Roulette Probability. Charts and Percentages for Different Events

Probability in roulette is often regarded as the secret key to success. After all, why discuss roulette odds at length if they do not actually contribute all that much to the final outcome? As it turns out, though, odds do affect the outcome, and they tend to have a very significant impact on your chances of success.

A single-zero wheel will offer a slightly different probability to win than a double-zero wheel. There is nothing out of the ordinary here, just how roulette numbers work in practice. This is good news though, because this means that you can anticipate and expect certain outcomes, adjust your risk management strategy, calibrate your expectations from the game, and generally have more fun with it.

Today, we will discuss the role of probability in roulette outcomes. Or, in other words, what the chances of certain events unfolding on the wheel and table are. Let’s take a closer look.

The Mathematics of Roulette

Although it’s fair to say that you would need mathematical knowledge to truly understand how roulette works on a mechanical level, the good news is that you can be well-informed about the core concept of roulette table odds even if you are not particularly fond of formulas or crunching numbers. For the most part, there are roulette payout charts that can help you reference the odds and probabilities at a glance.

For the most part, however, roulette probabilities are calculated in a very simple manner. You have 38 spaces in a game of roulette. If you bet on individual numbers, you have a 1/37 probability of landing this number. There are also 18 red spaces, so you have an 18/37 chance to actually land a red space. 

It really boils down to how many pockets in total there are, and how many of a given type of number or bet are available. This is why, you will notice in time, that Even/Odd or Red/Black tend to pay more often than straight-up bets. In other words, betting on 18 numbers at a time offers a much better probability of return than betting on a 1 number out of 37 – or 38 if you are playing American Roulette. 

Alright, this is how roulette wheel numbers determine probability, but what about payouts? This is a good question. The odds of a certain number occurring on the wheel, or bet percentages, is different than the actual payout. A straight-up bet will have a much greater payout value, usually 35:1. This means that if you bet one unit and get the number on the wheel, you will get 35 units back in return.

This sounds great, but there is a small hitch. There is only a 2.7% chance of hitting a straight-up bet for European Roulette, and 2.63% chance for American Roulette. Then, you have Even/Odd or Red/Black bets. They have a much greater probability of being a hit, as European Roulette puts the probability of the outcome happening at 48.64% compared to 47.36% for American Roulette. 

As you can see, probabilities and payouts are two different things. On the one hand, you have the probability of an outcome actually occurring. These are the so-called odds of winning roulette, as it were. You will see how likely you are to produce a winning combination. 

The payout in turn, will tell you how much money you stand to win if you actually and successfully manage to hit a winning combination. For example, an Even/Odd bet clearly has a bigger probability of being successful, but it only pays 1:1 compared to 35:1 for a straight-up bet, which in turn comes with a much smaller chance of turning up on the wheel. 

Roulette Wheel Layouts and Their Probabilities

To save you the trouble of jumping through hoops or crunching numbers yourself, we have put together a chart that will quickly explain the probabilities, odds, and payouts of certain outcomes on a roulette wheel. We have essentially merged the European Roulette and American Roulette table into one so that you have a handy guide right from the start. 

As you can see odds will change between European and American Roulette, and this is actually very normal and standard. The numbers on a roulette wheel will definitely influence the outcome, as the double zero will make the odds longer, and the probability of turning a successful outcome smaller. Yet, the payouts remain intact, which is good news if you are determined to play American Roulette anyway! 

Detailed Probability Charts for Roulette Bets

Right on, if you want to better understand roulette bets and probability, you will need to either calculate these yourselves every time you play or turn to the much simpler solution and look up an odd on the roulette table chart instead. These can actually be very useful to you, as they will give you a quick breakdown of what every bet offers and brings, making for a great ally when trying to play with the goal of winning. Depending on what you are interested in, you will definitely make use of the following chart we have put together to help you understand Inside Bets.

As you can see, the payout for Inside Bets is quite substantial. You may argue that so far as American roulette odds go, the payout is indeed slightly lower, but even then, the payout ratio remains the same. This chart will not magically make you win more, but it will demonstrate the risk you take with each type of bet. For outside bets, such as Column, Dozen, Color, Even/Odd, and Low/High, the table changes a bit to:

The Impact of Roulette Variants on Probability

As it turns out, there are variants of roulette that will actually not subscribe to the same exact logic as European and American Roulette. For the most part, betting on black will offer you a fairly good chance to win when you spin roulette wheels, but there are some versions of the game that have changed this slightly.

For example, French Roulette introduces the La Partage rule, which will mitigate the loss on a zero bet, returning you half of the money you have risked and thus reducing the house edge to just 1.35%, which is considered a nugatory amount. 

Other variants, such as triple zero roulette for example, have a much higher house edge, at 7.69%, and surprisingly, Mini Roulette, which features only 13 numbers, and a single zero, has a house edge of 7.69% as well. Knowing this, you may be interested in trying out French Roulette, with La Partage rule, but actually avoid the other two. 

Advanced Probability Concepts in Roulette

The law of large numbers is a very interesting concept and it’s one of the reasons why roulette wheel odds are the way they are. In other words, knowing how many numbers in roulette there are, and being aware of the concept of a house edge will explain to you why the “house always wins.” 

Don’t despair, though. Basically, the law of large numbers says that if you flipped a coin 10,000 times, you may expect heads and tails to end up closer to 50% each. It won’t be the same if you flipped the coin only 10 times, though, with one side getting an advantage. The same applies to a game of roulette. A roulette payouts chart tells you how much money you stand to win, but it won’t tell you how often you will win.

In theory, it has to be 48.64% for Even/Odd bets on a European Roulette wheel, right? But in reality, the numbers and outcomes will fluctuate unless you play 10,000 times. It’s not just that, though. Even/Odd may seem like the flip of the coin, 50-50 chance, but there is actually the house edge which will, over the long term, push against you and in favor of the casino. 

Even if the house edge is only 2.70%, this is still less than the 50% you would need to break even. This is why casinos love roulette and the house edge. Even if it seems that you are winning in the short term, you will soon realize that the law of large numbers will work against you, because of the house edge. Does this mean you shouldn’t play? Quite to the contrary! It means that you will be able to play and understand how the game works. 

Strategies Based on Probability

Now that we have learned a lot, we are all wondering – can we actually beat the odds. We will start with a resounding no. Unfortunately, nobody can beat the odds. The game just isn’t designed this way. As long as you have a house edge, however slim, however improbable, if you play long enough, you will run in the problems that this house edge invites all by itself. 

If you were to play 1000 rounds with the best strategy, you may go bust more often than you think, and the wins from your other tries may not even cover your losses. This is why it’s important to know about odds, how they work, and whether you can beat them. Does this mean strategies are bad?

Not at all! You do want to pick a strategy, whether this is Martingale or Fibonacci. Just remember to take it easy and not pushing too hard if you feel that luck has turned against you. It happens. Now, as to the best and worst type of bet based on probability (not payout!) you really don’t want to bet on straight-up bets and focus on outside bets instead. 

There is a small caveat here that inside and straight-up bets can be useful if you use specific strategies. However, so far as the worst probability goes – this is straight-up bets for you!

Practical Tips for Applying Probability to Your Roulette Strategy

Now, the time has come for you to pick your roulette strategy chart and make sure that you are truly making the most out of your experience when playing online or commercial roulette in person. There are practical tips that you will be aware of even now. For example, you already know that odds/probabilities and payout are different.

You also know what the house edge does to your game and are aware of how the law of large numbers will always make sure that the house edge comes true. With this in mind, it’s time to take on the much grander task at hand and look into some practical pieces of advice. For starters, you want to apply your knowledge from this article.

You need to choose a version of the game that will actually have a low house edge to begin with. In other words, you want to play European Roulette, although you may be similarly inclined to try your hand at French Roulette, providing that La Partage rule is available and applies. This doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore the American Roulette version, or other versions for that matter.

However, if you want to truly make sure that you are doing alright, you will definitely be keen to focus on the highest-yielding games first. Another thing to consider is focusing on green roulette odds, as these are usually associated with the more even-split bets, i.e. the outside bets. However, each game may have slightly different roulette odds so make sure that you are aware of any specific particularities.

Not least, the last but equally important practical piece of advice is to try and have a sound grasp of the way you manage your bankroll. Bankroll management is perhaps more than half the battle won. If you remain sober and focused on the way you manage your money, you are likely to enjoy better outcomes when playing roulette. 

The Reality of Roulette Probabilities

As you have learned so far, you will notice that probabilities play a huge role in the game. You start by asking yourself how many numbers on a roulette wheel there are, but gradually come to realize that the number count also matters as it is going to impact your chances of success. It is important to be realistic about probabilities and not really predicate your gameplay on gambler fallacies or wishful thinking.

As it is, there are many resources out there, such as relevant roulette payout charts or probability charts, that will give you an unambiguous and quick overview of probabilities and payouts, how they work, and what you may expect when exploring them. Above all else, having a clear understanding of odds on a roulette table is what is going to help you win more, or at the very least, act smartly and minimize your potential losses. 

This also calls for the use of strategies. Although the house edge would never make it possible for you to win one hundred percent of the time, you will notice that by employing a clever strategy, you have a real chance of boosting your roulette winnings significantly. Players may not be able to calculate the odds on roulette table quickly or even by themselves, but a roulette probability chart will always help you balance between a good strategy and having fun. Whatever your proficiency in maths, you will soon realize that probabilities are easy to comprehend, and they can have a very meaningful impact on your game.