Mathematics of Roulette · For practice · 7 min

Expected Value for Call Bets

Voisins, tiers, orphelinsFR · sectorOrphelins“Orphans”: di eight numbers wey voisins and tiers leave: 17, 34, 6 and 1, 20, 14, 31, 9.Read di whole tin →, neighbours and jeu zéro, each one we work am through reach im −1/37 for every chip.

Short answer

Call bets na combinations of standard bets wey dia weights no equal, so dia payouts dey change by pocketequipmentPocketOne of di 37 small boxes wey get number for di rotor. Dem also dey call am: slot, cup.Read di whole tin →. Each one still be −2.70% of di total stake, becos expected values dey add up. Dis page dey show di arithmetic for all five.

call bets
5 standard
chips
4 to 9
EV for every chip
−1/37
payouts dey change by pocket
yes

Why Dem Dey Look Different

Straight upbetStraight upOne single number, e dey pay 35:1.Read di whole tin → get one outcome wey dey pay. Voisins du zéroFR · sectorVoisins du zéro“Neighbours of zero”: di seventeen numbers from 22 to 25 for di wheel, wey you bet with nine chips.Read di whole tin → get three different payoutsmoniPayoutWetin bet wey win dey return, wey dem dey quote as “X to 1” on top di stake wey dem return.Read di whole tin →, depending on whether di ballequipmentBallDi small ball wey dem dey throw for di track against di rotor. Modern balls na ivorine or Teflon, 18–21 mm.Read di whole tin → land for di streetbetStreetThree numbers for one row of di layout, e dey pay 11:1. For French: transversale.Read di whole tin → wey get double chips, di cornerbetCornerFour numbers wey share one corner for di layout, e dey pay 8:1.Read di whole tin → wey get double chips, or one single splitbetSplitTwo numbers wey dey near each oda, e dey pay 17:1.Read di whole tin →. Di variety dey hide one tin wey no dey change: every chipmoniChipToken wey stand for one fixed amount, wey you put on top di layout to make bet. Dem also dey call am: check.Read di whole tin → inside di bet na normal bet with EV of −1/37 of imself, and di whole na di sum.

Voisins du Zéro (9 Chips, 17 Numbers)

2 on 0-2-3 (street, e dey pay 11), 2 on 25-26-28-29 (corner, e dey pay 8), 1 each on splits 4-7, 12-15, 18-21, 19-22, 32-35 (dem dey pay 17). Hit for di street: +22 − 7 = +15. Hit for di corner: +16 − 7 = +9. Hit for one split: +17 − 8 = +9. Miss: −9. EV = (3 × 15 + 4 × 9 + 10 × 9 − 20 × 9)/37 = (45 + 36 + 90 − 180)/37 = −9/37. Nine chips, −9/37: −1/37 for every chip.

call betchipse coverwetin fit happen (net units, pockets)EV (units)
Voisins du zéro917+15 × 3 · +9 × 14 · −9 × 20−9/37
Tiers du cylindre612+12 × 12 · −6 × 25−6/37
Orphelins (en cheval)58+31 × 2 · +13 × 6 · −5 × 29−5/37
Neighbours (5)55+31 × 5 · −5 × 32−5/37
Jeu zéro47+32 × 1 · +14 × 6 · −4 × 30−4/37
All three sectors togeda2037+15/+9/+12/+31/+13 by pocket; e no dey ever miss−20/37
Divide EV by chips and every row na −1/37.

Tiers du Cylindre (6 Chips, 12 Numbers)

Six splits, each one dey pay 17. Any hit: +17 − 5 = +12. Miss: −6. EV = (12 × 12 − 25 × 6)/37 = (144 − 150)/37 = −6/37. Di call bettableCall betBet wey you announce give di dealer instead of to put am with your hand, usually bet on one sector of di wheel like voisins or tiers. Dem also dey call am “announced bet”.Read di whole tin → wey flat pass: one payout, one loss.

Orphelins (5 Chips, 8 Numbers)

1 straight up on 1 (e dey pay 35), splits 6-9, 14-17, 17-20, 31-34 (dem dey pay 17). Hit on 1: +35 − 4 = +31. Hit on 17 (two splits): +34 − 3 = +31. Hit on 6, 9, 14, 20, 31, 34: +17 − 4 = +13. Miss: −5. EV = (31 + 31 + 6 × 13 − 29 × 5)/37 = (62 + 78 − 145)/37 = −5/37.

Neighbours and Jeu Zéro

NeighboursbetNeighboursOne number and di two pockets for each side of am for di wheel, five straight-up chips.Read di whole tin →: five straight ups; any hit +35 − 4 = +31; EV = (5 × 31 − 32 × 5)/37 = (155 − 160)/37 = −5/37. Jeu zéroFR · sectorJeu zéro“Zero game”: di seven numbers wey near zero pass (12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15), wey you bet with four chips.Read di whole tin →: splits 0-3, 12-15, 32-35 and one straight up on 26; hit on 26: +35 − 3 = +32; split hit: +17 − 3 = +14; EV = (32 + 6 × 14 − 30 × 4)/37 = (32 + 84 − 120)/37 = −4/37.

Probability sey any one go hit, call bets% of spins
Jeu zéro (7)
18.9%
Neighbours (5)
13.5%
Orphelins (8)
21.6%
Tiers (12)
32.4%
Voisins (17)
45.9%
All three (37)
100%
% of spins
050100%
To cover everytin with 20 chips dey guarantee result between −2 and +16 units and EV of −20/37. Di guarantee dey cost 2.70% like everytin.

Jeu Zéro Bet for Roulette

For Electronic Wheel

Roulette Evolution of IGT, as Bollman (2021) describe am, dey offer dis call bets for electronic single-zerowheelZeroDi one green pocket wey no even-money, dozen or column bet dey cover; na im be di source of di house edge. Dem also dey call am: single zero, 0.Read di whole tin → wheel. Di arithmetic no dey change: each one still be −1/37 for every chip. Wetin dey change na di one argument wey players dey make for sectorwheelSectorPockets wey follow each oda for one arc of di wheel, no be group for di layout.Read di whole tin → bets. For real table, some dey believe sey dem fit read di habits of di dealer and di speed of di spin well reach to guess di area where di ball go drop, wey dem dey call wheel clocking, and call bet na di natural way to bet one area. Electronic wheel no get dealer to read, and dat argument, wey weak even for real table, don go.

For electronic wheel no dealer dey to read, and di reason to bet one area of di wheel don go with am.

Electronic Terminals for Roulette

Di Lesson

Call bets na convenience, no be mathematics. Dem be di fastest way to bet one wheel sector and di only way to do am with one announcement. Dia expected valuemathsExpected valueDi average result for each bet for di long run. −1/37 of di stake for every standard European bet.Read di whole tin → na di same for every chip as di plainest straight up, and di variety of payouts na bookkeeping, no be edge.

Formula

EV(call bet) = Σ EV(chips) = −(chips)/37
net when e hit = payout for di winning chip(s) − di losing chips

Questions wey pipo dey ask

Any call bet get better value?

No. Each one na −1/37 for every chip. Dem different for coverage and payout shape.

Why orphelins dey pay +31 on 17?

Two splits include 17, so one hit dey pay 17 two times and e dey lose only three chips.

Wetin if I bet voisins with 2 chips for every position?

18 chips, every payout double, EV −18/37. To scale am no dey change anytin.

Play with Maths

Try dem by yourself first. Each solution dey folded; open am when you ready.

  1. One electronic wheel dey offer di French call betstableCall betBet wey you announce give di dealer instead of to put am with your hand, usually bet on one sector of di wheel like voisins or tiers. Dem also dey call am “announced bet”.Read di whole tin →: tiers (6 chipsmoniChipToken wey stand for one fixed amount, wey you put on top di layout to make bet. Dem also dey call am: check.Read di whole tin →), jeu zéroFR · sectorJeu zéro“Zero game”: di seven numbers wey near zero pass (12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15), wey you bet with four chips.Read di whole tin → (4), orphelinsFR · sectorOrphelins“Orphans”: di eight numbers wey voisins and tiers leave: 17, 34, 6 and 1, 20, 14, 31, 9.Read di whole tin → (5), voisins (9) and neighboursbetNeighboursOne number and di two pockets for each side of am for di wheel, five straight-up chips.Read di whole tin → (5). For each one, how often e dey win sometin, and how much e dey cost?

    Show di solution

    Answer Each one dey cost 2.70%. Dem dey win sometin for 12, 7, 8, 17 and 5 spins out of 37.

    Di cost dey follow from di rule for dis page: each chip na normal bet wey dey lose 1/37 of imself, and expected valuesmathsExpected valueDi average result for each bet for di long run. −1/37 of di stake for every standard European bet.Read di whole tin → dey add up.

    Di chance to win sometin na di number of pocketsequipmentPocketOne of di 37 small boxes wey get number for di rotor. Dem also dey call am: slot, cup.Read di whole tin → wey di bet cover, out of 37. Tiers dey cover 12, jeu zéro 7, orphelins 8 and voisins 17. Neighbours dey cover one number and two pockets for each side of am for di wheel: 5.

    Bollman (2021) describe jeu zéro with four chips on 26 instead of one. Dat one make am 7-chip bet and e change im payoutsmoniPayoutWetin bet wey win dey return, wey dem dey quote as “X to 1” on top di stake wey dem return.Read di whole tin →, no be im cost: e still be 2.70%.

    betchipspockets wey e covere win sometinhouse edge
    tiers61232.4%2.70%
    jeu zéro4718.9%2.70%
    orphelins5821.6%2.70%
    voisins91745.9%2.70%
    neighbours5513.5%2.70%

Small laugh

Nine chips, nine out of thirty-seven. Di arithmetic na di chips.

Nine chips, nine out of thirty-seven. Di arithmetic na di chips.

Sources

  1. Ethier, S. N. The Doctrine of Chances: Probabilistic Aspects of Gambling. Springer, 2010. Chapter 13, roulette.
  2. Wykes, A. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Gambling. Doubleday, 1964.
  3. Bollman, M. Mathematics of the Big Four Casino Table Games: Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, & Roulette. CRC Press, 2021. Chapter 2, roulette.
we check am 2026-09-28model: European wheel, single zerohow we work am ↗where we get am ↗