European or American roulette: one pocket of difference

5 minute read

A European wheel has 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36, alternating red and black, plus a single green zero. An American wheel adds a second green pocket, the double zero, for 38 in total. It looks like a small change. It isn't.

Where the edge comes from

A bet on a single number pays 35 to 1. If the wheel had only 36 pockets, that would be a fair price. The green pockets are what tip it: on a European wheel the house keeps an edge of about 2.7%, on an American wheel about 5.26%.

The bets on the layout

• Inside bets go on single numbers or small groups: a straight-up number, a split between two, a street of three, a corner of four.
• Outside bets cover large groups: red or black, odd or even, high or low, a dozen or a column.
• Outside bets win more often and pay less; inside bets win rarely and pay more.

French rules

Some single-zero tables add la partage: if the ball lands on zero, even-money bets lose only half. It cuts the edge on those bets to about 1.35%, the best deal at the roulette table.

Here, all of this changes how long your coins last rather than anything you can take away. If you want the longest session for your coins, pick a single-zero wheel.