Roulette Table Odds

When you play roulette you need to learn about the table odds. This might seem a bit tricky to a beginner but the principle is really very easy. By knowing what your chances of winning are you can play the game more realistically and hopefully enjoy it better. You can also make a better choice when it comes to what type of roulette to play. Roulette table odds are universal but be aware of differences that might occur due to local specials and extra rules to your advantage.

Calculate the Table Odds

The first thing to understand about roulette table odds is how to calculate them. You have 36 numbers and a zero on the wheel (an additional double zero on the American version) this means that your odds for a specific number coming up are 1 in 36. This is the foundation for calculating your roulette table odds and from here you can figure any specific bet out.

Even Money Bets

The even money bets are the bets where your payout is 1 to 1. These include Red or Black, Even or Odd and Low or High. The roulette table odds for these bets will not be a complete match to the payout since the casino must make money somehow. The difference between payout and the odds is what is called the House Edge. So in fact your odds on the even number bets are 1.01 to 1 on the European wheel and 1.05 on the American.

The Worst Roulette Bet

The worst roulette table odds that you can get are on the series of numbers called the Five Number Bet also called the Basket Bet. This bet can only be made on the American wheel since it includes the double zero (0, 00, 1, 2 and 3). The House Edge on this bet is 7,89% and most players simply shy away from it.

Column Bets

You can bet on many numbers at once in the column bets. These are marked on the outside of the table grid and they represent all of the numbers included in the column above. On European roulette the table odds for column bets are 2.08 to 1 and on American 2.17 to 1. The payout is 2 to 1. Compare these roulette table odds to the single number bet which comes with a payout of 35 to 1.

Pick the Right Wheel

As you’ve started to understand the basics of roulette table odds it should be clear that the American wheel is a bad choice since it always give the House a better advantage, no matter what type of bet you place. Focus on the European or French roulette table and try to find versions with specials. If you play on a wheel which lets you stay in for free for another round when the zero comes up you dramatically increase you roulette table odds.