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Roulette is an
independent variable game in which luck
plays the only factor in winning. Playing
roulette is much like playing craps or
more simply, the lottery. Playing roulette
is, however, much more highly esteemed
than playing the lottery. The possibility
of placing one bet and winning 35 times
that bet, though, does invoke an
excitement among gamblers that is
intoxicating and hypnotizing, much like
the black and red wheel that spins around,
building up anticipation. Sometimes it
seems that it may never stop. While the
outcome largely depends on the way the
wind blows, the game of roulette is one of
the easier to comprehend of casino games,
and the odds are rather simple to
calculate as well.
The roulette wheel is
divided into 37 slots (European roulette)
or 38 slots (American roulette). The
European table has the single zero in
addition to the numbers 1 through 36. The
American roulette wheel has the single
zero and the double zero slot, along with
the numbers 1 through 36. The zero spaces
represent the house advantage. Without the
house advantage, roulette would be an even
money game. In European roulette, the
house edge is 2.7%; in American roulette,
the house edge is 5.26%.
The formula for
calculating these odds for the house
advantage in roulette, in European
single-zero wheels is:
(35-36)/37 x 100=
-2.70%
And the formula for
American double-zero wheels is:
(35-37)/38 x 100=
-5.26%
Roulette
Odds vs. Payouts
|
Bet
|
“0” odds (European)
|
“00” odds (American)
|
Pay out
|
|
Single Number
|
36 to 1
|
37 to 1
|
35 to 1
|
|
Two Number Split
|
17.5 to 1
|
18 to 1
|
17 to 1
|
|
Three Number Street
|
11.33 to 1
|
11.67 to 1
|
11 to 1
|
|
Four Number Square
|
8.25 to 1
|
8.5 to 1
|
8 to 1
|
|
Five Numbers
|
N/A
|
6.6 to 1
|
N/A
|
|
Six Number Line
|
5.17 to 1
|
5.33 to 1
|
5 to 1
|
|
Column
|
2.08
to 1
|
2.17
to 1
|
2
to 1
|
|
Dozen
|
2.08
to 1
|
1.05
to 1
|
2
to 1
|
|
Even
|
1.01
|
1.05
to 1
|
1
to 1
|
|
Odd
|
1.01
|
1.05
to 1
|
1
to 1
|
|
Low (1-18)
|
1.01
|
1.05
to 1
|
1
to 1
|
|
High (19-36)
|
1.01
|
1.05
to 1
|
1
to 1
|
|
Red
|
1.01
|
1.05
to 1
|
1
to 1
|
|
Black
|
1.01
|
|
1
to 1
|
This
chart shows that European roulette yields
the same payouts as American roulette, but
better odds than American because there is
one less slot on the wheel. The European
roulette wheel is the standard at most
online casinos. In general, all online
casino games offer better odds than
land-based casinos, and this is also true
for roulette.
One
tip to consider is that you should always
avoid single-number bets, as well as the
five-number bet, which is only available
in American roulette, anyway. These bets
have the biggest difference between odds
and payouts.
Also,
it is a good rule of thumb to go with the
bets that have odds near equivalent to
their payouts, also called “even money
bets.” This is true when betting on
even, odd, low numbers 1-18, high numbers
19-36, red, and black. These are
considered solid bets because they pay out
1 to 1.
The
house advantage is the casino’s way of
profiting, and they couldn’t stay in
business without a cut. So think of this
value as simply the casino’s cut for
sponsoring the game. Obviously, people do
win at roulette all the time, or no one
would play. Roulette is more of a social
game than a gambler’s game, but studying
the odds and strategies does make a simple
game like roulette all the more exciting.
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