The three bets
| Bet | Wins on | Numbers | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red or black | The 18 red numbers, or the 18 black ones | 18 | 1:1 |
| Odd or even | 1, 3, 5 to 35, or 2, 4, 6 to 36 | 18 | 1:1 |
| Low or high | 1 to 18, or 19 to 36 | 18 | 1:1 |
Zero, and 00 on an American wheel, is none of these: not red or black, not odd or even, not low or high. That one fact sets the price of all three.
How they work
Eighteen pockets each way, and one or two green ones that belong to neither side. The green pockets are the whole game. On a European wheel you win 18 times in 37 rather than half the time, which is a 2.70% edge. On an American wheel it is 18 in 38, or 5.26%.
The same bets on each wheel
| Wheel | Pockets | Payout | Win chance | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European (single zero) | 37 | 1:1 | 48.65% | 2.70% |
| American (double zero) | 38 | 1:1 | 47.37% | 5.26% |
The rule that halves these bets
Even-money bets are the only ones that benefit from the French zero rules. Under la partage a zero returns half your stake instead of taking all of it, which halves the edge to exactly 1.35%. Under en prison the stake is held for one more spin, working out at 1.39%.
That makes an even-money bet on a French table the cheapest wager in the entire game, at roughly half the cost of the same bet on a European table and a quarter of the American one. Our page on la partage and en prison covers why the two rules are not quite equivalent, despite being quoted as the same number almost everywhere.
Which of the three?
None of them is cheaper. Red, odd and low are priced identically, wheel for wheel, and so are their opposites. Backing two at once, red and odd for example, does not change the price either: each chip still carries the same edge, and the pair only changes how often you win something and by how much.
What these bets are actually for
Since every bet on the wheel shares one edge, the only thing bet selection buys you is a variance profile. Covering 18 of 37 pockets means winning often and small; a straight-up bet means winning rarely and large. Both bleed at the same rate.
If your aim is to sit at a table for a long evening on a fixed budget, the wider-coverage bets do that better. That is a pacing decision, not an edge.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the house edge on red/black, odd/even and high/low?
- The same on all three: 2.70% on a European wheel, 5.26% on an American one, or 1.35% with la partage.
- Is an even-money bet a safer bet?
- It wins more often, but the expected loss per unit staked is identical to every other bet on the same wheel. Lower variance is not a lower edge.
- What happens when zero hits?
- All three lose, unless the table runs la partage or en prison, in which case you get half back or a second chance. Zero belongs to no outside bet.
- Is zero odd or even?
- Neither, for betting. Zero, and 00 on an American wheel, loses every even-money bet.
- Do the French rules apply to these bets?
- Yes. La partage and en prison apply only to the even-money bets.
House edges on this page are computed from the pocket count and the payout in exact rational arithmetic, then checked against published references before publication. Payouts are standard, but the wheel and the zero rule vary between casinos and between tables in the same casino, so confirm both before you sit down.