Single Zero Roulette House Advantage

Roulette Table Layout and Variance – Things You Need to Know

Not many roulette players may know this but there are a lot of roulette table layout variances out there and each design is largely based on the different game variances.

For the most part, there is the European, American, and French roulette game versions which have their own roulette and table surface layout. Unless you intend to play on just one type of roulette, then knowing the game’s other forms will help you get a more diverse roulette gaming experience.

In this post, we’re going to make you feel familiar with the different table layout and wheel variances.

The European Roulette Layout

The European or the Old Continent roulette is the more popular, more sought after roulette type among casino players. In its essence, the game is the embodiment of roulette with 36 numbers plus a single zero.

Its betting table layout, like the other variances we’re going to mention below, is rectangular with square spaces, each numbered to represent the numbers found on the wheel. Specific number bets and their corresponding combinations are called “inside bets” and it can be found in the center layout.

Other than the center layout is another rectangular area where the “outside bets” are being made. Here, players can make bets on larger number combinations simultaneously.

The wheel, on the other hand, is comprised of the following numbers, in exact sequence going to the right: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26.

The American Roulette Layout

The American version of the game bears close resemblance as with the former. Everything is starkly the same except for the double zero which can be found both in the betting table layout and in the wheel.

Meanwhile, the numbers found on the American roulette wheel has the numbers 0 through 36 and a double zero on the other end.

On the wheel, this is how the numbers are arranged starting from the right: 0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2.

The French Table Layout

The French roulette is basically a European roulette game version but with more additional twists. Like the European, it only has a single zero on the wheel and on the betting layout. However, instead of two columns for the outside bets to the left of the “inside bet” layout, the French roulette table have it split into single columns on each side.

Also, there are exotic roulette bets that can only be found in the French version. These are based on the wheel number combinations and are called “call bets.” Examples of which are Voisins du Zero, Tier du Cylindre, Orphans. Learn more about these kinds of bets from this previous post.

If you’d be so inclined to learn the other types of roulette game versions, then you may follow this link right here.

Roulette Special Rules: The Surrender Rule

The single zero (in a European roulette) and the double zero (in an American roulette) can be a source of frustration for some roulette players. However, this animosity can definitely be eradicated if they know about the game’s special rule – the Surrender Rule.

This rule, despite its popularity among expert roulette players, is rarely found. Needless to say, if you look hard enough, you’d still be able to find casinos, both online and offline, which accommodate such special rule.

The surrender rule is basically a player’s friend as it works largely on his favour by making it possible for some or even all of his money return to his bankroll. The only condition for this to happen is that the ball should land on either the single zero or the double zero.

This further means that the special rule has a significant effect on the house advantage which is now either greatly reduced or obliterated altogether.

Still, players should note that the rule applies only on even money bets, which are basically outside bets which pay even money. These bets are Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low, Dozens, and Column.

The rule comes in three distinct variations, and depending on the region as well as the wheel being used, the terms may apply differently.

En Prison

This rule is typically applied on French roulette wheels. This roulette game supposed to have the least casino edge out of the three popular versions. The others are European and American variants. With the En Prison taking effect, the house advantage is further reduced from 2.7% to a whopping 1.35%. This means the chance for the player to win and make profit is further increased.

The rule works in this way: suppose the player makes an even-money outside bet and the single zero comes out. He will choose between losing 50% of his bet or let his entire wager be “imprisoned” for the next spin. In the latter’s case, the bet is basically held hostage by the dealer. If the bet wins he’ll get it back. Otherwise, the house forfeits the amount.

Le Partage

This special rule, which is quite popular here in the UK, shares some similarities with the En Prison rule. To better explain the mechanics, imagine this scenario: the player once again makes an even-money outside bet. A single zero comes out. The bet, which is supposed to be a losing one, will be divided into two: 50% will be recovered by the player, the remaining 50% goes to the house.

While there’s no chance for the player to fully redeem his bet, he still at least gets half of this losing money. Most experts would swear more on this rule because it provides both the player and the dealer a better deal.

Surrender

American roulette game is a roulette game like no other. It has the highest casino advantage of 5.26% thanks to the single zero and the double zero. What’s more, it has its own special rule: the Surrender.

The said rule pretty much works like the Le Partage in which the winning number should either be “0” or the “00.” The only thing that differs here is that the rule exclusively applies only to American roulette games.

These rules do not necessarily make it possible for the player to beat the game. However, with the significant reduction of house edge, it does help the player get a better shot at having an enjoyable and profitable roulette game session.

Why Does the Casino Always Win? Is It Possible to Overcome the Roulette Wheel?

The greatest mind this world has ever known, Albert Einstein, supposedly once said that there’s no way a person “can win at roulette unless he steals money from the table while the croupier isn’t looking.”

Although we would normally hail each of Einstein’s statement as the absolute truth, there are still shades of doubts that came to mind when he said it. Of course, a player can win roulette using the physicist’s own specialty, which is physics. Otherwise, he can take the time to find a biased wheel where particular numbers are likely to come up.

Einstein’s statement, like all others that come before and after it, can sometimes be taken out of context. What he probably meant was that there’s no mathematical trick that a player can use to help him beat the roulette.

As we said it again and again, each spin of the roulette wheel is an independent trial. This means, the past results don’t matter to the present and upcoming ones. This is unlike the card games like Baccarat, which is a dependent trial type of game.

A picture of a casino roulette wheel and table.

What makes roulette harder to overcome is the presence of house edge. In this post, we thoroughly discussed what casino advantage is and why this can’t stop you from winning. Despite its presence, this doesn’t mean that a player is automatically lost.

It’s no secret, however, that house edge is already hard-coded into the rules and design of the game. You may call it a gambling tax, or a prerequisite business commission on every transaction, the casino advantage is basically what the establishment charges a player for playing roulette with them.

Note though, that they can’t take this certain % of charge directly off your bankroll or your bet. Rather, they rely on this “magical” gap which occurs between the probability of an event and the amount they actually pay for the bet.

For example in a European Roulette, which has 37 pockets in all: suppose you bet £1 on a number and you win. If there is no house advantage, you should be getting £37 back. However, the payout for a Straight Up is only 35:1. Can you see the difference?

That is the gap between the numbers on the wheel and the casino payout which is 1/37 or 2.7%.

Such amount goes to the cost of the roulette wheels, the salary of the croupier, the complimentary drinks, the lightings, and so on. This is also where the house draws its revenue.

Regarding the question if there’s a way to get rid of the house edge, there’s actually none. Without it, there’d be no casino left standing to serve its avid patrons.

However, there’s a way to somehow get around with this player’s disadvantage: minimizing the house edge. One can reduce house edge simply by choosing the right roulette game to play. We always said it that it’s better to play European roulette, which only has 2.7% advantage, versus the US roulette which has a whopping 5.26%. If you wish to decrease it further, check out the French roulette. It has special rules, La Partage and En Prison, which brings the figure down to 1.35%.

Beating the roulette wheel is another plausible way to beat the house. Some players even took it to the negative simply by spotting wheel biases as well as going for the hot zones.

Of course, let’s not forget better bankroll management. We certainly believe that managing your payroll well is the key to a fruitful and enjoyable roulette game. Having full knowledge as to where your money goes allows you to take better control of your funds. The more funds you have, the longer you get to stay on the table. The longer you play, the higher the chance for you to win.

The Different Roulette Game Variations You Should Have Known By Now

Life is made more enjoyable with variations. Like most of the games played in a land-based or online casino, roulette also has several interesting variants. Perhaps you might already have heard about the European roulette and American roulette, two of the most popular roulette game variations offered in casinos. While the main objective of the game, which is to simply predict where the ball lands, is pretty much the same across all roulette variants, the roulette table layout, the odds, as well as the betting strategies to be used may differ.

Let’s start off the list with the European Roulette

Again, European Roulette, which is sometimes called the “Old Continent” game, is one of the most popular roulette games played in online casinos. The roulette features 37 numbers reflected both on the wheel and on the board. These numbers are from 1 through 36 plus a single zero.

Realistic casino roulette isolated on green background vector illustration

Note that the zero, in all kinds of roulette, is not considered as an even number, opposite to what we learned at school. When the spin comes up with a zero, all bets on the table goes straight to the house, except for bets placed on zero, which would then earn a payout. Thus, the zero on the roulette wheel gives the house its edge.

American Roulette

The American roulette is yet another major variant of the game common in most online casinos today. Playing the American wheel somehow feels like playing with the European version, except for the fact that the former has more pockets than the latter.

The American roulette has 38 numbers both in the wheel and on the board. The numbers comprising are 1 to 36 plus an additional single zero (0) and the double zero (00). As you might have already know, the extra zeroes further increase the house edge and in the case of the American roulette wheel, we’re talking about a whopping 5.26% casino edge. In comparison, the European roulette puts the casino at a mere 2.63% advantage.

In some online roulette casinos which offer American roulette, there is an added betting spot called the “five numbers” bet.

French Roulette

The game’s history can be traced back to its roots in France. Being a Parisian game by blood, it is rightful for the French to have their own version of this exciting casino game. Thus, the French roulette comes into view.

The wheel of the French roulette is basically the same with the European’s. The only difference is on the layout of the table and the bets. For example, the French game has the so-called “La Partage” bet wherein players get half of their bets back in case the ball lands in the zero slot.

Remember that the zero is where the house makes its earning? The “La Partage” is the reason why French roulette tables are not that common in brick and mortar casinos. Online roulette casinos, however, offer this kind of game.

No-Zero Roulette

When you’re looking for that roulette game which has the smallest house edge, this special variant of online roulette game is for you. The No-Zero Roulette is rare to find as only a handful of casino websites has this to offer.

As the name suggests, the No-Zero roulette has no zeroes both in the wheel and on the table. This means that there’s literally no casino advantage poised against the player.

California Roulette

Las Vegas, despite what everyone knows, is not that lenient when it comes to gambling. California, to which the gambling capital of the world lies in its jurisdiction, has a law that only permits games of skill, like card games, to be played. This situation slashes off roulette, which is a game based on pure chance and luck, out from the gambling scene.

Californians, however, just love the excitement and fun brought by the wheel and so devised a way to skirt the laws. They made their own version, the California Roulette.

Basically, instead of wheels with slots, the Californian variant features cards that are numbered from 1 through 36 plus the single zero and the double zero.

Players bet just like in an ordinary roulette game. The croupier spins the wheel and when the wheel stops, he will then remove the card and show it to the players. Winning bets are then paid out accordingly.

Are the odds of winning the same across all variants?

No. This is because the number of slots is different for each roulette versions. Quick example: a straight up bet in European roulette has the odds of 36 to 1. The same bet done in an American wheel is higher at 37 to 1 chance.

Can I get to play these roulette variations from a single account?

Absolutely! As long as your online roulette casino offers the above-mentioned variations, you can just switch between roulette styles without the need of making a new account.

Is It Really Possible to Win at Roulette, or Is It Just A Waste of Time and Money?

Beginners and expert roulette players would often ask the question, if it’s really possible to win at roulette. Of course, if you are the type of player who just want to hang around in a live roulette room, chatting with the croupier or with other players online, then you would not be minding whether you win or lose. However, a player who looks for fun and profit in every spin may seriously consider his probability of increasing his bankroll.

The Common Consensus

For a mathematician or statistician, roulette is not only difficult to win, but also close to impossible to beat in the long run. Sure, anyone has the chance to win at online roulette with a couple of games or more. But even these lucky ones may admit that they cannot hold on to their profit for too long.

If there’s anyone who can speak with great magnitude of truth in this universe, it would be Albert Einstein. And he supposedly once said: “No one can win at roulette unless he steals money from the table while the croupier isn’t looking.”

What he meant by this is that, there’s absolutely no mathematical trick that a person can use to win at roulette. Remember, we always said that each spin is part of an “independent trial process;” there’s no way that the previous outcome will influence the next result.

But then again, there are some people whom you might expect less to offer a much realistic answer to the question: can you beat roulette?

The Dealers

These hardworking casino employees believe that roulette can definitely be beaten. However, strict and rare playing conditions must be factored in. For example, in a brick and mortar casino, croupiers may refer to what is called the “wheel bias.” Basically, it is the physical defect of the roulette wheel which makes some numbers come up more often than the others.

Being in the frontline, dealers are also trained to spot professional roulette players who may go beyond what the prescribed gaming rules dictate and exploit these “glitches.” They work with casino consultants who provided them with the necessary training that could help them pick out these kinds of people in crowd.

Generally, croupiers have first-hand observation on how a game of roulette goes. For them, unless luck is really hard to come by, then it’s always possible to win the game.

The Pit Bosses

These nonchalant, frigid-looking individuals roam around the casino floor to oversee how the roulette tables are going. In land-based casinos, they monitor disputes, spot violations, and even check on how the dealers do their jobs. They make sure things are running smoothly.

When it comes to the probability of winning roulette, they might swear on what the dealers have to say. As long as the players follow the house rules, there’s always a chance for them to win the game.

The Casino Proprietors

A lot of casino owners lack knowledge about the games their establishments are offering. For them, their casino is nothing but a source of income. Their main concern is how they could bring in more people into their house and make money from them. But for the big boss who likes to get his hands dirty, every game, every player, every personnel, matters.

Hands-on owners, like the rest of his crew, may also believe that anyone has the chance to take home big roulette wins. However, it would be illogical for them to invest into a business where he shares an equal chance of loss or gain with his patrons. His house needs to lock in profits on top of the gross income. Otherwise, it won’t take long for him to file a bankruptcy. He needs to earn money and this is where things get complicated.

The House Edge

So, from where the casino mine its income? The House Advantage. The game, whether it is a European roulette wheel or an American roulette variant, doesn’t pay what your bets are worth. For example, in American roulette, there are 38 numbers in total (1 to 36, a single zero, and a double zero). The odds of hitting a straight up bet would be 37 to 1. However, if the player wins, the house only pays 35 to 1. A similar case happens on other combination bets. This little, yet highly significant discrepancy is the casino’s edge against the player; this is also what keeps these businesses up and running. You may always win but it’s still impossible to absolutely “break the bank.”

Should this fact stop you from playing online roulette? Absolutely not! Because even if this is the case, “the house can’t stop you from winning.”

If you want to learn more about house edge/advantage, you can go here.

The Roulette Wheel Secrets You Need to Know Before Playing

The roulette wheel is where the action happens. This spherical-shaped instrument that is peppered with numbers and pockets fully captures attention of the players as they await for the outcome. Just as how unpredictable the small ball bounces off from one fret to another, so is the fate of your bet. Considering how important the roulette wheel is on a casino roulette game or an online roulette casino game, it would be unimaginable if a player doesn’t have a better understanding on the physical and the mechanical aspects of this casino instrument.

Quick history: the kind of roulette wheel we know as of today has its roots traced back in the 17^th century when Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, thinker, and inventor, attempted to create a perpetual motion machine. It went through a lot of transformation through the years and ever since, it has become one of the staple games in almost any casino, both land-based and online.

Today, there are two general types of roulette wheel: the European and the American roulette. There’s virtually no big difference between the two except for the fact that the American version has two zero slots (single zero and double zero), while the European wheel only has a single zero. We explained here why you’re better off playing on a single zero roulette (European) than on a double zero roulette (American).

Casually looking at a roulette wheel, one could instantly have an impression that the numbers are arranged randomly. This could be true but those with keen eyes may notice that there is a discernible pattern arrangement of number pairs of high and low numbers as well as odd and even numbers.

European vs. American Roulette Wheel

As mentioned above, the European roulette wheel variant has a single zero and is often the choice among players for the low average casino advantage of 2.7%. Online casino roulette enthusiasts prefer this type for the same reason.

Aside from the single zero are the 36 numbers that come along with it. The sequence of the numbers would be like this: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26.

The American wheel, meanwhile, is kind of infamous among players for its extra double zero on top of the 36 numbers and the single zero. This setup gives the house an edge of 5.6% against the players.

Numbers are ordered in the wheel in this fashion: 0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2

Taking a closer look…

For both wheels, the black numbers are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33 and 35. The red numbers, meanwhile, are, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34 and 36.

When you add all the black numbers, it would total to 334. With the red numbers, you’ll get 332.

There are 8 even red numbers and 8 odd black. On the other hand, there’s 10 even black and 10 odd red.

For the math geeks, they could find 5 black prime numbers (11, 13, 17, 29, 31) and another 5 on the red (1, 3, 5, 7, 23).

Each of the roulette wheel numbers don’t have any arithmetic value. However the sequence to which they are arranged, respective to the variant, is well thought of. Its purpose is to give an impression of balance and randomness at the same time.

Knowing vs. not Knowing

For the beginners, they may fail to fully grasp the entire picture of the wheel, thus forcing them to pull numbers to bet out of thin air. Expert roulette players, however, have a better understanding on the relationship of the numbers and sectors of the roulette wheel. This gives them some idea on which side of the wheel the ball will probably land in the next spin.

The bottomline here is that, familiarizing the kind of roulette wheel you intend to play with will give you an advantage over not knowing it. If you wish to know the other elements of the game, like the odds and payouts, or betting systems and strategies, we welcome you to browse in our site. Enjoy and good luck.

Betting on Single Zero Roulette

The single zero roulette, although it is available to play in all parts of the world, both online or in a land-based casino, is particularly popular among European casino players. Commonly known as the European roulette, the single zero roulette is far more favourable to play than its counterpart, the double zero roulette, otherwise known as the American roulette.

The so-called old Continent roulette wheel draws more players because of the fact that it has a lower house edge than the American roulette wheel.

In this section right here, we explained thoroughly the roulette house edge and why it is important for any roulette players to know it before they sit on a roulette game. For those who missed it, we pointed out that the house edge is simply the advantage the casino establishment has, whether it is online or a brick and mortar, over the player. This is how they make their profit, and any gambler in the right mind wouldn’t want himself to get caught in a game where he’ll be more likely to lose against the house than win for himself.

Describing the Single Zero Roulette

The single zero roulette can easily be spotted with a roulette wheel that has 37 numbered slots on it. The numbers are from 1 to 36 plus a single zero slot. The numbers are alternately colored from red to black except for the 0 which is colored green.

Looking at the arrangement of the roulette wheel, one might have the impression that the numbering is done randomly. On the contrary, the distribution is well thought of in such a way that the sum of the numbers from this part of the wheel is equal to the total of the opposite area.

Betting on the Single Zero Roulette

There’s basically two types of bets in a roulette – the inside and the outside bets. You can head over to this link to find more details on bets. But basically, inside bets are done on the areas of the roulette table where the individual numbers are located. The other type of bet, meanwhile, is placed in the outer area where there’s no specific numbers to be found but only the colors, groupings and odd or even-money.

The house edge on a European roulette is 2.7% and the rate can further be diminished thanks to the special rules that are exclusively applied on single zero roulette games.

To mention a few, there’s the “la partage” rule. What it means is that when the ball falls into the zero pocket, players who placed bets on even-money receive half of their bet back. Computations would tell that the house edge goes down to 1.35%

Another special rule is the “en prison.” As hinted by the term, the player’s bet that lost is put into prison. If the pocket that comes up is zero, the bet is withheld until the next spin. If your bet finally comes up, then the imprisoned bet is returned to you. Should you lose the second time, the bet finally goes to the house.

A lot of online roulette casinos feature European or American roulette. Our personal pick is the former since the advantage leans more towards the players than on the casino.

The Roulette House Edge Explained & Why The House Can’t Stop You From Winning

Casino games, like Roulette, Blackjack, or Poker, are often considered as games of “unequal chance.” The reason is that its nature and structure generally leans towards the advantage of the House or the casino establishment.

Popularly known as the House Edge, this is how an online casino website or a brick and mortar casino make their profits. To put it simply, this is the casino’s average earning from a player’s bet. As a casino player, it is a must that he or she must first learn the house advantage before spinning the wheel or be dealt with cards.

For any game, the house has a small profit percentage built into it. This could range from less than 1% for some card games like Blackjack to more than a whopping 7% in Caribbean Stud.

It’s good to know that Roulette falls in the mid-range when it comes to casino house edge. Talking about roulette online game, it must be noted that there’s basically two major versions of it: the European roulette and the American roulette. (In this article, we first give our reasons why you should be on the lookout for the Old Continent). But for the sake of discussion, we include the third variant, the French roulette.

For a quick look, these are the base house edge percentages for each of the roulette game:

US Roulette – 5.26%
European Roueltte – 2.7%
French Roulette – 1.35%

Our dear readers (who are probably new to the game) may ask, why is there a big gap in house edge between the two popular kinds of table? The fact of the matter is, the American has an extra “double zero” aside from the single zero in the wheel, and that almost double up the casino house edge. In this case, all bets on the even and on the 1/3^rd numbers would lose for twice the chance (in the single zero and in the double zero).

To beat the house edge on roulette, the golden rule here is to stay away from the American wheel variant and look for that good old European one.

It’s also worth mentioning that players can take advantage on the French roulette house edge, which is obviously the lowest of the three. This is due to the additional game rule called “Le Partage.” To better illustrate this point, when a ball lands on a zero, players who put their money on an outside even bet will be given back half of their bet. This puts the house advantage down to half of the European table, which is 2.7%, to 1.35%. This game format is hard to find in roulette online casino games.

Why Play Against the House?

This is a question anyone reading here should ask. If we come to think of it, going up against the bank means a surefire lose. But such is not always the case. Even if the odds are against the player, it is still possible to win! After all, roulette is a game of pure chance and it solely depends on your luck.

But lucky or not, in this blog post, we laid out our top hand-picked tips on how to increase your chances of wining at a roulette table.