In most casino you will usually find the following types of roulette:
American roulette – 36 numbers and 2 green numbers (0, 00).
European Roulette – 36 number and 1 green number (0).
French Roulette – Same as European, but pays back half of bet if the green number turns, assuming you haven't bet on it.
Since these 3 versions differ slightly in their layout, the odds change a bit in between them and that directly influences your bankroll.
To determine the house edge in each we'll construct an equation that will allow us to compare which version of roulette it is most advised to play.
Let's take a look at the American Roulette. It has 38 different possible outcomes, so the chance of hitting the correct number is 1/38. The more popular bets, however, are even or odd, or red or black. Let's say we bet $1 on black and see what the equation tells us.
(-1 x 18/38) + (-1 x 18/38) + (1 x 18/38) = -.0537
Alternately, let's look at what the European Roulette gives us:
(1 x 18/37) + (-1 x 18/37) + (-1 x 1/37) = -0.027
Finally, let's see how the french Roulette holds up:
(1 x 18/37)+(-1 x 18/37)+(-0.5 x 1/37) = -0.014
The results of each equation tell us what our loss will be for every dollar. So if the American Roulette gave us a result of -.0537, we will lose an average of $.0537 for every dollar we bet.
The European is nearly half as destructive on our bankroll, but is still second to the French roulette, which offers the best odds of all versions of roulette. Unfortunately, the French roulette is rarely available in most casino, but at least you will usually find the European Roulette. As you can see with the equations, the American version of roulette should be avoided at all costs.
