Is it better to bet on one number or on red?
Neither costs more: on a single-zero wheel both lose the same share of your bets on average. Red wins often and small; a single number wins rarely and big, which makes a short session closer to a coin flip.
Both have a 2.70% house edge. After 100 spins of one chip, betting one number leaves you ahead 50.9% of the time; betting red, 35.5%.
Play roulette with the odds trainerRoulette odds for every bet
100 spins of one chip on a single-zero wheel
| Bet | Wins a spin | House edge | Ahead after 100 | Behind after 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up (one number) | 2.70% | 2.70% | 50.9% | 49.1% |
| Split (two numbers) | 5.41% | 2.70% | 45.7% | 54.3% |
| Street (three numbers) | 8.11% | 2.70% | 42.3% | 57.7% |
| Corner (four numbers) | 10.81% | 2.70% | 39.7% | 60.3% |
| Six line (six numbers) | 16.22% | 2.70% | 45.7% | 54.3% |
| Dozen (12 numbers) | 32.43% | 2.70% | 40.5% | 59.5% |
| Red/black, odd/even, 1-18/19-36 | 48.65% | 2.70% | 35.5% | 56.8% |
Exact binomial chances. The rest of the sessions end exactly even (red can win exactly 50 of 100).
Why
What you choose is the shape of your results, not the average. Red wins almost every other spin, so after a hundred spins you are usually within a few chips of where you started, and behind more often than ahead. A single number pays 35 to 1 but wins about once in 37 spins: three hits in a hundred spins put you ahead, and two or fewer leave you well behind. The average loss is the same either way.