If you head to Las Vegas or any of the other popular casino towns and cities in the United States, you are likely to find many American roulette wheels – i.e. those with two zero pockets – but fewer options when it comes to the single zero European or French games.
However, if you prefer online roulette, you will have a raft of choices to pick from that includes American, European and French versions of the game.
Some are confused by the differences between them, although it’s these that ultimately determines why you should potentially avoid playing American roulette altogether.
What is American Roulette?
Fans of roulette in Europe will be familiar with, what is to them, the traditional roulette wheel: it has 36 pockets which are numbered 1-36 in red and black plus a single green zero.
But in America, many roulette tables feature a 38th pocket: the double zero. Sure, this gives you an extra betting option, but it also increases the house edge – the theoretical percentage that ultimately ensures casinos make money in the long run.
Incredibly, some casinos – both online and in popular Vegas landmarks such as The Venetian – are offering triple-zero roulette….a game almost exclusively designed to bolster casino revenue, rather than enhance the experience of the player.
What is the House Edge in American Roulette?
The presence of the double zero pocket in American Roulette increases a casino’s profitability. The house edge rises to 5.26%, which shows – in theory – how much the casino will make in the long run. For every £1 million wagered on the floor, bosses can expect to pocket £52,600 in profit.
That’s not an exact science, of course, but gives you an idea of why the house edge matters when deciding which casino games you should be playing.
For context, European roulette has a house edge of 2.7%, which ensures that more money finds its way into the pockets of its players – about twice as much, in fact – when compared to American roulette.
And when you look at the house edges of other popular casino games, you can see why American roulette is best avoided:
- Blackjack – 0.28%
- Baccarat – around 1.15%
- Craps – around 1.4%
- Pai Gow – 1.46%
- Casino Hold’em – 2.19%
- European Roulette – 2.7%
These are just some of the examples of why it might be best to steer clear of American roulette on your next trip to the casino.
How to Play American Roulette
If you have your heart set on playing the double-zero version of roulette, there are some basic strategies that you should abide by – and bet types to avoid.
If you want to wager in a way that gives you the best chance of winning, stick with what are loosely described as ‘50/50’ bets – red or black, low or high numbers etc. They aren’t true 50/50 bets due to the presence of the two zero pockets, but they have a much greater chance of landing than betting on lines, streets, corners and individual numbers.
One of the other best bet types in roulette is the ‘dozens’ option, e.g. 1-12 or 13-24. These should hit on roughly one-in-three spins, with a payout of 2:1 confirming that this is one of the lowest house edge bets on the wheel.
There is absolutely one bet you should avoid like the plague in double zero roulette: the ‘top line’ selection of 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. This has a theoretical probability of landing of 13% – roughly one in eight spins – and yet only pays out at 6:1. This increases the casino’s house edge to 7.9%.
American Roulette vs European Roulette
If you’ve read this guide up until this point, you will already have a good idea of the ‘best’ form of roulette to play based upon the respective house edges.
The double-zero pocket of American roulette simply increases your chances of losing with each and every spin of the wheel – instead of having a 1 in 37 chance of hitting a single number as with European roulette, your odds sink to 1 in 38 in American roulette.
That might not seem like much of a change, but when you are playing a high volume of spins in a single gaming session? It can make a tonne of difference. Don’t forget too that the house edge in double-zero roulette is practically double that of the European version – that is confirmation that American roulette is, sadly, probably a game to avoid on the casino floor.
French Fancy
We’ve discussed double-zero and single zero versions of roulette, but do you want to hear about the best version of the game?
French roulette has the same house edge and paytable as European roulette, however there’s one key difference: the En Prison and Le Partage rules.
As we know, if you bet on an even money bet in American or European roulette, let’s say black or on the low numbers (1-18), you lose your stake if the ball lands in a zero pocket.
Under the En Prison rule, your chips will stay on the table if the ball lands on zero – if you win with your next spin, you get your chips back.
With Le Partage, you will only lose half of your stake if your even money bet loses to a zero.
These little differences could prove vital over the course of a high volume of spins, and that is why players are advised to seek out French roulette – as opposed to double-zero (American) and European roulette – wherever possible.