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Even Money Bets

Online Roulette Guide

The Even Money Bets include Red/Black
Odd/Even and Lo (1-18) / Hi (19-36)

Even Money Bets in roulette, like red/black and odd/even, pay out 1:1, or even money. Plus you get your bet back.

Play Even Money Bets at these Casinos

The Even Money Bets in roulette are probably the most popular bets on the table. Who hasn’t heard of the expression “you may as well stick it all on the red“. Well, that would be an even money bet.

They are called even money bets, because they pay out at 1:1, that’s to say, if you bet $100 and win, you win $100, plus you get your stake back (so $200 returned in total).

Even Money Bets sit within the so called Outside Roulette Bets, which also include the dozens bet and columns.

even money bets

Play the Even Money Bets at Monkey Casino HERE

The table above shows a $100 Even Money Bet on Red on a French Roulette table

Pros and Cons of the Even Money Bet

  • Cover half the table quickly
  • Mix it up by switching from red/black – hi/lo – odd/even
  • Low variance bet (lower payout, higher frequency of wins)
  • Modest payout. 1:1 plus your bet back.
  • If the ball lands in zero you lose (except some French variants).

The Even Money Bets Include:

But careful! Even money doesn’t mean you have a 50/50 chance of winning when you place these bets. That’s because of the zero pocket which take the house edge up to 2.6% in European Roulette which has one zero, and 5.2% in American Roulette which has 2 zeros. So your odds are 47.4% on European and 44.8% on American.

Stick to European Tables

Hopefully, if you have just digested that last sentence, you will have had a “eureka moment”, but then you probably know this already. Always play European roulette if you can, rather than American roulette. the odds are better.

In fact, some variants (notable French Roulette games) will give you half of your bet back if the ball lands in the zero pocket after you have made an even-money bet. This is “La Partage” rule, and it cuts the house edge down even further to 1.3%, Which is bad for the casino and good for you!

You can also cover the same amount of table with combinations on Chip Bomb bets, by the way, which helps if you like to mix things up and switch between bets. Play two 9 chip Chip Bombs (middle column number, no overlap).

Even Money Bets in Systems

The even money bets really come into play for many systems like The Martingale, the Fibbonacci and the Labouchere. The Hollandish roulette system, which is less aggressive, also uses the even money bets. You are covering a decent part of the table, without hedging your bets too much.

We like to switch around between the different even money bets when playing these systems (the so called Martingale Switch system). It doesn’t change your odds, but I guess we are superstitious! There’s no harm in mixing it up a bit.

These kinds of bets also come in handy for some of the positive progressions like the 1326 and the Reverse Fibonacci.

The Best Casino and Variant to play Even Money Bets?

Well, the even money bet is such a fundamental bet, that this is almost like a “which casino and variant is best for roulette?” question. We’d plump for the games at NoBonus (play European Roulette) or if you are a high stakes player, we’d go for Premium French Roulette.

FAQs

Questions

  • What are Even Money bets in roulette?
    Even Money bets are wagers that cover just under half of the numbers on the roulette table. These include:
    – Red/Black – Betting on whether the winning number will be red or black.
    – Odd/Even – Betting on whether the number will be odd or even.
    – Low/High – Betting on whether the number will be in the low range (1-18) or the high range (19-36).
  • What is the probability of winning an Even Money bet?
    In European Roulette (single zero): 48.65% (18/37).
    In American Roulette (double zero): 47.37% (18/38).
    The green zero (or double zero in American roulette) lowers the probability under 50%. That’s what gives the casino its house edge.
  • What is the house edge on Even Money bets?
    European Roulette: 2.70%
    American Roulette: 5.26%
    The zero (or zeros) on the wheel give the casino its house edge.
  • Are Even Money bets the safest bets in roulette?
    Yes, they offer the highest chance of winning per spin, but with the lowest payout (1:1). They are popular among players looking for steady, lower-risk gameplay (low volatility). You can cover more of the table with other bets of course, but if you just place one bet, this is the bet with the highest probability of winning (and lowest payout).
  • What happens if the ball lands in the zero pocket or pockets?
    In most cases, you lose your money because zero is neither red nor black, odd nor even, low nor high. BUT
    Some Roulette tables (more often than not French) have special rules such as:
    La Partage – You lose only half your bet if the ball lands on zero.
    En Prison – Your bet is carried forward for the next spin, giving you a second chance to win.
  • Which betting strategies use Even Money bets?
    There are many. Example include:
    – Martingale System – Doubling your bet after a loss to recover losses.
    – D’Alembert System – Increasing or decreasing bets gradually based on wins/losses.
    – Fibonacci System – Following a sequence to adjust bets after losses.
    You can read all about these systems in our Roulette Strategy section.
  • Can I place multiple Even Money bets at once?
    Yes. You can bet on multiple Even Money options at the same time, like Red & Even or Black & High, to balance risk and coverage. Most casinos put top limit on the amount of table you can cover of you are playing through the wagering requirements of a bonus.