Basket (Five-Number)

Basket (Five-Number) places 1 unit covering 5 numbers including both zeros, hitting 1 in 7.6 spins. Enumerating every pocket gives an exact house edge of 7.89% — the worst bet on any American table: the only wager whose price exceeds the wheel’s 5.26%.⚙ computed

AVOID — 7.89% EDGE

Every other American bet costs 5.26%. The five-number basket pays 6:1 on a 5/38 chance — a structural short-pay that makes it the single most expensive square on the felt. If you remember one fact from this site, let it be this one.

What lands where

1 on [0, 00, 1, 2, 3] paying 6:1. Per pocket, wins and losses net against each other — the table shows the exact distribution driving the SD of 2.37 per unit.

See the felt in the simulator →

Calling it at the table

The basket is placed like any inside bet — chip on the outer corner where 0/00 meet the top row; no announcement needed (and none deserved).

The wheel sector it buys

Five pockets clustered at the top of the American wheel — the only bet whose geometry is honest and whose price isn’t.

Session math

At $5 per spin (1 × $5 units) over 100 spins you wager $500, expect about $39 in edge, and ride swings of roughly ±$118 one SD. Same price as plain red — different shape of evening. Try the pattern in the simulator and watch the meter agree.

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Frequently asked

What is the Basket (Five-Number) bet?

A 1-unit announced bet covering 5 numbers (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) — exact edge 7.89% by full enumeration.

Is Basket (Five-Number) worth it?

No. At 7.89% it costs half again the price of any other American bet. Skip it, always.