Why almost every roulette bet carries the exact same edge
Roulette looks like it offers dozens of different bets, but the math behind nearly all of them is identical. Every standard bet — a single number, a split, a dozen, red/black — is priced to pay less than the true odds of hitting it, and the shortfall is always sized against the same wheel: 38 pockets on American tables, 37 on European. The result is that a $10 straight-up bet and a $10 red bet lose money at exactly the same long-run rate, even though one wins about 2.6% of the time and the other about 47%. This tool exists so you can check that in ten seconds instead of doing the arithmetic by hand — and to spot the one American-only bet that actually breaks the pattern.
How this calculator works — Formulas & Method
Source: standard published roulette payout tables (35:1 straight up, true-odds inside/outside bets) · Deterministic arithmetic — no AI, no estimation
Constants used
| Wheel | Pockets | Edge on all standard bets |
|---|---|---|
| American | 38 (1-36, 0, 00) | 5.26% |
| European | 37 (1-36, 0) | 2.70% |
| American five-number (0-00-1-2-3) | 38, pays 6:1 | 7.89% |
Formula
pockets = wheel == american ? 38 : 37
win_prob = numbers_covered / pockets
expected_value = win_prob × payout − (1 − win_prob) × 1
house_edge = −expected_value × 100
// straight up: 1/38 × 35 − 37/38 × 1 = −0.0526 → 5.26% (American)
// five-number: 5/38 × 6 − 33/38 × 1 = −0.0789 → 7.89% (worst American bet)
Deterministic composition of standard published payout tables. Every bet listed here is a true-odds-priced bet except the five-number bet, which is deliberately mispriced relative to true odds.
Payout table by bet type
| Bet | Numbers covered | Payout | American edge | European edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35:1 | 5.26% | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 5.26% | 2.70% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 5.26% | 2.70% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 5.26% | 2.70% |
| Five-number (0-00-1-2-3) | 5 | 6:1 | 7.89% | — (doesn't exist) |
| Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low | 18 | 1:1 | 5.26% | 2.70% |
| Dozen or Column | 12 | 2:1 | 5.26% | 2.70% |
This checker gives you the payout and edge for one bet at a time. But the real question most players actually have is what happens over hundreds or thousands of spins — does a Martingale progression on red/black actually change anything, does the realized edge really converge to 5.26%, and how fast does variance wash out on a small bankroll.
That's exactly what a full roulette wheel simulator is built for — spin an American or European wheel thousands of times in your browser and watch the realized numbers land:
- To test a betting system: the Martingale simulator runs the progression across thousands of spins so you can see for yourself why no staking system changes the long-run edge.
- To compare wheels directly: the European roulette simulator shows the 2.70% edge converging in real time, side by side with the American 5.26%.
- To see the exact payout math: the roulette payout chart lists every bet type with its full payout table.
- To understand the raw probabilities: the odds of winning roulette page breaks down win probability per bet type, not just the edge.
- To try a different table game: the site also runs a craps simulator and a baccarat simulator built on the same deterministic-math approach.
Every simulator on the site is free, requires no signup, and uses real dollar amounts — no real-money wagering, just the actual math playing out spin by spin.
Try the free Roulette Simulator →Frequently asked questions
What is the house edge on a straight-up roulette bet?
5.26% on an American wheel (38 pockets, pays 35:1) and 2.70% on a European wheel (37 pockets, same 35:1 payout). The payout is identical on both wheels — the extra 00 pocket is what widens the edge.
Do all roulette bets have the same house edge?
On a European wheel, yes — every standard bet carries 2.70%. On an American wheel every bet is 5.26% except the five-number bet (0-00-1-2-3), which pays 6:1 for a 7.89% edge — the worst bet on the table.
Why does the five-number bet have a worse house edge?
It pays 6:1 but covers 5 of 38 pockets — true odds would need 6.6:1 to match the standard 5.26% edge. The shortfall pushes it to 7.89%. It doesn't exist on European wheels.
Is a dozen or column bet safer than a straight-up bet?
Not in edge terms — identical (5.26% American, 2.70% European). A dozen bet wins about 32% of the time paying 2:1; a straight-up wins about 2.6% paying 35:1. Same long-run edge, different variance.
Does combining bets lower the roulette house edge?
No. Unlike craps' zero-edge odds bets, roulette has no side bet to blend in — every bet on the layout carries the wheel's edge, so combining bets changes variance, not expected loss rate.