Back
Roulette Odds - A Guide to Outcomes and Payouts | LeoVegas NZ

Roulette Odds Guide

Summary

The article explores the intricacies of roulette odds, providing insights for both beginners and experienced players. It distinguishes between American and European roulette, emphasizing the impact of the additional double zero in the American version. The calculation of odds is simplified, with a focus on the simplicity of outcomes in roulette compared to skill-based games.

The house edge, varying between American and European roulette, is discussed, shedding light on the impact of the green zero segment. The French roulette introduces additional rules like En Prison and La Partage, affecting the odds and potentially mitigating losses for players.

Table of Contents

At a basic level, roulette can be a simple game of 50/50 odds. Yet delve deeper into it and it transforms into a game of amazing complexity. When you visit the table, it can seem overwhelming to work out odds and payouts, especially if you are a first-timer. Below, we provide an essential guide on roulette payouts and odds to help you get started.

What Are the Odds in Roulette?

Several factors determine the roulette games' odds. Firstly, American and European roulette games have slightly different odds. You must first determine which game you are playing to get them exact.

After this, you need to know the types of roulette bets available. Generally, you can break roulette bets down into inside and outside bets.

Inside bets are placed on the inside of the table. This is where you place money on individual numbers or groups of them. The payout is higher, but the odds of winning are usually less.

Outside bets get placed outside of the numbered area. They cover bets such as red or black, odds or even, and high or low. They are more likely to occur but will result in lower payouts.

How Are the Odds in Roulette Calculated?

The calculation of odds in casino game of roulette is fairly simple. This is because there are only two outcomes available to a player. They either win or lose. Unlike in games which involve some level of skill, like poker, the outcome is also totally random.

To work out the odds, you need to take the number of ways to win a roulette bet and divide it by the number of possible outcomes. In some games, this can get complex. In roulette, it's simple.

Imagine you are placing a bet on a single number in European roulette. There are 37 possible numbers, so you have a 1/37 chance of getting the right result. Divide 1 by 37, then multiply by 100 to get the percentage amount. This makes european roulette odds 2.70%.

Now imagine you place a split bet, which gives you two ways to win out of 37. You take the number of ways to win and divide it by 37 to get a decimal point. Multiply this by 100 to get the percentage amount. In this case, that comes out at 5.40%.

How Odds Are Different in Three Roulette Types

American and European are the two main types of roulette, yet there is also a third: French. This is where confusion can arise when it comes to odds, and it all comes down to one number. The 0.

European and French tables only have one green 0 section on the wheel. In European games, if the ball lands on this, then odd or even money bets are lost. However, when the game migrated to the US, casino owners believed these odds were too stacked in favour of the player and not the house. To compensate, they added an extra 00 green section to the wheel. The result was a slight difference in probability.

When it comes to the difference between European and French games, even though both only have one green section, they have varied outcomes for the player. In French games, the green section opens up two rules which may allow you to win your bet back. These are the En Prison Rule and La Partage Rule.

In En Prison, your bet stays on the table, and if it wins, the next spin gets returned straight up bet again. With La Partage, the bet splits evenly between the player and the house, so you get half of your stake back.

The Role of the House Edge in Roulette

In roulette, the house edge varies depending on the game type. For example, the house edge on an American roulette wheel, which contains a double zero, is 5.26%.

The European roulette house edge comes from there being 36 numbers plus the green zero segment on the roulette table, making 37 segments. While you can bet on any of the 37, you will only win at odds of 35 to 1, rather than 36 to 1. This gives you 2.7% less profitability.

The house edge in single-zero European roulette is 2.6%, which is considered low, but it doesn't mean that players would win on every wager.

What Are the Odds of Hitting Black?

Once again, this depends on if you are playing European or American roulette. In European roulette, the probability of hitting black is 48.6%. When playing American roulette, this is slightly lower at 47.4%. In either version of the game, the roulette payout amount is 1:1.

What Are the Odds of Hitting Red?

The odds of hitting red or black in roulette are the same and depend upon if you are playing European or American roulette. In European roulette, the probability of hitting black is 48.6%. When playing American roulette, this is slightly lower at 47.4%. In both versions of the game, the payout odds will be 1:1.

What Are the Odds of Hitting Zero?

The purpose of the double zero, is to stop roulette from being an even money game. If it did not have this, the whole system would be down to 50/50. As such, in European roulette, the chance of a 0 appearing is 1 out of 37, as that is how many spaces are on the wheel. Your payout will be 36:1.

In American roulette, the added 00 means the payout is slightly less at 35:1. If you place a row bet, which is on 0 and 00 at the same time, then the roulette payout chart here is 17:1.

What Are the Odds and Payouts for Inside Bets?

  • Straight Up – A single number bet. The payout is 35:1
  • Split – A bet that splits between two numbers providing a payout of 17:1
  • Street – A bet placed on a three-number row. The payout is 11:1.
  • Trio – A bet on the 0 (Or 00 for American roulette) and the two numbers next to them. The payout is 11:1.
  • Corner Bet (Square/Box/Quarter) – Placing your bet on four numbers where the chip sits in the corner of all. The payout is 8:1.
  • Line (Avenue/Double Street) – A bet on two joining rows. The payout is 5:1
  • Five Number Bet (Basket) – A bet for American roulette including 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. It pays out at 6:1.

What Are the Odds and Payouts for Outside Bets?

  • Column – A bet on three long columns that contain 12 numbers each. They pay out at 2:1
  • Dozen – The table splits into the 1st, 2nd and 3rd 12 numbers, each containing six red and six black. The payout is 2:1.
  • High/Low – A bet the ball will land on 1 -18 or 19 – 36. The payout per single bet is 2:1.
  • Even/Odd – A bet on even or odd numbers. The payout is 1:1.
  • Red/Black – A bet on black or red. The payout is 1:1.

Roulette Odds FAQ

What Bet Has the Best Odds in Roulette?

The best odds in roulette occur on the outside bets. Even or odd, red or black, and high or low numbers are almost 50/50 bets, so they have the highest chance of occurring. However, they also provide the lowest payout. The table above can show you the probability of all bets in roulette table occurring and how much you can expect to win each time.

What Type of Roulette Has the Best Odds?

There are three main types of roulette. These are American, European and French. European and French versions have better odds as they only have a single 0 green section on the roulette wheel. In American roulette, an extra 00 section reduces the odds slightly.

French roulette has the same probability of a 0 appearing as European. However, there are some rules to play roulette which mean you may not lose your stake, thus limiting the chances of losing money.

What Colour Comes up Most Often in Roulette?

In roulette, there are 36 black and red spaces. European roulette adds one green 0 to this. American roulette adds an additional 00. As a result, black and red are evenly placed to appear as the game is random.

Believing that one number or another is more likely to appear is known as the gambler's fallacy. The most well-known historical recording of this was in Monte Carlo in 1913 when black fell 26 times in a row. Believing red was bound to occur in a random occurrence, many gamblers lost thousands betting against black.

Can a Roulette Betting System Improve Your Odds?

The only way to improve your odds in roulette is to choose a European or French game over an American game. You can then increase your odds of winning further by picking outside bets which have a better chance of occurring. There is no way you can improve your odds online roulette by using a betting system.

Many people choose to use the Martingale strategy when playing roulette. Each time you lose, you double your bet on the next turn until you win. This does not increase the odds but is more of a bank management strategy that helps you reclaim losses. There is no guarantee it will.

If you play the French game, you can look for the En Prison rule and the La Partage rule. While they won't increase any odds, they can decrease your odds of losing money.

What Roulette Odds of Consecutive Red?

Each time the wheel spins, red has a 48.7% chance of appearing, or 18/37 or one in 2.06. When two reds appear in a row, you must multiply 2.06 x 2.06, as this is how likely it is to occur each time. This means the probability is 1 in 4.24.

Keep in mind that this does not mean the probability increases for red the second time. The probability red or black will come out stays the same on each turn as it is random. This is simply the probability that this occurrence could happen twice.

Learn more about roulette in other guides: