American Roulette
Thirty-eight pockets, 0 and 00, 5.26%. Same payouts, one more way to lose.
The double-zero wheel pays exactly the same as the European wheel on every bet, so the extra pocket is pure cost: 5.26% on standard bets, 7.89% on the five-number basketbetBasketOn a single-zero wheel: 0, 1, 2, 3 with one chip, pays 8:1. Also: first four, quatre premiers.Read full →.
The arithmetic
A straight upbetStraight upA single number, pays 35:1.Read full → wins 1/38 and pays 35:1: EV = 35/38 − 37/38 = −2/38 = −5.26%. Every other bet gives the same figure, because the payoutmoneyPayoutWhat a winning bet returns, quoted as “X to 1” on top of the returned stake.Read full → rule still pretends there are 36 pocketsequipmentPocketOne of the 37 numbered compartments on the rotor. Also: slot, cup.Read full →. The one exception is the five-number bet on 0-00-1-2-3, which pays 6:1 where 36/5 − 1 = 6.2 would follow the rule; the rounding down gives it a 7.89% edge, the worst standard bet in roulette.
Wheel order
The American wheel uses a different sequence with 0 and 00 opposite each other: 0 28 9 26 30 11 7 20 32 17 5 22 34 15 3 24 36 13 1 00 27 10 25 29 12 8 19 31 18 6 21 33 16 4 23 35 14 2. Consecutive numbers sit directly across the wheel from one another. Call betstableCall betA bet announced to the dealer rather than placed by hand, usually a wheel-sector bet such as voisins or tiers. Also “announced bet”.Read full → like voisins and tiers do not exist on it because the sectorswheelSectorA contiguous arc of pockets on the wheel, as distinct from a group on the layout.Read full → they describe do not.
Where you find it
Las Vegas and most US casinos, some Latin American and Caribbean floors, and online tables labeled “American”. Single-zerowheelZeroThe single green pocket that no even-money, dozen or column bet covers; the source of the house edge. Also: single zero, 0.Read full → tables with higher minimums are offered in some US high-limit rooms, and a few US casinos offer “surrender” (half back on even-money betsbetEven-money betRed/black, odd/even, high/low. 18 numbers, pays 1:1.Read full → when 0 or 00 hits), which brings those bets to 2.63%.
Why it survives
History and habit. Roulette reached America with both zeros before Blanc removed one in Europe, and no competitor forced the change. US casinos have found that players compare table minimums more readily than house edgesmathHouse edgeThe share of each stake the casino keeps on average: 2.70% in European roulette.Read full →, so the double-zero wheel at a $10 minimum coexists with a single-zero wheel at $100. Where the two sit side by side, the arithmetic says to play the single zero at a smaller stake rather than the double zerovariantDouble zeroThe 00 pocket of the American wheel. Its presence raises the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%.Read full → at a larger one.
The eagle
Early American wheels in the 19th century added a third house pocket marked with an eagle, giving an edge above 7%. It did not survive competition. The triple-zero wheel of 2016 is the same idea with a logo instead of a bird.
Questions
No. That is the point: same payouts, more pockets.
No. It is the only roulette bet with an edge different from the rest, and it is worse.
Yes, with the same structure. The expected lossmathExpected lossExpected value times total amount wagered; the average amount lost over a session or a period.Read full → is 5.26% of the 20 unitsmoneyUnitThe base stake a system or a player works in. Progressions are described in units so they apply at any table.Read full → instead of 2.70%.
Comic relief
Same payouts. Thirty-eight pockets. 5.26%.
Sources
- Ethier, S. N. The Doctrine of Chances: Probabilistic Aspects of Gambling.
- Schwartz, D. G. Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.