Most guides rank roulette bets as though some were better than others. On a given wheel they are not. Every bet on a European layout costs 2.70% and every bet on an American layout costs 5.26%, with a single exception.
What genuinely changes your cost is the table you choose:
| Bet or rule | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Even money, la partage | 1:1 | 1.35% |
| Even money, en prison | 1:1 | 1.39% |
| Any bet, European wheel | varies | 2.70% |
| Any bet, American wheel | varies | 5.26% |
| Five number bet (American) | 6:1 | 7.89% |
The exception
The five number bet on 0-00-1-2-3 is the only wager that breaks the pattern, at 7.89%. It exists on American wheels only, because its payout was rounded down from 6.6:1 to 6:1.
Every bet, both wheels
| Bet | Numbers | Payout | European | American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Six Line | 6 | 5:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Red/Black | 18 | 1:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Odd/Even | 18 | 1:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| High/Low | 18 | 1:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Dozens | 12 | 2:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Columns | 12 | 2:1 | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Five number | 5 | 6:1 | n/a | 7.89% |
Read down the European column and the American column. Two numbers, repeated. That is the whole payout structure of roulette.
What to do with this
Choose the wheel, not the bet. Moving from an American to a European table cuts your cost by 49%. Finding a French table with la partage and betting even money cuts it by another half again, to 1.35%.
Pick your bet for variance, not value. A straight-up number and a red bet lose at the same rate; they differ only in how bumpy the ride is. If you want a long session on a small budget, bet wide. If you want a chance at a large result, bet narrow. Neither is cheaper.
Ignore systems. Martingale, Fibonacci, D'Alembert and the rest rearrange when you bet and how much, but every individual wager still carries the same negative expectation. A sum of negative-expectation bets is negative regardless of the order or the sizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best bet in roulette?
- On a given wheel there is no best bet. Every wager carries the same house edge, so the meaningful choice is the wheel: 2.70% European against 5.26% American.
- What is the worst bet in roulette?
- The five number bet on an American wheel, at 7.89%. Every other bet on that layout costs 5.26%.
- What is the lowest house edge in roulette?
- An even-money bet on a French table running la partage, at 1.35%.
- Do betting systems work?
- No. Each spin is independent and every bet has negative expectation, so no progression or combination of them produces a positive one.
- Is roulette better than blackjack or craps?
- On cost, no. Craps free odds are 0%, and correct-strategy blackjack is typically under 1%. French even-money roulette at 1.35% is competitive; American roulette is not.
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.