many thousands of spins. Any individual spin is independent – the wheel has no memory of what landed before. You won’t reliably see one win every five spins in a 20-spin run.
The house edge on orphelins is 2.7% – identical to every other bet on a single-zero European table. French call bets don’t get special treatment from the house. The sector grouping is a convenience and a tradition, not a mathematical advantage.
Set a budget before you play and treat it as the cost of the session, not a target to recover. Play only with money you’re comfortable losing. The National Problem Gambling Helpline is available at 1-800-522-4700 and ncpgambling.org.
Can You Play Orphelins on American Roulette?
No, not as a named bet. The orphelins grouping is specific to the single-zero European wheel. Adding a double-zero pocket to an American table changes the physical layout of the wheel, which means the sector arcs that define the French call bets no longer hold.
American roulette tables don’t carry a racetrack in the standard layout. You can place bets on the same eight numbers manually, but it’s a coincidental selection rather than a recognised sector bet – and the house edge increases from 2.7% to 5.26%.
Is the Orphelins Bet Worth Playing?
It covers 8 numbers with 5 chips, hits on roughly 21.6% of spins, and carries the same 2.7% house edge as every other bet on a European table. It’s not a system with a mathematical edge – no roulette bet is. What it is: a structured, distinctive way to cover a specific slice of the wheel with a single click.
If you enjoy the sector-based approach or you’ve seen the orphelins button on a racetrack and wondered what it does, it’s worth a few spins on a single-zero table.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an orphelins bet in roulette?
A French call bet covering eight numbers on a single-zero wheel: 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31 and 34. These are the numbers left over once the two larger sector bets have taken their share of the wheel. Five chips cover all eight numbers.
How do you place an orphelins bet?
Click the orphelins section of the racetrack on any European roulette table that offers it – all five chips are placed automatically. Manually: straight-up on 1, and splits on 6-9, 14-17, 17-20, and 31-34.
What does orphelins pay?
The straight-up on 1 pays a net +31 units on a 5-unit stake. Any single-coverage split pays +13 units net. Number 17, covered by two splits, pays +31 units net. Any non-orphelins result loses all 5 units.
How many numbers does orphelins cover?
Eight: 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31 and 34. On the wheel these form two separate arcs rather than one continuous run. On the betting grid they look scattered, because the grouping is based on wheel position rather than numerical order.
What is the house edge on an orphelins bet?
2.7% on a single-zero European wheel – the same as every other bet on the table. The sector grouping is a placement convenience, not a mathematical advantage.
Can you play orphelins on an American roulette table?
Not as a named bet. The orphelins sector is specific to the single-zero European wheel. American tables lack a racetrack in the standard interface, and the double-zero pocket changes the wheel so the sector groupings no longer hold.
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