Playing the Odds at Live Roulette
Playing the Odds at Live Roulette
Two of the best known roulette versions are American and European. Looking at the tables and wheels of both forms of the game, you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were exactly the same. In many regards they are, however there is one critical difference between the games that has a significant impact on the returns punters are likely to earn playing one compared to the other, but more of that later.
With regard to live dealer roulette, that is, roulette playable online but controlled by a real dealer spinning an actual wheel, the most common variation offered is European Roulette. In fact, most live game software developers, and therefore supporting licensee casinos offer the European version of the game to the exclusion of American Roulette. Of course you can also find the odd live American roulette game although it is far less common. And as a player you should be cognizant of the version that you are playing and here's why.
European roulette has a wheel (and bet table) with the numbers 1 through 36 and a single 0. American roulette also has the numbers 1 through 36, but rather than a single 0 it has 2 zeros on the wheel and table. Now, while the payouts offered by both games for the different bet options are largely the same (even money payout for black or red bet, win on a single number pays 35:1 etc), the probability of actually winning the bet is slightly better playing the European version of the game.
Illustrating the point further, let's consider a single number straight up bet where in both versions of roulette a win pays 35 to 1. Playing European roulette there are 37 possible outcomes: 1 to 36 and a 0 resulting in a probability of 37 to 1. Playing American roulette, while your payout remains at 35:1, the second zero on the wheel means that now there are thirty eight possible outcomes, leaving the probability of a win at 38:1 rather than the 37:1 for European roulette. And the same marginal return difference applies no matter what your bet.
Now while this may seem a negligible difference, applied to a number of games and depending on amounts bet, potentially significant dollars outlaid, the difference will become substantial. It is also worth noting that even for the better returning European version of the game, the 35:1 payout doesn't equate to the 37:1 chance of winning the bet. The difference is larger for the American version of the game. This difference is the house edge and the reason why casinos over time make more money from roulette than they loose.
To sum up then, if roulette's your game, and you want to maximise your returns or minimizing losses, choose which version of the game you play wisely, and make sure you count how many zeros there are on the wheel!
Two of the best known roulette versions are American and European. Looking at the tables and wheels of both forms of the game, you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were exactly the same. In many regards they are, however there is one critical difference between the games that has a significant impact on the returns punters are likely to earn playing one compared to the other, but more of that later.
With regard to live dealer roulette, that is, roulette playable online but controlled by a real dealer spinning an actual wheel, the most common variation offered is European Roulette. In fact, most live game software developers, and therefore supporting licensee casinos offer the European version of the game to the exclusion of American Roulette. Of course you can also find the odd live American roulette game although it is far less common. And as a player you should be cognizant of the version that you are playing and here's why.
European roulette has a wheel (and bet table) with the numbers 1 through 36 and a single 0. American roulette also has the numbers 1 through 36, but rather than a single 0 it has 2 zeros on the wheel and table. Now, while the payouts offered by both games for the different bet options are largely the same (even money payout for black or red bet, win on a single number pays 35:1 etc), the probability of actually winning the bet is slightly better playing the European version of the game.
Illustrating the point further, let's consider a single number straight up bet where in both versions of roulette a win pays 35 to 1. Playing European roulette there are 37 possible outcomes: 1 to 36 and a 0 resulting in a probability of 37 to 1. Playing American roulette, while your payout remains at 35:1, the second zero on the wheel means that now there are thirty eight possible outcomes, leaving the probability of a win at 38:1 rather than the 37:1 for European roulette. And the same marginal return difference applies no matter what your bet.
Now while this may seem a negligible difference, applied to a number of games and depending on amounts bet, potentially significant dollars outlaid, the difference will become substantial. It is also worth noting that even for the better returning European version of the game, the 35:1 payout doesn't equate to the 37:1 chance of winning the bet. The difference is larger for the American version of the game. This difference is the house edge and the reason why casinos over time make more money from roulette than they loose.
To sum up then, if roulette's your game, and you want to maximise your returns or minimizing losses, choose which version of the game you play wisely, and make sure you count how many zeros there are on the wheel!
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