How it works
Also marked as 1-18 and 19-36, or manque and passe on a French layout. Eighteen numbers either way, zero excluded.
All three even-money bets share one useful property: they are the only bets that benefit from the la partage and en prison rules.
The same bet 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 this bet
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.
What this bet is 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 high / low?
- 2.70% European, 5.26% American, or 1.35% with la partage.
- Is high / low 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?
- You 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.
- Do the French rules apply to this bet?
- Yes, la partage and en prison apply to 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.