Roulette Odds and Payouts Explained

The House Edge: American, European, and French Roulette

The house edge is the advantage that the casino has over the player in any given game. It's expressed as a percentage, and the higher the percentage, the greater the advantage the casino has.

In European Roulette, the wheel has 37 slots, numbered from 0 to 36. The single '0' slot gives the house its edge. All even-money bets (like red or black, odd or even, etc.) pay out as if there were only 36 slots, but the inclusion of the '0' slot means that the true odds are slightly worse for the player. This results in a house edge of approximately 2.7%.

American Roulette features an additional slot, '00', making a total of 38 slots. This extra slot doubles the house edge, bringing it to around 5.26%.

Then there's French Roulette, which is similar to European Roulette but includes a couple of additional rules that can reduce the house edge. These are the 'La Partage' and 'En Prison' rules. La Partage means that if the ball lands on '0', players who placed even-money bets get half of their bet back, effectively reducing the house edge to 1.35%. The En Prison rule allows the player's even-money bet to stay 'in prison' for the next spin if the ball lands on '0'. If the bet wins on the next spin, the player gets the full bet back. If it loses, the casino takes the full bet. Both rules make French Roulette a more player-friendly version of the game.

The Probability Factor

In roulette, probability refers to the chance of a particular outcome occurring. The mathematics behind these probabilities is quite straightforward. The probability of an event occurring is simply the number of ways that event can occur divided by the total number of possible outcomes.

For example, in European Roulette, the probability of the ball landing on red is 18/37, or approximately 48.6%, because there are 18 red slots and 37 slots in total. In American Roulette, due to the extra '00' slot, the probability drops to 18/38, or approximately 47.4%.

Roulette Bets and Their Odds

The main types of bets in roulette are typically grouped into two categories: 'inside' bets and 'outside' bets. Inside bets are placed on specific numbers or small groups of numbers, and they typically have higher payouts but lower odds of winning. Outside bets are placed on larger groups of numbers, like red or black, odd or even, etc., and they typically have lower payouts but higher odds of winning.

For instance, a Straight Bet is an inside bet on a single number. The probability of winning this bet in European Roulette is 1/37, or approximately 2.7%, and the payout is 35 to 1. This means that if you bet $1 and your number comes up, you'll receive $35 plus your original bet back.

An example of an outside bet is a Red/Black Bet. In European Roulette, the probability of winning this bet is 18/37 (roughly 48.65%) and the payout is 1 to 1. This means that if you bet $1 and your bet wins, you'll receive $1 plus your original bet back. In American Roulette, the probability drops to 18/38, or approximately 47.4%, but the payout remains the same.

Understanding Roulette Payouts

In roulette, the amount a player can win from a successful bet is known as the 'payout'. The payout is directly related to the odds of the bet. In simple terms, the less likely a bet is to win, the higher the payout will be. This is why inside bets, which are less likely to win, have higher payouts than outside bets, which have a better chance of winning.

Let's break down the main types of bets in roulette and examine their odds and payouts:

Inside Bets:

• Straight Bet: This is a bet on a single number. The odds of winning a Straight Bet are 1 in 37 in European Roulette and 1 in 38 in American Roulette. Because it's the most difficult bet to win, it has the highest payout at 35 to 1. This means that if you bet $1 and win, you'll receive $35 plus your original bet back.
• Split Bet: A Split Bet is a bet on two adjacent numbers on the roulette table. The odds of winning a Split Bet are 2 in 37 in European Roulette and 2 in 38 in American Roulette. The payout for a Split Bet is 17 to 1.
• Street Bet: A Street Bet covers three numbers in a row on the roulette table. The odds of winning a Street Bet are 3 in 37 in European Roulette and 3 in 38 in American Roulette. The payout for a Street Bet is 11 to 1.
• Corner Bet: A Corner Bet covers four numbers that form a square on the roulette table. The odds of winning a Corner Bet are 4 in 37 in European Roulette and 4 in 38 in American Roulette. The payout for a Corner Bet is 8 to 1.
• Line Bet: A Line Bet covers six numbers in two adjacent rows on the roulette table. The odds of winning a Line Bet are 6 in 37 in European Roulette and 6 in 38 in American Roulette. The payout for a Line Bet is 5 to 1.

Outside Bets:

• Column and Dozen Bets: These bets cover 12 numbers each. The odds of winning are 12 in 37 in European Roulette and 12 in 38 in American Roulette. The payout for a Column or Dozen Bet is 2 to 1.
• Red/Black, Even/Odd, and 1-18/19-36 Bets: These are the most common outside bets and each covers 18 numbers. The odds of winning are 18 in 37 in European Roulette and 18 in 38 in American Roulette. The payout for these bets is 1 to 1.

As you can see, the relation between the payout and the odds is inversely proportional in roulette - the higher the odds of winning a bet, the lower the payout, and vice versa. This balance ensures that while players can win big on a single spin with a high-paying inside bet, they can also opt for the relative safety of outside bets, trading potential payout for a better chance of winning.

In the table below the European roulette bets are listed with their probabilities, odds, and payouts so you can easily see the relationship between them.

Here is the table for American roulette:

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Understanding the house edge, the probabilities, and the payouts in roulette can give you a more informed perspective of the game. However, remember that roulette is, at its core, a game of chance. The house always has an edge, and while examining the probabilities can improve your understanding of the game, it doesn't guarantee a win. Nonetheless, with proper strategy, you can have hours of fun playing roulette and at Queenplay we have everything you could possibly need, whether you are just starting out or are a true connoisseur of the game.