Course contents
Roulette Bets and Odds
The green zeros are roulette's whole house edge: 2.70% on a 37-pocket European wheel, 5.26% on a 38-pocket American one, and every bet pays the same tax.
Roulette's entire house edge lives in the green zeros. A European wheel has 37 pockets (1 through 36 plus a single 0); an American wheel adds a 00 for 38. Payouts pretend the zeros don't exist, and that small act of pretending works out to 2.70% on European wheels and 5.26% on American ones.
Deriving the edge from the pockets
A single-number bet pays 35:1 on both wheels. On a European wheel, the true odds against you are 36:1, because 36 of the 37 pockets lose. Now bet $1 on the same number for 37 spins and imagine perfectly average luck: each pocket comes up once. You win one spin, collecting $35 profit, and lose the other 36 for minus $36. The cycle leaves you down $1 on $37 in total bets: 1 divided by 37 is 2.70%. That's the house edge, derived, no trust required.
Run the identical exercise on an American wheel. Now there are 38 pockets, the payout is still 35:1, so your average cycle wins once ($35) and loses 37 times ($37). Two dollars lost on $38 wagered is 2/38: 5.26%. Same bet, same payout, nearly double the cost, all because of one extra green pocket.
Two footnotes worth knowing. Some casinos now run triple-zero wheels (39 pockets), pushing the same math to 3/39, about 7.69%. And some European tables offer "la partage", returning half your even-money bet when zero hits, which cuts that edge roughly in half to about 1.35%.
Every bet on the layout, one price
The zeros tax every wager the same way, not just single numbers. Bet $1 on red for 37 average European spins: the 18 red pockets win you $18, while 18 black pockets plus the green zero cost $19. Net: minus $1 over $37 again, the same 2.70%. The layout offers different rides, not different prices.
Bet | Covers | Payout | True odds against (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
Single number | 1 pocket | 35:1 | 36 to 1 |
Split | 2 pockets | 17:1 | 35 to 2 |
Street | 3 pockets | 11:1 | 34 to 3 |
Corner | 4 pockets | 8:1 | 33 to 4 |
Six line | 6 pockets | 5:1 | 31 to 6 |
Dozen or column | 12 pockets | 2:1 | 25 to 12 |
Red/black, odd/even, high/low | 18 pockets | 1:1 | 19 to 18 |
On a given wheel, every one of these carries the same house edge. Inside bets just swing harder: rarer wins, bigger payouts, identical long-run cost.
That reframes the classic advice. Outside bets aren't "safer" in edge terms; they lose the same percentage, just smoothly. Inside bets aren't hidden value; they're the same percentage with more variance. Choose by the experience you want, session length versus jackpot feeling, because the math is indifferent.
If the casino offers both wheels, play the European one. Identical payouts, half the edge: 2.70% instead of 5.26%. It's the most valuable roulette decision available to you, and it happens before a single chip hits the felt.
Habits and myths at the wheel
Etiquette first: place bets before the dealer calls "no more bets", and never touch chips once the ball is spinning down. Winning bets are paid where they sit; wait for the dealer to clear the layout before reaching in. In many casinos you'll get color chips unique to you, so cash them at the same table before leaving.
The expensive mistakes are mental, not procedural. A number that hasn't hit in 200 spins isn't "due"; the wheel has no memory, so every spin is 1 in 37 (or 38) again. Doubling after losses (the martingale) doesn't change the edge either. Every bet you place is taxed at the same rate, so bigger bets are just bigger taxed money, until a losing streak meets the table limit or your bankroll.
So the whole strategy of roulette fits in two moves: pick the wheel with fewer zeros, and size your bets to a budget you set before sitting down. Everything after that is entertainment, priced at 2.70% if you chose well.
Use the roulette payout calculator to compute exact payouts for any wager.
Frequently asked questions
What is the house edge in roulette?
The house edge comes entirely from the green zero pockets, because payouts are calculated as if they don't exist. On a European wheel with 37 pockets and a single zero, the edge is 2.70%. An American wheel adds a 00 for 38 pockets, raising it to 5.26%. Some casinos run triple-zero wheels with 39 pockets, pushing the edge to about 7.69%.
Is European or American roulette better to play?
European roulette is the better choice whenever both are offered. The payouts are identical on both wheels, but the American wheel's extra 00 pocket nearly doubles the house edge: 5.26% versus 2.70%. Choosing the wheel with fewer zeros is the single most valuable roulette decision available, and it happens before a single chip hits the felt.
Are outside bets safer than inside bets in roulette?
Not in house-edge terms. On a given wheel, every bet on the layout, from a single number paying 35:1 to red/black paying 1:1, carries the same house edge. Outside bets lose the same percentage, just more smoothly, while inside bets swing harder with rarer wins and bigger payouts. Choose based on the experience you want, session length versus jackpot feeling, because the long-run cost is identical.
Does the martingale system work in roulette?
No. Doubling your bet after losses doesn't change the house edge, because every bet you place is taxed at the same rate, so bigger bets are just bigger taxed money. The strategy keeps working only until a losing streak collides with the table limit or exhausts your bankroll. The only real strategy is picking the wheel with fewer zeros and betting to a preset budget.
What is la partage in roulette?
La partage is a rule offered at some European roulette tables that returns half of your even-money bet when the ball lands on zero. Because the zero is the entire source of the house edge, this refund cuts the standard European edge of 2.70% roughly in half, to about 1.35%, making la partage tables the cheapest roulette commonly available.
Is a roulette number due to hit if it hasn't come up in a long time?
No. A number that hasn't hit in 200 spins isn't due, because the wheel has no memory. Every spin is an independent event with the same 1 in 37 chance on a European wheel or 1 in 38 on an American wheel, regardless of what happened before. Betting on "due" numbers is one of the expensive mental mistakes at the wheel.
Finished this lesson?
Mark it complete to track your progress.