If you are in a casino, always look for European roulette. The smart live casino player knows the difference between the European (or French) wheel and the American wheel. What are the differences and how does playing in one type of wheel over another help or hinder?
The smart live casino player will always look for European roulette. Why is that? Well, with roulette wheels, there are two similar but very different types. The two types, commonly known as the American wheel and the European (or French) wheel, are very similar, but slightly different. The main difference between them is the number of pockets in the house; these are the green pockets that you see breaking the black and red pockets. On a European wheel, there is only one green pocket (numbered ‘0’); on the American wheel, there are two (numbered ‘0’ and ’00’, referred to as ‘double zero’).
Both wheels have 36 red and black pockets, numbered (unsurprisingly!) From 1 to 36, however, the layout is a little different, with the American wheel aligning the opposite numbers to each other compared to the more random layout European wheels, with green pockets dividing the two sets of 18 red and black pockets. Many people prefer the aesthetics of the American wheel, but the smart live roulette player ignores this in favor of the better chances offered by the European roulette wheel.
The odds offered by the European wheel are better than those in the American wheel football prediction. External bets, in which you bet on odd or even sections, or red / black, first twelve, etc., have better chances at European roulette tables. This is because, as the smart live casino player knows, these outside bets are not fifty-fifty or three to one; the green pockets are not included in any of the external bets, reducing the chances of a good win and increasing the chances of the house winning.
Since zero numbers are not included in external bets, instead of your bets being placed on whether you will cover eighteen of the thirty-six numbers (on a ‘fifty-fifty’ bet), you are betting if you have covered eighteen of the thirty-seven numbers on a European table or eighteen of the thirty-eight numbers on an American table. What this means is that you can place a bet on each external bet and still lose money! If the ball lands in a green pocket, you win nothing. Therefore, the casino’s smart live roulette player will always look for a European roulette table.
Mathematically, it may not seem like much. The chances of the home pocket increasing are enough to make big profits in the casinos! The house’s chances of winning simply by adding the extra pocket with double zero increases from 2.70% to 5.26%. Or, to put it differently, your chances range from 16 to 37 to 16 to 38. Obviously, an important rule in the game of roulette (or in any game of chance) is to find the best odds available.
That is why the smart live casino player always looks for a table with a European roulette wheel and avoids the American wheel at all costs. If you are in a casino with both, avoid the American wheel and be smart. Go straight to the European table. If your casino does not have one, it may be time to find a new casino.
The author likes to play roulette at Smart Live Casino, preferably with a European roulette table.