Mini Roulette: the small wheel, costed properly
Mini Roulette is roulette with most of the wheel removed. Thirteen pockets, zero and 1 to 12, a layout that fits a phone in one view, and a straight-up that pays 11:1. It is quick and friendly and it costs more per spin than the full-size game, which is the thing to know before the friendliness wins you over.
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The wheel and the layout
Thirteen pockets: a green zero and 1 to 12 in red and black. The layout is a grid of twelve numbers with zero at the head and a short row of outside bets: red/black, odd/even, and three groups of four (1–4, 5–8, 9–12) that stand in for dozens. No high/low, no six line, no racetrack. Splits, streets and corners are available on the grid.
The payouts
| Bet | Covers | Pays | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight-up | 1 | 11:1 | 7.69% |
| Split | 2 | 5:1 | 15.38% |
| Street | 3 | 3:1 | 23.08% |
| Corner | 4 | 2:1 | 30.77% |
| Group of four (1–4 etc.) | 4 | 2:1 | 30.77% |
| Half (6 numbers) | 6 | 1:1 | 46.15% |
Payouts are set as if the wheel had twelve pockets. It has thirteen, and that pocket is a bigger share of a small wheel than one in 37 is of a big one.
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The half-back rule
Without any correction, the thirteenth pocket would give the house 1/13, a 7.69% edge on every bet, worse than an American wheel. Most Mini Roulette versions soften this: when zero comes up, bets that did not cover it lose only half their stake. That halves the cost to 3.85%, a 96.15% return. It applies to every bet except a bet on zero itself.
The bet to avoid
A straight-up on zero. It pays 11:1 like any other number but gets no half-back, because it is the number the rule is about. Return 92.31%, edge 7.69%. Every other bet on the table is 3.85%; this one is double.
Versions
Playtech's is the most common at UK sites, with autoplay, turbo mode and a last-ten-spins panel; release year is unclear in the sources. NetEnt, now part of the Evolution group, has one at similar limits. Minimums are reported from 10p; maximums vary by operator, with Playtech's reported at £100 on a straight-up and £10,000 across the table. Always check the specific game's help screen for the half-back rule, since a version without it is a 7.69% game.
Cost in pounds
100 spins at £1: about £3.85 expected loss on Mini against £2.70 on a European wheel and £5.26 on American. Not ruinous, not a bargain. The pace is the thing to watch: turbo mode makes a spin take two seconds, and the small layout invites quick play.
Who it is for
New players who want the shape of roulette without 37 numbers. Phone players who want one-handed play. Anyone who likes a 1-in-13 shot at 11:1 rather than 1-in-37 at 35:1. For value, the European wheel wins. For a ten-minute session on a bus, Mini has a case, as long as it is the half-back version and the zero is left alone.
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Questions
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How many numbers are on a Mini Roulette wheel?
Thirteen: zero and 1 to 12. A straight-up pays 11 to 1 and wins 1 in 13. Most versions return half of a losing stake when zero comes up, which is what keeps the game from being very expensive.
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What is the house edge on Mini Roulette?
3.85% on bets that do not cover zero, where half the stake comes back on a zero, giving a 96.15% return. A straight-up on zero itself has no half-back and returns 92.31%, a 7.69% edge.
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Is Mini Roulette better than normal roulette?
It is more expensive: 3.85% against 2.70% on a European wheel. It is quicker to learn, faster to play and fits a phone screen. Those are the reasons to play it, not the odds.