Guide overview
Why red/black and other even-money bets can still lose when zero appears, subject to the specific wheel rules.
The familiar selections
Red or black, odd or even, and low or high are commonly called even-money bets because a winning selection can pay one unit of profit per unit staked. On standard roulette layouts, zero is not red or black and is neither odd nor even, so it affects these bets.
Wheel version matters
A European layout typically has one zero, while an American layout usually has zero and double zero. Some variants offer rules such as half-back or en prison on particular even-money outcomes; the exact game help determines whether they apply.
Check before choosing a table
Do not assume a special rule from the table’s name or appearance. Review the wheel, payout and zero treatment. An even-money label describes the payout on a win, not a 50% chance or a risk-free selection.