Calculated odds
Roulette odds: every bet calculated
Straight up, split, dozen or red: the probability of winning, the payout and what each bet costs on average, on the European, French and American wheels.
In short
European roulette: a house edge of 2.70% on every bet, or €2.70 lost on average for every €100 bet.
French roulette: only 1.35% on even-money bets thanks to the La Partage rule, 2.70% on the other bets.
American roulette: 5.26% because of the double zero, and as much as 7.89% on the “five-number” bet.
On a given wheel, almost every bet costs the same on average: changing bets changes the risk, not the expected loss.
Every figure is calculated by DropCashCasino from the rules of the game; none is copied.
Every bet: probability, payout, house edge
| Bet | Payout | Probability | 1 in | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up (1 number) | 35 to 1 | 2.70% | 37.00 | 2.70% |
| Split (2 numbers) | 17 to 1 | 5.41% | 18.50 | 2.70% |
| Street (3 numbers) | 11 to 1 | 8.11% | 12.33 | 2.70% |
| Corner (4 numbers) | 8 to 1 | 10.81% | 9.25 | 2.70% |
| Six line (6 numbers) | 5 to 1 | 16.22% | 6.17 | 2.70% |
| Dozen (12 numbers) | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 3.08 | 2.70% |
| Column (12 numbers) | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 3.08 | 2.70% |
| Even-money bets (red, black, odd, even, low, high) | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 2.06 | 2.70% |
European wheel: 37 pockets, from 0 to 36. The zero loses all outside bets.
The three wheels compared
| Wheel | Pockets | Straight up | Even-money bets | Average loss per €100 bet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European | 37 | 2.70% | 2.70% | €2.70 |
| French | 37 | 2.70% | 1.35% | €1.35 |
| American | 38 | 5.26% | 5.26% | €5.26 |
How many spins before a number comes up?
Probability that a chosen number comes up at least once in a given number of spins. Wheel: European.
Each spin is independent of the previous ones: a number that has not come up for a long time is no more likely to come up on the next spin.
Why the house always wins at roulette
Roulette pays every bet as if the wheel had only 36 pockets. The zero, and the double zero on the American wheel, is never counted in the payout: it is what creates the house edge. On a European wheel, a straight-up bet pays 35 to 1 although it wins only once in 37: on average, each bet loses 1/37 of its value, or 2.70%.
The rule that changes everything: La Partage
On French roulette, when the zero comes up, even-money bets (red, black, odd, even, low, high) lose only half. The house edge then falls to 1.35% on these bets: it is the cheapest bet in all of roulette. Check the exact name of the table: a roulette called “French” without La Partage has the same edge as European roulette.
Betting systems change nothing
Martingale, d’Alembert, Fibonacci: no system changes the probability of a spin. They distribute wins and losses differently, but the average loss remains the house edge multiplied by the amount bet. The Martingale, which doubles the bet after each loss, also exposes you to a losing streak that quickly makes the stake balloon or hit the table limit.
Play responsibly
Roulette remains a game of chance in which the house keeps an edge on every spin. Set a budget and a time limit before you play, and stop when the limit is reached. If gambling is no longer fun, see the responsible gambling page: it lists helplines for each country.
