The Five-Number Bet: The Worst Bet in Roulette
Every standard bet on an American roulette wheel costs the same 5.26%. Every bet except one. The five-number bet, sometimes called the basket or top line, covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3, pays 6:1, and carries a 7.89% house edge. It is the single worst wager on the table, and it is worth knowing so you can walk past it.
How the bet works
On a double-zero layout, place a chip on the corner where the 0/00 box meets the 1-2-3 row (the outer edge, at the top of the number grid). If the ball lands on any of those five pockets you are paid 6:1. It only exists on American wheels; a single-zero table has no 00 and no basket bet of this shape.
| Bet | Numbers covered | Pays | Fair payout would be | Win chance | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five-number (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) | 5 | 6:1 | 33:5 | 13.16% | 7.89% |
| Any standard bet (for comparison) | varies | varies | varies | varies | 5.26% |
Why this one is worse
Every other inside bet pays 36 divided by the numbers covered, minus one, which prices the wheel as if it had 36 pockets and yields the familiar 5.26%. Five does not divide 36 evenly (36/5 = 7.2), so the casino rounds the payout down to 6:1 instead of the 6.2:1 that would keep it in line. That rounding is a third unit of edge on top of the two green pockets. Work it through: five winners paying 6 units against 33 losers is a net loss of 3 units per 38 spins, or 7.89% of everything bet. The same money on a six line or any other bet costs 5.26%.
What to bet instead
If you like the idea of covering the zeros, a straight-up chip on 0 or a split on 0-00 does it at the standard edge. If you want five-ish numbers covered, a corner (four numbers at 8:1) or a six line (six numbers at 5:1) gives you the same style of bet without the surcharge. And if you want the actual cheapest seat in roulette, find a single-zero wheel: every bet on it drops to 2.70%, and even-money bets with la partage fall to about 1.35%. See American vs European roulette.
Where it sits among the casino's worst bets
At 7.89%, the basket is bad for roulette but still cheaper than the true sucker bets elsewhere on the floor: craps Any Seven at 16.67%, or the baccarat Tie at 14.36%. We keep the full ranked list in the worst bets in the casino. The pattern is always the same: a payout that looks generous, sitting just below the fair price.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the five-number bet in roulette?
A bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 at once, available only on American double-zero wheels. It pays 6:1 and wins 13.16% of spins.
What is the house edge on the five-number bet?
7.89%, versus 5.26% for every other bet on the same wheel. It is the only roulette bet with a worse edge than the rest.
Why does the basket bet have a higher edge?
Because 6:1 is rounded down from the 6.2:1 that would match the other bets. Five winning pockets paying 6 units against 33 losing pockets loses 3 units per 38 spins instead of 2.
Is there a five-number bet on a European wheel?
No. With a single zero there is no 0-00-1-2-3 corner. Some single-zero tables offer a four-number bet on 0-1-2-3 that pays 8:1 at the standard 2.70% edge, which is a completely different (and fairly priced) wager.