Roulette Odds home

The math of roulette

American roulette odds

A double-zero wheel has 38 pockets, including 0 and 00. Standard bets usually have a 5.26% house edge; the first-five basket is an important exception.

5.26%

Standard house edge

38 pockets • First-five edge 7.89%

Double zero adds a losing pocket

A straight-up bet wins on 1/38 outcomes and red or black wins on 18/38. The usual payouts remain 35:1 and 1:1. The extra pocket changes the chance of winning without raising those payouts.

House edge and theoretical return

For ordinary standard bets, expected return is 36/38 of the amount wagered. House edge is 2/38, or 5.26%, and theoretical RTP is 94.74%. These figures assume full loss on zero outcomes.

First five is different

The 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 basket wins on five pockets and pays 6:1. Its total-return multiplier is 7, making return 35/38 and house edge 3/38, or 7.89%.

Read the wheel, not the location

A table in Las Vegas can use different wheel variants and house rules. “American roulette” here means the double-zero mathematical model, not every roulette table in the United States.

American roulette odds and payouts

Standard bets on a 38-pocket American wheel
BetPocketsPayoutChanceHouse edge
Straight-up135:12.63%5.26%
Split217:15.26%5.26%
Street311:17.89%5.26%
Corner48:110.53%5.26%
Six-line65:115.79%5.26%
Dozen / column122:131.58%5.26%
Red / black181:147.37%5.26%
Odd / even181:147.37%5.26%
Low / high181:147.37%5.26%
First five (0, 00, 1, 2, 3)56:113.16%7.89%

Odds of hitting double zero

Double zero is one pocket out of 38, so a straight-up on 00 wins 2.63% of the time and pays 35:1. The chance that the ball lands on either 0 or 00 is 2/38, or 5.26%. The green and zero odds guide works through betting on both.

Calculation method and sources