Roulette odds calculator: any bet, any wheel, and what an hour costs
Choose a wheel and a bet, or describe your own, and see the true chance, the payout, the house edge and the average result for your stake and pace. The answer below is for £5 on red, 40 spins an hour, on a European wheel.
A fair payout for 18 numbers on this wheel would be 1.06 to 1.
How to use the calculator
The calculator needs four choices, and each result updates the moment you change one. Nothing is played and nothing is staked: it simply works out the arithmetic of a bet you describe.
- Pick the wheel. European has 37 pockets and one zero. French is the same wheel with La Partage, which hands back half of an even-money stake when zero lands. American has 38 pockets, with 0 and 00.
- Pick the bet. The list covers every standard bet on the layout, from a single number to red or black. Choose "Your own" to type how many numbers a bet covers (1 to 18) and what it pays to 1.
- Enter a stake per spin. This is only used to put the edge into pounds; it does not change any chance.
- Enter your spins per hour. Pace matters because the cost of roulette is charged on every spin. Use your own figure; a table with a croupier is usually slower than a digital game.
If a figure is out of range, a short message appears under the fields and the last good answer stays on screen until the input is fixed.
What each result means
1 in N and the percentage are the chance that the bet wins on any single spin: the numbers covered divided by the pockets on the wheel. True odds against are the same chance written as odds: losing pockets to winning pockets, in lowest terms. For one number on a European wheel that is 36 to 1.
Pays is the table's payout, and the line under it shows what a winning spin hands back at your stake, including the stake itself. House edge is the share of each stake the wheel keeps on average, and it is where the true odds and the payout meet: 2.70% on a European wheel, 5.26% on an American wheel and 1.35% on even money with La Partage.
Average result per spin and per hour turn that edge into money. They are averages over a very long run, not a forecast of your next hour. At least one win is the chance that the bet comes in one or more times across the spins you entered, worked out as one minus the chance of losing every one of them.
Worked examples
Each example below was run through the same calculator, so you can type the inputs and check the outputs yourself.
£5 on red, European wheel, 40 spins an hour
The default answer. Red covers 18 of 37 pockets: 1 in 2.06, or 48.65%. It pays 1 to 1, and the true odds against are 19 to 18. The edge is 2.70%, so the average result of a £5 spin is −£0.14, and an hour of 40 spins averages −£5.41 on £200.00 staked. You will almost certainly see a win in that hour (over 99.99%), which is part of why even-money bets feel gentle, but the cost is the same 2.70% as any other European bet.
£2 on a single number, American wheel, 60 spins an hour
One number on a double-zero wheel is 1 in 38 (2.63%), true odds 37 to 1, paying 35 to 1. The edge rises to 5.26%. Sixty spins at £2 stake £120.00, and the hour averages −£6.32. The chance of hitting the number at least once in the hour is 79.81%, so about 20% of such hours end without a single win.
£5 on red, French wheel with La Partage
The chance is unchanged (1 in 2.06), but half the stake comes back on zero. The edge halves to 1.35%, and the average for the hour at the same stake and pace moves from −£5.41 to −£2.70. Of all the roulette bets the calculator can show, this is the cheapest to play.
The American top line, entered as your own bet
The five-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 pays 6 to 1. Choose the American wheel, pick "Your own" and enter 5 numbers at 6 to 1. The chance is 1 in 7.60 and the edge is 7.89%, the worst standard bet on the layout. The note under the results shows the fair payout for five numbers on that wheel: 6.60 to 1.
£10 on a dozen, European wheel, 30 spins an hour
A dozen covers 12 numbers: 1 in 3.08, true odds 25 to 12, paying 2 to 1. The edge is 2.70% again, so thirty £10 spins average −£8.11 on £300.00 staked.
Why the edge barely moves. Every standard payout is 36 divided by the numbers covered, minus one, which is the fair payout on a 36-pocket wheel. On a 37-pocket wheel each bet therefore returns 36/37 of its stakes, and on a 38-pocket wheel 36/38. Choosing a different bet changes how often you win and how big the wins are; choosing a different wheel changes the price.
How likely is at least one win?
People often expect a number to come in "about once every 37 spins", and it does on average, but the waits vary widely. The table uses the formula above for a single number.
| Spins | European wheel | American wheel |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 24.0% | 23.4% |
| 37 | 63.7% | 62.7% |
| 74 | 86.8% | 86.1% |
| 100 | 93.5% | 93.1% |
| 200 | 99.6% | 99.5% |
After 37 spins, a single number has still not appeared about a third of the time. The break-even point, where it is as likely as not to have come in, is 26 spins on a European wheel. None of this changes the edge: the wait between wins is part of the variance, not part of the price.
What the calculator does not do
It assumes a fair wheel, where each pocket has the same chance on every spin, which is what a licensed game is tested for. It cannot predict a spin, and there is no input that makes a standard bet worth more than it costs. It also treats each bet on its own. If you place several bets on the same spin, the edges simply add up: the total cost is the edge on each bet times its stake. For the full table of bets and wheels, the announced bets and the maths of streaks, see the roulette odds guide; for other games, the house edge explained and the blackjack calculator.
The average cost per hour is worth setting against what you are happy to spend on an evening's entertainment. If the numbers are no longer the point, or you are chasing losses, free and confidential help is listed on our responsible gambling page.
Related pages
Roulette odds calculator: questions
How do I use the roulette odds calculator?
Choose the wheel, pick a bet from the list or enter your own numbers covered and payout, then type a stake per spin and how many spins you play in an hour. Every result updates as you type; nothing is sent anywhere.
What does "1 in N" mean in the results?
It is the average number of spins per win. Red on a European wheel shows 1 in 2.06: over a long run it comes in about once every 2.06 spins, which is 48.65% of spins. It does not mean a win is guaranteed within that many spins.
What is the difference between true odds and the payout?
True odds against compare the pockets that lose with the pockets that win: 36 to 1 for one number on a European wheel. The payout is what the table actually pays, 35 to 1. The difference between the two is the house edge.
Why is the house edge the same for most bets?
Every standard payout is set as if the wheel had 36 pockets, so every bet is short by the same proportion: the zero on a European wheel (2.70%) and the two zeros on an American wheel (5.26%). Only La Partage and the American top line change the figure.
What does the expected result per hour tell me?
It is the average cost of an hour at your stake and pace: everything you stake multiplied by the house edge. A real hour can end well up or well down; the figure is where many hours average out.
Can I work out a bet that is not in the list?
Yes. Choose "Your own" and enter how many numbers the bet covers and what it pays to 1. That handles the American top line (5 numbers, 6 to 1), a trio or basket, and any unusual payout you want to test.
Does the calculator include La Partage and En Prison?
The French wheel option applies La Partage to even-money bets, halving their edge to 1.35%. En Prison gives the same 1.35% where a second zero keeps the stake held; the roulette odds page shows the maths for both rules.
Is the chance of at least one win the same as a guarantee?
No. It is the share of sessions of that length with at least one hit. Even over 26 spins, a single number on a European wheel has only about a 50% chance of coming in at least once.
Is this roulette odds calculator free, and does it store anything?
It is free, needs no account and runs entirely in your browser. The figures are worked out on your device from the numbers you enter, and nothing you type is saved or sent.