Like many casino games, roulette is a game that doesn’t require a high degree of skill or specific strategies to win because the outcome is all down to luck. However, it doesn’t mean you should place roulette bets randomly without a solid understanding of roulette odds, how they work, and how they influence roulette payouts.
If you want to grasp the odds of winning in roulette, this guide to roulette will explain everything you need to know. Let us explain the roulette table odds, how to play this classic casino game and pick the right bets based on the roulette wheel odds.
What Are Roulette Odds?
If you’re asking, ‘What are roulette odds?’, the answer is simpler than you might think. This is another way of referring to the chances of winning the game. The roulette winning odds are specific for each bet type that exists and give you an indication of how likely winning a particular bet is.
Roulette Table Odds
The roulette table is the area on the screen where you can see all the numbers (the same ones on the wheel) displayed. Other bet types are displayed on the roulette table, usually indicating the payout you would get if it wins.
Roulette Wheel Odds
The roulette wheel odds are similar to the table odds of roulette because the bets are the same. If you’re playing European roulette, the wheel will have 37 pockets, with numbers going from zero to 36. The numbers have an alternating red and black pattern (except the zero), but the numbers aren’t in consecutive order.
How to Calculate Roulette Odds?
Finding the roulette payout odds for any wager is very easy, but it’s worth knowing how to calculate the odds to understand how they work and influence roulette payouts. You can also use an online roulette odds calculator to get accurate odds for any bet or combination of multiple bets. This software allows you to place chips on various areas of the roulette table and get specific odds.
Alternatively, you can calculate online roulette odds by using a simple mathematical calculation. We’ve broken down the process into a few simple steps listed below. Please note that the guide below applies to European roulette.
- Determine the probability of an outcome by counting the number of results that will count as a win and the ones that donβt.
- For example, if you place a split bet, there are only two numbers that will give you a roulette payout and 35 numbers that won’t. This gives you a probability of 2/37.
- Divide the probability numbers. Following the example above, the calculation would be 2 Γ· 37.
- Multiple the number by 100 to get the odds of winning that bet. Using the same example, the odds of winning a split bet would be 5.40% (2 Γ· 37 x 100 = 5.40).
Odds by Roulette Version
The odds of winning roulette vary depending on the version you’ve chosen to play. Because different game variants use specific roulette wheels, the odds for each roulette payout vary accordingly, so it’s important to choose the right game based on this information.
The following sections will explain the odds for each type of roulette wheel.
European Roulette Odds
European roulette offers the best odds due to the layout of the wheel. There are 37 pockets on this wheel, with numbers ranging from zero to 36.
Due to the single zero, the European variant has a low house edge of 2.70%. To calculate these odds, we can take the example of an even money bet to illustrate it simply.
Let’s say you’re betting on a single number. There is just one instance of that number, which gives a probability of 1/37. If you divide these numbers and multiply the total by 100 (1 Γ· 37 x 100), you get European roulette odds of 2.70%.
The French roulette odds are 1.35% (for even money bets), and the game uses the European roulette wheel.
American Roulette Odds
The American roulette wheel looks a lot like the European one, but there’s one very significant difference between the two. This is the additional green pocket with a double zero, meaning this variant has two zero pockets.
The additional pocket gives the game a much higher house edge because there are 38 pockets instead of 37. Using the same calculation described above, you can calculate the exact odds as follows: 2 Γ· 38 x 100 = 5.26. In other words, the American roulette odds are 5.26%.
Odds by Bet Type
As you’ve probably gathered by now, the roulette odds vary according to your bet. Roulette has many different betting possibilities, all of which can be grouped into three main categories. These are the inside bets, outside bets, and called bets, explained in the next sections.
Inside Bets Odds
Inside bets in roulette are the ones that cover the larger part of the roulette betting table and are found in the middle. These are the most specific bets you can place, like betting on a single number, two numbers, or a small group of numbers rather than a whole category or type.
Since inside bets are more specific, the odds of winning are naturally lower because they’re difficult to predict correctly, but they pay the biggest prizes. The combination of low odds and high payouts makes these the riskiest bets in the game. It should also be noted that the winning odds vary between the European and American versions due to the different roulette wheels.
πΈ Inside Bet | π European Roulette Odds | π American Roulette Odds |
βοΈ Straight Up | 2.70% | 2.60% |
βοΈ Split | 5.40% | 5.30% |
βοΈ Street | 8.10% | 7.90% |
βοΈ Corner | 10.80% | 10.50% |
βοΈ Six Line | 16.20% | 15.80% |
βοΈ Basket | Not available in European roulette | 13.20% |
βοΈ Line | N/A | 13.20% |
βοΈ Snake | 32.43% | 31.58% |
βοΈ Five-Number | 13.20% | Not available in American roulette |
βοΈ Trio | 2.70% | 5.26% |
βοΈ First Four | 10.8% | Not available in American roulette |
Outside Bets Odds
Outside bets are the ones that offer the best roulette odds, but the payouts you can win are naturally lower. These roulette bets cover a broader category or type of numbers on the roulette wheel, which means you’re much more likely to win your bet.
For example, betting on red covers 18 numbers, which means that if any of those numbers come up, you win your bet. On the other hand, if you try to predict the correct number the ball will land on, the chances of a successful bet are much lower.
Below, you can find more information on the different types of outside bets.
πΈ Outside Bet | π European Roulette Odds | π American Roulette Odds |
βοΈ Red/Black | 48.65% | 47.37% |
βοΈ Odd/Even | 48.65% | 47.37% |
βοΈ High/Low | 48.65% | 47.37% |
βοΈ 18 Numbers | 48.65% | 47.37% |
βοΈ Columns | 32.40% | 31.60% |
βοΈ Dozens | 32.40% | 31.60% |
Called Bets Odds
Called or announced bets are special bets in roulette and not as common as inside and outside bets. These offer different payout odds and can usually be placed in European or French roulette. More importantly, they’re not always displayed on the roulette table and are often called out to the dealer when playing roulette in a land-based casino.
In online roulette, you’ll find the most common called bets in a separate section on the roulette layout, particularly in French roulette. There are various bets in this category, many of which cover a group of numbers around the zero pocket.
Below, you can find the most common called bets and their odds in online roulette in Ireland:
πΈ Call Bet | π Odds |
βοΈ Les Voisins du Zero (Neighbors of Zero) | 45.90% |
βοΈ Jeu Zero (Zero/Zero Spiel) | 18.90% |
βοΈ Tiers du Cylindre (Thirds of the wheel) | 32.40% |
βοΈ Les Orphelins (Orphans) | 21.60% |
βοΈ Final Straight | Depends on the numbers chosen |
βοΈ Final Split | Depends on the numbers chosen |
βοΈ The Neighbours | 13.5% |
How to Improve Your Odds When Playing Roulette?
Can you improve the odds of winning when you play roulette? In short, it’s impossible to influence the odds in roulette because the game is 100% random. Unlike games which involve decision-making that will affect the outcome, such as blackjack or poker, roulette is all about luck.
Having said that, there are still a few tips you can implement to ensure you’re not reducing the odds of winning by making common mistakes. For example, playing a game without a solid knowledge of the rules and bets is never a good idea because you can easily give the house an even bigger edge.
Remember the following tips before you place your bets on the roulette table at Betiton Ireland. However, please remember that winning is never guaranteed in roulette.
- Understand what each bet type means, the odds of winning it, and its payout.
- Choose the right roulette variant by selecting the one with the lowest house edge.
- Aim for lower payouts with better chances of winning, i.e., roulette bets that pay even money.
Roulette Odds Recap
The most important takeaway from this roulette betting odds guide is that the best way to play a roulette game is to compare the odds with the payouts for each bet and choose your bet based on the risk level you’re willing to take.
Below, we’ve summarised the least risky roulette bets and the highest-risk ones.
Lowest Risk Roulette Wagers
πΈ Bet | π Payout |
βοΈ Red or Black | 1:1 |
βοΈ Low or High Numbers | 1:1 |
βοΈ Odd or Even | 1:1 |
βοΈ Dozens | 2:1 |
βοΈ Columns | 2:1 |
Highest Risk Wagers
πΈ Bet | π Payout |
βοΈ Straight Up Bet | 35:1 |
βοΈ Split Bet | 17:1 |
βοΈ Street Bet | 11:1 |
βοΈ Corner Bet | 8:1 |
βοΈ Line Bet | 6:1 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Roulette Odds
The probability of hitting green in roulette is 1/37 in a European roulette game, giving odds of 2.70%.
The odds of any single number coming up in roulette are also 2.70%.
Roulette odds are calculated by determining the probability of a specific outcome occurring. The odds on roulette indicate the likelihood of winning a bet.
The roulette game odds on black or red are 48.6% in European roulette.
Neither colour comes up more often than the other; the chances of the winning number being red or black are equal because there is the same number of red and black pockets on the wheel.
Outside roulette bets have the best odds of winning, particularly even money bets like betting on red or black and odd or even numbers.
It is believed that the most common number in roulette is 17 as it is in the middle of the betting table. However, the outcomes of roulette cannot be predicted and the betting odds in roulette are different for every bet type, so keep in mind there is always a chance to lose your wager.
In order to calculate the roulette possible payouts, you need to divide the number 36 by the number of squares you have covered with your placed bet. After that, you should subtract 1 from the result you got to receive the potential payout odds.
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