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roulette may be one of the simpliest games to play in the casino, but the math and the strategy behind it is far deeper than meets the eye. Today, we're going to explore the odds to roulette, how to reduce the house edge and various betting styles that exist to help you in your next roulette session!
Example of an American Roulette betting board
Example of an European Roulette betting board
Types of Bets
There are several different bets and bet combinations that you can play in Roulette. Note that some casinos have different rules for certain betting combinations, and the bets that you can place are broken down into two groups:
There are multiple approaches to betting in roulette. Some pick their favorite number and bet that hard; others spread their bets between inside and outside bets, while still others will try and maximize their coverage of the board by betting most, but not all, outside bets to try and get profitable. We'll walk through various approaches to attempt to be profitable in the next part of this series, but first - let's break down the math.
American Roulette - 1 to 36 plus 0 and 00
Note that if every number hit at the same frequency as every other number on the table, that you should expect to lose 2 bets for every 38 spins of the
wheel. You'll also notice that the 5 bet, unique to American Roullette, is actually a bigger loser long term than the others.
European Roulette -1 to 36 plus 0
Playing the European version dramatically improves your long term odds by expecting to lose 1 bet per 37 spins. This makes two large assumptions though - that the numbers hit on an equal frequency with each other, and you don't alter your betting pattern which we're going to explore next.
🔍 What We’ll Cover:
- Roulette Bets
- Math Behind Roulette
💥 Roulette Bets
Roulette is a very simple game - you place your chips down to bet on a number, set of numbers, color, or whether the number will be odd or even. A wheel is spun, a ball drops into a slot and money is paid out if the number in that slot matches your bet selection(s) from the betting board.Example of an American Roulette betting board
Example of an European Roulette betting board
Types of Bets
There are several different bets and bet combinations that you can play in Roulette. Note that some casinos have different rules for certain betting combinations, and the bets that you can place are broken down into two groups:
- Inside: Bets on specific numbers as they are orientated on the table:
The inside bets are:
Single Number - Betting on only one number - ex, Black 17. Chips must be placed within the number and not touch any border.
Pairs - Betting on two numbers that share a border - ex, Black 11 and Red 12. Chips must be placed on the border shared between the two numbers
Triples - Betting on a column of numbers, ex: Red 1, Black 2, Red 3. Chips must be placed on the outer border of the column - so if you were trying to bet on 1, 2, and 3, chips should be placed on either the left side of Red 1, or the right side of Red 3. The key is to ensure the chips straddle the outside number to show you are betting those 3
Boxes - Betting on a group of 4 numbers ex: Red 16, Black 17, Red 19, Black 20. Chips must be placed on the intersection of the four numbers, and partially covering each one.
Fives - Only applicable to American Roulette, this is a bet on the top 5 numbers on the board - 0, 00, Red 1, Black 2, Red 3. Chips must be placed so that it partially covers the border between either 0 and Red 1, or 00 and Red 3 AND be half outside of the boxes on the board. This is to ensure you aren't placing a pair bet, but rather all 5 numbers.
Sixes - Bets that cover 6 numbers in 2 columns on the board, ex: Black 22, Red 23, Black 24, Red 25, Black 26, Red 27. Chips must be placed over the outer edge of the two outside numbers, and partially outside of the boxes on the board, again to indicate you aren't placing a pair bet. - Outside: Bets on specific groups of numbers - red, even, the first 12, etc. Outside bets include:
Rows - Bets that account for a row of numbers, ex 1, 4, 7, 10, etc. These bets are placed in the row you wish to bet over the "2 to 1" marking at the end of the row
Twelves - Bets that cover either the first 12 numbers; the second 12 numbers; or the last 12 numbers. Bets are placed in the applicable section titled "1st 12", "2nd 12", or "3rd 12"
Eighteens - Bets that cover either the first 18 numbers, or the second 18 numbers. Bets are placed on the applicable section titled "1st 18" or "2nd 18"
Even or Odd - Bets that cover all of the even or odd numbers on the board - this excludes the 0 or 00. Bets are placed in the section titled "Even" or "Odd"
Red or Black - Bets that cover all of the red numbers or all of the black numbers on the board. Bets are placed in the section colored red or black
- Inside bet minimums apply to ALL INSIDE bets you place.
Example: A $5 minimum inside bet means you have to bet a total of $5 on inside bets - this could be made up however you want, but once bets are closed, you have to have at least $5 on all inside bets you placed in order to qualify. - Outside bet minimums apply to EACH bet you place.
Example: A $5 minimum rule on outside bet means that you have to bet at least $5 on everything you wish to cover. That means each outside bet you make must be $5 or more.
There are multiple approaches to betting in roulette. Some pick their favorite number and bet that hard; others spread their bets between inside and outside bets, while still others will try and maximize their coverage of the board by betting most, but not all, outside bets to try and get profitable. We'll walk through various approaches to attempt to be profitable in the next part of this series, but first - let's break down the math.
💥 Math Behind Roulette
Knowing the math and the long term expected return is key to betting roulette. The table below will show the individual bets available; what the odds are if that bet pays, and what the profit and loss is if you simulated every number on the wheel hitting once. So for the American Roulette table, the last column will give the profit and loss over 38 spins, assuming each space hits once. We'll also assume a $5 betAmerican Roulette - 1 to 36 plus 0 and 00
| Bet Type | Examples | Odds to Hit | Odds to Payout | Profit on 38 Spins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Number | 17 | 38 to 1 | 35 to 1 | -$10.00 |
| Two Numbers | 2 and 3 | 19 to 1 | 17 to 1 | -$10.00 |
| Three Numbers | 1, 2, 3 | 38 to 3 | 11 to 1 | -$10.00 |
| Four Numbers | 19, 20, 22, 23 | 19 to 2 | 8 to 1 | -$10.00 |
| Five Numbers | 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 | 38 to 5 | 6 to 1 | -$15.00 |
| Six Numbers | 31 to 36 | 19 to 3 | 5 to 1 | -$10.00 |
| Twelve Numbers | First 12 Numbers A Column | 19 to 6 | 2 to 1 | -$10.00 |
| Eighteen Numbers | 1 to 18 Odd Red | 19 to 9 | 1 to 1 | -$10.00 |
Note that if every number hit at the same frequency as every other number on the table, that you should expect to lose 2 bets for every 38 spins of the
wheel. You'll also notice that the 5 bet, unique to American Roullette, is actually a bigger loser long term than the others.
European Roulette -1 to 36 plus 0
| Bet Type | Examples | Odds to Hit | Odds to Payout | Profit on 37 Spins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Number | 17 | 37 to 1 | 35 to 1 | -$5.00 |
| Two Numbers | 2 and 3 | 37 to 2 | 17 to 1 | -$5.00 |
| Three Numbers | 1, 2, 3 | 37 to 3 | 11 to 1 | -$5.00 |
| Four Numbers | 19, 20, 22, 23 | 37 to 4 | 8 to 1 | -$5.00 |
| Six Numbers | 31 to 36 | 37 to 6 | 5 to 1 | -$5.00 |
| Twelve Numbers | First 12 Numbers A Column | 37 to 12 | 2 to 1 | -$5.00 |
| Eighteen Numbers | 1 to 18 Odd Red | 37 to 18 | 1 to 1 | -$5.00 |
, is a real guide to profit from.
