Roulette European Strategy
Roulette is commonly referred to one of the most thrilling casino games. As exciting as roulette may be, the odds are not the most favorable at the casino. French Roulette has the highest payout percentage of 98.65 percent, followed by European Roulette at 97.30 percent and American Roulette at 94.74 percent. Much of roulette play is based on. But back to roulette. The zero is the only green number on the roulette wheel, and it marks the difference between a European Roulette wheel and an American Roulette wheel, as a European wheel has one zero pocket and an American wheel has two zero pockets (the 0 and the 00). On a European Wheel, the 0 sits between black 26 and the red number 32.
Introduction
- In that article, Scoblete recommends taking a count of each outcome for 3,700 spins in single-zero roulette and 3,800 spins in double-zero roulette in the hunt for 'hot numbers.' Never mind that this would take about 100 hours to make this many observations, assuming the industry standard of 38 spins per hour.
- European Roulette Tips and Strategy One of the happening casino games, Roulette, is available to play in variant forms like French Roulette, European Roulette and American Roulette. With the advent of online casinos, there are even more forms of Roulette but the basic rules remain the same as any classic Roulette game.
Roulette is one of the easiest games to play and understand in the casino. As usual the easier a game is to understand the greater the house edge, and roulette is no exception. If you are looking for a easy to understand and slow paced table game, and are willing to sacrifice on the house edge, then you may like roulette. If you want something more stimulating or with a decent return I would suggest looking at other games.
One difference between roulette and all other table games is that roulette chips have no value denomination printed on them. This actually is the true definition of a chip, one which indicates its value is technically called a check. The roulette table comes with six to eight sets of different colored chips, each set consisting of 300 chips. When a player purchases chips he gets his own color and the value of each chip is the buy-in divided by the number of chips received. The dealer will place a token on top of the dealer's stack of that color of chips to indicate the value.
American Rules
A U.S. roulette wheel consists of 38 numbered slots: numbers 1 to 36, a zero, and a double zero. The betting layout consists of every individual number as well as a host of 'outside' bets on combinations of numbers. After the players make their bets, the dealer spins the wheel and a ball and after several seconds the ball will land in one of the numbered slots.
The following table displays the available bets, the win (on a 'to one' basis), and the probability of winning under U.S. rules. All casinos in the U.S. follow these rules except for in Atlantic City. The house edge on all bets is 1/19, or 5.26%, except for the 0-00-1-2-3 combination, which carries a house edge of 7.89%.
Double-Zero Roulette
| Bet | Pays | Probability Win | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
| Black | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
| Odd | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
| Even | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
| 1 to 18 | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
| 19 to 36 | 1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
| 1 to 12 | 2 | 31.58% | 5.26% |
| 13 to 24 | 2 | 31.58% | 5.26% |
| 25 to 36 | 2 | 31.58% | 5.26% |
| Six line (6 numbers) | 5 | 15.79% | 5.26% |
| First five (5 numbers) | 6 | 13.16% | 7.89% |
| Corner (4 numbers) | 8 | 10.53% | 5.26% |
| Street (3 numbers) | 11 | 7.89% | 5.26% |
| Split (2 numbers) | 17 | 5.26% | 5.26% |
| Any one number | 35 | 2.63% | 5.26% |
European Rules
What most call 'European roulette' is roulette played on a 37-number wheel, with one zero only. The pays are the same as in American roulette. However, with one zero the house edge is cut to 1/37, or 2.70%, on all bets.
The term European roulette is somewhat of a misnomer because you can find single-zero roulette all over the world. In fact, it is the standard outside the United States. Even in the United States you can find single-zero roulette in some high-limit rooms.
Atlantic City Rules
In Atlantic City, any all even money bets (red, black,odd, even, 1-18, 19-36) follow a variation of the European half-back rule (see below). If the ball lands in 0 or 00, then the player will lose only half of any even money bet. This lowers the house edge to 2.63% on these bets. This rule does not apply on single zero wheels.
French Rules
French roulette is played on a single wheel and also features a favorable 'en prison' or half-back rule. Under the 'half-back' rule, if the player makes any even money bet (red, black, odd, even, 1-18, 19-36), and the ball lands in zero, then the player gets half the bet back, known as 'la partage' in French.
The term French roulette is also somewhat of a misnomer because the 'la partage' rule can sometimes be found in casinos outside of France, including some high-limit rooms in Las Vegas.
Rather than lose half, the player sometimes may also choose to imprison the bet. If an imprisoned bet wins on the next spin it is released and the player gets it back, without winnings. What is subject to casino rules is what happens to an imprisoned bet if the ball lands in zero again on the next spin. At some casinos the bet loses, and at others it would become double imprisoned. If a double-imprisoned bet bet won on the next spin, it would move up a level, and become single-imprisoned again. If it lost, then if would become triple-imprisoned if the casino allowed it, otherwise it would lose.
The following table shows the probability of a win, push, and loss under every imprisonment variation I'm aware of.
Imprisonment Odds
| Imprisonment | Win | Push | Loss | Expected Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 0.48648649 | 0.01314828 | 0.50036523 | -0.01387874 |
| Double | 0.48648649 | 0.01332346 | 0.50019005 | -0.01370356 |
| Triple | 0.48648649 | 0.01332583 | 0.50018768 | -0.01370120 |
| Infinite | 0.48648649 | 0.01332586 | 0.50018765 | -0.01370117 |
| French | 0.48648649 | 0.01351351 | 0.50000000 | -0.01351351 |
When given the choice to lose half or face imprisonment, the expected value is the same under French rules. Otherwise the expected loss is less losing half.
Best European Roulette Strategy
Triple-Zero Roulette
Triple-Zero Roulette is roulette played on a 39-number wheel. The wheel has the same numbers and colors as a double-zero wheel, plus a 39th place on the wheel. This 39th place will always be green and often the Logo of the casino where the game is located, for example an apple at the New York New York. The game premiered at the Venetian in Las Vegas in September, 2016.
Much like zero and double-zero, all even money bets lose if the ball lands in green. The order of the numbers 1 to 36 is the same as in single-zero roulette. The 0, 00, and Logo are all consecutive, with the Logo in the middle.
There is an added bet on any green, which pays 11 to 1. The house edge on every bet is 1/13 or 7.69%.
Roulette European Strategy Tactics
Short Pays
I've noticed some electronic roulette games don't pay the full 35 to 1 on single-numbers bets, and/or 17 to 1 on double-number bets. Invariably, any game that short pays the player like this is going to be on a double-zero wheel as well. The following two tables show the house edge on single- and double-number bets, according to the win, assuming a double-zero wheel, and based on 'to one' odds. Be careful that on electronic games wins are often given on a 'for one' basis, meaning the original wager is not returned on a win. To convert a 'for one' odds to 'to one' odds, subtract one.
Single-Number Bets
| Win | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 35 to 1 | 5.26% |
| 34 to 1 | 7.89% |
| 33 to 1 | 10.53% |
| 32 to 1 | 13.16% |
| 31 to 1 | 15.79% |
| 30 to 1 | 18.42% |
Double-Number Bets
| Win | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 17 to 1 | 5.26% |
| 16 to 1 | 10.53% |
| 15 to 1 | 15.79% |
Best Roulette in the West
Best in Nevada: The Bellegio, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Mirage, Rio, and Wynn all have European roulette, with a house edge of 1.35%. Usually such wheels are in the high-limit rooms, but the MGM and Mirage also have a European wheel in the main casino at a $25 minimum.
Best in California: It is my understanding that the only single-zero roulette in California is at the Barona casino, with a house edge of 2.70%.
Las Vegas Rules Survey
I am proud to present my Las Vegas roulette survey at my companion site Wizard of Vegas.
Number Placement
To the casual observer, it would appear that the numbers on the wheel are not organized and seem to be distributed randomly. The only obvious patterns are that red and black numbers alternate and that usually two odd numbers alternate with two even numbers. However the distribution of numbers was carefully arranged so that the sum of the numbers for any given section of the wheel would be roughly equal to any other section of equal size. Most numbers are part of a pair, with one number between them. These pairs add to either 37 or 39.
For what it is worth, the sum of all the numbers in roulette is 666.
Wheel Tracking
Some people and books claim that roulette wheels are biased, with a heavy side and a light side. Gravity causes the numbers in the heavy side to hit more often. This, I believe, used to be true when the quality of the equipment was poor. However, modern roulette wheels are much better and very rigorously tested. Only in a casino using a very dated wheel, may you be able to find a biased one by testing many thousands of spins. Based on stories I have heard, your odds of finding such wheels are probably best in Europe.
Betting Systems
Ugh. If you think you can beat roulette with a betting system please read my section debunking betting systems. If you don't believe what I say there, here is what the Encyclopedia Britannica says under the subject of roulette:
The oldest and most common betting system is the Martingale or 'doubling-up' system,in which bets are doubled progressively. This probably dates back to the invention of the Roulette wheel, but every day of the week some gambler somewhere reinvents it, or some variation of it, and believes he has something new. Over the years hundreds of 'sure-fire' winning systems have been dreamed up, but regardless of what system is used, in the long run it cannot overcome the house's advantage of the 0, or 0 and 00. This house advantage is the only system that consistently wins in the long run.
'No one can possibly win at roulette unless he steals money from the table while the croupier isn't looking.' — Albert Einstein
San Diego Area Roulette
The California Constitution prohibits a ball and wheel alone to determine the outcome in roulette. In the greater San Diego area the casinos have thought of some creative ways to offer roulette anyway. Visit my page onSan Diego County roulette to see how they do it, and who offers the best odds.Ball Steering
I get asked a lot about whether I believe dealers can influence the spin to a certain area of the wheel. I used to be very skeptical of it. However, after considering the articles How to Win at Roulette — Part I and Part II by Arnold Snyder as well as other evidence, I think it would be easy for a colluding dealer could do a late slow spin to benefit a wheel clocking player. An extremely skillful dealer may even be able to influence the ball to a certain sector of the wheel. So, for now, I'm still straddling the fence on this one (ow!).
Organic Roulette Experiment
In March 2017, I concluded an analysis of an electronic roulette game by Interblock for ball steering away from perceived wheel clockers. For more information please see my page on the Organic Roulette Experiment.
Play for Free
Play roulette for free with this Flash game. I finally found a Flash game for my site which downloads quickly.
Written by: Michael Shackleford
Roulette Zero
The number zero. Is it even a number? Or is it a non-number?
Well, we always talk about the number zero, so let´s say for the sake of argument that it is a number. If you halve something, and then halve it again, and then halve it again, you are going to have a smaller and smaller number. If you did this an infinite number of times, you´d arrive at zero, but of course that isn´t going to happen in the real world. And that´s the thing about zero, much of what we talk about when we talk about the number zero is theoretical- it´s all in the mind.
But back to roulette. The zero is the only green number on the roulette wheel, and it marks the difference between a European Roulette wheel and an American Roulette wheel, as a European wheel has one zero pocket and an American wheel has two zero pockets (the 0 and the 00).
On a European Wheel, the 0 sits between black 26 and the red number 32. Over in Vegas on the American wheels, the 0 sites between black 2 and black 26 and the 00 has red 1 and red 27 as neighbours.
How to Play the Number Zero in Roulette
You can bet on the number zero in the same way as you can bet on any individual number on the roulette wheel- just place a single number bet on the number and you´ll get a 35:1 payout if it comes in (plus your original bet back).
The zero is often seen as an unlucky number (well it is called the zero)- especially in roulette, as many bets will not pay out if the ball lands in this pocket, such as the outside even money bets, the column bets and the dozens bet and so on.
In a way, that´s a little bit unfair on the zero, as if you bet on the red, you´ll lose if a black number comes up OR the zero comes up, but players tend to feel unlucky when the zero lands and they are playing the even money bets. There are ways of insuring yourself against this happening. You could play a roulette variant like Next Gen European Roulette that plays La Partage. This is a rule that forces the casino to return half of your even money bet if the ball lands in zero. It´s a good one to look out for, as it will reduce the house edge down to 1.3% on these bets. You may also find this rule played on many French Roulette games.
You could also lay a small side bet on the zero to cover yourself for those times when the 0 hits. We´d advise against it- it´s better just to run the gauntlet and trust your luck.
The only rule that we suggest you stick to with the zero, is to only play on single zero roulette wheels. Avoid the double zero roulette wheels (the American ones). If you think it´s bad news when the ball lands in the single zero, how bad are you going to feel when it lands in the double zero? There´s a reason that European Roulette is more popular online than the American game. There´s more choice and the odds are better on the former.
A popular way of covering the zero is with the Voisins du Zero bet. This covers the numbers from 22 to 25 including the zero. These are the Neighbours or Voisins of zero.
If you are playing American Roulette (I thought we told you to avoid it!), you could also play the worst bet in roulette, which covers 0,00, 1, 2 and 3. But why would you? The odds are the worst in roulette.
Another neat way of covering the zero on a European table is with a Jeu Zero bet, which is kind of like a mini Voisins du Zero bet. It just covers 6 neighbours of zero with 4 chips.
Let´s Talk About the Zero
Zero is one of those numbers that is known by a number of names including nothing, none, nought, nil, zip, zilch and nada. In cricket, if you are bowled for a duck you scored zero runs and if you are 40 love down in a tennis game you haven´t scored any points.
The zero hasn´t always been recognised- the Ancient Greeks had no word for it and were sceptical as to whether it was a number at all. How can something be something if it is nothing? You can see their point.
The idea of zero is thought to have been fully developed on the Indian sub-continet where it appeared around A.D. 458 in mathematical equations that were spelled out or spoken in poetry or chants. In 628, a Hindu mathematician called Brahmagupta came up with a symbol for zero — a dot underneath numbers.
It was through the Arabic world that we came to use the zero as a placeholder and number in calculations. The Hindu–Arabic base 10 system for numbers that we use to this day reached Europe in the 11th century, thanks to the Moors in Spain.
Zero is an even number as you can divide it by 2 without getting a remainder and is the smallest no-negative integer.
The number zero really started to come into its own with the development of computers, as it represents the “off state” in a binary system, where 1 is the “on state”.
Summary
So is zero a number? Can you have a number that´s nothing? That´s getting into philosophy, so we are going to say that yes, 0 is a number, at least in roulette. It has its own pocket and space on the betting layout, and there are even 2 of them on some wheels.
Just remember, the odds of the ball landing in the zero are exactly the same as the odds of the ball landing in any other number!