Roulette is a simple game. You bet on possible outcomes and get paid if you correctly predicted the outcome. It’s a great feeling when you win, but how often does that happen? How likely is your prediction to come true? Are there ways to increase your roulette odds at the roulette table?
Casinos are often large and grandly decorated with a luxurious look and offer excellent service by well-trained staff. It all costs money, a lot of money. Where do they get it from? It’s from you and me, the players.
A casino makes money from all the games they offer. How is that possible? It’s very simple by the house edge. The house edge ensures that the casino always wins in the long run. All games in the casino are designed in such a way that the casino, the house, has an advantage. Roulette is no exception.
The casino also has a house edge with roulette. This is accomplished by determining the payouts. All bets have a certain chance of winning. By paying out less than what would be fair, the casino gains an advantage.
The single odds are paid 1 to 1. For example, you bet on single odds by betting on red / black. This would be a fair payout if there were no zero in the game.
There are 18 red and 18 black numbers. Without the zero, the chance of red (18/36 = 0.5) would be exactly 50%. The payout of 1 to 1 means that you get paid double your bet. So you win 1 in 2 times and you get paid twice your stake if you win. In this case, you would be playing in the long run. The payout is now fair.
The number zero, the zero, changes things. The chance of red (18/37 = 0.48648) and that you win is now 48.65%. This gives the casino a chance of winning of 51.35% (100 – 48.65 = 51.35). The difference between the casino’s chance of winning and your chance of winning is 2.7% (51.35 – 48.65 = 2.7).
The house has a 2.7% advantage over you. We have assumed European roulette, which is played with 36 numbers and a “0”. In American roulette played with 36 numbers, a “0” and a “00”, the house edge is even 5.26%.
