Roulette — European vs American & Bet Types Explained
Why European wheels are mathematically better, what each bet actually pays, and why ‘systems’ like Martingale do not beat the house.
- Updated
- Reading
- 8 min
- By
- PK Casino Guide editorial
Quick facts
- Origin
- France, 18th century
- Difficulty
- Easy
- House edge
- 2.70% (European) / 5.26% (American)
European vs American — the only choice that matters
A standard European roulette wheel has 37 pockets: numbers 1–36 and a single zero. American roulette adds a second zero (the green “00”), bringing the total to 38.
Payouts are the same on both wheels — but the extra zero almost doubles the house edge:
| Wheel | Pockets | House edge (most bets) | RTP |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (single zero) | 37 | 2.70% | 97.30% |
| American (double zero) | 38 | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Rule of thumb: never play American roulette if a European table is available. You are giving up nearly half of your expected return for no upside.
Every bet, what it pays, what it really costs
Roulette payouts are calculated as if there were no zero. The zero(s) are how the casino makes money on every bet.
Outside bets (the slow ones)
| Bet | What it covers | Payout | Win chance (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red / Black | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Odd / Even | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| 1–18 / 19–36 | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Dozen (1–12, 13–24, 25–36) | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| Column (12 numbers) | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.4% |
Even-money outside bets feel the safest — and they are, in terms of how often you win. But they have the same house edge as everything else. They simply take longer to lose.
Inside bets (the fast ones)
| Bet | What it covers | Payout | Win chance (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up (single number) | 1 number | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split (two adjacent numbers) | 2 numbers | 17:1 | 5.4% |
| Street (row of 3) | 3 numbers | 11:1 | 8.1% |
| Corner (4 numbers) | 4 numbers | 8:1 | 10.8% |
| Six line | 6 numbers | 5:1 | 16.2% |
A 35:1 payout sounds enormous. It would be a fair payout — if there were no zero. The zero is exactly why the casino can keep offering this game.
Why ‘systems’ don't work
The Martingale
Bet on red. Lose? Double the bet. Lose again? Double again. Eventually you win, and you're up one unit.
The problem: every roulette table has a maximum bet. After a run of 7–10 losses — which happens more often than people imagine — you either hit the table limit or run out of money. One catastrophic loss erases weeks of small wins.
The Fibonacci
Bet sizes follow the Fibonacci sequence after each loss. Same problem as Martingale, just slower.
‘Hot’ and ‘cold’ numbers
The casino displays recent results above the table. Players use this to bet on numbers that are “due” or “hot.” The wheel does not remember anything. Each spin is independent. The display is decoration.
Playing roulette without going broke
- Single-zero European wheels only.
- If available, look for tables with ‘en prison’ or ‘la partage’ rules — these cut the edge on even-money bets in half.
- Treat your stake as the price of entertainment, not an investment.
- Set a session loss limit. Walk when you hit it.
- Don't bet on more numbers thinking you'll ‘cover’ the wheel — covering more pockets just means losing your stake more slowly.