Roulette Red Odds
Posted By admin On 11/04/22Remember to stay realistic about the long odds on this popular game of chance. Approach roulette with the sober realization that, with a house advantage of 5.26 percent on the American wheel, roulette is among the worst bets in a casino. Despite the odds, you can still use some simple strategies to stretch your roulette bankroll and enjoy the thrill of the spin. This article contains a few tips that can help you improve your chances of winning.
That’s easy – the best bet in roulette is an even money bet, such as red/black, odd/even, 1-18, or 19-36. As you should already know from reading our roulette odds guide, these outside bets are the most likely to win. These bets have the lowest house edge, hence why they are the best roulette odds you will find.
If we bet $1 on red and green or black occurs, then we lose the dollar that we bet. This results in net winnings of -1. The random variable X defined as the net winnings from betting on red in roulette will take the value of 1 with probability 18/38 and will take the value -1 with probability 20/38. The probability that the ball eventually ends up in one of the slots depends on how many slots there are: They are 37 (in French/European roulette) or 38 (in American roulette) colored and numbered pockets on the wheel. If you were simply betting on red, and if there were only black or red slots, then you would be winning with a 50% chance.
Roulette is a drain on your wallet simply because the game doesn’t pay what the bets are worth. With 38 numbers (1 to 36, plus 0 and 00), the true odds of hitting a single number on a straight-up bet are 37 to 1, but the house pays only 35 to 1 if you win! Ditto the payouts on the combination bets. This discrepancy is where the house gets its huge edge in roulette.
Starting with the basics
Strategy is critical if you want to increase your odds of winning. The first time you play roulette, the players sprinkling the layout with chips may look as if they’re heaping pepperoni slices on a pizza. You can make many different bets as long as you stay within the table’s maximum limits. Consequently, few players make just one bet at a time.
Of course, the more bets you make, the more complicated and challenging it is to follow all the action. Here are two possible plans of attack to simplify matters:
- Stick to the table minimum and play only the outside bets. For example, bet on either red or black for each spin. This type of outside bet pays 1 to 1 and covers 18 of the 38 possible combinations.
- Place two bets of equal amounts on two outside bets: one bet on an even-money play and the other on a column or dozen that pays 2 to 1. For example, place one bet on black and one bet on Column Three, which has eight red numbers. That way, you have 26 numbers to hit, 4 of which you cover twice. You can also make a bet on red and pair it with a bet on Column Two, which has eight black numbers. Again, you cover 26 numbers, and 4 of them have two ways to win. Pairing a bet on either red or black with Column One (or on one of the three dozens) covers 24 numbers, and 6 numbers have two ways of winning. Spreading bets like this won’t make you rich, but it does keep things interesting at the table.
Playing a European wheel
If you happen to find a single-zero European wheel, you greatly improve your odds: The house edge is half that of roulette with the American wheel — only 2.63 percent. You may see a European wheel at one of the posh Vegas casinos, such as Bellagio, Mirage, or Caesars Palace. If you can’t find one on the floor, it’s probably tucked away in the high-limit area along with the baccarat tables, so you may need to ask. You can also find the single-zero wheel at some other upscale casinos around the country.
Because casinos set aside the European wheel for high rollers, you’re likely to find a higher table minimum, say $25. But because the house edge is half that of a double-zero wheel, the European wheel is the better roulette game to play for bigger bettors.
Your chances of winning get even better if the casino offers an advantageous rule called en prison. Sometimes available on the European wheel, the en prison rule lowers the house edge even further to a reasonable 1.35 percent. The rule applies to even-money bets. For example, say you have a $10 bet riding on black. If the ball lands on zero, your even-money bet doesn’t win or lose but remains locked up for one more spin. If the ball lands on black on the next spin, the house returns your original bet of $10, but you don’t win anything. If the ball lands on red, you lose. And if the ball repeats the zero number again, your bet stays imprisoned for another round.
Roulette Payouts & Odds
Quick Links
European Roulette Payouts & Odds
French Roulette Payouts & Odds
Roulette Bet Types Explained
Roulette House Edge Explained
Best Roulette Casinos
Best Online Roulette Odds
- European Roulette – Up to 95.5%
- American Roulette – Up to 94.5%
- French Roulette – Up to 94.5%
Play NowRoulette is one of the easiest casino games to play and is also one of the oldest games available in casinos around the world. So how do roulette payouts and odds work?
Roulette has a consistent house edge and straightforward odds. You’ll learn everything you need to know about the edge and odds on this page as well as an explanation of each possible bet you can make at the table.
As you learn more about the house edge you’ll see that even at the tables with the best odds for the player the edge is higher than you’ll find at games like blackjack, baccarat, and some video poker machines.
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- European Roulette – Up to 95.5%
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Can You Win Playing Roulette?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of only thinking about the percentage of the house edge of casino games, but many times you end up losing less per hour, and in turn being able to play longer, by playing a higher edge house game.
One of the main advantages of playing roulette is you play fewer spins per hour than you play hands per hour at the blackjack table, baccarat table, or at the video poker machine. When you combine this with the simple game-play where all of the bets have the same edge, roulette is a good choice for many casino players.
Odds and Edge on Three Different Roulette Wheels
Take a look at the odds, payouts, and house edge that are offered when playing on the American, European, or French roulette wheels.
American Roulette Payouts
Be sure to look at the section on how the house edge works to get familiar with why American roulette has a higher edge than European or French. Let’s take a look at the odds you face on each inside bet as well as the corresponding payouts. This is based on the US wheel.
Odds Chart American Roulette Payouts, Odds, Bets, and House Edge
| American Roulette – Inside Bets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
| Straight Up | 37 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 5.26% |
| Split | 18 to 1 | 17 to 1 | 5.26% |
| Street | 11.7 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 5.26% |
| Trio | 11.7 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 5.26% |
| Corner | 8.5 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 5.26% |
| Five Number | 6.6 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 7.9% |
| Six Line | 5.33 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5.26% |
The house edge on outside bets work on the sample principle but, as you’ll see in the following table, both the odds against winning and the payouts are much lower.
| American Roulette – Outside Bets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
| Red or Black | 1.11 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 5.26% |
| Even or Odd | 1.11 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 5.26% |
| High or Low | 1.11 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 5.26% |
| Dozens | 2.17 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 5.26% |
| Columns | 2.17 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 5.26% |
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European Roulette Payouts
European roulette wheels don’t have a double zero space so the odds are better for the player. It is the most popular type of roulette played at most of the online casinos, as the house edge and odds of winning make it the best choice for avid players. Let’s take a look at the odds you face on each inside bet as well as the corresponding payouts.
Odds Chart European Roulette Payouts, Odds, Bets, and House Edge
| European Roulette – Inside Bets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
| Straight Up | 36 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Split | 17.5 to 1 | 17 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Street | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Trio | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Corner | 8.25 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Six Line | 5.17 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 2.7% |
| European Roulette – Outside Bets | |||
| Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
| Red or Black | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Even or Odd | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 2.7% |
| High or Low | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Dozens | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Columns | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2.7% |
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French Roulette Payouts
The only difference between European roulette and French roulette is that in French roulette if you bet on high, low, red, black, odd, or even and the ball lands on zero, you only lose half your bet. So, the house edge on these bets is half of what it is on a European wheel. Let’s take a look at the odds you face on each inside bet as well as the corresponding payouts.
Odds Chart French Roulette Payouts, Odds, Bets, and House Edge
| French Roulette – Inside Bets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
| Straight Up | 36 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Split | 17.5 to 1 | 17 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Street | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Trio | 11.33 to 1 | 11 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Corner | 8.25 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Six Line | 5.17 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 2.7% |
| French Roulette – Outside Bets | |||
| Bet | Odds Against | Payout | House Edge |
| Red or Black | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1.35% |
| Even or Odd | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1.35% |
| High or Low | 1.06 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1.35% |
| Dozens | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2.7% |
| Columns | 2.08 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2.7% |
Experienced gamblers avoid the US wheel, in favor of the European version –or even better, the French Roulette game, which has the best odds of all roulette payouts.
- US-based players will find these low-edge variations at the BetOnline
- International players can enjoy the low-edge French Roulette at 888 Casino
Bet Types Explained
There are two types of bets that a player can place –inside and outside bets. These are relative to where you would actually place your chips on the table. Learning the type of bet and where to place the bet will help you know what your possible roulette payout will be.
Inside Bets
Roulette Black Or Red Odds
Single or StraightThis is a bet on a single number and is made by placing a chip or chips covering the number completely inside the box surrounding the number. |
SplitA bet on two numbers, a split is made by placing a chip or chips on the line between two numbers. |
StreetA street bet is on three numbers across the display, such as 31, 32, and 33. This bet is made by placing a chip or chips on the outside edge line on either end of the street. In this example, you place a bet on the leftmost line of the 31 or the rightmost line of the 33. |
Corner or SquareA corner or square bet is a bet on four numbers made by placing a chip or chips on the corner shared by all four numbers. |
Six Line or Double StreetThis is a bet on two streets made by placing a chip or chips on the outside line where the two streets meet. |
TrioA trio bet is a bet on three numbers that include at least a zero or double zero. The bet is made by placing a chip or chips on the intersecting line of the three numbers. |
Basket or First FourA bet on numbers zero, one, two, and three on a single zero wheel, made by placing a chip or chips on the outside corner of the zero and one or zero and three. |
Top Line or Five NumberA bet on the double zero, zero, one, two, and three on a double zero wheel, made by placing a chip or chips on the outside corner of the zero and one or double zero and three. |
Outside Bets
High or LowThis bet is on either 19 to 36 for high or 1 to 18 for low. Each table has a designated area for this bet. |
Red or BlackThis bet is either on red or black and each table has a designated area for each of these wagers. |
Even or OddThis bet is that the number will be even or odd. The table has a designated area for these bets. |
DozenThe dozens bets are for the first 12 numbers, 1 to 12, the second twelve, 13 to 24, or the third dozen, 25 to 36. Dozens bets are placed in the designated area, usually to the left of the numbers printed on the felt. |
ColumnA column bet is for one of the 12 numbers in the first, second, or third column will land on the wheel. These bets are placed along the bottom of the numbers on the felt under the column you wish to bet on. |
How the Roulette House Edge Works
Bets in roulette range from simple ‘coin flip’ chances such as red or black, to inside bets which have payouts of a huge 35-to-1. Having an understanding of how these odds are calculated and how they affect your overall bankroll and betting strategy can help your Roulette game immensely. This includes understanding which wheel has the best return on the bets you make.
What is the House Edge in Roulette?
House edge is the long-term profit casinos make from every bet. This will vary between games (Keno is particularly loathsome at 27% while basic bets in Baccarat are under 1.25%). Roulette’s house edge clocks in at 5.26% for the US wheel and 2.7% for the single zero European version.
How is the House Edge Calculated?
A straight-up bet requires 1 of 38 numbers (the 1-36 numbers along with 0 and 00) to come in, meaning you are facing odds of 37-1 against your number winning (36-1 against with the European wheel).
Roulette Wheel Red Black Odds
35 to 1 Payout in Roulette
When you are lucky enough to win a straight-up bet, the payout is only 35-1. Putting this into dollar terms, a winning $1 bet on the number 19 will result in a $35 profit when the true odds dictate that you should receive $37 instead. Taking this into consideration, you can calculate the house edge of Roulette by simply taking that $2 difference and divide it by 38 (the total amount of numbers on the table).
It’s All About the Zeroes – Payouts for O and OO Roulette
For ‘outside’ bets the edge is controlled by the zeroes. When you bet on red/black or odd/even (for example) and the ball lands on the green zero – all bets lose.
This means that the US wheel makes these bets twice as likely to lose as the European wheel. There is a 3rd variation of the game, known as ‘French Roulette’, which returns half of your stake from even money bets when the ball hits the single zero slot. This lowers the house edge considerably. Though exactly how much, will depend on the proportion of inside and outside bets you make.
Roulette Payouts & Odds – Conclusion
Odds Of Roulette Red Or Black
If possible, try to find a French roulette wheel when you play, but at the very least stick with a European wheel.
Roulette Betting Odds Red
The American wheels cut your playing time in half by charging you twice the house edge of the European wheels.
You can find European wheels in almost every online casino, including all of the ones we recommend on this site and in most land-based casinos. If you don’t see a single zero wheel ask someone. If they don’t offer one consider playing somewhere else.
Other Helpful Resources
- Wikipedia roulette page.
- Wizard of Odds roulette page.