Pick a bet, a wheel and a stake. The numbers come from the game's published rules — no estimates involved.
Why the wheel type decides everything
Every roulette payout is set as if the wheel had 36 pockets: a single number pays 35:1, a dozen 2:1, red 1:1. The zeros are the house edge — pockets the payout table pretends do not exist. One zero makes the gap 2.70%; the American second zero doubles it to 5.26% for identical payouts.
Every standard bet on the same wheel carries the same edge. Inside bets pay more only because they hit less, in exact proportion — there is no combination of standard bets that changes the long-run number.
The practical rule this calculator makes visible: between two wheels with the same payout table, always sit at the one with fewer zeros. It is the only roulette decision that changes the maths.
Methodology
Probability is winning pockets over total pockets (37 European, 38 American). Expected value pays out the published ratio on a win and forfeits the stake on a loss; the house edge is the negative of that expectation as a share of the stake. Every figure derives from the same pocket counts, so they cannot disagree.
FAQ
Why is the American wheel worse on every bet?
Because the double zero adds a 38th pocket without changing any payout. The same straight-up bet pays 35:1 on both wheels, so the edge rises from 2.70% to 5.26% — nearly double, for an identical-looking table.
Do outside bets have a lower edge than inside bets?
No. On a European wheel every bet carries the same 2.70%, which is what makes the choice a question of variance rather than value. The exception is the American five-number bet at 7.89%.
What does La Partage or En Prison change?
They halve the edge on even-money bets, to 1.35%, by returning or holding half the stake when zero lands. If a table offers either rule, it is the single biggest improvement available at roulette.
Can a betting pattern beat the edge?
No. Expected loss is the edge multiplied by total turnover, so any pattern that raises turnover raises the expected loss. Progressions change the shape of the session, never its expectation.