There are multiple betting options and payouts for betting on zero in roulette. An American roulette table has 36 red or black numbers and two green (0 and 00), unlike European tables, which only have one (0).
When a player places his marker on 0 in roulette, the payout will be 35/1 if the bet is successful. However, the odds of this happening are low at just 2.65%.
Why are there two extra slots on a roulette table?
Every roulette table has 36 numbers (1 to 36) in red and black. If the table only had these numbers and not the 0 and 00, the odds of winning a bet would be 50/50 if, for example, a player bets on red. This does not suit casinos, because they are in the business of making money.
The 0 and 00 slots skew the odds slightly in favor of the casino. For example, if a player bets on black and the ball lands on green (0), the player loses. The chances of the ball landing on black are 16 out of 38, while the odds of it resting on any other color are 20/38. The two green numbers mean that the odds for a player winning on black are not 50%. The actual odds will be 47.4%. This slight advantage is enough for the casino to win in the long run.
What types of bets can a player make on 0?
A straight bet is when a player places his chip on 0. However, this is not the only bet available to the bettor. If the player wants to increase the odds of winning a bet on 0, he can choose between a split, trio, and basket bet.
Split – The player can cover the 0 and 00 slots by placing the marker in the middle of the two numbers. If the ball lands on either number, the player wins. The odds of winning this bet are 5.35%, and the payout is 17:1
Trio – The player places the marker in the corner between the 0,1 and 2 slots, thus betting on three numbers. The payout on this is 11:1, and the odds of winning are 7.89%.
Basket – This bet is when the player bets that the ball will land on either 0, 00, 1, 2 or 3. The basket bet is particular to these five numbers, as it is called a street bet when betting on any other five numbers. The odds of winning a basket bet are 13.16%, and the payout is 6:1.
Comparison of American and European roulette
The key difference between these two types of roulette is the addition of the 00 slot in the American version. This addition makes it harder for the player to win on an American roulette table. Every bet on a European table gives better odds than its American counterpart.
Unfortunately, finding a European table at a physical casino is not easy. Only seven casinos in Las Vegas have them on-site, making them few and far between. It is a similar situation in the rest of the United States. It is much easier to find European roulette at online casinos. Most of them offer this form of roulette on their tables, mainly because of the intense competition in the industry and their lower fixed operating costs.
The zero slot betting strategy
All professional or recreational roulette players know that the 0 slots can cancel out all of their bets. The most popular bets on a roulette table are outside bets. These include black/red, over/under, and odds/even bets with a payout of 1;1 and odds of 47.4%. These bets give the highest chance of winning, albeit with smaller returns.
When a player wagers on black and a trio of 4,5 and 6, the whole bet will be lost if the ball lands on 0. The best strategy to reduce this risk is to place a split bet on the 0 and 00 slots. If the ball lands on one of these numbers, the player has at least hedged part of his bet and will return some of his money. He might even profit from it.
Conclusion
For the amateur gambler, roulette is the perfect game, as it is easy to understand and requires very little skill. It is also very social because the players at the table are competing against the house and no one else.
The 0 and 00 balls give the house a slight advantage. To win in the long run, a player has to be very lucky. However, there are roulette strategies that can improve the player’s chances. The best way to win is to stick to the outside bets. Players need to wager with money they can afford to lose and stop when they find they are gambling too often.