Choose Roulette Wheels Wisely

Posted on Mar 31, 2024 • Categories:insights, casino

Choose Roulette Wheels Wisely: American vs European

Roulette, one of my personal favorites and an easy game to understand by beginners. What always amazed me looking at player data was the amount of players mistakenly choosing American roulette over European without thinking about the house edge between the two —the mathematical edge that ensures the casino always has an upper hand over the long term.

This edge varies significantly between the two most popular variants of the game: American and European roulette.

American: Avoid Given the Choice

The American roulette wheel features 38 pockets: 18 red, 18 black, and 2 green (0 and 00). The presence of an extra green pocket (00) is where the American version's increased house advantage stems from. The house edge here is 5.26%.

For example, if you bet on red, the odds of winning are 18/38, or approximately 47.37%. However, if the ball lands on a green pocket, you lose, and with two green pockets on the American wheel, the chances of this happening are doubled compared to the European version.

European: Better Odds for the Player

The European roulette wheel, with 37 pockets (18 red, 18 black, and 1 green), offers a more favorable house edge of 2.7%. The single green pocket (0) reduces the house's advantage, providing better odds for the player. Betting on red here gives you odds of winning at about 48.65%, a slight improvement over its American counterpart.

Red vs Black vs Green: The Numbers

Let's break down the odds for each color:

• American Roulette:

  • Red/Black: Each color has an 18/38 chance of winning, or 47.37%.
  • Green: With two green pockets, the chance of the ball landing on green is 2/38, or 5.26%.

• European Roulette:

  • Red/Black: Each color has an 18/37 chance of winning, or 48.65%.
  • Green: With one green pocket, the chance of the ball landing on green is 1/37, or 2.7%.

Conclusion: Choose Your Wheel Wisely

The house advantage is an key part of roulette that cannot be overlooked. While both versions of the game scratch the same itch, the European wheel's lower house edge presents a statistically better proposition for players.

Don't forget, a #smartbettor always plays the odds to their advantage.