What are the odds of winning a straight-up bet in roulette?

On European roulette a single number wins 1 in 37 spins (2.70%) and pays 35:1. On American roulette it is 1 in 38 (2.63%) for the same 35:1 payout, which is why the American edge is higher.

What is expected value in roulette?

Expected value is the average result of a bet over many repetitions. In standard roulette it is always negative, meaning every bet loses money on average over time.

Which roulette bet has the best odds?

Even-money bets win most often (just under 50%), while straight-up bets win rarely but pay the most. The house edge is the same across bets on a given wheel, except for French La Partage even-money bets.

Roulette Odds & Payouts Calculator

Q: What is the house edge in roulette?

European roulette has a 2.70% house edge, American roulette 5.26%, and French roulette with La Partage about 1.35% on even-money bets.

Q: Does a higher payout mean a better bet?

No. Higher payouts come with lower win probabilities and higher variance. The expected value per dollar is the same across bets on a standard wheel.

Choose a wheel, a bet type and a stake to see the win probability, payout, profit, expected value and house edge for that bet. Everything runs in your browser - nothing is sent anywhere.

Short answer

Roulette odds are fixed by the wheel: European has 37 pockets (2.70% house edge), American has 38 (5.26%), and French La Partage softens even-money bets to about 1.35%. Payouts are set so that the house keeps a small slice of every bet - which is why the expected value below is always negative on a standard wheel. Use the calculator to see exactly how much.

This calculator computes standard roulette mathematics. It does not predict spins, which are independent and random.

Understanding the numbers

Probability

The chance a bet wins is the number of pockets it covers divided by total pockets (37 European, 38 American). A straight-up bet covers one pocket; red covers 18.

Payout

Payouts are quoted "to 1". A 35:1 straight-up bet returns 35 units profit plus your 1-unit stake. Crucially, a fair payout would be 36:1 on European and 37:1 on American - the gap is the house edge.

House edge

The edge is the long-run percentage of each bet the casino keeps: 2.70% (European), 5.26% (American), ~1.35% (French La Partage on even-money). It is identical across bet types on a given wheel, so no bet is "smarter" on EV alone.

Expected value (EV)

EV is the average outcome per bet over many repetitions. It is negative in standard roulette, which is the mathematical reason no betting system turns a profit long term.

Payout & probability reference

Bet	Numbers	Payout	European win %	American win %
Straight up	1	35:1	2.70%	2.63%
Split	2	17:1	5.41%	5.26%
Street	3	11:1	8.11%	7.89%
Corner	4	8:1	10.81%	10.53%
Six line	6	5:1	16.22%	15.79%
Dozen / Column	12	2:1	32.43%	31.58%
Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low	18	1:1	48.65%	47.37%

Author & reviewer

Mikkel Hansen

Last updated: 1 July 2026

Mikkel built this calculator to settle the most common table-side argument he heard as a dealer: "which bet has the best odds?" The honest answer is that the house edge is the same across bets on a single-zero wheel - what changes is variance. The tool makes that visible in dollars.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the odds of a straight-up bet?

1 in 37 (2.70%) on European, 1 in 38 (2.63%) on American, both paying 35:1.

What is the house edge in roulette?

2.70% European, 5.26% American, ~1.35% on French La Partage even-money bets.

What is expected value?

The average result of a bet over many repetitions. In roulette it is always negative.

Which bet has the best odds?

Even-money bets win most often; straight-ups pay the most. EV per dollar is identical except on La Partage.

Does a higher payout mean a better bet?

No. Higher payouts mean lower win odds and higher variance, not better expected value.