Roulette Rules and Payback Percentage

Roulette, the Casino Queen

Roulette is the queen of casino games. No other game matches its elegance and allure. Its spinning wheel design is so effective that it has remained virtually unchanged since it was invented during the time of the French Revolution. Roulette means "small wheel." It is very easy to play. A ball rolls along the wheel as it turns, and players wager on the outcome of the spin.

Roulette payback percentages

On first glance, roulette seems to be a poor choice to play in the casino. The house advantage is over 5% on standard American wheels, much higher than blackjack with basic strategy, some video poker games and some craps bets. Roulette is said to be the casino game you cannot beat—and with good reason. The odds and payoffs are so set that there is no way anyone can make money from it save by luck.

However payback percentage alone must not be the sole standard by which to judge a game's affordability. One should also take into account the speed of the game. Whether the rate of play is slow or fast has a direct impact on how much the game costs the player. Roulette may have a high payback percentage, yet it plays slowly especially at a full table. So depending on how you play, you can actually save money in the game. On the other hand, pass line bets in craps may have good odds, but craps plays very fast as does mini-baccarat.

Roulette Bets and Payback Percentages

The table below is for American roulette, i.e. with two zeroes.

Bet Payoff Probability Payback Percentage

EVEN BETS Black/Red 1 47.37% 94.74% Odd/Even 1 47.37% 94.74% High/Low 1 47.37% 94.74%

GROUP BETS 1 to 12 2 31.58% 94.74% 13 to 24 2 31.58% 94.74% 25 to 36 2 31.58% 94.74% Column 2 31.58% 94.74%

INSIDE BETS Sixline 5 15.79% 94.74% 0,00,1,2,3 6 13.16% 92.11% Corner 8 10.53% 94.74% Street 11 7.89% 94.74% Split 17 94.74% 94.74% Straight 35 2.63% 94.74%

Roulette Rule Variations and Payback Percentages

There are some rule variations in roulette that affect its payback percentage. The most common rule variation has to do with the number of zeroes on the wheel. A single-zero wheel is known as European roulette; a double-zero wheel is the standard US roulette.

En Prison is a European roulette rule variation that essentially "locks" an even money bet if the ball stops at zero. If it wins on the next spin, it becomes a push and the money is returned to the player. Only if there's a second straight losing spin does the player lose their bet.

La Partage is a similar provision. An even money bet is only half-lost if the ball hits a zero.

Rule Variation Payback Percentage

Single Zero 97.30% Double Zero 94.74% En Prison 98.65% La Partage 98.65%

Roulette Hands Per Hour

Roulette is a slow game. If you can a game with favorable rules, and it is a full table, you have found a good deal. Only about 40 spins are made per hour, so the price is comparable to other games even though the payback percentage is not the highest.