wageringterms.

Definition

Straight Up

Also known as Single Number, Straight Bet, En Plein

By Reviewed Editorial policy

In short

A straight up bet backs a single roulette number, paying 35:1. It is the highest-paying and most volatile bet on the table, carrying the same 2.70% house edge as every other European roulette bet.

A straight up bet places chips directly on one number. If it lands, you are paid 35:1.

It is called en plein on French tables.

The shortfall

A European wheel has 37 pockets, so the true odds of any single number are 36 to 1. The payout is 35 to 1.

That one-unit gap is the house edge, and the arithmetic is worth seeing once:

  • 37 spins of £1 = £37 staked
  • One expected win returning £36
  • Expected shortfall: £1, or 2.70% of turnover

On an American wheel with 38 pockets the payout is still 35:1, which is why the edge doubles to 5.26%.

What it feels like

At 2.70% per spin, a straight up bettor wins roughly once every 37 spins. At a typical live table pace of 40 spins an hour, that is about one win per hour.

Long droughts are entirely normal. Going 100 spins without a hit has a probability of about 6%, uncommon but not remarkable, and it will happen to anyone playing regularly.

This is the practical meaning of volatility: the expected loss is a modest 2.70% of turnover, but the path to it is extremely uneven.

Bankroll implications

Because wins are infrequent and large, a straight up strategy needs a bankroll that survives long gaps. As a rough guide, at least 100 to 150 units.

Covering several numbers at once reduces the gaps but does not improve the price, six straight-up bets at £1 each has exactly the same expectation as one £6 six-line bet. The distribution differs; the cost does not.

Neighbour bets

French tables allow announced bets on a number and its neighbours on the wheel rather than the layout, “five and the neighbours” covers five numbers physically adjacent on the wheel. These are just multiple straight up bets placed by announcement, and carry the same edge.

Common questions

Why does a straight-up bet pay 35:1?

Because a European wheel has 37 pockets, making the true odds 36 to 1. The casino pays 35 to 1, and that one missing unit spread over 37 spins is exactly the 2.70% house edge.

How often does a single number hit?

Roughly once every 37 spins, or about once an hour at a typical live table pace. Going 100 spins without a hit has a probability around 6%, so long droughts are entirely normal.

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