Everyone who enjoys the game of Roulette wants to Learn the Roulette Odds, and upon first glance it looks somewhat straightforward. Before the probabilities can be calculated, let’s look at the two different versions of the game. First the American version has 38 slots one the wheel and the European has 37 – the difference being the additional “00” on the US wheel. This means that players have a one in 37 or one in 36 chance of selecting the winning number.
American or European Odds
The American wheel has 38 slots, because of the “00” addition, making the odds slightly in favor of the house on this version; some calculations indicate that it actually doubles the advantage for the house. The European version has slightly less odds that favor the house. When players Learn the Roulette Odds they may have a slight advantage in betting on the different versions.
Different Flavors of Betting
There are several types of bets – “single”, “split”, “street”, “square”, “column”, and “even money”, and this section explains the differences.
“Single” betting means that the player has placed their bet on only one number, which establishes the probability of winning at 37 to one for the American version and 36 to one for the European version. This means is $1 is bet, and the winning number is selected, the payout is $35.
The next type of bet is the “split” bet, which means the player selects two numbers to bet on. This means the probability is 17.5 to one. If the winning number is selected by the player on a $1 bet, the payout is $17.
Another option for betting is the “street” bet where the player chooses three numbers on which to bet. The probability for winning on any of these numbers is 11.33 to one. Winners would receive $11 on a $1 bet.
The next type is the “square” bet, which means the player selects four numbers and places their bet on these numbers. The probability for wining on any of these four numbers is 8.25 to 1, and the winner would receive $8 if they win on a $1 gamble.
A next option for betting is the “column” bet which allows the player to select a set of a dozen numbers to win. This raises the probability of winning to 2.08 to one, and in this case the winning player would receive $2 for their $1 bet.
The last type is the “even money” bet because the probabilities on this type are just about 50/50 each time the wheel is put in play. The bets are placed on pairs – low/high, even/odd, or black/red. If the player bets $1 and win, they get $1 returned.
Conclusion
Since there are different house rules, Learn the Roulette Odds, because they may be different depending on the location, such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Monte Carlo, or because of different casino house rules such as Bally’s or Harrah’s. The slightly lower payout to the odds creates the “advantage” or “edge” for the house