The bet that covers six numbers at once
You are standing at a roulette table, chips in hand, and the layout in front of you is dense with boxes, lines and words. One of the least obvious wagers on that layout is the double street, sometimes called a six line bet. It is an inside bet that covers six numbers in a single move: two adjacent rows of three numbers each. The chip goes on the outer corner where those two rows meet, on the line that separates the inside betting area from the outside bets.
The name makes sense once you see the layout. A single street is one row of three numbers, such as 1-2-3 or 4-5-6. A double street is two of those rows taken together, so 1 through 6 or 4 through 9. Because a European roulette wheel has 37 pockets and an American wheel has 38, the double street always covers six of those pockets. That is the fixed geometry of the bet, and everything else about it flows from that.
Where the chip sits and when the bet is settled
You place a double street bet by putting your chip on the outer boundary line at the end of the two rows you want to cover. On most layouts the spot is at the right-hand edge of the number grid, where the rows meet the outside betting area. If you want to cover 1 through 6, the chip sits on the line at the corner where the 1-2-3 row and the 4-5-6 row end. The dealer or the table's own betting interface will treat that single chip as covering all six numbers.
The bet is settled the moment the ball lands. If the winning number is one of your six, the bet pays out at a fixed multiple of the stake. If the winning number is any of the other pockets, the chip is collected. There is no push, no partial win, and no decision to make after the spin begins. The entire sequence is: place the chip, the wheel spins, the ball lands, and the bet is either paid or taken.
How a double street compares with other inside bets
Every roulette bet is a trade between how many numbers you cover and how much a win pays. The double street sits in the middle of the inside-bet family. It covers more numbers than a straight-up or split bet, so it hits more often, but it pays less per hit. It covers fewer numbers than a dozen or column bet, so it hits less often than those, but it pays more per hit.
The table below compares the main bet types on a European wheel, which has 37 pockets and a single zero. The payout multiples are fixed by the geometry of the wheel and are the same on an American wheel, but the American wheel has 38 pockets with a double zero, and that extra pocket increases the house edge on every bet on that layout.
| Bet type | Numbers covered | Payout multiple | How it behaves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | Rare hits, largest single payout |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | Slightly more coverage, half the straight-up payout |
| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 | One full row of three numbers |
| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 | Four numbers meeting at one corner |
| Double street | 6 | 5 to 1 | Two adjacent rows, balanced hit rate and payout |
| Dozen or column | 12 | 2 to 1 | Broad coverage, frequent but modest wins |
None of these payout multiples is a promise about any single spin. They are the fixed terms of the bet. Over a very large number of spins, the gap between what a bet pays and the true odds of it hitting is where the house edge lives. A double street on a European wheel covers six of 37 pockets, so the true odds against it are 31 to 6. The bet pays 5 to 1, which is 30 to 6. That one-unit gap, repeated over time, is the mathematical advantage the operator holds. The same relationship holds for every other bet on the table, each with its own gap.
What the double street does not change
A common misreading is that covering more numbers reduces the house edge. It does not. The double street covers six numbers instead of one, so it wins more often than a straight-up bet, but it pays a smaller multiple when it does. The edge is built into the payout ratio, not into how many numbers you choose. On a European wheel, every inside bet carries the same house edge because the payout multiples are all set one notch below the true odds. The American wheel adds a second zero, which widens that gap for every bet on the layout.
Volatility, by contrast, does change with bet type. A double street produces more frequent winning spins than a straight-up bet, and smaller swings in either direction over a session. That is a difference in how results are distributed, not a difference in the long-run rate of loss. A player who prefers a steadier rhythm of smaller wins and losses may find the double street more comfortable than a straight-up bet, but comfort is not an edge.
Procedural mistakes new players make with this bet
The first mistake is placing the chip in the wrong spot and thinking the bet covers six numbers when it covers only three or four. A chip placed on the line at the end of a single row is a street bet, covering three numbers. A chip placed on the corner where four numbers meet is a corner bet, covering four. The double street requires the chip to sit on the outer boundary line where two rows end together. If you are unsure, say the bet out loud to the dealer before the spin, or check the on-screen confirmation in an online game, which usually names the bet type and the numbers covered.
The second mistake is confusing the double street with the line that separates the inside and outside betting areas. On some layouts that boundary line is visually similar to the line where a double street chip sits. The outside area is for bets like red or black, odd or even, and dozens. A chip placed on the outside line is not a double street. Read the layout before you put money down, and watch where the dealer places winning chips for other players.
The third mistake is assuming the bet pays more than it does because it covers six numbers. The payout is 5 to 1, fixed. A player who expects a dozen-style payout on a double street has misread the table. The payout multiple is printed on the layout or shown in the game's information panel, and it is the same on every standard roulette table. If a table's rules or interface show a different multiple, read that table's specific terms before betting, because rule variants can change the arithmetic.
Where the numbers on your own table come from
Roulette is a game of fixed geometry, but the exact house edge on any given table depends on the wheel type and any rule variants in force. A European wheel has 37 pockets with a single zero; an American wheel has 38 with a double zero. Some tables add rules that change how certain bets are settled, such as what happens to an even-money bet when the zero lands. Those rules change the edge on the affected bets and sometimes on the table as a whole.
The reliable way to know what applies where you are playing is to read the table's own information. On a physical table, the wheel type is visible, and the posted rules or the dealer can confirm any special settlement rules. In an online game, the information panel or help screen states the wheel type, the payout multiples, and any rule variants. The game's Return to Player figure, where one is published, is a long-run statistical average over a very large number of spins, not a prediction for your session. Treat the posted rules as the only source of truth for the table in front of you.
FAQ
Is a double street bet the same as a six line bet?
Yes. Double street and six line are two names for the same wager: a single chip covering two adjacent rows of three numbers each, for six numbers in total. The payout multiple and the chip placement are identical.
Can I place a double street bet on an American roulette wheel?
You can, and the bet works the same way mechanically: six numbers covered, paid at 5 to 1. The difference is that an American wheel has 38 pockets with a double zero, while a European wheel has 37 with a single zero. The extra pocket increases the house edge on the American layout for every bet, including the double street.
Does a double street bet have a better house edge than other inside bets?
On a standard European wheel, no. The double street, like other inside bets, is paid at a multiple that sits one notch below the true odds of the numbers covered. The house edge is the same across those bets. What changes is volatility: a double street wins more often and pays less per win than a straight-up bet, which produces a different session rhythm but the same long-run rate of loss.
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This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.