# Roulette — Quick Reference

## How it works

Select a pocket or eligible group, check the total stake, and read the official result and payout. Bet choice changes winning probability and payout size. Wheel, wager and zero rules all matter.

## The key numbers

- **Single zero:** 2.70% house edge with 37 equal pockets, conventional payouts and no zero concession.
- **Double zero:** 5.26% under the corresponding 38-pocket rules, excluding the basket.
- **Double-zero basket:** 7.89% for 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 paying 6:1 net. Its win probability is separately 13.16%.
- **Single-zero half back:** 1.35% on eligible even-money wagers returning half the stake on zero.

## One thing to know

A 35:1 net payout returns $36 total on a winning $1 wager. A 35-for-1 total return gives $35 including the stake. Read the actual payout and any special terms; the label roulette does not establish a single set of odds.

## The math in plain English

For the stated single-zero straight-up wager, one outcome wins $35 and 36 lose $1. Expected net loss is 1/37 of the stake. The double-zero basket instead loses `(33 − 5 × 6) / 38 = 3/38` of the stake on average. A probability of winning is not itself the house edge.

Red covers 18/37, or 48.65%, on the single-zero wheel. Under independent spins, a previous streak does not change that fraction. Zero is why equally likely red and black do not mean 50/50.

Expected loss uses total money wagered, including re-bet funds, and does not promise a session result. Doubling after losses increases exposure without changing the same bet's expected result per dollar. Imprisonment rules need their own repeat-zero and release terms.

## Sources and scope

[Roulette payout and rule analysis](https://wizardofodds.com/games/roulette/basics/), checked September 5, 2026. Mathematical examples assume fair equal pockets and independent spins; actual product rules must be checked.

[Full Roulette guide](https://www.playbookrg.com/brand/content/games/roulette/) · Playbook RG · Free to copy and adapt under CC0. External sources have their own terms.