American roulette payouts and odds: the double zero chart
A bet on 00 pays 35 to 1, like any single number. The double zero wheel keeps every payout and adds a 38th pocket, so the house edge rises from 2.70% to 5.26%, and to 7.89% on the five number bet.
The double zero payout chart
| Bet | Covers | Payout | Win probability | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up (one number) | 1 | 35 to 1 | 1 in 38 (2.6%) | 5.26% |
| Split (two numbers) | 2 | 17 to 1 | 2 in 38 (5.3%) | 5.26% |
| Street (three numbers) | 3 | 11 to 1 | 3 in 38 (7.9%) | 5.26% |
| Corner (four numbers) | 4 | 8 to 1 | 4 in 38 (10.5%) | 5.26% |
| Five number bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) | 5 | 6 to 1 | 5 in 38 (13.2%) | 7.89% |
| Six line (six numbers) | 6 | 5 to 1 | 6 in 38 (15.8%) | 5.26% |
| Dozen (1st, 2nd, 3rd 12) | 12 | 2 to 1 | 12 in 38 (31.6%) | 5.26% |
| Column | 12 | 2 to 1 | 12 in 38 (31.6%) | 5.26% |
| Red | 18 | 1 to 1 | 18 in 38 (47.4%) | 5.26% |
| Black | 18 | 1 to 1 | 18 in 38 (47.4%) | 5.26% |
| Even | 18 | 1 to 1 | 18 in 38 (47.4%) | 5.26% |
| Odd | 18 | 1 to 1 | 18 in 38 (47.4%) | 5.26% |
| 1 to 18 | 18 | 1 to 1 | 18 in 38 (47.4%) | 5.26% |
| 19 to 36 | 18 | 1 to 1 | 18 in 38 (47.4%) | 5.26% |
One row stands out: the five number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 keeps 7.89% for the house, where every other bet keeps 5.26%. It is the worst bet on the table.
To price your own bets and stakes on either wheel, use the roulette payout calculator.
Why the second zero costs more
The payouts are the same as on a single zero wheel, priced as if the wheel had 36 pockets. The American wheel has 38: on 0 and on 00 every outside bet loses, and no payout was raised to make up for the extra pocket. So every standard bet returns, on average, 36 in 38 points per point staked, and the house keeps 2 in 38, which is 5.26 percent.
Work the bet people ask about. A straight up bet on 00 covers 1 pocket of 38, wins with probability 1 in 38 and pays 35 to 1, so a win returns 36 points per point staked: the expected return is 36 in 38. Red covers 18 pockets, wins 18 in 38 of the time and pays 1 to 1: the expected return is again 36 in 38. The double zero is not a better or worse number to back than 17; it is one more pocket where every outside bet loses.
The five number bet
The double zero wheel adds one bet the single zero wheel does not have: the five number bet, also called the top line or basket, on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. It covers 5 pockets, wins 5 in 38 of the time and pays 6 to 1, so it returns 35 in 38 per point staked. Its house edge is 7.89 percent.
That makes it the worst bet on the table. To cost the same as every other bet on this wheel it would have to pay 6.2 to 1. It pays 6, and the difference goes to the house.
Single zero against double zero
| Single zero | Double zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pockets | 37 | 38 |
| Straight up pays | 35 to 1 | 35 to 1 |
| Chance of red | 18 in 37 (48.6%) | 18 in 38 (47.4%) |
| House edge, every standard bet | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Expected cost per 1,000 points staked | 27 points | 52.6 points |
| Worst bet on the table | none: every standard bet keeps 2.70% | the five number bet, 7.89% |
The honest takeaway: if you have the choice, the single zero wheel costs you about half as much, for the same payouts on the same bets. The European payout chart prices every bet on it, and European vs American roulette walks through the difference step by step.
Common questions
What does 00 pay in roulette?
A straight up bet on 00 pays 35 to 1, exactly like a bet on 0 or on any other number: a winning 10 point bet returns 360 points, 350 of profit plus the stake. Its chance is 1 in 38, while the payout is priced as if it were 1 in 36, and that gap is the 5.26 percent house edge.
What is the house edge on American roulette?
5.26 percent on every standard bet: the two zeros keep 2 in 38 of everything staked. The one exception is the five number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3, at 7.89 percent, the worst bet on the table.
Is any bet on an American wheel better than the others?
Not under the standard rules. Every standard bet shares the same 5.26 percent edge, so a long shot and an even money bet cost the same in the long run, and the five number bet costs more. A few tables play the surrender rule, which hands back half of an even money bet when 0 or 00 lands and cuts those bets to 2.63 percent. The surer way to pay less is a single zero wheel, where every standard bet keeps 2.70 percent.
Spin the cheaper wheel
The app simulates a European single zero wheel, not the double zero wheel on this page: the same payouts, 37 pockets and a 2.70% house edge, on virtual points, with live statistics.