One of the most famous and popular casino games in the world is roulette whose simplicity, elegance and thrilling spins make it a favorite game all over the world. Not every roulette game is, however, equal. The two most popular types American Roulette and European Roulette might seem similar to each other, however, they have certain differences that greatly influence the game, its probabilities, and play tactics of players.
When making choices about whether to play a certain version online or in a casino, these differences may make your bets smarter and your experience better.
The number of pockets on the wheel is the most obvious difference between the American and European Roulette.
The odds are very different with that additional 00 in American Roulette.
The house edge is used to establish the degree of advantage the casino has against players.
Roulette Type House Edge
European Roulette 2.7%
American Roulette 5.26%
The extra 00 pocket in American Roulette makes the casino have more edge causing a player to statistically have more difficulty winning in the long term.
European Roulette is obviously more friendly to the players.
Impact on Betting Outcomes
Although both versions have equal betting opportunities; inside bets, outside bets, splits, corners, reds/blacks, odds/even, the chances of winning are different.
Example: Betting on Red
European Roulette: 18/37 = 48.65%
American Roulette: 18/38 = 47.37%
This difference can be insignificant, but in hundreds of spins, it accumulates.
Certain tables of the European Roulette have supplementary rules which decrease the loss:
When the ball lands on 0, the even-money bet will be refunded half.
Even-money bets are imprisoned and brought into the next spin.
The rules are hardly ever present in American Roulette, and therefore it is less forgiving.
There is no strategy that will help you get rid of the house edge, but it is possible to increase your odds by selecting the appropriate type of roulette.
In case you are after better odds, reduced risk and smarter play, then there is no doubt that European Roulette is the better of the two. The single-zero wheel and the optional rules, which are easier to learn by players, are significant in the long-run.
American Roulette is not bad, but it is admitted that it is more costly to play in the long term since the house advantage is larger.
Pro tip: In online play, it is always worth looking at the version of the roulette game before putting your money down–it is an effortless method of increasing your expected payoff.
