Roulette odds and house edge
On a single-zero (European) wheel every bet has a house edge of 2.70%. On a double-zero (American) wheel it’s 5.26%, except the five-number bet at 7.89%. On a triple-zero wheel it’s 7.69%. With la partage or en prison, red/black, odd/even and 1-18/19-36 drop to 1.35% or 1.39%.
Play roulette with the odds trainerEvery bet on every wheel
| Bet | Pays | Chance | Single zero | Double zero | Triple zero |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up (one number) | 35:1 | 2.7% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| Split (two numbers) | 17:1 | 5.4% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| Street (three numbers) | 11:1 | 8.1% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| Trio (a zero and two numbers) | 11:1 | 8.1% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| Corner (four numbers) | 8:1 | 10.8% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| Top line (the zeros and 1, 2, 3) | 8:1 / 6:1 / 5:1 | 10.8% | 2.70% | 7.89% | 7.69% |
| Six line (six numbers) | 5:1 | 16.2% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| Column (12 numbers) | 2:1 | 32.4% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| Dozen (12 numbers) | 2:1 | 32.4% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| Red/black, odd/even, 1-18/19-36 | 1:1 | 48.6% | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
Chance of winning on a single-zero wheel (37 pockets). Payouts are the same on every wheel.
Even-money bets when the ball lands on zero
Some tables, mostly in Europe, give even-money bets a second chance on zero. La partage returns half the bet. En prison holds it for the next spin: a win returns it, a loss takes it. What happens on a second zero depends on the casino.
| Rule | Single zero | Double zero | Triple zero |
|---|---|---|---|
| The bet loses (standard) | 2.70% | 5.26% | 7.69% |
| La partage: half the bet back | 1.35% | 2.63% | 3.85% |
| En prison, a second zero loses it | 1.39% | 2.77% | 4.14% |
| En prison, a second zero keeps it in prison | 1.35% | 2.63% | 3.85% |
| En prison, each zero sinks it one level deeper | 1.37% | 2.70% | 4.01% |
Why every bet costs the same
Roulette pays every bet as if the wheel had only the numbers 1 to 36. A bet on n numbers pays 36/n − 1 to 1: 35 to 1 for one number, 17 to 1 for two, 1 to 1 for eighteen.
The zeros are the house’s share. On a single-zero wheel, 36 of every 37 units bet come back on average, so every bet keeps 1/37 = 2.70%. Two zeros keep 2/38 and three keep 3/39.
The five-number bet on a double-zero wheel is the exception: five numbers would need to pay 6.2 to 1, but it pays 6 to 1.
Can a betting system beat the edge?
No. Martingale, Fibonacci and the rest change how your wins and losses are spread, not the edge on each bet. Run thousands of sessions in the simulator and the loss per unit bet lands on the same percentage.