Roulette Odds and Payout.
Roulette is a game of chance with odds that are a function of the design of the wheel on which you are playing and the payout table of the casino at which you are playing.But that doesn´t mean you can´t improve your odds in roulette by making the right bets or at least weighting your bets to those bets that have the highest payout. A roulette wheel is divided into 37 or 38 pockets (depending whether you are playing European or American roulette). Here we run through the main types of bets, discuss their odds and look at the payout. All roulette wheels have a zero pocket (some have 2- American roulette wheels). The zero pocket essentially makes up the house edge. Simply put, if you bet black or red you will be paid out 1:1. Occasionally, though, the zero drops in, meaning the overall payout is fractionally less than the odds. This is the house advantage.
The house edge in single zero European Roulette is 2.7% and 5.3% in the American version. So our first top tip is to play European roulette!
Roulette Odds versus Payout
The actual odds you get onthe table (physically set by the design of the game) are different to the amount that a casino pays out on the bet. The difference is the house edge. For example, on straight up bets, casinos pay 35:1. But the odds of forecasting a single number are 37:1 (on a Euro wheel).
| Bet | Am. Wheel | Euro Wheel |
Payout |
| Single Number | 37 to 1 | 36 to 1 | 35 to 1 |
| Two Number split | 18 to 1 | 17.5 to 1 | 17 to 1 |
| Three Number street | 11.67 to 1 | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 |
| Four Number square | 8.5 to 1 | 8.25 to 1 | 8 to 1 |
| Five Numbers | 6.6 to 1 | not available | 6 to 1 |
| Six Number line | 5.33 to 1 | 5.17 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Column | 2.17 to 1 | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| Dozen | 2.17 to 1 | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| Even | 1.05 to 1 | 1.01 | 1 to 1 |
| Odd | 1.05 to 1 | 1.01 | 1 to 1 |
| Low (1-18) | 1.05 to 1 | 1.01 | 1 to 1 |
| High (19-36) | 1.05 to 1 | 1.01 | 1 to 1 |
| Red | 1.05 to 1 | 1.01 | 1 to 1 |
| Black | 1.05 to 1 | 1.01 | 1 to 1 |
| House Edge | |||
| All Bets except 5 number | 5.3% | 2.6% | |
| 5 Number | 7.9% | n/a |
So, European single zero roulette has the same payouts, but better odds than American double zero roulette. Again- play European!
Worst Bets
Avoid the five number bet (you only get this on American wheels) as these bets have the worst payout % (7.9% house edge).
Best Bets
Weight your bets to the even money bets, ie: Even, Odd, Low (1 - 18), High (19 - 36), Red, or Black. These bets pay out even money.
TOP TIP: for the best of the best payout, play at casinos that offer "La Partage" rule on even money bets. The house edge in this case is a respectable 1.3%.
This bet is available on some European rules (often called French roulette) : the house edge is halved because only half your even money bets are lost when a zero comes up (or the "en prison rule"- if the zero comes up, your bet is carried over to the next round on even money bets and you get another crack at winning.
House edge
The house edge in roulette (the opposite of Payout) is the average loss across all players in a casino averaged out over time. All casinos charge a "tax" if you like to run their cost of business- that´s how they make money. If you bet on a single number in European roulette, you have a 1/37 chance of winning. The casino pays you 35/1 if you do win. The difference is the house edge.
You work this out as follows (in case you were interested in the maths)-
For European roulette, a single number wins 1/37 and loses 36/37:
35/37 - 36/37 = 2.70% house edge.
In American roulette you also have the option of playing the 5 number bet (which you should not exercise!) which has a higher house edge of 7.9%.
In general, play European roulette rather than American. The payout is better.
The Hold
Casinos often talk about "The Hold". This is NOT the same as the house edge. The hold is the total amount the casino collects in casino chips, minus player wins. In a Las Vegas casino, this is normally around 30%- much higher than the house edge. This is because players make more than one bet- they play through their money a number of times (something the casinos call the "churn" incidently).
The casino´s objective is to increase its churn. They want you to stay at the table for as long as possible! Your objective should be the opposite. Employ a hit and run tactic if you can. Go in. Win big. And get out quickly! I know, I know easier said than done. Just stick to the highest payout bets (even money, La Partage rule) or at least wieght your bets this way and you will be able to "churn" for longer, which means you have a better chance of leaving the table with a profit.