Is Triple-Zero Roulette Worth Playing in Mines Games?
There is only one rule of thumb to follow when choosing which roulette variation to play – the fewer the zero pockets on the wheel, the better your winning chances. In a (successful) attempt to raise more revenue, gambling operators came up with yet another atrocity known as triple-zero roulette.
This monstrosity first popped up at the Venetian in 2016 and spread throughout Las Vegas like wildfire. Other casinos soon followed suit and started adding triple zeros to their wheels, with Flamingo, MGM Grand, Harrah’s, and Planet Hollywood being few of the numerous examples.
Triple-zero roulette has taken Sin City by storm and operators advertise it as a roulette variation “with an exciting additional bet” that offers “more winning opportunities to players”. Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth and we explain why in today’s article.
The Zero Gives the House Its Edge in Roulette
Most roulette wheels in European casinos use the single-zero (0) configuration, while those on the other side of the pond have adopted the double-zero format (00). Now, is this really such a big deal? It is because roulette will be a break-even game had it not been for the green zero pocket.
Gambling operators derive their edge over players from the zero. The more zeros there are on the wheel, the higher said edge gets. So forget about the folly of having “more ways to win” in triple-zero roulette. You don’t. If anything the third zero diminishes your winning odds even further.
Let’s elaborate on this statement. The main issue with the zeros results from the fact that when you win, the house pays you as if they are not there. The odds against winning are higher than the casino odds, i.e. the payouts. When you do win, you always receive less money than you should. Examine the table below and you will see what we mean.
| Casino Payouts vs. Odds against WInning in 0 and 00 Roulette | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet Type | Casino Payout | Odds against Winning in 0 Roulette | Odds against Winning in 00 Roulette |
| Straight Up | 35 to 1 | 36 to 1 | 37 to 1 |
| Split | 17 to 1 | 171/2 to 1 | 18 to 1 |
| Street | 11 to 1 | 111/3 to 1 | 112/3 to 1 |
| Corner | 8 to 1 | 81/4 to 1 | 81/2 to 1 |
| Double-Street | 5 to 1 | 51/6 to 1 | 51/3 to 1 |
| Basket Bet | 8 to 1 | 81/4 to 1 | N/A |
| Five-Number Bet | 6 to 1 | N/A | 63/5 to 1 |
| Column | 2 to 1 | 21/12 to 1 | 21/6 to 1 |
| Dozen | 2 to 1 | 21/12 to 1 | 21/6 to 1 |
| Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low | 1 to 1 | 11/18 to 1 | 11/9 to 1 |
The casino payouts would have reflected the true odds without any house edge if the wheels contained only 36 pockets rather than 37 or 38, as is the case with the single-zero and double-zero variations. The actual odds against winning straight up with a single number are 36 to 1 with a single zero and 37 to 1 with a double zero.
Triple-zero wheels contain 39 pockets, further improving the odds against winning to 38 to 1. Nonetheless, winning players still receive lower payouts of 35 to 1 and this has a dramatic effect on the house edge as you shall see shortly.